Are your kids ready to roll this summer? Join our posse of kids and family members getting registered for our two remaining Kidical Mass events in 2011.  We’ll take care of the rest and help polish up their skills on two wheels.

Whether your kid is still kicking the training wheels habit or out cruising the neighborhood streets there’s something for them at Kidical Mass.  Our expert Kid Wranglers will work with each child to improve their bicycling skills.

Program Schedule:

12:30-1:00pm – Check in and Bike Decorating.
1:00-2:00pm –  ”Lose the Training Wheels” and Bike Rodeo Course
2:00-3:00pm - Ride!  Kids who graduate the Bike Rodeo Course are welcome to join us for a cruise through the neighborhood to practice safe biking techniques.  All other kids will be treated to a bike parade around the park.

Please note: For the safety of your children you must adhere to the following guidelines
1.  No more than two children per parent/guardian
2.  Parents and children must both bring a bicycle and a bicycle helmet.
3.  Lead by example!  Parents are expected to be on their best biking behavior during Kidical Mass
4.  HAVE FUN!  Doctor’s orders

REGISTER HERE FOR August 20 City Park Kidical Mass - Free admission tickets to the Denver Zoo!

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The June 5th Kidical Mass was held at Cheesman Park during their Car Free Sunday event and a great time was had by all!  Thanks to the Denver Botanic Gardens for the free entry to  the Mordecai Children’s Gardens after the event!

Thanks to all of our program sponsors; Clif Bar, Bicycle Village, Tony’s Market, and Pop Chips!  And, thanks to the patient parents, staff (Maggie), board (Dave) and all eight of you easy-going, fun-loving volunteer kid wranglers!

Hey, Denverites! If you don’t already know her, BikeDenver is pleased to introduce our July Bike Hero: Judy Montero, District 9 City Councilwoman. Judy is leading the way when it comes to making our city a better place to ride a bike, so we caught up with her (barely!) near Commons Park to get the scoop.

Judy tells us that since most neighborhoods within her district are focused on sustainability, biking plays a big role for both her constituents and staff. “We try to pay attention to little details, but always as part of the larger plan,” she says. “We work with local organizations to get safe bicycles out to children and youth whose families may not be able to afford them. We worked with Salvagetti bike shop to put a stop sign in on Platte Street so it’s easier to ride between the two bike-pedestrian bridges. We’re also working to improve bicycle facilities near 10th and Osage to link mixed-income neighborhoods and also give Auraria Campus students a better route to school.”

Though she’s ridden bikes her whole life, Judy just started riding to work about three seasons ago. “I can leave the car at home 2-3 days a week in the spring and summer, and it’s really easy because I use the Platte and Cherry Creek bike paths.” She thinks a lot of people may be hesitant to ride to work because they’re fearful of traffic and may not be very familiar with city riding. For them she recommends planning routes that utilize the paths as much as possible at first so it’s not so intimidating. “Take baby steps until you build confidence,” she says. We think Judy’s got the right idea, and we thank her for leading our bike-friendly city by example!

[Submitted by Erin Hilmer]

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Bike Hero of the Month Awards highlight different people each month, and help encourage other people to bike by telling the Hero’s personal story. The goal of the Bike Hero Awards Program is to showcase the diversity of citizen-cyclists and the people who support them in Denver.

BikeDenver’s Executive Director Piep van Heuven says: “We introduced the Bike Hero awards because we want to encourage a friendly environment for and public image of bicyclists in Denver. One of the ways we can do this is to showcase the different faces of and great stories about people in our community, like Judy Montero, who ride bikes or help others get out there and ride. Through the Bike Hero awards, BikeDenver honors bicyclists of all ages and walks of life, from the first time bicyclist to the rain or shine bicyclist!  We all know people (our neighbors, co-workers, family members or community leaders) who inspire us to reach for the handlebars instead of the car keys. Take a moment to look around you and help BikeDenver recognize the people in our community who are making a difference for Denver, one ride at a time!”

