“Coffee. Conversation. Community.” is the slogan of Teri Meehan and Debbi Main’s coffee shop, Wash Perk, located at 853 E. Ohio Ave. It’s clear their phrase rings true as soon as you step inside. The aroma of fresh coffee and pastries, an eclectic mix of furniture, and the quiet murmur of music and talk invite you to sink into a comfy chair and stay a while. “It was very intuitive… we believed a coffee shop would do great in this neighborhood,” Teri said of their shop which opened in April of 2008. And indeed it has, it was packed when BikeDenver stopped by.

But a great atmosphere isn’t all Wash Perk has to offer. Its numerous green business initiatives make it a friend to both the planet and its many biking customers. Buying locally, taking advantage of reusable containers, ceramic cups and utensils, and composting and recycling are just a few of the environmentally friendly steps Wash Perk has taken to both minimize their footprint and get them certified as a sustainable business by the Department of Environmental Health. They also promote biking and “installed bike racks because there were so many bikes lining the building,” Teri explained. Wash Perk now offers a 12-space bike rack outside and an eight-space bike rack on the patio. Not only do a majority of their customers bike to Wash Perk, but also almost all of their employees. Although the unique and famous Perk Cycle, a giant bike that roams Washington Park serving coffee and snacks, is out of commission for the time being, BikeDenver loved their idea for “simple, sustainable commerce.”

[Submitted by Courtney Burkett]

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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.

Wash Perk is a community friendly coffee house that opened in April of 2008. Along with caring for their customers, Wash Perk cares about the environment, as seen in their many green business initiatives. washperk.com/about

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 o n 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 25 work places for their bicycle friendly practices.

August 2011 – TIAA CREF

July 2011 – Pedal Hopper

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

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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.

Meet Jennifer Wieczorek, our August Bike Hero! Jennifer is a public health planner at Denver Health where, as she puts it, “We like to make the healthy choice the easy choice.” For her, choosing to make the  20-minute ride from her home in the Barnum neighborhood to her office at 6th and Bannock is far easier than driving–and we bet it has something to do with her healthy glow as well! Only the occasional far-away  meeting or unsafe weather day will keep her off her bike, and she’s quick to dismiss commonly cited challenges to two-wheeled commuting. When we asked if she has any difficulty riding to work in professional togs, for instance, she laughed and said, “Not at all. I think it’s a lot easier to ride my bike in heels than to walk in them.” We’ve gotta admit, she has a point!

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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 Jennifer Wieczorek, 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!”

Volunteer for BikeDenver’s largest FUNdraiser of the year! At BikeDenver, we work to promote and encourage biking and make Denver a better place to ride a bike.  Event proceeds support our work, and volunteers help  make it all happen.  This year BikeDenver needs 153 volunteers to staff the event – so don’t delay, your exciting shift is waiting… and you’ll get a sweet New Belgium T, two beer tokens and that warm fuzzy feeling for helping BikeDenver!  VOLUNTEER FOR TOUR DE FAT HERE!

About Tour de Fat: If you haven’t experienced Tour de Fat, you just haven’t had enough fun on two wheels.  In its 12th season, New Belgium Brewing’s traveling celebration of all things bicycle will make its mark on 13 cities this year, singing the praises of the bike life while raising funds for local non-profits.  Tour de Fat is more than an event; it’s a rite of passage that includes a costumed bike parade, New Belgium beer, eye-popping entertainment, local food, bizarre bike contests and more. 

Want to win a  bike?  Not just any bike, a  hand-built Black Sheep (http://www.blacksheepbikes.com/)!  New Belgium is still looking for that lucky individual who is willing to trade in their car and make a commitment to give up driving for a year.  Apply here.

