Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 18:01:20 +0000

Reasons Of Support And Opposition Of The Bill

Most people agree that a driver’s sole focus should be on the road when operating a vehicle. Yet, according to a Colorado Department of Transportation study, 91% of Coloradans admitted to driving distracted in the seven days before completing the survey. This survey also revealed that of all the things distracting us, such as interactive dashboards, grooming, eating, and tending to our kids, phones top the list. Once we pick up this communication and entertainment device, the temptation to look at the high-resolution color screen, say to read a text or select a podcast, is too strong for many to resist, which is why Bicycle Colorado is championing SB24-065, a bill prohibiting drivers of all ages from holding mobile electronic devices while driving. Signing SB24-065 into law would add Colorado to a list of 29 states and five U.S. territories with similar legislation. Despite widespread concern about distracted driving, some people oppose this bill, which is why Colorado legislators failed to pass similar bills in the past and why SB24-065 may fail in 2024. It’s important to remember that rarely is there the perfect bill that garners unanimous support from both sides of the aisle. Almost every bill has pros and cons – reasons to vote YES and NO. Making the case in favor of or against a bill is how our legislative process works, and society is better because of it: many bills signed into law are improved versions of their first drafts, and public debate provides the opportunity to make us a more informed and empathetic society. So, let’s look at the main arguments for and against SB24-065.

Why Bicycle Colorado Supports SB24-065

Before making the case for SB24-065, let’s ground ourselves in a hard reality: 716 people died on Colorado roads in 2023, including 153 pedestrians and bicyclists, a record high. Additionally, traffic violence forever altered the lives of thousands of other people who suffered severe bodily injury. And although traffic violence does not discriminate, it does disproportionally kill people of color.

Crashes due to distracted driving are challenging to measure as they are mostly self-reported, which means that the data underrepresents the scope of the problem. Nevertheless, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, 72 people were killed by distracted drivers in 2021. The bottom line is that traffic violence has reached the level of a public health epidemic, and phone use when driving is a major contributing factor.

Here are a few reasons why passing SB24-065 is a critical step in addressing this public health epidemic:

Studies in many states with this legislation, including the numerous studies cited in this fact sheet, indicate that a hands-free phone law reduces crashes, fatalities, and injuries.

Some behaviors are so unacceptable and in conflict with the health and well-being of the general public that asking people to stop is insufficient; instead, we must pass a law that prohibits these behaviors. For example, using substances when driving, which presents similar safety risks to distracted driving, is against the law because drivers under the influence kill people. Prohibiting smoking in public spaces is against the law because second-hand smoke kills people. Using our phones when driving vehicles kills people and must be prohibited by law.

A 2019 American Automobile Association Foundation survey revealed that 76% of respondents across the U.S. support legislation banning hand-held electronic devices.

In summary, the law works, is common sense, and is supported by the vast majority of the driving public.

The Main Arguments Against SB24-065

The most common argument against SB24-065, which deserves close attention, is fear of racial profiling by the police. Opponents argue that the potential risk of increased racial profiling by police is too great and outweighs the potential benefits of reduced distracted driving and fatalities. To be clear, opponents agree that distracted driving is a problem. What they disagree with is that this law will make a sufficient dent in distracted driving to warrant accepting the risk of increased racial profiling.

For years, our team has worked hard to understand how using the criminal justice system to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety could have unintended consequences, such as racial profiling by police. Conversations with people in communities of color, including people who have been racially profiled by law enforcement, have strongly influenced our thinking. In the case of SB24-065, we have learned that some people of color support the bill despite their concerns about racial profiling. Understandably, we have also learned that some people of color don’t support this bill despite their concerns about distracted driving. To paraphrase one person we spoke with who supports the bill: I have been racially profiled by law enforcement, and I have almost been hit by a distracted driver while riding my bike. I fear both. Asking me if I support this bill is like asking if I want to accept being racially profiled or hit by a distracted driver.

Our heart breaks for those who have been unjustly targeted by law enforcement or fear this experience. We must acknowledge that this law may result in racial profiling. However, we must also acknowledge a few truths: Distracted driving due to phone use will result in fatal crashes, and this law will save lives. Finally, we remain committed to supporting effective non-police alternatives to traffic safety enforcement, yet we strongly believe this bill is crucial to reducing risks for vulnerable and underserved communities.

