BikeDenver is pleased to present our 3rd Traffic skills 101, a League of American Bicyclists certification course that will be hosted at The Alliance Center (1536 Wynkoop Street) from 6-9pm on Nov. 9, 16, and 23.

Course Description: The Traffic Skills 101 class teaches cyclists the proven techniques they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. The class covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques and includes a student manual. This fast-paced, nine-hour, insured certification course presents the tools you need via a half-classroom, and half on-bike experience to give you a full understanding and confidence in vehicular cycling.

The course will be taught by BikeDenver League Cycling Instructors (LCIs). LCIs are League of American Bicyclists (LAB) certified experts in bicycle education and safety. Traffic Skills 101 is a prerequisite for LAB Instructor classes.  BikeDenver trainers have certified 23 Traffic Skills 101 participants and 10 new LCI’s in 2009.

The course fee of $75 covers your manual and instructor fees.

Participants will need to bring their own bicycle and helmet and be prepared to ride in cold weather.

Sessions will be held in the evening in the 3rd Floor Conference room from 6-9pm on three successive Mondays, November 9, 16, and 23.

Refreshments will be provided.

Bike parking is available outside and inside the building.

Class size is limited to 15 to ensure a 5:1 Instructor ratio.

See the LAB website for additional detail here

Register by November 5th to secure your place by contacting Instructor Bob Knipps – bknipps(at)comcast.net or Piep van Heuven – piep(at)bikedenver.org.

The Bicycle Film Festival is coming! Check out their cool new promo:

BFF YouTube PromoWhat’s it all about? The Bicycle Film Festival is a festival that celebrates the bicycle through music, art, and film. Now in year 9, the festival will be celebrated in 39 cities worldwide and attract over 250,000 participants. It’ll be in Denver for the first time from October 28 – November 1, 2009.

Founder and Director Brendt Barbur says: “The Bicycle Film Festival celebrates the bicycle in all forms and styles. If you can name it – Tall Bike Jousting, Track Bikes, BMX, Alleycats, Bike Polo, Road Cycling, Mountain Biking Recumbents – we’ve probably either ridden or screened it. What better way to celebrate these lifestyles than through art, film, music and performance? We bring together all aspects of bicycling to advocate its ability to transport us in various ways. Ultimately the BFF is about having a good time.”

The Schedule:

Wednesday 28 October
CRUISER RIDE
BIKES ROCK Doors at 9:00PM
Beta – 1909 Blake St.

Thursday 29 October
Joyride Art Show
7 – 11PM
Lisa Kowalski Gallery – 2762 Walnut St.

Friday 30 October
Starz FilmCenter at the Tivoli – 900 Auraria Pkwy
7:00 PM | Program 1 – Where are you go
9:00 PM | Program 2 – Fun Bike Shorts
“We Like Bike” Bar Crawl – 9PM Starting at Starz

Saturday 31 October
Starz FilmCenter at the Tivoli – 900 Auraria Pkwy
3:00 PM | Program 3 – Klunkerz
5:00 PM | Program 4 – BMX Program
7:00 PM | Program 5 – Road to Roubaix
8:30 PM | Night of the Living – Photo Scavenger Hunt
9:00 PM | Program 6 – Urban Bike Shorts
Afterparty – 9PM Lisa Kowalski Gallery – 2762 Walnut St.
11:30 PM | Guerilla Fashion Parade hosted by The Fabric Lab

Sunday 1 November
Bike Polo x Bike Soccer – 1PM
Mallet Mafia presents Bike Polo, Track Shack presents Bike Soccer
Civic Center Park – Broadway and 14th Ave.

Get more information on the Bicycle Film Festival and purchase tickets here.

Get more information on the Wednesday Cruiser Ride and Bikes Rock Party here.

Join the Halloween Mall Crawl: The Denver Cruisers are also planning a Halloween Mall Crawl on October 31st. Meet at 9:40pm at the Circle of Death, ride to Governor’s Park, ride the 16th Street Mall at 12:01am and proceed to Paramount for post-ride libations. For more information on this event visit the Denver Cruisers website here.

Ride your Bike to Starz FilmCenter: You’ll be able to park your bike courtesy of BikeDenver at the Starz Film Center – we need your donation to help support our bike parking program and our advocacy efforts in Denver. Show our great volunteers some love by bringing some of your green for us so we can keep working to make Denver a better place to ride your bike!

Support BikeDenver, we’re YOUR local bike advocacy organization! You can become a $35 member right now on our website (click here) or support us by purchasing a membership at the BFF event and join at an event-special $25 rate. All contributions make a difference, so thanks for supporting YOUR local grassroots bike advocacy organization.

(Courtesy Transportation For America & Smart Growth America, Washington DC, Oct. 26) — The latest version of the Senate climate-protection bill put forth by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, would provide significant resources and incentives to communities to plan and build cleaner, more convenient travel and living options.

The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733) would set aside an average of 2.4 percent of revenues generated by the Act each year to help states and metropolitan areas reduce greenhouse gas emissions as they grow and change in the years to come. Half of the funds would support a competitive grants program for transportation projects and smart growth strategies that help reduce emissions and the planning needed to better account for and curb emissions. The other half would support the expansion of public transportation.