Register for the Parade and get a commemorative license plate! Want to go a 6 mile costumed bike parade with 6,000 of your closest friends?  Denver Police escort this ride, Denver’s largest annual bike parade.  Get registered, and get there early (by 9:30am), the parade leaves promptly at 10am: www.denvercruiserride.com/tourdefat.html

EVENT INFO:

What: New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat

When: Saturday, September 10, 2011 – Parade departs 10am

Where: City Park: West Side

Schedule:
9:00 a.m. Bike Parade Registration
10:00 a.m. Bike Parade Launch
11:00 a.m. Performances Begin
2:35 p.m. Car-for-Bike Trade Celebration
3:50 p.m. Faux Finale
3:55 p.m. Faux-Real Finale
4:00 p.m. Curtain Closes

Check out the bike parade route!  Be there by 9:30am.  Parade leaves promptly at 10am.

Tour de Fat around the country:  In 2011, Tour de Fat  will cycle through each of the following cities:

June 25 – Durham NC
July 9 – Nashville TN
July 16 – Chicago, IL
July 23 – Minneapolis, MN
July 30 – Milwaukee, WI
August 20 – Boise, ID
September 3 – Ft. Collins, CO
September 10 – Denver, CO
September 24 – San Franscisco, CA
October 1 – San Diego, CA
October 8 – Los Angeles CA
October 15 – Tempe AZ
October 22 – Austin TX

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 eight year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Ranger IPA, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit 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.

Contact: Jenny Foust (w) 303.433.7020 (c) 720.244.4268 jfoust@csg-pr.com

Labor Day Weekend, 9/3-5 – Ride to A Taste of Colorado! www.tasteofcolorado.org

Free bike parking is available at 3 convenient locations: 1) 13th Avenue, between the Denver Public Library and the Denver Art Museum, 2) 15th Street & Cleveland Place near the Webb Building, and 3) Lincoln Street at 14th Avenue. (Sorry, no motorized vehicles.) The parking areas are unattended; park at your own risk. Bike racks are provided, but bring your own lock. Don’t own a bike? Consider using B-cycle. There are four B-cycle stations within one block of the event perimeter. Visit denver.bcycle.com for more information on station locations and rates. See the bike parking locations here: Bicycle Parking Flyer Map

A Taste of Colorado is a community celebration that is produced by and benefits Downtown Denver Events, Inc., the Downtown Denver Partnership family’s community events non-profit organization. The Festival is an opportunity for people throughout the region to come together to experience and appreciate our diverse cultural traditions, and to learn more about our state’s Western heritage. The Festival highlights visual and performing arts in addition to featuring educational programs and culinary demonstrations.

Labor Day Weekend, 9/3-4 – Ride to Art Crank! http://artcrank.com/Denver

ARTCRANK is a show of bicycle-inspired poster artwork that introduces people to talented local artists and sends them home with affordable, original works of art. Every ARTCRANK show features posters created by local artists from the host city. Admission is always free, and posters are priced to let everybody take home at least one. ARTCRANK Denver 2011 will be hosted and sponsored by Josh and Tran Wills’ new Super Ordinary Gallery, featuring the work of more than 30 local artists. The show will open on Friday, September 2 at 6:00pm, and also include a family-friendly Saturday showing from noon until 6:00pm. Limited edition prints of all posters will be sold for $40 on both days.

Denver Water has announced that a small section of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway along Havana Street from Florence Way to the Smith Road trailhead in Denver will be temporarily closed from Aug. 22 to Sept. 3. A Denver Water contractor will be installing a recycled water line that will serve irrigation water to Stapleton and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. The Sand Creek Regional Greenway is a nearly 14-mile stretch of public land connecting the High Line Canal in Aurora with the South Platte River Greenway in Commerce City.

In addition to serving recycled water to the Stapleton area, the installation of this recycled water line is the final step in completing the Arsenal’s wildlife restoration program. Denver Water’s recycled water program is a part of the utility’s future water supply planning, which rests on three strategies: conservation, recycled water and new supply.

For more information please contact Stacy Chesney: stacy.chesney(at)denverwater.org.

Denver Water proudly serves high-quality water and promotes its efficient use to 1.3 million people in the city of Denver and many surrounding suburbs. Established in 1918, the utility is a public agency funded by water rates, new tap fees and the sale of hydropower, not taxes. It is Colorado’s oldest and largest water utility.