A second argument that some make against SB24-065 is we should focus our energy on building infrastructure that prioritizes the safety of all people, especially bicyclists and pedestrians, over moving as many vehicles as quickly as possible. This point is often coupled with racial profiling concerns because many communities of color lack the most basic yet essential infrastructure, such as sidewalks, and are bisected by dangerous high-speed, multi-lane roads that resemble highways. We strongly agree that improving infrastructure is the most effective way to reduce traffic fatalities and that we must accelerate infrastructure investments and prioritize historically neglected communities. There are two challenges with changing the built environment, which makes it necessary to pursue additional solutions to improve safety while we advocate for better infrastructure. First, there are places in Colorado, many in suburban and rural areas, where using infrastructure to create physical separation between vehicles and bicyclists is not an option. In other words, there are places where bicyclists will always need to share the road with vehicles and trust that drivers will be paying attention. Second, given the current funding levels and how government agencies operate, building all the essential infrastructure needed to keep people safe will take decades. As we fight for better infrastructure, we must also take other actions to protect people, such as passing this bill. (Note: We are also advocating for SB24-036, which would generate $18 million annually for bike and pedestrian infrastructure.) To those who oppose SB24-065, we hear you. However, after careful consideration, we believe the legislature should pass this bill, and the governor should sign it into law.

Take Action to Pass SB24-065

It will take a lot of work over the next month to get this bill through the legislature and to the Governor for his signature in May. We need your support. If you want this bill to become law, please sign up here to receive our legislative action alerts, which makes it simple to ask your elected representative to support bike- and pedestrian-friendly legislation. Finally, our work is made possible because of the support of our members and donors. If you are not a member or donor, please consider becoming one. You can become a member or donate by clicking here.

We need your support to pass this common sense legislation. Sign up to receive action alerts, which make it simple to ask your legislator to support SB24-065.

The post Why Colorado Should Pass SB24-065 To Reduce Distracted Driving appeared first on Bicycle Colorado.

Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 21:28:50 +0000

Want more and better options for bicycling? Want the communities where you live and work to have safer roads? Join us at the state capitol on Monday, March 4 to lobby for better bicycling. Safe Streets Day at the Capitol is the perfect time to show up and speak up about what is important to you. Do it for yourself, your kids, your riding buddies and individuals who can’t be there. The event is brief—from 8 to 11 a.m—and free registration includes coffee, tea, and light breakfast.

Your personal stories make a significant difference, bolster our advocacy efforts and help amplify our collective voice as bicycle riders in Colorado. Your legislators want to hear from YOU.

What to expect

Safe Streets Day makes it easy for you to be part of democracy in action. We’ll do everything we can to make you feel empowered to lend your personal voice to bicycling issues facing your community and our state. Our briefing will include:

How does a bill even come to be? How does a bill become a law?
Where the bike-friendly bills are in the legislative process
Coaching to get the most out of your chats with legislators
Q&A

We’ll host a light breakfast with coffee and tea, encouraging legislators and their aides to come by, grab a bite, and briefly meet with any of their constituents attending. There is no schedule and no appointments; think of it as a “meet and greet�?with your policymakers. You may only get a few minutes with your legislators. But the most important piece to share is your own personal passion for better bicycling, walking and safer streets!

Elected officials generally take seriously the concerns expressed in person by those they directly represent. When meeting with your legislators, be sure to share that you live and/or work in their district and that you vote! (Update your voter registration or register to vote at GoVoteColorado.com.)

Our goal is to meet with as many state legislators and their aides as we can to express the importance of bicycling and improving access and safety. Schedules shift quickly at the Capitol, so we ask legislators to step out of the Senate Chamber or House Chamber to meet with our attendees. Even if you don’t get to meet with your legislators directly, your presence as part of the bicycling movement still makes a big difference—strength in numbers is important! Also, legislative aides often help drive policy by acting as experts on various topics, so speaking with and educating aides is just as valuable.

What’s at stake

This legislative session is an important one for bicycling and safer streets throughout Colorado. As with all political movements, the stronger our collective voice, the better. Bicycle Colorado will support, monitor, and oppose bills during the 2024 legislative session. We take positions based on meetings with members and other key stakeholder groups and our vision that all people and communities benefit from safe and accessible bicycling. Our top priority is to pass these three bills:

SB24-065 Mobile Electronic Devices & Motor Vehicle Driving, a bill to combat distracted driving (fact sheet)
SB24-036 Vulnerable Road User Protection Enterprise, a bill to generate $18 million in funds annually to build bike and pedestrian infrastructure (fact sheet)
HB24-1021 Motor Vehicle Minor Driver Education Standards, a bill to better train young drivers (fact sheet)

Learn more about these bills

Safe Streets Day at the Capitol is a unique, educational and powerful experience. Take your passion for bicycling to the next level, see how easy it is to be an advocate and meet like-minded people. We hope to see you there.

The post Safe Streets Day at the Capitol 2024: What you need to know appeared first on Bicycle Colorado.

Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 22:01:18 +0000

Kathy Haruf donated in memory of her daughter, Andrea Koenig (pictured). Kathy wrote:

Andrea was an athlete who had a heart of gold and a love for all things outdoors. One of those loves was women’s cycling. She rode for the Boulder Masters Cycling Team and was a member of the Bike Racing Association of Colorado (BRAC).

Bill Hörger dedicated his Colorado Gives Day donation to Guido’s Goons, a Bike MS Colorado Team. He wrote:

We are dedicated to the MS cause, and we are all avid cyclists. The work that Bicycle Colorado does directly affects our Team. Safer streets and roads, better trails, and legislative initiatives make all our cycling safer, regardless of whether we are on an organized ride or cycling alone. I gave in honor of our Team because we understand dedication to a cause, and that’s what we see in Bicycle Colorado: dedication and commitment. The photo attached is about half of our Team. Thanks for all Bicycle Colorado does for cyclists in Colorado!

The next Bike MS Colorado event is June 29-30, 2024.

Lane Lawrence donated in memory of riding teammate Sue “Sprint” Gregory (pictured). Lane wrote:

Sprint was a vibrant, full of life, always laughing and making others smile-type character in the lives of our Blue Suit Pacers Cycling team family there in Virginia; a deeply committed soul to her friends and family, Sprint offered deep encouragement and nurturing to others her entire life and an amazing companion to her husband and soulmate, Rod. Sprint rode the mid-Atlantic Tour De Cure event hosted by the American Diabetes Association for several years as a ‘Red Rider�?and deeply understood the event was more than just a bike ride–it was about fostering community and fellowship, about raising awareness and conveying knowledge, and championing a cause close to her heart. In honor of Sprint and her treasured impact to the lives of her teammates and to her community, our team is riding the 2024 Tour De Cure in her honor and providing donations and contributions to other cycling-centric charities in her name.

Julie Reiskin made a Colorado Gives Day donation to Bicycle Colorado/Denver Streets Partnership and dedicated it to her colleague Jaime Lewis (pictured), the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition’s Transportation Advocate. Julie wrote:

Jaime Lewis is dedicated to transit and livable communities for all. He is a true community leader and comes from a place of service and listening. He has been active in everything transit-related in Denver for more than a decade.

Thank you, Julie and Jaime! Donors can support the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, Denver Streets Partnership, and Bicycle Colorado, at coloradogives.org.

Colorado Gives Day is December 5, 2023.

The post We are honored by Colorado Gives Day donations dedicated to loved ones appeared first on Bicycle Colorado.

Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 20:48:01 +0000

Popular local bicycle swap event to restart on November 2, 2024

Boulder, CO �?Outside Interactive, Inc., the world’s leading creator of active lifestyle content, services, events, and experiences, today announced that it is transferring ownership of VeloSwap, a longstanding bike swap event for the past three decades, to Bicycle Colorado, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for all people who ride bikes in Colorado. This transition represents Outside’s commitment to making a positive impact beyond its core business operations. By transferring ownership of VeloSwap, Outside seeks to empower Bicycle Colorado to enhance its mission. “We are thrilled to pass the torch to Bicycle Colorado, an organization that shares our passion for making a positive difference in our community,�?said Robin Thurston, CEO for Outside. “We believe this transition will unlock new opportunities and bolster the continued growth and success of Bicycle Colorado and enhance its ability to fulfill its mission.”

Bicycle Colorado’s Executive Director Pete Piccolo expressed gratitude for this opportunity, saying, “This gesture from Outside to transfer the VeloSwap business and its associated intellectual property at no cost presents a significant opportunity for us to support Colorado’s bicycling community and advance our advocacy work. We are excited to build on the strong brand of VeloSwap with a new format that creates more value for vendors and attendees and inspires policy change for Colorado bicycle riders.�?/p> VeloSwap will return on November 2, 2024 in Denver. Outside and Bicycle Colorado will work collaboratively to ensure a smooth handover of operations and responsibilities.

