Best Advice I Ever Received: Bike Ambassador Blog Post

Best Advice I Ever Received  - by Bike Ambassador Jen Lorenz

I was recently asked about the best advice I received as a new rider. I received a ton of good advice as a new rider ranging from do not wear underwear with your bike shorts to getting a proper bike fit. I now share both pieces of advice with any new rider I meet.  This post reminds me to heed my own advice.

Last summer I purchased a new road bike. I thought I could directly transfer my measurements from my old road bike to my new road bike.  The bikes are completely different brands with completely different geometry.   

After the initial shine and awe of riding a new bike wore off, I started dreading riding my fancy new road bike. I could not figure out what it was about my new bike that I did not like. It was obviously different from my tried-and-true old bike. My old bike was familiar. It was like a limb, and we fit together perfectly.  I convinced myself that riding my new bike would involve an adjustment period. I still needed to get to know my new bike and bond with my new bike- I just needed to give it a chance.

Fast forward 6 months, and I was considering selling my new bike. We were not bonding.  Every ride felt slow and sluggish. When I got off my new bike my knees and back hurt and I felt old.  I do not like things that make me feel old. But, that was the key. As I complained to my husband about how my knees hurt and my back ached, inspiration struck- or, maybe common sense finally kicked in.  If I felt slow and sluggish and my knees hurt, maybe my seat was too low.  My husband is no bike fit expert, but he is pretty smart.  His unaided eye immediately recognized that my seat was in fact too low. If the seat was too low, it was likely other things were off, too. A quick trip to my local bike shop and sage bike fit expert could remedy my problems and save my relationship with my new bike.  Like I had been told years ago - A good bike fit is essential for every single bike in the quiver. My favorite bike fitters are at C3 in Golden - https://c3bikeshop.com

C3 Bike Shop Address:

16035 Table Mountain Parkway

Golden, CO 80403

C3 Phone Number

720-598-5950

Spreading the Bike Gospel

Co-captains Megan & Erin

Inspiring people to use their bikes for racing and commuting…

We are the Bike Ambassadors: a team of men and women cyclists passionate about racing, riding, and commuting.  Our goal is to spread the bike gospel by sharing our lessons and adventures in racing and commuting in the hopes that we get others riding, commuting, and driving less! 

Our mantra is #RIDEMOREDRIVELESS, and we hope to make it yours, too. We want to help other men and women learn how and where to start. What bike to buy?  What to wear?  What route to take?  How to change flat tires and perform basic bike maintenance? Follow along our team and we will teach you.

What does it mean to be a bike ambassador?

Here is what Megan Hottman, founder and co-captain of the team says: 

Mel and Erin enjoying a ride together. They met some 20 years ago, in Washington DC, and have been friends ever since!

Bike Ambassador Gerry escorting his daughter to work.

Being a bike ambassador means to welcome everyone into the cycling community and family. Everyone. It means to show people how the bike makes your life better—to lead by example—so that they may be intrigued enough to ask, “How can I get into that?” Guide them.

It means to help and to coach newer riders with equipment selection, tips and tricks to make riding more enjoyable, and showing them safe routes to ride. It means to demonstrate lawful and conscious riding behavior to other road users so that they feel at ease near cyclists and are motivated to share the road with cyclists.  Similarly, it means riding courteously on bike trails and bike paths so that other users like pedestrians and runners, families, and small children see cyclists as allies and friends.

Being a bike ambassador means every time you put your leg over the top tube of a bike, you consciously choose to embody the best of cycling and to show it to the rest of the world—to everyone you encounter. This means when wearing a bike helmet into a coffee shop or store, you greet people with a friendly “hello” so they will be left with a positive association with you as a cyclist, and therefore, cyclists in general.

 It means saying “on your left” or using your bell. It means not speeding on congested speed-limit paths. It means waving to motorists and acknowledging their friendly gesture, like letting you proceed first. It means a head nod or wave to other cyclists.

Our gravel and cold-weather racer, Christopher.

Being a bike ambassador means you go out into this world showing it the incredible and contagious virtues of cycling! This is what our team strives to do daily when we are out on our bikes or talking about cycling.

