Car-free living is easy at Solera, our Bicycle Friendly Business of the Month

Clif Bar and BikeDenver are pleased to announce Solera as October‘s Bicycle Friendly Business of the Month. Solera is a new, luxurious-yet-affordable, 120-unit apartment building located downtown at 1956 Lawrence Street. This super-sharp, super-green dwelling is registered for LEED Gold Certification and will be the first sustainability-focused rental residence in the region to earn such high distinction. As Solera’s Director of Operations, Susan Maxwell, puts it, “Our ‘secret sauce’ is our commitment to the environment,” and that commitment makes it simple to live green. Each unit features a real-time energy consumption monitor, Energy Star appliances, high-efficiency lighting, and dual-flush toilets. Residents can even opt to power their apartments with energy gleaned from rooftop solar panels. And while environmentally friendly living might begin at home, Solera is spreading its “secret sauce” even farther by making access to alternative transportation a priority.

Unlike most Denver-area apartment buildings, Solera doesn’t expect that all of its tenants will own cars. Instead, they’ve implemented several design features and programs that make biking the best—and easiest—choice for getting around town. In addition to providing plenty of indoor bicycle parking, Solera is within a block of a B-cycle station, so residents can easily grab a “red-rider” for errands or quick commutes. For longer trips or leisurely cruising, Solera also offers loaner bikes (pictured here with Maxwell and resident Dave Lundberg) as part of its innovative Velo Program. The result of a close partnership with Wheat Ridge Cyclery, the program allows members access to the Velo Room featuring a fully stocked workbench (below), work stands, and a vending machine for bike-consumables such as tubes and lube. And for those who aren’t quite sure what to do with all that stuff, Wheat Ridge provides mechanic visits and even holds in-house bike maintenance and repair clinics. Good thing, too, because tenants wouldn’t want a wobbly wheel to keep them from one of the program’s bike-skills or bike-fitness classes, much less a Solera group ride!

So does all of this really get people out of their cars and onto their bikes? Resident Kim Marker has this to say about Solera: “Their enthusiasm towards biking is infectious and makes me excited to bike to work and utilize their amenities. They are really acting as leaders…and I believe that they are serving as a role model to encourage more of their tenants to get on a bike!” Bike Denver agrees, and applauds Solera on its efforts to create more citizen-cyclists.

To learn more about what this innovative residence has to offer, visit Solera in person at 20th St. & Lawrence, or read more about it here: Solera Green Living.

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 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.

Solera is the first LEED Gold Certified apartment building in the region, and is proud to partner with Wheat Ridge Cyclery to help make Denver greener, more accessible, and a whole lot more fun! www.soleraliving.com

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 it’s healthy for you, and healthy 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, and the REI Denver Flagship Store.

More about BikeDenver:

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