About Outside
Outside Interactive, Inc. is the premier destination for active lifestyle enthusiasts and home to leading brands in the endurance sports, outdoor, and healthy living spaces. Each month, Outside reaches 80 million of the most active consumers in the world across its 30+ media, digital, and technology platforms, creating an experience for both longtime adventurers and those just getting started. Outside’s mission is to get everyone outdoors, experiencing healthy, connected, and fulfilling lives. Outside’s membership offering, Outside+, bundles best-in-class storytelling, videos, gear reviews, mapping apps, online courses, discounted event access, magazines, access to NASTAR courses, and more. OutsideInc.com

About Bicycle Colorado
Bicycle Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1992 whose mission is to advocate for all people who ride bikes in Colorado. With the support of over 10,000 members, Bicycle Colorado advocates for funding, policies, and programs that prioritize the safety of all people who ride bikes, expand mobility options, and foster a culture that values the diversity and dignity of all people traveling in public spaces. Bicycle Colorado also provides a variety of educational classes �?including E-Bike 101, Learn to Ride, Confident Commuting, and SHIFT Driving (a self-directed driver training class) �?and supports partners that manage organized bike events in Colorado. guitarsphere.com

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Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 18:55:07 +0000

The 2024 state legislative session begins in January. To prepare, we are building coalitions among organizations and grassroots advocates, meeting with legislators and seeking bill sponsors. Once the legislative session starts, we’ll invite you to a lobby day at the State Capitol to talk to legislators about these issues and why they matter to you and your community. Here are three changes we’d like to see to Colorado’s laws to make riding a bicycle safer and more convenient across the state.

Hands-free: No handheld cell phone use while driving

The problem: In 2020, 10,166 crashes involved a Colorado distracted driver, resulting in 1,476 injuries and 68 deaths (and 72 deaths in 2021). In the Colorado Department of Transportation’s 2021 mail survey, drivers reported cell phone use was their top distraction during the week before the survey.

What we’re advocating: Current Colorado law prohibits all drivers from texting while driving (primary offense) and prohibits drivers under age 18 from using a cell phone (primary offense). With a thoughtful conversation about equitable enforcement, we would like to see Colorado ban handheld cell phone use while driving. We also support a robust public education campaign. Hands-free laws reduce visual distractions for drivers and are common sense: 34 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit using handheld phones while driving. Studies have shown that these laws reduce distracted driving, crashes and fatalities.

Vulnerable Road User Protection Enterprise Fund

The problem: The higher the speed of a driver and the larger and heavier their vehicle, the more dangerous a crash is for people biking and walking. In the U.S., between 2010 and 2021, the number of pedestrian deaths resulting from such collisions increased by 77% while the number of all other traffic-related deaths increased by 25%. In Colorado, between 2002 and 2022, the number of bicyclist and pedestrian deaths increased by 63% while the number of deaths of people inside vehicles declined by 18%. Reducing crashes and fatalities requires making roads more accessible for everyone, no matter their way of traveling.

What we’re advocating: State Senator Lisa Cutter is sponsoring a bill to protect vulnerable road users with dedicated funding to build bike lanes, crossings, speed cameras and more data-driven projects. The bill would create a weight-based annual registration fee on personal cars, SUVs and trucks in our state’s 12 most populous counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo and Weld). Colorado’s enterprise fund would generate about $18 million per year to fund safety improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians in those counties.

Driver’s education requirements for minors

The problem: Traffic deaths among drivers ages 15 to 20 have increased from 24 deaths in 2019 to 35 in 2022. Teens are also a high-risk category of drivers who disproportionately contribute to traffic crashes. Education is one crucial part of a solution to reduce crashes. Currently, people between ages 16 and 21 are not required to take a driver’s education course before receiving an instructional permit or license.

What we’re advocating: Colorado minors must complete a class before receiving a driver’s permit or license. At least 10% of driver education and testing materials would include content specific to the safety of bicyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. We will also support financial help for qualifying families to pay for required driver’s education.

If you’d like to support our work to ensure that Colorado laws prioritize safety and access for people riding bikes and other vulnerable road users, please join us as a sustaining member or donate. You can also schedule a Colorado Gives Day donation. We are grateful to our supporters for making our work possible.

The post Our 2024 legislative goals appeared first on Bicycle Colorado.

Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:56:50 +0000

Steve Sander rode a bike to meetings, usually wearing a suit. (Photo by Evan Semón Photography)

We are saddened at the death of Steve Sander, a long-time Bicycle Colorado and Denver Streets Partnership partner, supporter, and donor. Steve exemplified bike-riding joy. He rode a bike to meetings, usually wearing a suit with a fluorescent bicycle pinned to his lapel. A marketing and connecting maven, Steve included bikes �?or made them the star �?in promotional campaigns for the City and County of Denver, the Denver metro community, local events, and nonprofit organizations. Steve invested his time in lifestyles that included two wheels. He was a tremendous champion for biking and bike-sharing in Denver. Steve was the creative behind two of Denver’s most notable bicycling efforts: the launch of Denver B-Cycle as Denver’s first bike-sharing program in 2010 and the ¡Viva! Streets ciclovia series in 2023.

