Bikes-n-Ales starts today! This is a great way to pedal around town this weekend, try out some new brews, and support our local cycling advocacy organization at the same time. Here’s all the deets:
The final auction date for the BFC Bike Art helmets is coming up next week. Don’t miss this opportunity to support BFC and get a nifty artified helmet in the bargain.
And if you ever bicycle through or to the downtown Fort Collins area, please take this survey that the city is hosting. There are a lot of questions about buildings and parks, but there are also some about bike facilities and parking. The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to complete, but it’s a great way to let the city know what you think about improving bicycle safety and accessibility in our downtown area.
Jump to:
Events – Bike News and Views
– The last of the July events –
Bikes-N-Ales – the weekend of July 24-26, Pateros Creek, Horse & Dragon, 1933 Brewing, and Black Bottle.
Bike Fort Collins is holding its third Bike-n-Ales event during the weekend of July 24th- 26th! Bikes-n-Ales is an event that encourages folks to get out and visit local businesses and drink local craft brews, all while riding bikes and supporting BFC!
Tickets:
Three Beer Tokens: $15
Three Beer Tokens & a Commemorative Pint Glass: $20
Members Only!
Four Beer Tokens: $15
Four Beer Tokens & a Commemorative Pint Glass: $20
Each of the beer tokens are good for one beer at BFC’s designated sponsors: Pateros Creek, Horse & Dragon, 1933 Brewing and Black Bottle. You can pick up your tokens at Pateros Creek on Friday July 24 4-7pm and Saturday July 25 from 2-7pm.
Want to know more about becoming a BFC member? Check out the membership page on their website. It’s a great way to support their educational programs and advocacy with the city/campus/county.
BFC Gathering – July 28, 4-6pm, at the Downtown Artery
Bike on down to the Downtown Artery Cafe, 254 Linden Street, on Tuesday evening for an informal gathering with BFC! This will be your last chance to view and bid on your favorite helmet design entered in the Helmet Design Contest. And, any tips collected will be donated to Bike Fort Collins. Can’t wait to see you all there!
Bicycle Built for Two Billion – July 29, 5-7pm, 4-6pm, at The Bar
After 8 years and 81 countries, Jamie Bianchini returned home from a ride around the world where he befriended more than 1,000 strangers by giving rides on his tandem bicycle. Now he is on a book tour sharing the beautiful stories and images collected on his journey. Join Jamie and Bike Fort Collins at The Bar (across from Road 34) on Wednesday, July 29th for a BFC fundraising event and an exciting tour around the world. A Bicycle Built For Two Billion will be on sale and Bike Fort Collins will receive a percentage of all sales. Click Here for more info!
– August Events –
Adult Learn to Ride Class – August 6 & 13, 6-7:30pm.
Regardless of your age, it’s not too late to learn to ride a bicycle! Adult Learn to Ride is a free class by the City of Fort Collins for adults (+14 years) interested in learning how to ride. Through a safe, easy, and effective method, Students learn how to balance, pedal, start, stop and steer a bike. You will also learn how to properly fit a helmet. Many learn to ride a bicycle while taking this class, and we’re confident you will too! You will leave with a new set of skills and access to resources to continue to improve.
If you do not have a bike or helmet we can provide them for use during the class. Contact jgaskill-fox@fcgov.com or 970-221-6987 if you need a bike and/or helmet.
Register for Adult Learn 2 Ride through the Recreator
Women & Trans* Wrenching Night: Bottom Bracket – Thursday, August 6, FC Bike Co-op, 6:30-9pm
Always wanted to know how to fix a flat, adjust your brakes, or re-grease your hubs? Come learn how in this women-led, 6-class series. No registration necessary. Just bring your bike!
This week we’ll cover bottom bracket. If you’re thinking, “I have a bottom-what?!” then you best make it to class. Hint: your pedals and crank attach to this piece.
The Bike Co-op is located at 331 N. College Ave. See the event page on Facebook for more info.
USA Pro Challenge Celebration – Wednesday, August 19, 5:30 – 8:30 pm, 1601 W. Drake Rd.
Join FC Bikes for a fun-filled, family-friendly evening to celebrate the 2015 USA Pro Challenge. The evening will feature a bicycle rodeo, helmet giveaways, food and more!
Women & Trans* Wrenching Night: Drive Train – Thursday, August 20, FC Bike Co-op, 6:30-9pm
Always wanted to know how to fix a flat, adjust your brakes, or re-grease your hubs? Come learn how in this women-led, 6-class series. No registration necessary. Just bring your bike!
This week we’ll cover the drivetrain…that’s all those messy metal bits around your chain. We’ll learn about chain and cog maintenance and, if you’re up to the challenge, some more fine tune adjustments.
The Bike Co-op is located at 331 N. College Ave. See the event page on Facebook for more info.
9th Anual Tour de Farms – August 22 – Loveland to Fort Collins
Join the Sustainable Living Association on August 22nd for the 9th annual Tour de Farms. Riders will be able to join on a leisurely 8 mile tour to various farms and gardens and greenhouses. Visit cutting edge urban agriculture projects, hear presentations from farmers, gain useful tools and knowledge for your own garden, find out ways you can support area efforts to strengthen our local food system.
Plus, you can stay connected to your new gardening and biking community with a discussion forum only available to tour participants. Tour de Farms highlights important elements of sustainable communities and our local living economy. Enjoy the future of food! Cost $25 per person, tour limited to 50 people includes lunch. Get more info on their event page.
USA Pro Challenge – Stage 6 – August 22 — Loveland to Fort Collins
Pedal Fort Collins is a blog that focuses on transportation, which means races and rides aren’t usually included here. But this is a national level bicycling event and it’s going to be taking place, in part, right here in Fort Collins – which means bike parties galore. So I’m including it in the calendar on behalf of its overall cycle-fest attributes.
– September –
Tour de Fat – September 5th
Open Streets – Sunday, September 20, probably on Remington between Mountain and Lake.
Traffic Safety 101 – September 26, 8:30am – 4pm.
– November –
Traffic Safety 101 – November 14, 8:30am – 4pm.
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– Bike News and Views –
5 Anti-Bike Arguments That Should Be Retired, by Eric Jaffe on the CityLab website (July 14, 2015). There have been several posts like this floating around the internet, but this one has a few new takes on some of the same tired old arguments. Worth a read.
Rules of the road help keep bicyclists safe, by Jessica Benes in the Loveland Reporter-Herald (July 15, 2015). Skip to the middle where there’s some handy and concise info about the rules of the road for cyclists.
An Adult’s Guide To Learning To Ride A Bicycle, by Barry Petchesky on the Adequate Man website (July 15, 2015). Because we’re not born knowing how to balance on two wheels. It’s something we have to learn. And there’s no age limit to when we can learn it. The City of Fort Collins holds bike riding lessons for adults. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. And it could lead to a new life long love.
We must change the car vs. bike culture we have created, by Rick Price in the Fort Collins Coloradoan (July 20, 2015). We’re all in this together. With the number of cyclist deaths escalating, we need to find a way to come together as a community and build safer infrastructure, create a more comprehensive training program for cyclists and motorists alike, and look out for each other on the road.
Senate to Begin Debate on Transportation Bill, by Caron Whitaker on the League of American Bicyclists website (July 23, 2015). The League gives an initial reaction to what the possible new transportation bill would mean for cyclists in the U.S.