Bike to Work / Wherever Day 2021 |
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As one of the centerpieces of Colorado's Bike Month in June,we are overjoyed with the outpouring of community and bike fanfare at this year’s Bike to Work/Wherever Day! With 51 breakfast stations located throughout the city, a handful of afternoon stations, and over 13,000 riders, we are truly humbled by the generosity and support of our local businesses and overall community cohesion! Keep it rolling, Fort Collins! READ MORE
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Remington Bike Count Challenge |
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For the second year running, as part of Bike Month, Bike Fort Collins hosted the Remington Bike Count Challenge. Last year we threw this event together as an attempt to bring folks "together" in a socially distant capacity on what would have been Bike to Work Day 2020. Our goal was simple, to beat the record for number of cyclists to pass the automated counted located at the corner of Remington and Lake. Although our attempts to beat the current record of 1,737 remain unrealized, we are grateful to all those in the community who have rallied around these efforts. Let's try again in 2022! READ MORE
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Bicycle Film Festival - Together We Cycle
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Bike Fort Collins was also proud to bring a second round of a virtual Bicycle Film Festival to the community during Bike Month. This edition was especially exciting as it included the feature length documentary, Together We Cycle. Together We Cycle chronicles the history and bumpy road The Netherlands endured to foster and establish the bike culture it's know for today. Bringing this film to the community was well-timed as Fort Collins aspires to become our nation’s first Diamond-Level Bicycle Friendly Community and was very germane given BFC's vision "For Fort Collins to be the Amsterdam of the U.S.” when it comes to bicycling. READ MORE
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More Facility Improvement Opportunities Presented to BAC |
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BFC was appreciative of the opportunity to present infrastructure improvement opportunities to the City’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) again this month. Two of the three opportunities featured stretches of road that we’ve also included in our monthly Intersection-Facility Focus surveys in the past, while the third entailed the proposal to put Riverside Avenue on a road diet. READ MORE
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BFC Tunes-up Bikes in North Fort Collins |
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During the month of June, through support from the Larimer County Department of Health and the Built Environment, BFC is pleased to have been able to tune-up and fix nearly 100 residents’ bikes from the following mobile home parks in June: Hickory Village, Poudre Valley and Cloverleaf. All with the overall goal to simply help make bikes ride-able and again, and enable folks to get back out on them. READ MORE
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Intersection / Facility Focus |
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For this month's intersection/facility focus wel revisit the intersection that started it all! Exactly a year ago we asked the community for input on the intersection of Drake Rd and Overland Trail. We were particularly interested to know if you found this intersection to be confusing, or if you have experienced conflict with westbound vehicles making a right turn onto Overland Trail. 71% said they found this intersection to be problematic with respect to right-of-way. These views and experiences were shared with the City of Fort Collins and real change happened! We now have a green painted bike lane for northbound cyclists on Overland Trail, improving visibility of vulnerable road users for right turning vehicles.
We are now eager to hear from you on the impact this application has had on your experience at this intersection thus far? Have you noticed reduced right-of-way confusion or do you have other insights to share.
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In our May issue, we conducted the same survey and posed the same questions for the bike lane section of Mulberry Street between Center Avenue and Bryan Avenue. Thank you to those who responded. READ RESULTS SUMMARY
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Bohemian Light Music Festival - August 14 & 15
We're excited to announce that Bike Fort Collins and Overland Mountain Bike Association (OMBA) have been invited to be the nonprofit beer service hosts for the 2021 Bohemian Light Music Festival, August 14-15. It's an amazing opportunity for us to build support and fundraise for the cycling community while helping support such a critical event for the whole Fort Collins community.
Produced by Bohemian Nights, they are planning a scaled-back 2021 festival to ensure proper safety protocol as COVID-19 remains a concern for large events, but we'll still need TONS of volunteer help (hundreds!) to make it happen.
So please save these dates, as volunteer benefits will include entry to festival performances during shifts (which will have limited capacity), plus a cool T-shirt--not to mention that serving beer is fun!
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Tour de Fat - August 28
And, as you may have heard through the grapevine already, Tour de Fat will be taking place this year too. Just 2-weeks after the Bohemian Light Music Festival.
As with previous years, we'll need TONS (hundreds!) of volunteers for this too, so please save this date as well.
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We'll send another email with a sign up link within the next few weeks for both events that will have specific date/shift slots across various stages/serving locations for the music festival, and various roles for Tour de Fat.
In the meantime, if you haven't "raised your hand" as a volunteer with us, please click the button, and do so, as it will help us gauge numbers and streamline our ability to communicate with you on both events going forward. Thank you in advance.