This year, our team is made up of eight women and six men, mostly based in Colorado, who ride all kinds of bikes—road, mountain, fat tire, e-bikes, and even cargo bikes—and participate in various disciplines including cyclo-cross, road, mountain, and gravel rides. In the past, we have even had members who raced in track cycling at a local velodrome. Nine members of our team will be riding at FoCo Fondo on July 25th.

We come from all walks of life, vary in age, and occupation. We have one retiree on our team. Some race, some use their bikes exclusively for commuting. Even if our Bike Ambassadors use their bikes for different purposes, they all have one thing in common: their passion for cycling.

Melissa is our cargo-bike expert !

Ben Boncella represents our team in Raleigh, North Carolina. He recently moved there from Colorado and loves to run and road bike.

Jen Lorenz has not always been a bike rider but is one of our long-standing members. She has been on the team since 2012 when it was known as TheCyclist-Lawyer team.  When Jen moved to Colorado with her husband from the Midwest in 2006, she did not even own a bike. At that time, she vowed that she would never be one of those people riding a bike on the side of the road wearing Spandex. That is until her husband started riding bikes with friends and having a really good time. Jen wanted in on the fun. Her husband bought her a pink bubble gum Trek bike off the Internet. After a trip to Italy for a bike vacation, Jen was hooked.  She then raced Tri for a Cure and loved the bike portion of the race.  Jen met up with Megan at the pillars of Lookout Mountain when the School of Mines used to host the race up Lookout and learned about the team. She then traded in her pretty, pink Trek for a race bike and has been an avid rider ever since.

Jen & Cheryl

Over the years, Jen has done most every ride and race in Colorado and has made amazing friends through cycling. She has traveled to some incredible places on her bike. She and her husband have made it a priority in their vacation travels to stay at hotels where bikes are available or cities where they can rent bikes at a bike kiosk. While in Kyoto, Japan, Jen and her husband rented e-bikes from the hotel. They were able to explore the city in a way they never would have if they had taken the subway or a taxi.

This year, Jen would like to participate in any race or ride she can. Last year, all of her races were cancelled because of COVID and her office closed as well. She typically rides to work as much as possible. However, with no office to bike to, her regular commute was limited. Since everyone is working from home these days, Jen and her husband were able to spend most of the summer in Salida where you bike everywhere.

As a Bike Ambassador, Jen hopes to introduce people to the extreme joys of biking.  Bikes are not just a mode of transportation, although they can also be that. People who bike are a community, and biking transcends barriers like language and politics.  The one person who comments most frequently on her Strava rides is a cyclist she met in Peru. In 2018, Jen was one of our Bike Ambassadors who worked together with the Golden Police Department to film public service videos called “Keeping it Wheel” to educate both motorists and cyclists about cycling safety. 

Jen will be participating in the 25-mile ride at FoCo Fondo. She will be racing Tri Boulder the day before, so the Foco Fondo will be her recovery ride.

Cheryl is a World Record Holder. She, along with a team of 24 other riders, rode 28 hours on a static bike to generate awareness about cycling and to raise money for PeopleForBikes.

Cheryl Gaiser is another long-time member of the Bike Ambassador team. She has been on the team for seven years and raced on prior teams that Megan managed. “There’s nothing like the camaraderie we have as a team during rides,” she says. Cheryl is constantly looking to assist new riders with tips. This year, she will be helping the BA team members who are participating in the 50-mile ride at FoCo Fondo for the first time. “I think we as cyclists have a real opportunity to get more people involved with cycling,” she says.

Cheryl took a part-time job at a local bike shop because she loves cycling so much and has been taking some of her co-workers on gravel training rides.

This year, her goals include getting more involved in Gran Fondo, Tours and half or full Century rides. Cheryl says these all seem scary at first, but if we can get out there as bike ambassadors and show people that it is doable, she thinks we will see more ridership.

Andrew often commutes to work…sometimes even with his dog!

