For the first time ever, New Belgium Brewing is taking Tour de Fat a Mile High. After touring the West for the last six years, the cycling circus is finally making a stop in Denver. The annual event is a ballyhoo of bikes and beer, with environmental sustainability at the very heart of it all. On July 7, the tour starts spinning, with Denver kicking off the 12-city party.

Tour de Fat began seven years ago in Ft. Collins, Colorado to increase awareness and participation in cycling as the sustainable transportation alternative. Tour de Fat has captured the imagination of communities across the West bringing people together with fanciful entertainment, contests, art displays and, of course, New Belgium Beer. Last year Tour de Fat traveled to 11 cities, attracted more than 31,000 people and raised more than $166,000.

It has become a great tradition for bike enthusiasts, charities and bon vivants of every kind.

“It will be a zany day, unlike anything Denver has ever seen before,” said Chris Winn, Tour de Fat’s coordinator and event evangelist. “People and bikes parade around decorated in outrageous costumes, great musicians take to the solar-powered stage, and fascinating performers entertain with creative antics, all while we raise money for local organizations that support the two-wheeled lifestyle.”

Tour de Fat is free to participants, but money spent on beer and New Belgium Brewing groovy goods goes towards local charities. The philanthropic cycling circus helped more than non-profit organizations in 2006. The Denver stop will raise money for The Derailleur Bicycle Collective, a free community-run bicycle shop with a 100% volunteer staff, Bike Denver, which encourages people to put away their car keys and bike while traveling within the City and County of Denver and Flight for Life Colorado, which transports patients seeking urgent medical care.

In addition to raising green for local charities and organizations Tour de Fat supports “green” initiatives. Consistent to New Belgium Brewing’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible.

New to TDF this year:

• One volunteer in Denver will commit to live car-free for one year, as part of the Car-for-Bike Trade Program. The dedicated individual will sign over their car title and in exchange get a Hand Built Black Sheep/New Belgium commuter bike. The selected volunteer will chronicle the trials and triumphs along their car-free journey. The volunteer is chosen after submitting a video or letter describing themself and their desire to live car-free.

• At the Carbon e-Racer Kiosk participants can see how much they will help the environment by making a commitment to join Team Wonderbike. Team Wonderbike members promise to commute by bike at least once a month for a year.

Other annual sustainable gestures include:

• The Tour de Fat crew traveling on B100 biodiesel fuel.
• Bands play from solar-powered stages that are transported in solar-powered trailers to keep the energy flowing.
• Volunteers and staff help compost and recycle waste from each tour stop, resulting in an overall waste diversion rate of 85% in 2006. The waste diversion rate goal for 2007 is 95%.

What: Tour de Fat
When: Saturday, July 7
Where: City Park – West Side
Time: 11:00 a.m. – Cruiser Bike Parade
12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Bands and Beer
Bring: Your bike, the wildest costume you can find, and excitement about the whimsical way you will spend they day!

Bands: The Reals and The Asylum Street Spankers
Check ‘em out at www.thereals.net and www.asylumstreetspankers.com.

Sideshows: The Yard Dogs Road Show (www.eddyjoecotton.com/yarddogs.html)
Come see their traveling show that is part cabaret, vaudeville and rock and roll, including sword swallowing, fire eating and dancing dolls.

Handsome Little Devils (www.handsomelittledevils.com)
This show includes sights you can’t see anywhere else - dueling
unicycles, chainsaw juggling and ballet of the flame-thrower pogo
sticks.

Tour de Fat will be making its way to these cities:

July 7: Denver, CO
July 21: San Francisco, CA
July 28: Truckee, CA
Aug. 11: Seattle, WA
Aug. 18 : Portland, OR
Aug. 25: Boise, ID
Sept. 1: Missoula, MT
Sept. 15: Durango, CO
Sept. 22: Ft. Collins, CO
Oct. 6: Flagstaff, AZ
Oct. 13: Tempe, AZ
Oct. 20: Austin, TX

For more information on Tour de Fat, please visit http://www.newbelgium.com/. To see a video montage of previous Tour de Fat stops log onto http://www.followyourfolly.com/folly_tour_de_fat.html.

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces six year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.

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Sunday’s Denver Post featured an editorial on bicycling, with the opinion that Denver lags many of its local neighbors in promoting bicycling–and also points to how bicycling fits into the Greenprint plan. Read it here.

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A story from Toronto about people taking pavement markings in their own hands…

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If you’re interested in creating the artwork for Bike to Work Day 2008, read on:

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is soliciting artists who would like to be considered for the 2008 Bike Month poster project.

Bike Month is a celebration of the bicycle as a healthy, efficient and fun transportation alternative. Each year, CDOT procures an artist to create a new poster that reflects the fun and freedom that bicycle commuting provides.

CDOT is requesting samples of existing art. Artists interested in the project are not expected to create a bike month poster as part of the selection process.