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Be Sure to check the Bohemian Light Music Festival and/or the Tour de Fat box |
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You Know Me. I Ride a Bike. - James Bleakley |
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Could bikes save the world? “They could, they absolutely could,” says James Bleakley the 30-year bike building veteran and affable creator of Black Sheep Bikes. Read about James’ path to his dream job that he describes as the “working man’s lottery, from days spent on his BMX bike in his youth, to building bikes, and now even teaching how to build bikes at the college level. From his small shop on Link Lane in north Fort Collins, and with clients around the world, he and his son work to build everything from the serious to the whimsical, but all are inspired works drawn from imagination. We’re lucky James calls Fort Collins home for him and Black Sheep Bikes. READ MORE
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Props to TREK South for hosting this year's Pride Ride! A happy crowd gathered at their store early Sunday morning, June 26th to decorate their bikes before heading north along a low-stress network that eventually ended at Soft Gold Park. Although, the "official" count was 150, many folks hopped in along the way with numbers more likely reaching 200. We are also grateful to all the law enforcement who participated in the ride, ensuring each major intersection was secured. What an amazing outpouring of bike love, Fort Collins! |
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Membership Business Partners are business members of BFC, who also provide a special incentive (i.e. offer, discount or perk) for our individual and family members.
Since Pedego Electric Bikes opened last year during the pandemic and thus, wasn't able to hold an official opening, they will be hosting a (delayed) Ribbon Cutting Event Thursday July 8th from 12pm - 3pm. Join them for food, drinks, raffle, the PedegoPalooza Tour Bus, and a group ride around 2pm. The event will be held at their store's back parking lot (2407 S. College Ave). RSVP HERE
Pedego Electric Bikes also generously offers any BFC member a 15% discount on all accessories, excluding bikes, parts and labor.
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Not a Member?
Become a member of Bike Fort Collins and help us build strength in numbers. We represent you and the next generation of cyclists by advocating for more funding, education, stronger policies, and better bikeways at the city, county, and regional level.
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July 11 - Bike Ride For Black Lives |
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Everyone is invited to a community bike ride to honor all those who have been killed due to police brutality and bring awareness to the justice that still needs to be served. This year's Bike Ride For Black Lives will take place on July 11 leaving Spring Canyon Park at 9:00 a.m. READ MORE
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The FoCo Fondo is a daring gravel cycling adventure that starts and finishes at New Belgium Brewing. Race the 107-mile, Bite the Bullet open category for cash, prizes and a bolo tie or choose family-friendly 12 or 25-mile routes and make some end-of-summer memories together. Or challenge yourself with the rolling 50-mile route. Post-ride, enjoy the Fondo’s Festival full of food trucks, vendors, bike-demos, live music, and activities for the kids. A portion of profits go to support after-school and summer Safe Routes to School programs.
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We will be holding our next Ride-Around-Town (R.A.T.) Ride on Wednesday, July 28 at 5:30 p.m.
RAT Rides are advocacy rides with a heavy emphasis on fun. They are casually paced, designed to explore different areas across Fort Collins from a bicycle safety lens.
While the route is still TBD sign-up and plan to join us today. Registrants will receive a separate email later in July on the identified route.
We held a great "Return of the RAT Ride" back on May 6. READ MORE
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August 14 & 15 - 2021 Bohemian Light Music Festival |
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Bohemian is planning a scaled-back 2021 music festival, August 14 and 15. More details will be available in late July. Bohemian Nights will produce this event, Bohemian Light Music Festival, instead of Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest.
As mentioned above, we'll need hundreds of volunteers for this event, as OMBA and BFC are the nonprofit beer service hosts. SIGN-UP HERE if you're interested (Be sure to check the Bohemian Light Music Festival box) and we'll email the shift sign-up link in a few short weeks.
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After a year where we had to hold Tour de Fat virtually, Beers, Bikes and Bemusement is back in 2021! Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 28 and what our social channels (as well as Tour de Fat's) for more information as it gets closer.
As mentioned above, we'll need hundreds of volunteers for this event, as helping provide volunteers is one of BFC's primary roles as a beneficiary. SIGN-UP HERE if you're interested (Be sure to check the Tour de Fat box) and we'll email the shift sign-up link in a few short weeks.
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September 19 - Tour de Farms |
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We are excited to announce the return of our Tour de Farms event/ride, after being canceled in 2020.
Mark your calendars to join us on Sunday, September 19 (8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.) for a nice, fun and festive fall ride. Led by Bike Fort Collins representatives, Tour de Farms is a 35-40 mile ride that features a combination of paved and gravel roads, along with 2-3 stops at local area farms. Each farm stop features light tastings and refreshments along with a few words from each farm owner/representative. READ MORE
This event also needs volunteers. SIGN-UP HERE if you're interested (Be sure to check the Tour de Farms box).
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CDOT Bike & Pedestrian Safety Study |
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CDOT is studying ways to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians within Region 4 (Fort Collins's region). The study includes evaluation of systemic "hot spot" improvements, with a focus on equity. The study team will be identifing solutions to reduce bicycle and pedestrian related crashes. READ MORE
During the process, they will be using a robust digital platform to gather community input/feedback. Stay informed! REGISTER
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A special callout and thanks to the following BFC Business Members. We invite you to support these businesses/organizations whenever and however you can, as they support a similar passion for bicycling as we all do.
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Thank You for reading, and for your interest in and support of Bike Fort Collins.
Our mission is to increase participation in active transportation and advance bicycle culture and policy changes, creating safer streets and communities, while also creating an inclusive and empowering culture for all bicyclists, regardless of ability or identity.
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