Join us for a Cinco de Mayo pub crawl on Friday, May 5. Meet at Benny’s Restaurant at 7th and Logan (301 E 7th Ave) at 6:00. Enjoy the beverage of your choice at Benny’s, and we’ll move on to the Milagro Taco Bar at 17th and Vine St. (1700 Vine St) for stop #2. Our final destination will be Mezcal on Colfax Avenue (3230 E Colfax Ave, between Steele and Adams, near the Bluebird Theater). Bring $ for drinks and snacks-and don’t forget your lock! As always, helmets are required. Ride updates will be posted on the website at www.bikedenver.org. Any questions, contact Tracy. Hope to see you there!

The BikeDenver Ride Guide

No one gets dropped.

Helmets are required.

Clothing is required. This is a casual ride and there is no penalty for wearing sneakers or riding with flat pedals. Wear lycra at your own risk.

We’ll follow the law. If you think you don’t know about the legal responsibilities of bicyclists you can review Colorado Cycling Laws. In particular we’ll stop for stop signs and red lights; ride no more than two abreast; and, signal for turns and slowing down. If the group is divided by a traffic signal, front riders will wait for the rear group to join them after the next green light. We’ll ride with the traffic flow, which sometimes means in the traffic flow.

Ride any bike you want as long as it’s safe. As in: make sure your brakes work. If we might be out after dark have lights. No bike snobbery will be allowed. We want all bicyclists to feel welcome.

Notes For All BikeDenver Rides

Riders will be asked to sign a waiver and wear a helmet to participate.

Check out our comprehensive Ride Guide for some more rules of the road and trail…

Contact Tracy at thalasin@yahoo.com with questions.

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LATE APRIL OPEN HOUSES SET BY DRCOG TO HEAR IDEAS ON PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION

The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) is hosting two open houses in late April to give metro area residents an opportunity to share their ideas about bicycle and pedestrian facilities and needs.

The council of governments is updating the pedestrian and bicycle element of the region’s long-range transportation plan, which identifies transportation improvements to the year 2030. The element will set regional bicycle and pedestrian policies, inventory existing facilities, identify major project needs, and establish guidelines for future improvements of sidewalks, paths, pedestrian amenities and bicycle facilities. The overall goal is to encourage walking and bicycling for transportation purposes.

Residents can also express their opinions by completing two questionnaires DRCOG has posted on its Web site at http://www.drcog.org/bikeped. There are separate questionnaires for bicyclists and pedestrians.

For more information or to offer comments, please email bobermann AT drcog DOT org or call 303-480-6775. Disabled attendees are asked to notify DRCOG at least 48 hours in advance if auxiliary aids or services are needed.

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Young Architects Forum (yaf) is holding a design competition for a bike shelter/container to be constructed at union station. The group is a local chapter of a national organization and is interested in focusing young talent in the state towards alternative forms of transportation.

The bike shelter itself will be a small structure (8′x16′) with a sole program of locking bikes and a flexible capacity to be taken apart, moved, and reassembled throughout the downtown area. The shelter is intended to be architecturally and aesthetically interesting and a more accessible alternative to the public than the current bike storage lockers.

The competition comes to a close later this week with a catered party at TAXI (see flier below) on April 14th to announce and display the winning entries. It would be a great opportunity for you to come and see first hand the different entries and enjoy a free cocktail. At that point yaf will be working with the city and RTD to realize its construction.

Here’s the location…

<< Event Flier >>

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The mission of Bike Denver is to promote and encourage bicycling as an energy efficient, non-polluting, healthy, and enjoyable transportation alternative within the City and County of Denver.

NEXT MEETING: May 11th, 6-7pm, Union Station, Bicycle Colorado offices, Suite 236 upstairs.

FUN   RIDE   FUN   RIDE   FUN   RIDE

Join us for a Cinco de Mayo pub crawl on Friday, May 5.  Meet at Benny’s Restaurant at 7th and Logan (301 E 7th Ave) at 6:00.  Enjoy the beverage of your choice at Benny’s, and we’ll move on to the Milagro Taco Bar at 17th and Vine St. (1700 Vine St) for stop #2.  Our final destination will be Mezcal on Colfax Avenue (3230 E Colfax Ave, between Steele and Adams, near the Bluebird Theater).  Bring $ for drinks and snacks—and don’t forget your lock!  As always, helmets are required.   Ride updates will be posted on the website at www.bikedenver.org.  Any questions, contact Tracy. Hope to see you there!

ITEMS IN THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER:

** PUT THE JOY BACK IN THE JOY OF CYCLING

** VOLUNTEER FOR PEOPLE’S FAIR

** SIGN UP NOW FOR ADVOCACY TRAINING

** PLATTE RIVER TRAIL DETOUR SAFETY CONCERNS

** NEW BIKEDENVER WEB SITE

** BIKE EVENT CAP LIFTED

** NEWS FROM BICYCLE COLORADO

** HELPFUL WEB SITE

PUT THE JOY BACK IN THE JOY OF CYCLING

Here are 10 great reasons to finish reading this newsletter and get out on your bike!