Thomas Stott has been on the team two years, though he has been collaborating with Megan on all-things-bike-related for a little over three years. He decided to join the Bike Ambassador team because he was ready to take his voice into advocacy.  He is a lifelong athlete and is excited for the chance to spread positivity and good vibes through to his teammates.

Thomas is our advocacy liason.

Tom has known about all the benefits of riding a bike for most of his life (his dad had him riding everywhere on two wheels), but he had only shared it minimally with the public.  When Megan extended an invitation and the opportunity to link up with some like-minded cyclists, he was "all-in."

As a Bike Ambassador his goals this year include:

●      posting in the social spheres about how to include a bike in your life more,

●      leading a neighborhood activity group (pairing parents with kiddos on bikes when things open a bit more/more vaccinations are administered),

●      continuing to set an example of utilizing the bike for commuting purposes and encouraging coworkers to follow suit.

Tom tries to govern his life by the Golden Rule and thinks of spreading the bike gospel in the same scope.  He finds the best way to bring up all the positivity around bikes is to really take a few steps in your audience's shoes.  Are you talking to drivers who are mad that they must share the road with cyclists?  “Better watch your tone!  Never meet aggression with aggression; it will get you nowhere,” he says.  This example is exactly why, at 38 years old, he is ready to start speaking out about what he believes in a bit louder.  From kindly chatting with a gentleman that yelled at him before he turned into a shopping center to speaking to a group of Girl Scouts, spreading the bike gospel starts with spreading love, kindness, and good intention.

Juliet rides road & gravel and is starting to commute by bike from Denver to Golden for work!

Tim’s, aka Tmac, racing/riding plans include Old Man Winter, Sunrise to Sunset MTB, FoCo Fondo, Dead Man Gravel, and the Triple Bypass

Jess will be riding the 50-mile Foco Fondo

Please visit our blog to get lots of tips and advice from our Bike Ambassadors and find out more about the team. We have covered everything from how to dress for cold weather riding to transitioning from a road bike to an e-road bike. You will find lots of useful information especially if you are new to biking.

Our team is sponsored by: TheCyclist-Lawyer, Champion System, Crafted Energy, C3 Bike Shop and Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center.

Not His Fault: Driver Maintains Innocence Despite Citation for Careless Driving

He received a ticket for careless driving but never took responsibility for his actions. He went right into, “it is not my fault mode” and stated that cyclists always bike too fast on the road where the collision happened. That statement is the first thing Erin Entlich remembers hearing from the driver while she was lying in the road. She found his lack of concern for her well-being alarming.

“I was not cycling ‘too fast’, and it’s incumbent upon him to be watching for moving vehicles whether that’s a car or a bike or a scooter. His actions could have killed me!”

— Erin Entlich

Since the driver lives on 32nd Avenue, Erin feels that he should be acutely aware of how busy of a cycling road it is. “It would not kill him to be patient and wait a few moments until I had passed to turn into his driveway.”

Erin, mom to two children, fitness enthusiast, triathlete, health coach, and yoga teacher, started biking about sixteen years ago. She likes being outside and loves the freedom and sense of fun she gets while biking, as well as the satisfaction of covering distance by virtue of her own leg power! 

On the day of the crash, June 23, 2018, she was riding eastbound in the bike lane on 32nd Avenue near Youngfield Street in Wheat Ridge, CO, around 3:00 pm. Erin was wearing a bike kit and helmet, riding under the posted speed limit, was not wearing headphones, or distracted in any way. 

She saw that there was a car in the turn lane at the bottom of the hill going westbound. The car appeared to be stopped, and Erin had the right of way, so she continued cycling. All of a sudden, the driver turned left in front of her into a driveway. Unable to stop, Erin hit the front passenger side of the car, rolled over the hood, and then landed on the road on the other side of the car, several feet away. 

A cyclist riding behind her witnessed the crash and called 911. EMTs and police showed up moments later. After assessing her injuries, which were mostly contusions and abrasions as well as a chipped tooth, Erin waived the ambulance ride. 