The Trestle Bike Skills Park at Barnum North Park and Denver Parks & Recreation needs volunteer ambassadors & site attendants for the new Barnum Terrain park. Volunteers will facilitate a safe, fun learning atmosphere for participants, inspect and make minor repairs to elements and other site amenities, record usage data, interact with participants, clarifiy rules, and pick up trash and debris. CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER **  (Photo credit: PlusSizeBMX.com) **

DUTIES:
1. Inspect elements and document findings in maintenance log– address issues and concerns as
possible
2. Complete maintenance requests as needed for major repairs and safety hazards
3. General Inspection of the area including trail/terrain surface – document findings – address
issues and concerns as possible
4. Greet and talk with participants about the facility and answer or address questions as possible
5. Educate participants on facility rules and contact police for enforcement issues
6. Assist with the coordination, set-up, facilitation, and site clean up for special events and
activities as scheduled
7. Act as an ambassador and customer service agent with community members and park visitors.

REQUIREMENTS:
1. Physically able to move heavy objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
2. Willingness to get dirty.
3. Ability to perform an average of 6 hours per week, including one weekend 1 per month.
4. Must be 18 or older
5. Attend orientation dates TBA in August/early September
4. Assist w/ two special events dates TBA
5. Friendly, people oriented attitude and comfort/ability working with diverse populations.

TIME COMMITMENT: A minimum commitment of 5-6 hrs per week, plus two special events and two
trainings. The terrain parkwill remain open through late fall, (weather permitting).

It can be intimidating to ride in a city if you are not used to it. If you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or generally confused when riding a bicycle, perhaps a safety training would help answer your questions. This will turn you into a more confident cyclist and you will have a better time riding. To assist you in this process, Denver B-cycle is proud to be teaming up with BikeDenver to offer three B-cycle safety trainings over the summer. Whether you are new to commuting or a seasoned rider, this class will give you the tools you need to ride safely and legally on the streets of Denver. This two hour class will consist of a classroom discussion on the B-cycle system and its features, local bike-related laws, avoidance of common bike-related incidents, and how to co-exist with cars on the road. The second half of the class will find you on the seat of a B-cycle practicing your newly learned skills and maneuvers. Each training will be from 6pm until 8pm and free to annual members. (Note the class in August will be from 5:30p to 7:30p due to seasonal concerns.)

REGISTER HERE! Trainings are scheduled on the last Wednesday the month with the last training of the year on August 31st at Green Spaces Colorado (1368 26th Street). A B-cycle will be provided for you. To register for a specifc training select the approriate date and choose your ticket.

If you are ever out and about and wondering the best way to ride safe, Denver Bike Sharing, BikeDenver and the City of Denver Bike Program, and Kaiser Permanente have worked to come up with a list of key safety tips which appear on every map at all 50 of our B-stations around Denver.

Saturday, 8/27 – Ride to the Green Route Festival! www.greenroute.com/festival-event-map.aspx

The Green Route Music Festival will feature 80 cool green vendors, ping pong tables, $5 16 oz O’dells beers, sustainable awesome wines, food trucks, live bees, hula-hoopers, juice bars, tables to hang out at, live bands, artists, fire dancers, free bike valet, Green Living Project’s 2nd Premier the night before, Mo’ Betta’ Farmer’s Market at Sustainability Park the morning of, and the chance to show our community we are committed to putting Denver on the map for being a cool green city.

Get $10 tickets by redeeming discount code “bikedenver” when you buy tickets via www.greenroute.com/festival.aspx Invite friends via Facebook at www.facebook.com/event.php

Sunday, 8/28 – Ride to the Denver finish of the USA Pro Challenge! www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge will wind up with a big finish right here in Denver, with fans lining the streets to watch the riders wind through our neighborhoods and past many of Denver’s iconic buildings and monuments for a wild finish right in the heart of the city. Join us for an exciting day that includes the finish celebration, a fun and informative race expo and much much more.

A 400-space secure bike corral will be located in front of the Wellington Webb building at Bannock & Colfax.