1. Spring is here! You can really smell the flowers when you’re outside and on your bike.

2.    Take your friends and/or family along; bicycling is a great weekend recreational activity that costs nothing to do.

3.    Got your eye on a new bike? Donate your old bike to a local charity or community bike program so that someone can take advantage of your old bike.

4.    Go shopping with your bike - see how easy it is to buy several days of groceries without the hassle of finding parking or putting gas in your car.

5.    Bike to work - people who bike to work report feeling better and significantly more productive at work. Save money, gas, parking, and hassles.

6.    Sign up for a bike tour on your next vacation.

7.    Teach a child how to ride a bike. This is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

8.    Work off those extra winter pounds - this type of exercise really feels good!

9.    Ride past a gas station for fun. (Or stop in if you need some free air.)

10.    What are you waiting for? Read the next two pages and then go for a spin!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BIKE PARKING AT PEOPLE’S FAIR

BikeDenver is once again providing bike parking for cyclists traveling to the People’s Fair to be held.
June 3rd & 4th.  The corral will be at the Colfax & Lincoln St. entrance and will be open Saturday 10am-8:30pm and Sunday 10am-7:30pm. There will be an online sign-up sheet available shortly but you can indicate general interest and availability by signing in on the web site now. Just go to www.bikedenver.org and click on “Get Involved”.

SIGN UP NOW FOR ADVOCACY TRAINING

BikeDenver is hosting the Thunderhead Alliance Training for bicycle advocacy leaders on July 14-16. The focus of the training will be on organizing and carrying out campaigns to improve pedestrian and bicycling conditions in your community. To find out more, visit Thunderhead’s website at: www.thunderheadalliance.org and follow the links to the Denver training flyer and registration form.
The training will take place at the Temple Events Center on Friday evening and move to REI Flagship Store for Sat and Sun. Registration is $250 and includes the Friday reception, Saturday breakfast, lunch, ride and party, plus Sunday’s breakfast and lunch. Discounts are available for additional representatives from the same organization.  Leaders of state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations are urged to sign up now as space is limited and the price goes up after June 14th.
The Thunderhead Alliance is the national coalition of state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations working in unison to break down the barriers to safe bicycling and walking in North American communities.

PLATTE RIVER TRAIL DETOUR SAFETY CONCERNS

We have heard from a number of members that the detour of the Platte River Trail at 58th and Brighton Blvd. is creating a lot of safety concerns. There is heavy truck traffic in the area and poor visibility of the riders puts them at risk.
According to James Potter at Wastewater Capital Projects Management, the agency doing the work, they have studied other detour routes but the current one is deemed to be the safest of all the options. However, they will be doing less work over the summer, “due to rising river levels and are examining the possibility of installing a temporary …path linking the trail systems…” If this happens, it would occur in mid-May but would disappear again in August.
A phone number has been set up for detoured trail users to state major concerns and/or safety issues: 303-865-3048. Use it wisely.

LOTS OF INFORMATION ON NEW BIKEDENVER WEB SITE

Our redesigned and upgraded website has a number of new features, so check it out at www.BikeDenver.org. Sign on to the Forum to get the latest suggestions, news of Trail Conditions, Letters to the Editor and other tidbits from fellow cyclists. Current cycling news and action alerts appear along with links to many other bike related sites. The calendar on the web page will be more current than the one usually found in this newsletter so look for it there.

BIKE EVENT CAP IS LIFTED

Thanks to a coalition of bicycle advocates and event organizers led by Bicycle Colorado working with the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), the cap on bicycle events on Colorado highways has been lifted by the. During the news conference, CSP Chief Trostel said that the cap “will not be implemented now or in the foreseeable future.”
According to Bicycle Colorado, the State Patrol is adopting recommendations from a working group consisting of the State Patrol, Bicycle Colorado, and the Colorado Department of Transportation. This includes a revised guidebook of best practices for planning and safety during the events, improved signage and training classes, and a hotline to the Colo. State Patrol that may be used by event riders who observe cars driving in a threatening or unsafe manner.
This outcome clearly shows what can be accomplished when advocates and decision makers agree upon the common goal of improving the safety and access for all users of our roads. We extend our thanks and support to all who worked so hard to make this outcome possible.

NEWS FROM BICYCLE COLORADO

At the annual Bicycle Colorado Gala, winners of three statewide awards were announced. An open nomination process resulted in three finalists in each category and these were then voted on by bicyclists across Colorado. Congratulations to the winners!!

Bicycling Event of the Year: Triple Bypass

Bicycling Club of the Year: COMotion Sports/Yeti Racing

Bicycle Retailer of the Year: Wheat Ridge Cyclery

One of Colorado’s most popular roads for biking is about to get a little better. In early April, the Jefferson County Commissioners approved a project to add paved bicycle shoulders to Deer Creek Canyon Road between Owens Street and Philipsburg.  This front range climb is located just southwest of Littleton. Bike Jeffco led the effort and their seven years of persistence resulted in success. Construction is slated for this summer and is expected to be completed by October.