In hindsight, Erin wishes she had known to go to the hospital even if you do not think it is necessary. “There’s so much adrenaline in the moment, and I wanted so desperately to be okay that in my mind if I didn’t need the ambulance, then it wasn’t that bad of a crash,” she explains. She also wishes she had known not to move after the crash and had known not to feel pressured into giving a statement to the driver’s insurance company right away because you can still be in shock or fuzzy on the details. 

Most states, including Colorado (C.R.S. 13-21-301), have laws forbidding insurance companies from contacting you for at least two weeks post-crash, since you are likely in pain, possibly on pain meds, distracted, overwhelmed, or uncertain about what your injuries even are.  Yet, many of our clients report to us that within days (and sometimes even hours!) of their bike crash, they have been contacted by the insurance company for the at-fault motorist, and they have been pressured into giving a statement which is almost always recorded. 

Erin ended up going to urgent care first thing the next morning, as she was unable to move her left arm or heavily weight her right foot. She also had severe neck pain and whiplash; she could not lift her head without supporting her neck for a couple of weeks following the crash. Erin ended up having to do several months of vestibular therapy. She also suffered a deep bone bruise to her left shoulder. Many of her symptoms—ocular migraines, persistent headaches, and continued neck pain—did not present until later.

What surprised her most going through this experience is that her own insurance was a nightmare to deal with in terms of getting them to pay out her MedPay claim. “You assume the driver’s insurance will be difficult or provide push-back, but you think your insurance is going to protect you and, to date, they have only paid out about half of my policy amount and continue to deny certain claims,” says Erin. 

Erin knew that if she did not get back on her bike sooner rather than later following the crash, she might never ride again. Three months after the collision, she was back riding again, opting for a bike path instead of the road.

“I was nervous and anxious and hated every minute of it, but it helped me conquer my fears,” she says. She started riding again with some regularity in June 2019, about a year after the crash, and went on to ride the rest of the summer. It took about three months of regular riding for her to stop feeling anxious on the bike, though, especially if she was riding on the road. Cars turning left in front of her were a huge trigger. “I feel good now, relaxed and confident again, but I am most definitely more cautious when I ride, which maybe is a good thing.” 

Erin still finds herself gravitating toward bike paths, especially if she is riding alone. If she is on the road, she now prefers to be with other cyclists. At the time of the collision, she was riding alone. Erin wants other cyclists to know that just because you are riding in a bike lane and obeying the rules of the road, you are not necessarily safe. Drivers are distracted more than ever and not necessarily watching for cyclists.

Three months after the collision, the district attorney in Jefferson County Court dismissed the charge of careless driving and offered the driver a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge—failing to yield the right of way on a left turn—and paid $119.50 in fines and court fees. He got off easy.

Erin believes that the simplest thing that we can all do is to be good bike ambassadors—obey the rules of the road. “If we want drivers to respect us, we need to bike responsibly, ride single file on roads, not run lights.” She has added more lights to her bike and now wears a super fluorescent bike helmet. Erin feels that harsher penalties for drivers is a good start to make cycling safer as well as education for both cyclists and drivers on how to make the roads safer. Erin has joined our 2020 Bike Ambassador team as one of our team co-captains.

Do you know what to do if you are involved in a crash?  View this Instagram post of ours for a detailed response.  

Safer Roads Through Advocacy and Education

A collaborative blog post by Hottman Law Office and FC Bikes

We can all agree that education is key in making the roads safer for everyone. One of our missions at Hottman Law Office is to get more people on bikes through advocacy and education.

It is a mission that we share with the City of Fort Collins and FC Bikes. They are working hard to encourage bicycling as a viable and healthy means of transportation for Fort Collins' residents, employees and visitors of all ages and abilities. Jamie Gaskill, Program Specialist at FC Bikes, acknowledges the need for continuous education for all road users. One reason she gives is Colorado’s growing population which means more people riding and driving. Colorado has experienced rapid population growth throughout the past decade. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Colorado’s population at 5.6 million in July 2017; that’s an 11.5 % increase from 2010.

Another reason Gaskill cites is the increased emphasis on Vision Zero - the goal of having zero traffic-related fatalities. Colorado’s statewide initiative, which began in 2015, is called Moving Towards Zero Deaths. Fort Collins was the first city in Colorado to adopt this initiative.

