Commuting by Bicycle, Even Thru a Pandemic by Bike Ambassador Tim McAndrew

I love riding a bike! And over the last year, the need to get out of the house and experience the freedom that only pedal power truly provides was absolutely essential. I took advantage of it whenever I could. And while I was one of those who was required to go to the office, I took full advantage of the reduced vehicular traffic to commute by bike to work more than usual. Man, was it great having the roads almost all to myself both going in and coming home.

Here we are in June of 2021 and we’re getting awfully close to being back to normal, at least as far as traffic and rush hours go. Normally, this time of year I have a good 25-30 days of commuting under my belt. But, due to the cold, wet spring we’ve had in the Denver area this year, my commuting days are down. But, alas, the weather is breaking and the days are starting to add up.

I started commuting by bicycle back in 2002 while living in London. It started as a way to get around the notoriously undependable and overcrowded trains – I would ride in one day, shuttling two days of work gear, and then run in the next. Getting the logistics down is a key ingredient to successful bike commuting. Now that I’m back in Colorado, my commute is significantly longer so the bike is my primary alternate transportation tool. Fortunately, I have a little closet at the office that I use to store several work “kits” so I no longer have to shuttle gear back and forth each day, and my back thanks me for this little gift every day!

Commuting by bike for me is such a win on so many levels. I get at least one good workout in each day; I trade car/traffic time for exercise time (i.e., I have more time for family); I start almost every morning off with a beautiful sunrise, and I get to totally decompress on the bike when commuting home. What this does for my total psyche is absolutely incredible.

I can’t recommend bike commuting enough and I encourage everyone to give it a try. Start small. Try doing it on a weekend when you have extra time and can explore the best route(s) to get both to work and back home again. This will serve you well when you ultimately tackle it during the work week. And who knows…you may find, like I did, that you have a favorite route that you prefer to do in the summer and another that you keep for shorter commutes in the winter. 

Here’s to seeing you adding bike commuting to your bike riding repertoire! Trust me, you won’t regret it. And remember: #ridemoredriveless

“Parks for the People” Rally by Bike Ambassador Melissa Colonno

This year, one of my goals as a Bike Ambassador has been to get more involved in local bike advocacy. I was thrilled to take part in Denver Streets Partnership’s “Advocacy Academy” this spring and learn about different ways I can advocate for better bike infrastructure in my community. As part of my work in this role, I helped organize a “Parks for the People” event in Denver’s City Park in April.

Denver, like many cities across the world, closed several streets to vehicle traffic during the COVID pandemic in order to make more room for people to recreate safely while still distancing themselves from others. In early 2021, Denver reconsidered the role of these streets in our city and parks, and whether or not the closures to cars should be made permanent. Many parks in the city remain closed to vehicle traffic, but the Denver Parks and Recreation Department decided to reopen most of City Park’s roads to cars.

The April “Parks for the People” rally was a family-friendly event celebrating the use of the park by people walking and rolling. The goal was to bring attention to the safety issues of having vehicles in the park, and also to advocate for a car-free route through the park for transportation and recreation. As part of the event, I had the opportunity to lead a group ride through the park. It was my first time leading a ride, and the experience was one I will never forget. So much enthusiasm! 

Participating in the rally was a very educational experience for me, especially because I am newer to advocacy work. More specifically, in this instance I learned a great deal about opposing viewpoints. I firmly believe in the value of car-free spaces, but I now understand better the ways in which decisions like these might have unintended consequences. Change is hard, and Denver is a city where many chose to be or are forced to be car dependent.

Nevertheless, my work in transportation advocacy is bolstered by the support and enthusiasm of the Bike Ambassador group. I look forward to continuing to work to improve the safety and bikeability of Denver’s streets!

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.

Bike to Work Day 2019: 9th Edition

2019 BTWD is a WRAP! This year we added BACON, a running coach and physical therapist, a Yoga instructor, even MORE awesome cookies, 3-foot noodles, cornhole games, GoFarm, and more.

Thank you to the 102+ cyclists who stopped by and made this so much fun, once again. Thank you to Greg Powers and Sterling Real Estate, Suga Me Sweet, GoFarm, Flow Yoga, Elevation Running, Pangea Coffee, and our HLO staff for pulling this all together in a wonderful way!

We can’t wait to see you for our 10th anniversary next BTWD!

