Urban Restauraunt Tour Scores Another Hit With Locals

The is the most literal definition of a night out on the town one will find in the Tampa Bay area, according to its regular riders.

With drinks, food, socializing and some mild exercise in between, City Bike Tampa owners Jason and Kellie Cyr have created the perfect balance of activity and laid back dining. Last night, the couple guided yet another successful bike tour to four stops that included the The Sail Pavilion, , Splitsville and Ragin Sports Grill in Tampa.

"This is incredible," first-time participant Scott Sullivan said. "You gotta love getting out on a beautiful night and trying some new food. Getting out on a bike ride with all these people is great because with a crowd this big, there is less of a safety concern too."

The tour is frequented by several regulars who look forward to the monthly rides. With tours that extend into Ybor City and South Tampa, participants like Brandon's Terry Montgomery see them as a great way to get out and enjoy the Tampa nightlife.

"We have a lot of friends that we've made through these tours," Montgomery said. "The tours take us to a lot of places that we've never been to or never even knew were there. We look forward to it because you usually get to learn something new about the places you go, and you often get to meet new people that you probably wouldn't have met otherwise."

Chrissy Jesmundo has only missed one tour since they began in March of 2010. She is happy to go to new places or places that she has been before, because either way, the tour is less about the restaurants and more about the people and experience for her.

"Everyone is so nice and it's just a ton of fun," Jesmundo said. "There is stuff going on every single day in Tampa, but this is my favorite monthly activity. I live in the Vincente Martinez neighborhood of Ybor City and it's nice because sometimes the tour comes close to home and other times it gets me away from there."

English transplant Steve Harper perhaps summed up the tour the best, noting the difference in a participants' mentality once they get out on a bicycle with a crowd that often numbers around 200 people.

"Normally, you come out of the house, drive to work, go the store and drive home," Harper said. "With an activity like this, you're on a bicycle on the streets you normally drive on with 200 people, and you're looking at things differently. You see the road differently, the buildings differently, and you're outdoors so you really get a feel for the place that you just couldn't get by driving around down here in a car."

If You Go: Urban Restaurant Tour

Tours are held on the last Thursday of every month and cost to participate is $13 for the evening. City Bike doesn't rent bikes for the tours due to insurance issues, therefore, it's a bring-your-own-bike affair. Lights are available for $20 on the night of the event.

For more information, visit citybiketampa.com.

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