Source: Bicycle Colorado - www.BicycleColorado.org

HELPFUL WEB SITE

Here is a helpful web site www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/ has an online version of the 46 page booklet Bicycling Street Smarts: Riding Confidently, Legally

and Safely. It has a lot of helpful hints, great diagrams for navigating intersections, group riding and safely riding after dark. Check it out.

MEMBERSHIP IN BIKEDENVER means:

1. We have your email address. We send you action alerts and a monthly newsletter.

2. You act on BikeDenver action items, as you feel willing and able.

3. You recruit other bicyclists to join BikeDenver. Membership is FREE!!!

To join BikeDenver send an email to info@bikedenver.org and write “subscribe” in the subject.

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My first long-distance commute was a for summer job in college, doing freelance ad paste-up for the yellow pages. Part of being a student means not owning a car. But I did have my 12 year-old Raleigh 10-speed and a daypack.

The ride—from my house in Congress Park to the big white building at Parker and Iliff—was about 10 miles each way. Wearing cutoffs, cotton t-shirt, and sneakers tucked into toe clips, I carried my 25-lbs. of ad materials and paperwork back and forth 2-3 times a week.

Lise Neer

Arriving at the office complex in a fine “glow,” I’d get a few stares from the pantyhose-and-heels set, feeling slightly superior for not having to be cooped up inside all day. The office workers were probably turning up their noses at my outdoorsy essence, but I told myself they were jealous.

A couple years later, I graduated and landed a full-time job closer to home, and continued to ride my bike, now a shiny blue Trek 400 (the Raleigh had been stolen during a visit to Safeway). The commute was shorter, which was a good thing, since I had to dress more appropriately for work and ride in those clothes. Then I got a car, and didn’t ride my bike for a long time. Not even for fun. I drank more, ate more, put on weight (driving I-25 to my job was no help), and felt lousy a lot of the time.

When my first marriage went south, and the resultant crazy energy had to be expended, I got out the Trek and began doing lots of laps around Washington Park. Later that summer I met my ‘coach,’ and—in spite of everyone’s cautionary words—future husband. He said, “come for a ride with us,” it was only 20 miles, but seemed to take all afternoon to get to a convenience store snack stop somewhere in Aurora. My commute nowadays is almost that far.

A dedicated resident of central Denver, I found my next job in Golden. This would be my longest commute, but also the easiest by car, going the opposite direction of most downtown workers, but driving I-70 quickly got boring.

As a committed cyclist, I took up the challenge of riding that distance and making the time for it. Fortunately, the new workplace had showers and lockers, so it was easy to ride to work almost every day during the warm months, and keep a change of clothes at the office.

Then the company decided to sell off a division and lay off a bunch of people, and they sublet the lockers-and-showers part of the building. And then we moved house a few miles further from my job.

So now the challenge is: how to get there without expending so much effort that I feel the need to bathe before putting on suitable office attire. Using the somewhat public bathroom sink wasn’t a good solution, and there was no place to hang up a towel.

One way around this is to take my bike on the SkyRide bus from downtown to Cold Spring Park-n-Ride, and cycle the rest of the way. If toweling-off is still necessary on arrival, I use a recently discovered product, called Rocket Shower. A spritz here and there, aiming some at pulse points to help cool off, and you’re fresh enough to get through the day.

Using the bus also stretches my commuting ability to 4 seasons; when the weather is less conducive to riding, I take the bus farther and bike shorter distances in between. (Oftentimes, while the sun shines in Denver it’s raining, snowing, or just plain colder near the foothills.) And I’ve met some good friends on that Downtown-to-Cold Spring run.

My wardrobe has evolved toward lightweight and wrinkle-resistant, making it easier to carry in my bike’s rack trunk; other heavier clothes get dropped off once a week if I do drive. I also carry a few days’ lunches on Monday, and drive home with the containers and laundry on Friday. One travel trick I learned is to carefully roll up your nice shirts so they don’t wrinkle. And stashing light sweaters and layers in my desk drawer is easier than trying to stuff a heavy wool pullover into my bike bag. Likewise for shoes: I keep a few pairs of work-style footwear parked under my desk.

As spring warms into summer, I exchange the heavy bike with sturdy tires, fenders and rack, for my lightweight, folding roadie, which can be brought onboard the bus if the front bike rack is full. After the winter workout on my 35 lb. bruiser, it’s a delight to hop on the little road bike and sail up the hills. On those really hot July days it’s good to head out earlier in the morning so I’m less overheated when I arrive, and that gets me out of work earlier for a fun afternoon spin before heading home.

After getting all this planning and preparation and mileage under my belt, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to work in Boulder. . . .?

by Lise Neer, Vice President of Membership, BikeDenver

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