The selected artist will be developing a theme and design based on the following criteria:

Flexibility. The poster art is the benchmark of all graphic materials. For continuity, other materials are produced using parts or the entire poster (i.e. newspaper ads, invitations, stationery, schedules, TV ads, etc.) The poster has to provide for these other uses. When someone sees a part of the poster used in another way, we want them to mentally connect it with the entire Bike Month poster. The artwork also needs to be easily modified for local community personalization
Colorful, so people can see it on a tee-shirt, in a store window, etc.
Vibrant
Crisp
Exciting
Contemporary
Contain a universal image that can be used throughout the state, without identifying a specific “place” (We don’t want a Colorado location that could be identified such as a particular mountain, building, streetscape, etc.). On the same token, it should not appear as though it is a generic poster from another state
While the artwork is primarily going to be reproduced in full color, it also needs to work well in black and white
People should be considered as part of the design
If people are part of the artwork, they need to represent the “every person” – common individuals. Diversity also needs to be represented
Include aspects that reflect “commuting.” It should not reflect bicycle racing or mountain biking – it should focus on the commuting aspect of bicycling
Final poster size will be 11” x 17”

Interested artists over the age of 18 should submit samples of their artwork on a CD before 5 p.m. Monday, July 23, 2007, to Adam Rolstad with CDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, 4201 East Arkansas Avenue DTD, Shumate Building, Denver, Colorado 80222. A panel consisting of local transportation agencies will determine which artist will be selected by August 29, 2007. Entries become CDOT property.

Important Dates

Preliminary Artwork Deadline – Monday, July 23, 2007 5 p.m.
Artist Selection – Friday, August 17, 2007
Artist Notified – Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Finished Artwork Deadline – Monday, October 15, 2007
Bike Month – June 2008
Bike to Work Day – June 25, 2008

For more information, contact the CDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian program:
Adam.Rolstad@dot.state.co.us or bicycleinfo@dot.state.co.us

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The latest numbers from the US Census Bureau. Find out where our fair city rates by looking here. Weather apparently isn’t a deterrent to a high percentage of bike commuters, given the heat in Tucson and the cold in Minneapolis…

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Here’s a happy little bike video from London. Watch it.

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BikeDenver Newsletter, Summer ‘07

We look back at a successful ’06 and we’re making BIG plans for the rest of ’07. BikeDenver is going full-time for the bike this year! Our number one priority shifts to getting our Fair Share of public space and funding. Why? Without a strong, unified voice from bicyclists, the City of Denver will probably not prioritize making biking safe and easy, making the streets safer for kids riding to school & play, commuters pedaling to work, and everyone in-between. Transforming BikeDenver into a fun and active community of bicyclists, not just a lobbying organization, is what we envision for 2007 and beyond.

To make this happen, we are asking email subscribers to become a member with whatever time, money, and energy you can. Memberships start at $35 (member), and $50 (supporter).

What will membership get you?

• Better advocacy for bicyclists in our city. BikeDenver will corral volunteers and members and engage local government to promote the healthy bike lifestyle and get more cars off the road.
• Regular newsletters to keep you up-to-date and invite/remind you of events and important meetings and issues needing bicyclists’ input.
• Regular meetings with interesting presentations to mingle with other two-wheelers, prioritize, and plan.
• Events like organized [theme] rides, bike-in movies, repair clinics, and safety classes.
• Website that is up-to-date and useful.
• Bike Parking at more city-wide events.

What are your priorities? More bike lanes? Traffic calming? Bike Safety classes? We’re asking for your top 5 concerns and will read all and work toward as many as possible. Most importantly, we need your energy! Volunteer to park bikes, prepare mailings, coordinate events, pour beer at this summer’s Tour de Fat, become a liaison with your local bike shop and local government. Indicate what you want and what you can do on your membership form, and we’ll keep in touch.

Bike Denver’s Board of Directors will prioritize campaigns based on members’ concerns, but here are some of our current projects:

• Getting our Fair Share of transportation funding
• City-wide bicycle network
• Partnerships with like-minded organizations
• Ensure the Bike Station gets built as part of Denver’s Union Station redevelopment plan

Successes in 2006

• Parked over two thousand bikes at four events.
• Hosted the Thunderhead Alliance training in July for advocacy leaders from around the West.
• Provided critical input to the Strategic Transportation Plan, Downtown Multimodal Access Plan, Infrastructure Task Force, Cheesman Park Master Plan, DRCOG, and the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee.

The Highlands Bike-Ped Bridge is open!

Spring and early summer Riding Tips

• Get fenders or a rear rack to avoid the butt-stripe.
• Waterproof, breathable clothes are better than a plastic poncho.
• Wash off the grime and lube your chain more often (once a week if you ride daily).
• RTD has bike racks on every bus, and bikes are allowed on all light rail trains (with a valid bike on light rail permit, get yours at www.rtd-denver.com); try biking one way and taking transit the other.
• Use the Platte and Cherry Creek bike paths with caution. Waters are running high this time of year, and the Spring run-off is faster than usual, causing extremely deep puddles below the underpasses. When in doubt, dismount and push your bike around or through the puddles.

Bike to Work Day

Don’t forget about Bike to Work Day! The official Bike to Work Day is Wednesday, June 27th. Check out the DRCOG website to learn more about the day and how to enjoy it… there’s free stuff to be had!

Check out BikeDenver’s new and improved website!

Online signup forms are now in place, enabling volunteers to choose bike parking shifts for the People’s Fair, City Park Jazz, pouring beer for the Tour de Fat, and more. We’re gearing up for a busier summer than ever and need all the help we can get!

Stay tuned for upcoming newsletters in a new format.

From your friends at BikeDenver…

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Check out the latest from Portland.

Read it Here

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