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    • COMMUNITY

    SCOT BENTON FINISHES FIRST IN CHALLENGE


    Scot Benton, center, with his family.

    By LINDA ANN McDONALD Correspondent

    Scot Benton, owner of the non-profit organization Bicycle House in Tallahassee, took first place in the Strava Challenge after riding 5,000 miles on the app known as Strava. 75% of the challenge was completed in Wakulla County. Benton collected $10,000 in pledges towards Bicycle House.
    “Second Place went to a man in New York state and Third Place went to a man in Finland.” Benton said. Benton’s route for the challenge looped from Tallahassee to the Coast, including Wakulla County.
    Benton said, “I do it to raise money for Bicycle House and because I love it.” He mentioned where some people normally pledge a dime a mile, “I had pledges as high as $1 a mile.”
    This is the fourth time Benton competed in the Strava May Cycling Distance Challenge.
    “Most professional cyclists range 120-130 miles a day, S. Scot Benton pounded 200 miles on some days,” said Michael Pace, a childhood friend and non-profit partner at the sister Bicycle House in Carrabelle.
    Benton, a Tallahassee native, has been riding since the ‘70s riding to Carrabelle “100 times” through Wakulla.
    “I love riding in Crawfordville because there are bumps in the side lane for safety, except for Shadeville Road.” He added: “Shadeville Road is where I lost my bicycle enthusiast friend Chet Smith due to an accident. “I have ridden on Forest Highway 13 (FH-13) to Sumatra at least 20 times. “I have seen 3 or 4 black bears and a 6-foot alligator on 98 since the ‘70s on my routes.
    “Crawfordville is a fun route, riding on Bloxham Cutoff to Lonnie Raker Lane by the elementary school onward to find a couple of cool round abouts.”
    Competing with 405,143 other cyclists, Benton averaged 160 miles a day which is approximately 17 miles per hour. The Strava May Cycling Distance Challenge is held during the entire month of May to celebrate International Bicycle Month.
    Strava is an app which tracks and analyzes every aspect of activity of performance. By synching with most devices such as a phone or GPS watch, your activity, distance, location and heart rate is monitored in real time. With Strava, one can connect with friends and record activity which is shared on the Strava feed and followers can share information and leave comments. Strava makes it possible to connect with a global community.
    Pace noted that “Bicycle House has been a non-profit organization which brings awareness and education to bicycles as transportation and recreation for health. We specifically help people who need transportation to get where they are needing to go.” He and his partner, Cassie McGlynn, started the volunteer-run foundation 13 years ago. They provide about 500 bikes a year to people alongside doing bike repairs and bike loans for those who cannot afford to buy expensive bikes, Benton said.