Denver B-Cycle

Steve was a founding board member of Denver B-Cycle and perhaps its biggest cheerleader. He contributed to every aspect of Denver B-cycle’s hugely successful run and landed the sponsorships that underwrote the system. Piep van Heuven, former Bike Denver Executive Director and former Bicycle Policy Director, said that Steve “helped make bike commuting cool with sponsorships and art on the street. If you rode a bike, people respected you. And B-Cycle further opened bike commuting for women. “Steve picked up the effort to launch bike sharing in Denver and carried it on his back. It was a seminal moment for biking in Denver and helped legitimize bicycling in downtown. The stations and the bikes themselves were physical, visual proof of Denver’s intent to be a bike-friendly city, and Steve led the way – making virtually every trip he took downtown by bike, in his suit and tie.”

When Denver B-Cycle launched in 2010, it was �?a href="//www.denverpost.com/2010/04/07/b-cycle-bike-share-program-makes-denver-a-roll-model/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the first large-scale bike-sharing program in the nation, on par with international programs in Paris and Montreal.�?Denver B-cycle, run by the nonprofit Denver Bike Sharing, became an asset to Denver’s transportation system and an iconic part of our city. Between launching on April 22, 2010 and the end of its run in 2020, B-cycle saw:

540,530 total memberships
2,753,421 trips taken by residents and visitors
5,863,381 miles ridden (that’s nearly 215 trips around the equator, or 11 trips to the moon and back)
An average of more than 1,000 trips per day on the fleet

As the nation’s first large-scale bike-sharing system, Denver B-cycle established Colorado’s reputation as an early leader in providing mobility choices for people with trusted partnerships and community engagement. After its rollout, city leaders from around the U.S. looked to Denver as the model to follow, with more than 75 bike share systems launching and expanding in all corners of the country.

Steve’s real passion at Denver B-cycle was partnerships. Whether it was creating a bike valet and parking at every home Denver Broncos game, connecting companies and their employees to alternative transportation, to local event promotion, he loved connecting the dots. Steve was dedicated to the nonprofit until its very end when Denver B-Cycle shut down in August 2020.

¡Viva! Streets Denver

During the summer of 2023, another of Steve’s passions came to life: ¡Viva! Streets Denver is a series of free community events to celebrate Denver’s vibrant neighborhoods and supports local business with temporary car-free streets. During four summer Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., car-free streets allowed Denverites to explore Broadway and Welton Street by bike, on foot, skates, pedicabs, and more.

Sam McCrory, Open Streets Program Manager for the Denver Streets Partnership, wrote, “From the beginning, Steve was incredibly passionate about making ¡Viva! Streets a success. He saw the true value of what a program like ¡Viva! Streets could do for the Denver region, and it showed in his work. He showed up to every meeting and every event with a positive attitude and an infectious smile on his face. Every time I shared a room with Steve, his mind was on how to make ¡Viva! Streets better. His energy was passed along to not only me but our entire team.

“While Steve’s contributions to ¡Viva! Streets were vital, the memories of getting to know him as a person stick with me the most. Over our time together working together on ¡Viva! Streets, I got to know a bit more about Steve Sander each day. I got to know about all the great things he had done for Denver before ¡Viva! Streets, who he was as a person, and the value he saw in the work we were doing. Steve will be in our thoughts for every ¡Viva! Streets event that happens going forward. He will always be remembered as an important figure in the genesis of this program and his presence on ¡Viva! Streets Sunday mornings will be greatly missed.�?/p>

Remembering Steve

Steve died by suicide. His friend Jackie Brown-Griggs wrote, “This tragic loss serves as a stark reminder of the importance of addressing mental health issues and providing support to those in need. We encourage community members to reach out to their friends, family, and neighbors and offer a listening ear, helping hand, and compassionate heart to those who may be struggling.�?If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Friends of Steve Sander will host a public memorial event on Sunday, October 22. Organizers encourage attendees to wear casual clothing with sports logos in honor of Steve’s love of sports. Before the event, members of the Denver bike community will meet at 10 a.m. at 29th and Larimer �?near the former B-Cycle headquarters �?to bike to the Greek Amphitheater at Civic Center Park for the 11:30 a.m. event

Ride organizers Sue Baldwin, Piep van Heuven, and Maggie Thompson wrote: “We want to send off our dear friend Steve with a short group ride to his service. As you know, he was an over-the-top supporter �?whether it was as a founding board member of Denver B-Cycle to Viva Streets �?he was committed to making biking better in Denver.�?/p>

Group bike ride and memorial event

Location: 30th and Larimer
10:00 a.m. (ride departs 10:30 a.m.)
Details: Bring your own bike and lock
Route: Larimer to 29th, to Champa, to 14th, into Civic Center Park from Bannock Street.
Facebook event page

Memorial event
11:30 a.m. �?2:00 p.m.; program begins at 12 noon
Greek Amphitheater at Civic Center Park

Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 15:39:29 +0000

On Saturday, September 23, 2023, join us for Denver’s epic urban cycling experience at the Coldwell Banker Denver Century Ride (DCR) presented by Bank of America.