Here are some GORGEOUS images captured by our friend Natalie Starr:

Here are some I captured on my iphone:

Want to Change Your Commuting Habits? How about an E-Bike?

A Change of Heart

GUEST BLOG BY HUDSON LINDENBERGER

Hudson Lindenberger is an award-winning writer and editor based in Boulder, Colorado. He believes that life is full of interesting stories, and his goal is to tell as many of them as possible. As a full-time freelance writer, he is always searching out and following interesting paths while maintaining a smile on his face. Hudson is the father of two adult daughters, an active outdoorsman, and an avid traveller. You can learn more by visiting http://hudsonlindenberger.com.

“You bought an electric bike?” My buddy cried out incredulously. “What’s next? You going to start wearing a beret and smoking cigarettes?” He sat back snickering over his beer looking dubiously at me. I can’t say that I blamed his attitude, just a little while ago I was him, I was the guy mocking people on electric assist bikes.

When I moved to Colorado two decades ago, I was like most new residents, the chance to get outside and into adventures was intoxicating. I first moved to Nederland—that funky, flaky town perched above Boulder. During my three years there, my closet swelled with day packs and hiking shoes as I explored the Front Range. Upon moving into Arvada, I found myself going on bigger trips. The tops of high peaks called, and overnight trips beckoned. Very quickly, I had a full array of camping gear. Like most Coloradans, my gear addiction had started.

My move into Boulder a decade ago really allowed me to dive deep into the outdoors. I started climbing, skiing, and trail running whenever possible, but my true passion became cycling. I became a spandex wearer and started to shave my legs. My garage became cluttered with bikes of all sizes for my family. There were cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes, and road bikes. Whenever possible, my wife and I would jump on our road bikes and roam the hillsides and flats surrounding my town.

I had become an avid cyclist, and I loved it. The effort of climbing hills and blasting down their backsides was wonderful. I could easily spend a few hours out with friends working up a sweat and having fun. But when I saw people zipping by on electric bikes, I would turn my nose up at them. “Fake riders, cheaters, earn your miles,” were just a few of the phrases that came out of my mouth.

When the chance for my wife and I to relocate to France popped up three years ago, we decided to go for it. It had been a dream of ours to live abroad, and we figured Lyon, France sounded like a great spot to try it. Pretty soon we boarded a plane with two large bags each, two road bikes in travelling cases, a dog, and a cat. There was no way we were going to the land of Le Tour without bringing our bikes.

Within days of our arriving, we were out exploring our new home on our road bikes. Living in the hilltop village of St Cyr au Mont D’Or just outside of Lyon proper, we had plenty of places to explore. The French cyclists embraced the crazy Americans and the drivers were courteous—not like here in the States. While we got used to the more relaxed lifestyle in France, we also started to notice that there were a lot of electric bikes around. The mailmen rode them to deliver the mail, old ladies rode them into town, commuters used them to get into and out of the city, and large groups of older men ripped through the trails on them.

Gradually, my attitude started to soften. My interest was piqued. When we took a trip to Copenhagen in the summer, my wife and I decided to rent ones while we were there. They actually have an electric bike share program throughout the city. It only took one day of exploring the city for me to be hooked, it was a blast. I remember thinking what was my problem with electric bikes? All around me I saw people commuting throughout the busy metropolis on bikes of all shapes and sizes, both electric and not. Instead of streets packed bumper to bumper with stinky smelly cars, there were bikes zipping up bike lanes, down alleyways, and on streets.

When we left to head back home, I decided that I wanted to get an electric bike when we got back to Boulder. Sure, I had a good cruiser bike waiting here, but truth be told, I rarely rode it. In the summer it made me a sweaty mess, and in the winter I did not want to deal with the hassle of it. Instead, I did most of my commuting in town in my car. I had good intentions of riding it more, but just could not find the motivation to do it.

… Instead, I was another car clogging up the streets of Boulder.

As most residents of our state know a lot of people are moving here. In fact, only four states have had a higher percentage of growth since 2010. There are currently 5.7 million people living inside our borders with roughly another 75,000 arriving each year. It is phenomenal growth and one that is taxing our infrastructure. Roads are getting more crowded and are falling apart quicker. I used to be able to drive across Boulder at rush hour in 10-15 minutes when I moved here, now I am lucky to make it in 30 minutes. More cars lead to higher pollution levels, angrier people, and more accidents. Regardless of what our elected officials do, the reality is the system is slowly getting swamped.

