BikeDenver is thrilled to announce this month’s Bike Hero, 9News Morning Sports Anchor Susie Wargin! Susie, a longtime cyclist and multisport athlete, loves to bike. We love that she promotes Denver-area bicycle events like the Broncos Orange Ride, the Denver Century Ride, and Bike to Work Day! Susie also pushed 9News execs to sponsor last month’s super exciting Pro Cycling Challenge back when it was in its early planning stages. She says they didn’t really understand at first what a big deal it was going to be and even asked if she was going to ride in it. “I said, ‘No! You don’t understand! These are the world’s top riders!’ ” Susie laughs. Luckily, it seems they’re true to their motto: 9News listens. Not only did the station sign on, Susie and three of her coworkers were assigned comprehensive team-coverage of the weeklong event. She says that as far as personal career highlights, “It was right up there next to going to Fenway Park with the Rockies for the 2007 World Series.”

No sooner was the Pro Challenge over than Susie and her brother Ted’s company, Wargin Events, presented local riders with a new challenge of their own: the first annual Wacky W Ride benefiting Douglas County Schools. Since both Susie and Ted have kids enrolled in the district, they really notice the effects of the budget cuts public school systems are struggling with these days. “Teachers are using their own money to buy things like art supplies for the kids, and they don’t often have that much to begin with” Susie says. “I mean, we save toilet paper rolls and all that stuff, but we wanted to help in a bigger way.” Hence the Wacky W.  Held on September 10^th, the ride was a huge success with 444 riders and about $6,000 raised for the Douglas County PTO. “It was amazing, and we really learned a lot,” Susie says. “The best part was how enthusiastic people were. The local cycling community is great. Everyone’s so nice and always ready to help.” BikeDenver finds it no surprise, then, that Susie’s such a big part of it. Thanks, Susie, for all you do to make Denver a better place to ride a bike!

[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 Susie Wargin, 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!”

(Courtesy Tony’s Market) Bring your used bicycles to any of our Tony’s Market locations from Saturday, September 24 through Saturday, October 1, 2011. 3t Ministry will be picking up the bikes, refurbishing them and donating them to kids at the Open Doors Youth Gang Alternatives in Denver big bike rally that will be held next April. Along with a refurbished bike, the kids will also receive new helmets and locks.

You can also bring your used bikes to the start of Tony’s to Tony’s Bike Ride on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 950 Broadway in Denver. The ride is a 71-mile bicycle tour stopping at all four Tony’s Market locations with an assortment of Tony’s culinary specialties at each stop and an Italian luncheon at the finish. Over 150 cyclists and Tony’s enthusiasts have signed-up and with a portion of the entry fee; Tony’s was able to donate enough money to provide fifteen Boys and Girls Club members with new bicycles. “Our goal for the used bike drive is to be able to provide at least 50 plus refurbished bikes to the deserving youth of Denver,” said Tony Rosacci, founder of Tony’s Market. Mr. Rosacci goes on to say, “This is really a community event thanks to our partners including The Wellness Bridge, Colorado Heart Cycle, Bicycle Village, Closet Factory and Susie Wargin of 9News who is our honorary ride leader this year.”

Join us for the Autumnal Equinox Ride and celebrate the changing of the seasons in Denver! BikeDenver’s community rides are offered at every changing of the seasons.  We ride on the Winter and Summer Solstice and the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox because every season in Denver is a great season to ride a bike for fun, recreation or transportation!

We’ll meet at South High School’s parking lot and ride the new bike lanes on Emerson and Washington Streets with City Council Chair Chris Nevitt en route to Illegal Pete’s on Evans near DU! Illegal Pete’s will be offering Happy Hour pricing and 20% off food to everyone with a bike helmet! The ride leaves at 6pm and we’ll arrive at Illegal Pete’s around 6:45pm. Our friends at Campus Cycles will be there to help you with any minor tunes or adjustments and just generally share their love of bicycles with you!

Please register for the ride here:Yes, I want to register for the ride right now!

What: Autumnal Equinox Ride!

Why: Because every season is a great season to ride a bike in Denver!

Where: Meet at South High School parking lot, ride to Illegal Pete’s!

When: Ride Leaves 6pm. Ride arrives 6:45pm-7pm.

Bike commuters in Northeast Denver will be getting used to a new route and some new views through City Park this week as the Denver Museum of Nature & Science construction project starts in earnest and prompts a minor re-route for the regional bikeway.  Access points at Montview Ave., St. Paul and Harrison Streets will all be affected.  The Museum project is slated to last until 2014 and the construction area and truck traffic for the project will effectively close the southeast corner of the park to pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

The re-route takes bicyclists along the North face of the Museum on 22nd Avenue, then around the scenic east side of City Park Lake before re-connecting with the southern-most pedestrian and bicycle pathways. Orange bike-ped detour signs have been installed at key points to direct riders and walkers. While the official detour is clearly marked, the park is open to bikes along other routes as well.  

The Museum is adding 126,000 square feet and five levels of discovery to its south side.  The new addition, supported in part by the Better Denver Bond and scheduled for completion in 2014, will feature a dedicated, interactive science center for ages 3-5, additional space for world-class travelling exhibitions and engaging science programs, a state-of-the-art preservation and research facility for more than 1.4 million artifacts and specimens, and more.  Visit ww.dmns.org for additional details.