DCR is one of our favorite events of the year, as it gives folks the chance to discover the bikeable streets, trails and parks across the Denver Metro area with your friends and family. The ride starts and finishes at the Shops at Northfield. You’ll have your choice of 25-, 50-, 85- and 100-mile courses, fully supported with well-supplied aid stations and SAG vehicles. Depending on your selected distance, you’ll get to cruise though City Park, past Coors Field, up Lookout Mountain and down the Hogback. Which route will you choose to ride this year?

25-mile Route

Distance: 27.2 Miles
Elevation: +711 / -712
Max. Grade: 5.3%
Avg. Grade: 0.0%
Time: The departure window for all 25-mile riders will be 7:15�? a.m. with all riders off the route by 1:00 p.m.

50-mile Route

Distance: 50.5 Miles
Elevation: +1,709 / -1,709 ft
Max. Grade: 6.4%
Avg. Grade: -0.0%
Time: The departure window for all 50-mile riders will be 7:15�? a.m.

85-mile Route

Distance: 88.4 Miles
Elevation: +3,906/ -3,907 ft
Max. Grade: 9.5%
Avg. Grade: 0.0%
Time: The departure window for all 85-mile riders will be 6:30�?:00 a.m.

100-mile Route

Distance: 103 Miles
Elevation: +5,983 / -5,984
Max. Grade: 9.9%
Avg. Grade: 0.3%
Time: The departure window for all 100-mile riders will be 6:30�?:00 a.m.

As you cross the finish line, you’ll be welcomed back with an ice-cold can of beer from Breckenridge Brewery. Celebrate your accomplishment at the Post Ride Street Park and Expo in the streets of Northfield with several great meal options from local Northfield restaurants and a selection of beverages to enjoy as you visit our sponsors and exhibitors.

As a special benefit, members of Bicycle Colorado are eligible to receive 20% off ride registration. If you’re a BC member, log in to our Member Discounts page for your discount code. Can’t find your login password? Email us at hilary@guitarsphere.com.

The Denver Century Ride is a Champion Event Member of Bicycle Colorado, helping us generate important funds for statewide outreach and advocacy for bicycling.

For more information, go to denvercenturyride.com. We hope to see you there on September 23!

The post Cycle the City on September 23 appeared first on Bicycle Colorado.

Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 20:41:44 +0000

We are excited to announce the addition of three new members of the Bicycle Colorado Board of Directors! Stephanie Puello, Eugene Howard and Marcus Robinson are all longtime partners of the organization and will provide valuable and critical perspective to help govern and oversee our organizational activities. All three new board members are also Black leaders and organizers in Colorado. We are honored and thankful for their leadership in the community and on our Board. We asked Stephanie, Eugene and Marcus to share with us a little bit about what biking means to them and why they decided to join the Board of Directors. Read their responses below!

Stephanie Puello

Stephanie is the founder of the Denver chapter of Black Girls Do Bike, an organization supporting primarily Black women who have a passion for cycling.

What words do you associate with biking?

Community, fitness, outdoors, cities, commuting, environment, endurance.

Where is your favorite place to ride a bike?

All around the city. My favorite kind of riding is urban cycling, so I love riding around city neighborhoods, parks and downtown.

Why did you decide to join Bicycle Colorado’s board?

I joined Bicycle Colorado as a Board Member because I share the goal of wanting to make cycling safer, more accessible and more inclusive in Denver and Colorado. As a leader in the cycling community, I hope to contribute insights from my experience and collaborate with other Board members, Bicycle Colorado staff, and the broader community to help meet this mission collectively. As a public administration and policy scholar, I am also interested in education, advocacy, and encouragement of active community engagement with public and nonprofit organizations. My hope is that both my cycling experience and educational training and skills can be of service and that together we can build healthy, safe, active, equitable and vibrant communities across Colorado.

Marcus Robinson

Marcus is the cofounder and executive director of Ride for Racial Justice, which works to ensure access to resources, education, and community for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) cyclists and to dismantle systemic racism.

What words do you associate with biking?

Freedom.

Where is your favorite place to ride a bike?

As I’m a Front Range Denver resident, who doesn’t love riding Grapevine, Mt. Vernon and Kerr Gulch with some Red Rocks thrown in? But my true love is all the gravel and dirt roads around Niwot and of course Steamboat Springs.

Why did you decide to join Bicycle Colorado’s board?