There is also an emphasis on making Colorado the best bicycling state in the nation. In September 2015, Governor Hickenlooper announced a four-year plan and slated 100 million dollars to help make Colorado the best state for biking in the nation. The objective is to make bikes more accessible and riding safer by adding bike lanes and improving driver education.

Hottman Law Office and FC Bikes are helping to make the state better for bicycling in a number of ways.

In 2016, Fort Collins launched a bike share program with 100 bikes. Since then, 23 bikes stations have been added around town, and the bike share fleet is now at 250 bikes.

FC Bikes is participating in a three-year initiative with PeopleforBikes called the Big Jump Project. The goal is to create a safe, connected, comfortable and vibrant environment for bicycling in northwest Fort Collins. FC Bikes is achieving this through infrastructure improvements such as the new Mulberry Protected bike lane pilot project that was recently installed. FC Bikes is also doing neighborhood-based outreach and engagement to bring residents what they need in order to get more people on bikes.

In addition, FC Bikes works to celebrate bicycling and encourage new ridership. Events such as Bike to Work Day and Winter Bike to Work Day are community-wide celebrations of bicycling in Fort Collins. FC Bikes organizes Open Streets events which allow community members to experience roadways with minimal motorized traffic and can encourage people to try bicycling or bicycle more often.

FC Bikes offers a great selection of educational classes, information and opportunities for both motorists and cyclists:

• Bicycle Ambassador Program – Become an ambassador of safe cycling in northern Colorado.

• Bicycling Education Classes and Presentations – Sign up for an adult or youth education class and learn about safe cycling practices.

• Rules of the Road – Learn the laws regarding safe passing, helmets, distracted driving, sidewalk riding and much more.

• Bicycle Friendly Driver Program – Get educated about the best and safest ways to share the road with people on bicycles. This 1 1/2 hour class discusses common crashes and how to avoid them, why bicyclists ‘take the lane’ and what motorists should do in response and how to navigate bicycle related infrastructure such as sharrows, bike boxes, and green lanes.

They are also partnering with Fort Collins Police Services in a program called Ride Smart Drive Smart which is designed to educate both cyclists and motorists on how to safely and lawfully share the roadways, encourage smart riding and driving behavior and enforce laws for safety. As part of this initiative, the Fort Collins Police Services staff received educational workshops from Hottman Law Office and will also attend the Bicycle Friendly Driver trainings starting in March 2019.

Megan presents to a full house of cyclists at Full Cycle Bike Shop in Boulder every June.

Hottman Law Office is committed to providing education and advocating to make the roads safer for everyone. It is why we offer classes about Colorado cycling laws to both motorists and cyclists at local bike clubs, driving schools as well as to law enforcement personnel. Most recently, we have been offering workshops to cyclists on how to handle their insurance claims in personal injury cases.

Our Bike Ambassadors and the Golden Police Dept.

This year, we partnered with the Golden Police Department and our Bike Ambassador team to put together informative safety videos on group riding, taking the lane, headphones, the right hook, and lots more. Visit the Golden Police Department’s Facebook page for more information.

Check out more of our educational videos here. The Let's Ride Safe // Let's Drive Safe video addresses ways that drivers and cyclists can ride and drive safely.

Hottman Law Office has hosted a Bike to Work Day station every year since 2012 and organizes a group ride in June to Lookout Mountain to bring together the cycling community:

Our website offers information on cycling laws, crash advice, commuting tips and how to handle aggressive drivers. Topics we have covered on our blog relevant for both motorists and cyclists include:

Megan presented her safe cycling talk to the PEDAL Racing and PEDAL bike shop team earlier this year.

• Colorado's New Stop-As-Yield Legislation

• When Cyclists Get Doored

• Understanding the Cycling 3 Foot Rule

• 3 feet - crossing the center line ok to pass a cyclist?

• The Dangers of Social Media to Your Personal Injury Case

If you have a question or topic you’d like for us to address in a blog post, send us an email to: connect@hottmanlawoffice.com.