Remember the good old days when the mark of a good friend was an offer to ride on his or her handlebars? Well now’s your chance to show not just one, but up to 15 of your best buddies that same kind of bike-love on Denver’s Pedal Hopper!  Also known as a “party bike” or “bike bar,” the Pedal Hopper is essentially a roving pub powered by pedaling patrons seated around the perimeter of the bike, while one person stands and “tends bar” in the middle. Each trip is navigated by a professional Pedal Hopper driver (for a total of up to 17 people on board at one time), so you can rest assured that you’ll all arrive at your destination(s) safe and sound–as sound as you can possibly be while having this much fun, that is!

Luke Stone, Pedal Hopper’s owner and manager, says his business “provides and promotes a completely green way to get around and do a pub crawl, sight-see, or city-shop with all of your friends on one huge bicycle.” The bike can be can be booked April-October for bar hops, bachelor/bachelorette parties, weddings, tailgating, neighborhood tours, etc., and Luke is even game for arranging tours during the colder months if the weather cooperates. One thing to note: the Pedal Hopper plans to obtain an open-container permit next year, allowing patrons to bring their own wine or keg of beer on board. Until then, they can’t allow anything that would appear to be alcohol. Still, we can’t think of a better way to get from place to place while metabolizing whatever you consume at each stop, be it burgers or beer. We bet you’ll drink to that!

[Submitted by Erin Hilmer]

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BikeDenver’s Bicycle-Friendly Business (BFB) of the Month Awards help highlight organizations that are making standout contributions and offering great success stories from among BikeDenver’s Bicycle-Friendly Business (BFB) Program members. The BFB program, with more than 125 honorees to date, recognizes businesses, organizations and workplaces that are leading the way to make bicycling an easy and accepted form of transportation in Denver. Nominate a workplace as a Bicycle-Friendly Business here.

The Denver Pedal Hopper provides the greenest, most fun way to tour the town’s most happening ‘hoods. They also proudly support Denver Cruisers and all area bicycle enthusiasts. www.pedalhopper.com/denver

BikeDenver is Denver’s bicycle advocacy organization. BikeDenver promotes and encourages bicycling in Denver and works to make Denver a better place to ride your bike. Why? Because more bicycling has great benefits for you, and for Denver! www.bikedenver.org

Clif Bar & Company started on a bike ride. Founder Gary took a bite of another energy bar and thought he could make a better bar. Today, Clif Bar is a leading maker of all-natural and organic energy and nutrition foods and drinks. www.clifbar.com

Bicycle Friendly Business of the Month Awards: Since partnering in July of 2009 to launch the monthly awards program, Clif Bar and BikeDenver have recognized Watercourse Restaurant, Historic Denver’s Story Trek, Downtown Denver Business Improvement District, Jones Lang LaSalle, Human Powered Transit Authority, Denver Pavilions, the Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado, Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop, Little Man Ice Cream, Denver Water, Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), Sweet Action Ice Cream, MIGHTYkarma, Quiznos, REI Denver Flagship Store, Solera Green Living, Holland & Hart, Grand Hyatt Denver, The Bike Depot, Snooze a.m. eatery, Tony’s Market, eGo CarShare, Primal Wear, Illegal Pete’s, and the Denver Pedal Hopper.

More about BikeDenver:

See BikeDenver’s PSA’s and learn about the great reasons to ride in Denver: “Priceless”“Why I Ride”

You can help make a better place to ride a bike by becoming a BikeDenver member: Join BikeDenver!

Want to hear our zippy new radio PSAs? Click to hear them here.