Joining BC was the natural progression for me personally and to represent the BIPOC cycling community giving them a voice and seat at the table through me.

Eugene Howard

Eugene is a local Denver urban transportation and land use planner. He prioritizes building transportation systems that prioritize multimodal options for people riding bikes and walking. He is an expert in authentic community engagement as well as working with government leaders. He is also an assistant professor, teaching urban and regional planning coursework at CU Denver. The bike (and transit) are his sole modes of transportation.

What words do you associate with biking?

“Childhood Freedom.” For me, riding my bike as a young child represented “freedom.” Born in a small-ish Iowa town, I remember being able to bike from one side of town to the other, visiting family along the way. Before learning how to ride my bike, I felt I could only get places by car (and with my parents). I remember the first time I rode to my grandparents’ home—on my own—and how “grown up” and independent I felt. I loved it!!

Where is your favorite place to ride a bike?

Feeling more like a “city mouse” these days, I prefer to ride around Denver, using our bikeways and bike lane infrastructure. “If you build it, we will come!” And I love being able to get to neighborhoods, restaurants, breweries, etc., without worrying about traffic, parking or parking fees!

Why did you decide to join Bicycle Colorado’s board?

I joined the Bicycle Colorado Board because I want today’s families and youth to experience the same “freedom of movement” I felt when I was a child. We don’t have to rely upon cars to get around. I think we experience our surroundings in a more meaningful way when we are on a bike—whether that’s on a trail in the mountains, on a long rural stretch in the suburbs, or casually passing cars stuck in rush hour gridlock (this last one is my favorite). So, working for an organization that is promoting mobility choice for ALL Coloradans is where I want to spend my time and energy!

The post Bicycle Colorado’s new board members appeared first on Bicycle Colorado.

Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:22:18 +0000

The Bicycle Colorado education team spends much of the spring, summer and fall teaching adults and children of all ages how to ride a bike. These are hugely rewarding experiences for our staff, volunteers and participants, and we wanted to give you a peek into why. Here’s a look at what an adult Learn to Ride lesson looks like.

On the evening of June 14, seven participants, Bicycle Colorado educators AJ and James, volunteer Alissa and members of the BC communications team gathered at the City of Arvada’s Bike Training Course for an adult Learn to Ride lesson. Participants ranged in age from early 20s to age 74 and were nervous, excited and determined to get pedaling. The class was mostly first-timers, but a couple of participants were here for their second or third Learn to Ride class, looking to improve the skills they had already picked up and ready to get rolling (pun intended).

While many of us may have been taught to ride bikes using training wheels, our education team uses the balance bike method. New riders are first taught to lower their seats and use their feet to glide on their bikes, getting the hang of balancing and shifting their weight. Once they’re successfully gliding with confidence over 10 seconds or longer, they “graduate�?to pedals. In every session, our educators walk and bike among the participants, giving them tips, encouragement and bike adjustments as needed. After getting over the initial hurdle of a few rounds of pedaling, several of our students that evening were able to get riding with pedals!

Most of the students in this class began learning to ride bikes as children, but didn’t progress past training wheels, like Andrew, or using hand brakes instead of pedaling backward to stop, like Elizabeth. Anuja, another participant, never learned as a child. This isn’t uncommon—not being able to access a bike, not having a safe place to ride, not having an available adult to teach you, or familial or cultural expectations are all reasons why someone might not learn as a child.

Some of our students do know the basics of riding a bike, but are looking to improve their skills, like Shelly, who is learning how to handle her bike better so she can comfortably ride uphill back home after picking up items at her local Target. It might seem like a small thing, but the satisfaction of getting up that hill without having to walk your bike feels pretty great! Beyond simply pedaling, we also teach other important bike handling skills like using gears, turning safely and being able to take one hand off the handlebars to our more advanced participants.

Like always, each participant has their own reasons for deciding it was time to jump on a bike. Coy, for example, is preparing for a 22nd wedding anniversary river cruise trip in Europe next year, and decided to join the class so he could ride bikes with his wife on their vacation. Participants Meeka and Dan also joined so they could ride with their spouses and families. Meeka’s got another goal as well—start riding before her 1.5-year-old niece. It could be tough competition, as kids as young as 18 months can in fact start learning on balance bikes. Go Meeka!

Several participants reflected on the benefits of biking for their physical and emotional health and to improve their daily lives. Elizabeth has been dealing with some injuries and pain in the last few years and was looking for a low-impact exercise. Her doctor suggested swimming or bicycling, and she chose biking! It’s true that bicycling is a great low-impact activity for people looking to move their bodies and get around without stressing the knees and hips too much. Andrew, Anuja and Dan all told us that they want to be able to get around by bike, both recreationally riding on the trails near their homes and for transportation, like work commutes. Andrew and Anuja both are excited to have a different way to move around their communities, as neither likes to drive; Andrew observed that bicycling seemed fun and “peaceful.�?It certainly can be, and that joy and peace is a big reason why many people, including those of us on the BC team, ride bikes.