“That the Senate mark more than doubles the amount the House bill would dedicate to clean transportation options represents major progress for communities across America,” said Geoff Anderson, president of Smart Growth America and co-chair of the Transportation for America coalition. “Senators Boxer and John Kerry (D-MA) the primary authors, deserve enormous credit for recognizing the role that reduced transportation emissions must play, and for including measures that will help create affordable options as oil supplies tighten and fuel prices rise in the years ahead.”

The Act substantially incorporates language from a separate bill known as CLEAN-TEA, sponsored by Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) and Arlen Specter (D-PA) and co-sponsored by senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Bill Nelson (D-FL). The CLEAN-TEA sponsors’ support was critical in securing meaningful transportation provisions in the Senate bill.

“Transportation contributes nearly one-third of the total annual climate-harming emissions in the U.S., and has to be a key part of the solution,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. “S. 1733 contains common-sense policies and funding that promise cleaner, safer and more affordable transportation options for all Americans, and will help create green jobs.  As the bill moves through the Senate and the understanding of the importance of clean transportation grows, our coalition hopes to see a funding level closer to 5 percent of revenues. We urge members of the Senate to unite behind this essential legislation.”

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(Joint release by Transportation for America and Smart Growth America. See the release here. )

(Courtesy Kickstand Magazine) Purple Pedals camera bike in Denver makes its debut in November at the Denver International Film Festival,

Kickstand magazine is hosting one of the twenty Yahoo! Purple Pedals cruiser bicycles in the Denver metro area through the month of October.

The purple bicycle is equipped with a solar battery powered camera that takes a photo approximately every 60 seconds and automatically uploads it to a Flicker account, thereby creating a visual diary of everywhere the bicycle goes.

Kickstand magazine, the national lifestyle publication that focuses on cruiser bicycles and the people who ride them, is based in Denver and is excited about hosting the Purple Pedal bike.

“There is such a rich bicycle culture in Denver and along the Front Range, there’s a lot for this bicycle to take in during the Denver International Film Festival,” said Brad K. Evans, publisher of Kickstand magazine. “From cruiser rides downtown to being on the red carpet during the Denver Film Society’s International Film Festival, the Purple Pedal bike’s camera will have a lot to record.”

The bike, paid for and equipped by Yahoo!, is part of the Purple Pedals Project and are not owned by any one individual. They are loaned to individuals who then take them on various adventures around the globe, the images from which get uploaded onto the Internet for all to see.

To see images from the Purple Pedals bicycles, find out where each bicycle is right now and make comments about the photos, check out www.purplepedals.com

For a schedule of when and where the Purple Pedals bike will be ridden in Denver during the month of November, check out kickstandmag.com . To learn more about Purple Pedals and to find out where the other bikes are, check out www.purplepedals.com

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(Courtesy League of American Bicyclists) According to the US Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey (ACS), released on September 22, 2009, 0.55 percent of Americans use a bicycle as the primary means of getting to work. This is up 14 percent since 2007, 36 percent from the first ACS in 2005, and 43 percent since the 2000 Census. (Note that the ACS methodology under-counts cycling by not counting bicycle commuters who biked just once or twice the week they were surveyed or most cyclists who bike and use public transportation for their trip to work.)

Click here to view the ACS journey to work results for the 70 largest US cities, including the 27 largest Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFCs), since 2000. Note that Denver bike commuting has increased by 67% since 2000!

Click here to view the ACS journey to work results for the 50 US states (and Puerto Rico). Use the tabs at the bottom for bicycle commuters and walking commuters. The sheets also include the amount of federal dollars spent on bicycle and pedestrian project between 2000 and 2008.

Here is a summary of bicycle commuting levels in the US over the past eight years.

On average, the 70 largest cities in the US, from New York City (population eight million) to Plano, Texas (population 259,000), had higher bicycle commuter levels and larger increases than the national average. The average bicycle commuter share for the largest 70 US cities in 2008 was 0.93 percent, having grown by nearly 50 percent since 2000.

Among the 70 largest cities, the 27 that have been designated by the League of American Bicyclists as Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFCs) for their pro-bicycling policies saw even higher levels of bicycle commuting and greater increases over the past eight years. In 2008, the average BFC bicycle commuter share was 1.5 percent, nearly three times the national average. BFCs also grew 60 percent more than the national average and 40 percent more than the 70 largest city average.

Bicycle Friendly Communities far outpaced the 43 largest non-BFCs, whose average bicycle commuter share is growing slower than even the national average. Between 2000 and 2008, the bicycle commuter share in the 27 largest BFCs increased by nearly 70 percent. In contrast, the share in the non-BFC cities increased only 23 percent, to 0.57 percent. This strongly suggests that the efforts of the BFCs to improve bicycling conditions by investing in engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation and planning are paying off with larger increases in bicycle commuters.

