Bike rider does 80 in honor of his 80th

+ Bike rider does 80 in honor of his 80th
Carl Meyers turns 80 on Dec. 3, and he wanted to do something special to celebrate. An avid bike rider, he bought a new bike and decided to ride 80 kilometers — 50 miles — on his birthday. His plan is to start at the old Venice train station and ride to the Venetian Waterway Trail and then to the Legacy Trail, in Sarasota. He will repeat the route to make it 80 kilometers total.

But he won’t be riding alone. Joining him will be his sons, Eric, of Oak Park, Mich., and Jon, of Dearborn, Mich.; his wife, Mary; and a few friends. Not all will make the entire ride. On Sunday, Nov. 29, his neighbors at Spanish Main Yacht Club will drop by an open house to wish him well.

Meyers says the furthest he has ever ridden is 25 miles. For a man who had a total hip replacement two years ago and resumed daily rides after his recovery, odds are he’ll “go the distance.”