Not everyone quite got the hang of pedaling a bike at this particular class, but our Learn to Ride lessons generally have a high riding rate—for adults, on average 85% of participants are pedaling by the end of the class. For those who aren’t, they’re invited back for a followup lesson and get tips from our educators on where and how they can practice their skills at home. We’re proud of all of our participants for being brave and trying something new with us.

If you don’t know how to ride a bike, or have a loved one interested in learning, please learn more about our Learn to Ride lessons at the Bicycle Colorado website. If you’d like to support the work of our education team, please join us as a member or donate.

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Bicycle Colorado

Pete Piccolo — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:03:23 +0000

I love to ride bikes and have for almost 30 years now. Name the type of bike—cruiser, mountain, road, gravel—and I’ve likely ridden it over the past month, if not week, to get around town and to keep my aging body moving. Throughout my thirties and early forties, participating in bike races or non-competitive events was my thing. About twelve years ago, I stopped participating in organized rides. It wasn’t a conscious choice; I guess life got too busy. But I never stopped riding bikes.

Last year, I was shaken from my bike event slumber with a welcome reminder of why I love organized bike events, especially Team Evergreen’s Triple Bypass, an iconic Colorado bike experience.

One reason I love the Triple (and the Double, for that matter) is that it’s a BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal) for bicyclists, yet within reach of most “weekend warriors�?who are willing to put in the time to prepare. Crossing the finish line in Vail will bring an ear-to-ear smile because you found the discipline and strength to do something hard. The ride is not easy, but it feels good when a volunteer, mirroring your smile, strings a finisher medal around your neck.

As expected, the Triple provides riders with breathtaking views, figuratively and literally. But here are five additional reasons the Triple is a bucket list bike experience based on my spectacular ride last year:

First, the combination of closed lanes on most roads, bike paths and the attentive traffic control by police at intersections made me feel one hundred percent safe.

Second, the number and placement of rest stops were perfect, and individually wrapped sandwiches (vegetarian options included) washed down with Honey Stinger energy drink provided the fuel I needed to get my butt over Loveland Pass.

Third, bagpipes! Yes, bagpipes!! As I layered up at the top of Loveland Pass for the descent into Keystone, a bagpipe player—sporting a kilt, of course—found enough oxygen at 11,990 feet above sea level to make his bagpipes sing for us.

Fourth, if you have the itch to compete, there are two timed sections with results posted broken out by age groups. Otherwise, the ride is not timed and has a relaxed feel including a flexible start time (must start before 8am). Many riders start before sunrise, and it is a wonderful sight watching hundreds of riders making their way up the first climb at dawn.

Finally, Team Evergreen knows how to throw a post-ride celebration with tasty food (again, a vegetarian option was provided) and beer. Ford Park in Vail was the perfect place to end this epic day.

Riding the Triple reminded me of something else I love about bike events. The peloton is a low-stress, supportive, rolling community of good vibes where bicyclists, slow and fast alike, chat about bike gear, nonprofits, clubs or other events reflected on their jerseys, their favorite places to ride and the mountain views—and often, the conversations have nothing to do with biking at all! Meeting new people while pedaling is fun and helps the miles fly by.

Should you ride the Triple? If you want to experience the best Colorado offers in a bike event and to experience that gratifying feeling of accomplishing a BHAG, sign up for the 2023 Double or Triple Bypass on July 22. Keep these three tips in mind:

Train! Your training doesn’t need to be complex, but you must put in some longer rides, ideally pedaling uphill. Visit www.teamevergreen.org to find fun and supportive people to ride with and tips to prepare you for your big day.
Dress for the weather forecaster’s worst-case scenario. And remember that the conditions at the base of a big climb are very different than at the top or on your descent. Carry extra clothing (e.g., a good raincoat, extra layers, a hat), even if it means strapping an extra bag to your frame or wearing a backpack.
Mentally prepare to pedal uphill, and I’m not talking about the three mountain passes. The in-between isn’t flat, either. For example, there are almost 3,000 feet of gradual elevation gain over 25 miles before climbing up Loveland Pass.

Thank you, Team Evergreen, for this experience and for reminding me of my love of organized rides. Since the Triple last year, I’ve been inspired to get back into the world of bike events, and I look forward to more good times ahead!

** The 2023 ride finishes in Avon at Nottingham Park with a total mileage of 118 miles.

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