The Bike Art Show is tonight! Don’t miss this chance to grab a beverage, listen to great music, snag a one-of-a-kind bike helmet, and support the Fort Collins Bike Library all at one time. See below for more info.

bikehelmetart-july2015

Haven’t signed up for the National Bike Challenge yet? If not, fo shame! Click on over there right now and if you don’t know which local challenge host to go with, I’d recommend Bike Fort Collins. They’re kind of a catchall for anyone that doesn’t have another host to connect with.

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Events – Bike News and Views


– July Events –

BikeArtShow-3July2015Bike Fort Collins Art Show – Friday, July 3, Downtown Artery Café during 1st Friday Gallery Walk

As part of the First Friday Gallery Walk, Bike Fort Collins is hosting a Bike Art Show at the Downtown Artery Café. Beer and wine will be available for sale. (25% of sales will go to BFC.) There will be visual art/dance performances a live band and more. Make a one-of-a-kind painted bicycle helmets your own and support Bike Fort Collins.

Adult Learn to Ride Class – July 9 & 16, 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: Wheels – Thursday, July 9, 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 parts that make your bike go round…wheels! Sure we’ll teach you how to fix a flat, but we’ll also go over how to repack your hubs and true your wheels.

The Bike Co-op is located at 331 N. College Ave.

Family Bike Ride to the Watson Fish Hatchery – Saturday, July 11, 10am – 1pm

All ages are welcome to join this family, fun-filled guided bike ride on the Poudre Trail hosted by FC Bikes. We will ride 10-miles round trip. Pack a lunch to enjoy at the half-way point at the Watson Fish Hatchery. Please be sure children are will and able to ride all 10 miles, either with their own bike or with a tag-a-long or trailer. Bike and helmets are required. Cost $12

Register through the City of Fort Collins Recreator (Recreator Program Number 309992-01)

Movies on Mason – Saturday, July 11th, in front of Life of the Party, 1933 Brewing Co, and Recycled Cycles, 7pm

Saturday, July 11th! You are invited to the first ever Movies on Mason hosted by Life of the Party, 1933 Brewing Company and Recycled Cycles. Movies on Mason is a fun outdoor movie experience provided to south Fort Collins. Biking to the event and costumes are highly encouraged.

It’s the 30th anniversary of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
When eccentric man-child Pee-Wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.

Tickets will be $10 for adults (with a FREE beer) and $2 for kids. Tickets are available at any of the host businesses.
The event will be held in front of Life of the Party, 1933 Brewing Company and Recycled Cycles at 4025 S. Mason Street.

Ride your bike! The Mason trail is a popular bike trail that runs next to the railroad tracks North-South in Fort Collins. The location is between the Horsetooth and Troutman MAX Stations.

Traffic Safety 101 – Saturday, July 18, 8:15am – 4pm, Westbridge Medical Suites

Traffic Skills 101 is a course for beginners, returning and seasoned cyclists alike that will give you the confidence to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. You will learn how to conduct bicycle safety checks, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques. We recommended this class for adults and youth above age 14. Participants should be prepared to ride their bicycle as there is a riding portion to this class. A helmet and bicycle in good working condition are required. A water bottle is recommended.

FoCo Cafe’s 2015 Bike-In Music Festival at Shire CSA – July 19, 3 – 7pm, 713 E. Prospect

Bicycle-in for great music, food, and beer on beautiful Shire CSA. Experience the best of Fort Collins in one Sunday afternoon! Gates open at 2:30pm, music begins at 3:00pm and the event will happen Sunday, July 19, rain or shine! Only 300 tickets will be sold, so this will be an intimate experience! Get all the details on the event page on Facebook.

Women & Trans* Wrenching Night: Brakes – Thursday, July 23, 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 brakes. You need them to stop, so it’s a pretty important class. We’ll cover v-brakes, side-pull, cantilever, you-name-it, and how to adjust those buggers.

The Bike Co-op is located at 331 N. College Ave.


Adult Learn to Ride Class – August 6 & 13, 6-7:30pm.

Women & Trans* Wrenching Night: Bottom Bracket – Thursday, August 6, FC Bike Co-op, 6:30-9pm

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

USA Pro Challenge – Stage 6 – August 22 — Loveland to Fort Collins (I know. This is a race, not a transportation event. But it’s also a celebration of bikes event. So I’m including it here.)


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.


Traffic Safety 101 – November 14, 8:30am – 4pm.


nbc-offsite-imageNational Bike Challenge! – May 1st to September 30th

The National Bike Challenge is an opportunity for cities and states to compete against each other in terms of bike miles and bike trips logged. You can pick a team, a workplace, and a school to log miles for. Bike Fort Collins and the FC Bike Library have a combined team you can join.


– Bike News and Views –

Fort Collins No. 1 in nation in bike-friendly businesses,” by Sylvia Cranmer in the Coloradoan (June 25, 2015). We’ve got 39 Bike Friendly Businesses, 1 Bike Friendly College, and we’re a Platinum level Bike Friendly Community. Can I hear an Amen?!

A Nifty Device to Stop Cars From Driving Too Close to Bikes“, by Sarah Goodyear, in The Atlantic City Lab (June 29, 2015). One thing that keeps cops from citing drivers that get to close to cyclists is that they don’t have a definitive measurement of how close the vehicle actually was. So in a court of law, they don’t have a real solid argument. But this little gizmo can get the exact distance between motor vehicle and bike.