Read about previous Bicycle-Friendly Business of the Month honorees:

June 2011 – Illegal Pete’s

May 2011 – Primal Wear

April 2011 – eGo CarShare

March 2011 – Tony’s Market

February 2011 – Snooze a.m. eatery

January 2011 – The Bike Depot

December 2010 – Grand Hyatt Denver

November 2010 – Holland & Hart

October 2010 – Solera Green Living

September 2010 – REI Denver Flagship Store

August 2010 – Quiznos

July 2010 – MIGHTYkarma

June 2010 – Sweet Action Ice Cream

May 2010 – Denver Regional Council of Governments

April 2010 – Denver Water

March 2010 – Little Man Ice Cream

February 2010 – Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop

January 2010 – The Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado

December 2009 – Denver Pavilions

November 2009 – Human Powered Transit Authority

October 2009 – Jones Lang LaSalle

September 2009 – Downtown Denver Partnership & BID

August 2009 – Historic Denver’s Story Trek

July 2009 (Inaugural) – Watercourse Restaurant

We need a few extra sets of hands to help us out with Viva Streets, Denver’s first Ciclovia!  On Sunday, August 14th 2011 LiveWell Colorado and BikeDenver are teaming up to open 23rd Avenue in Park Hill to bikers, walkers, skaters, hula hoopers and anyone who wants to get out of their car and play in the street for a day!  Needless to say, we’re going to need some help!  Please check out the volunteer job descriptions below and sign up for a shift! Want more info? Visit www.vivastreets.org or read the VIVA STREETS CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS.

Roving Marshal: Patrol the route on bike to answer questions, give directions, and help show proper rules of the road.  Roving marshals should plan to bring their own bike and helmet and will be provided a t-shirt, training and event materials.

Course Marshal: Course marshals will help maintain a car-free course by paroling an intersection as well as providing directions and assistance to attendees.  Course marshals will be provided a t-shirt, training and event materials.

Activity Zone Volunteers: Help us with the fun events going on at one of our Activity Zones along the route.  The morning shift will help set up and the afternoon shift will help tear down.  During the event you will be helping direct people to activities and helping our partner organizations put on the activities.

Volunteer Hospitality: Help us give our volunteers some love!  Check them in, get them their supplies, and serve lunch.

All volunteer jobs are broken down into two shifts.  We hope you will sign up for one and enjoy Viva Streets for yourself during the other!

Here is the link to the form REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER!

Get more information on the event at www.vivastreets.org

Could our sponsors be more terrific? Well, no. Here they are, and make no mistake, they are responsible for making this event possible! HUGE thanks to….

The Crank went to print in late June!  Features include:

• Denver’s 1st Ciclovia!
• Mayor Vidal’s bicycle improvements!
• The Denver Parks & Recreation Courtesy Patrol!
• New kids & family programming!

You can also read about our community rides, comings and goings, bicycle-friendly businesses and heroes, news beyond Denver, and more!  Sit back, kick your feet up, and get caught up and connected with the Denver bike-scene.

Read the 2011 Summer Newsletter.

On Sunday, July 10th House for All Sinners and Saints will be hosting its 3rd annual Blessing of the Bicycles at 6pm on the corner of 22nd & Dexter in Denver.  We know that urban biking is not without peril. Many of us rely almost exclusively on human-powered transportation and do so while competing for road space with motorized vehicles. As a way of acknowledging the inherent goodness of God’s gifts of life and health and the humble but elegant bicycle we are conducting a Blessing of the Bicycles for the entire Denver cycling community. This event is open to all regardless of religious affiliation, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, fat or thin tires, and brand of bike. We even welcome unicyclists and Unitarians. Some may take it more seriously than others but it doesn’t matter. As we swing our thurible of incense over the Schwinns and Cannondales we do so as a human community seeking God’s blessing and protection for all who brave our city streets on two wheels.  Group ride to follow!

For more information please contact Nadia Bolz-Weber, pastor of House For All.  sarcasticlutheran(at)gmail.com

House for All Sinners and Saints’ is a group of folks figuring out how to be a liturgical, Christo-centric, social justice oriented, queer inclusive, incarnational, contemplative, irreverent, ancient – future church with a progressive but deeply rooted theological imagination.