Some of the fastest growing communities were those that started with relatively low bicycle commuter shares in 2000. Nashville and Cleveland tripled their share, and Cincinnati doubled its, but all three still have not reached three-quarters of a percent. On the other hand, some the cities with the highest bicycle commuter levels in 2000 also saw some of the largest increases. Platinum BFC Portland, OR saw the largest growth among all 70 large cities, more than tripling their bike share, to nearly 6 percent.

For more information please visit the League of American Bicyclist’s blog here

BikeDenver and Bicycle Colorado teamed up this summer to update bicycle information to the Colorado Driver’s Handbook published by the Division of Motor Vehicles. The result is clear information to motorists about how bicyclists use public roads and how to safely share the road.

Included in the updates were items in the Bicycle Safety Act that recently took effect. In addition, edits gave clearer explanations of existing laws involving bicycles and pedestrians and create a new section dedicated on how to avoid crashes.

This statewide handbook update is an important opportunity to educate motorists and bicyclists on the rights and responsibilities that each have on Colorado roads. Thanks to Bicycle Colorado for their leadership in designing and writing the bicycle-specific language and to the Division of Motor Vehicles for partnering with the bicycle community.

Quick Links:

New Bicycle Section Pg. 30 (80 KB PDF) – Here

Share the Road with Bicycles Section Pg. 26 (116 KB PDF) – Here

Download Entire Handbook (2.9 MB PDF) – Here
 

(Courtesy Denver Cruisers) Denver Cruisers will host a first ever CRUISAROO! Bands • Bikes • Brouhaha on October 28th.

DENVER— Coming off a 1,350 person ride to finish their 2009 summer season, the Denver Cruisers will be back on the streets this fall, and are hosting CRUISAROO:
BANDS • BIKES • BROUHAHA. Yup, Denver Cruisers will again be taking to the streets with costumes and cruiser bikes on Wednesday October 28, 2009. The ride will launch from The Ginn Mill at 2140 Larimer Street, and then take to the streets with thousands of costumed bicycle riders in tow.

CRUISAROO! will feature several well-known musical acts at BETA, however these are only being billed as ‘super secret’ internationally known bands – so secret that no one will know who these bands are until they take the stage that night. The Cruiser ride will end at BETA nightclub after a stop known to many Denver Cruisers as the ‘Circle of Death.’ This is a perfect kickoff party and funtime for the Halloween Weekend!

WHAT: Cruiser Ride and Rock Concert with ‘super secret’ performances by internationally known bands and music by DJ Ginger

WHEN: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 • 7pm – 2:00am

WHO: Denver Cruisers and Kickstand Magazine Present CRUISAROO! BANDS, BIKES & BROUHAHA, With Sponsors: 42 BELOW Vodka • Great Divide Brewing • DenverFunTimes.com

WHERE: Cruiser Ride starts at the Ginn Mill, 2041 Larimer St., and ends with a concert at BETA Nightclub at 1909 Blake Street.

COST: $12 ADVANCE/ $15 DOS

Denver Cruiser founder, Brad K. Evans, started the Denver Cruiser Ride back in 2005 and has been hosting this Wednesday tradition in downtown Denver every since. With more than 1,000 riders dressed in costume every week during the 2009 summer season, this weekly ride has become a Denver institution, and is considered to be one of the largest organized weekly rides of its kind in the U.S. CRUISAROO! is presented in part by Kickstand Magazine, a nationally distributed cruiser bicycle lifestyle magazine, created and published in Denver, CO.

More info about CRUISAROO! Can be found at www.cruisaroo.com.

Our weather report says it’s going to be an awesome day to ride Saturday, October 24th, so If you want to get to the Velo Swap on your bike here’s a couple of routes you might consider.

Jump on the South Platte river trail: at around 2 miles North of Confluence of Cherry Creek and South Platte, and just North of a steep ramp up to 38th Street, you will see a sign on the East side of the river near the Pepsi building, that says “Globeville Landing Park”.  Take the concrete path from the river to Arkins Ct. and turn left in front of the Pepsi building – sign on building says “Rocky Mountain Refurb” between Pepsi logos.  You will soon see the Coliseum; follow the road you are on around the Coliseum parking lot to 44th Ave at McFarland.

Turn left on 44th in front of the Coliseum and go under I-70 to the National Western Complex. Look for BikeDenver bike parking as you approach the National Western building.

If you are riding from the South East, check out the map included here to find your way to 35th Avenue. Take 35th Ave. to Steele St. and go North to 44th Ave.  Turn left, West, on 44th Ave. and find Clayton to go North under I-70 to 47th Ave.  Turn West on 47th and looking for a jog at York, make your way over to Franklin or Humboldt  on 47th and find a way through event traffic control to the bike parking on the I-70 side of the exhibition hall where the Velo will rock for the rest of the day.  We’ll park trailers and everything bicycle so save the hassle of getting a car in the area and RIDE!

Doors open at 9am, but lines form early.  Look for the BikeDenver booth just inside the South East door – we’ll have free Starbucks coffee, and we’ll store your shopping items or other stuff at our indoor bag check.  Support BikeDenver by making a donation at bike or bag parking, or become a member at your VELO special rate of $25.  See you there!!