But imagine if we could get more people riding bikes. Instead of adding to the congestion of heading to work, the gym, or grocery in their car, they hop on their bike. The latest statistics show that biking is growing. Last year, 47.5 million Americans said they rode a bike at least once a month, that is 12.4% of our population. Of those riders, almost 25% of them are adults between the ages of 30-49.

One way to encourage more people to bike is to improve the infrastructure and incentivize people to ride more. Electric bikes are perfectly poised to draw more people out of their cars and onto a bike. Look at China for example. In 2000, there were 300,000 electric bikes sold, by 2016 that number was up to 33 million a year. Across Asia, electric bike sales are soaring, and they are starting to quickly infiltrate Western Europe, the number two market for them. In America, they are just starting to appear in cities and towns, especially areas with high densities of young working adults looking for a way to break free of their cars.

Within days of buying my electric bike, I quickly changed my habits. I started jumping on it for any errands in town. Meeting people for a cup of coffee was a breeze and shopping for groceries became simple once I added on pannier bags. Best of all, whenever I arrived anywhere, I was not a sweaty mess that had to sit down and cool off before meeting anyone. My wife (she bought one too) would go out to dinner on them. If I wanted to have one more glass of wine, I might have it since I was not crawling behind the wheel of a car.

When winter arrived, I would just toss on my windproof jacket and gloves and head out, provided the roads were clear of snow. I actually found myself monitoring the weather forecast to know if I could leave the car parked. My weight dropped, I felt great, and best of all, I could zip to anywhere in town often faster than I ever would have in a car. After six months, my bike’s odometer showed that I had logged almost 500 miles and close to 36 hours of ride time. That’s all entirely inside the city, time I would have been in my car. Plus, I still get out on my road and mountain bikes when the weather cooperates.

So, it’s safe to say that my attitude about electric bikes has changed. I have become an advocate of them. They could be one of the solutions to the problems that our state, country, and planet are dealing with. Transportation overcrowding and the subsequent issues that that causes. Electric bikes won’t solve everything, but they could help.

An additional note from Megan:

Last December I too joined the #ebike revolution and invested in a Stromer from my local bike shop (C3 Bike Shop in Golden). I LOVE riding this bike -I can run legitimate errands averaging over 15mph and not be exhausted or fatigued for my cycling training/intervals. I can ride in nice dress clothes and not break a sweat, arriving at my destination “put-together” instead of a hot sweaty mess.

In addition the extra “oomph” will make it possible for me to hook up my doggie-specific Burley (once the snow melts) and tow my 55# dog, Phoenix, in the back, while my other dog Ramsey runs alongside (or rides with her sister). This combined weight would not be feasible for me on a regular bike, but with an E-bike, #allthingsarepossible.

Comment below if you’ve got an ebike, tell us which one you got, and what you love about it!

#10000milesin2018: Month Five Update!

Total Miles to Date: Target: 4166 miles. . . My mileage: 4204  (WOOHOO!!)

Goal by end of June/halfway through 2018 = 5,000!

Total Number of Strava Group Members: 295

This month we would like to feature Tom A. from Longmont, CO, one of the #10kin2018 members. I ran into Tom, a former client, and his wife while out on a ride over the weekend.

Current Mileage: 4,202

How long have you been a cyclist?

I have enjoyed cycling in one form or another most of my life.  My wife, Nanette, and I started using cycling for fitness about 10 years ago.  At the urging of friends, I purchased a modern road bike in 2012. 

The road bikes have opened up so many new opportunities to ride and meet new people.

How did you find out about the challenge?

I believe I first heard about Megan's 10,000 mile challenge from her Twitter feed.  It sounded crazy. I hesitated, but then decided I would go for it in order to get in shape for summer.

Good weather and good health this spring allowed me to get a good jumpstart on the goal.

Why did you decide to join the challenge?

The Strava 10K mile in 2018 challenge came at a good time for me.  It provided additional incentive to get our there and get in shape for the Ride the Rockies this June. 

How have you incorporated commuting by bike/getting in the miles for the challenge into your daily life?

Nanette and I have worked the bike rides into our daily lives.  We ride for short errands, shopping and to meet ups with our daughters & grandsons. 

I end up with a lot of short mileage rides.  I commute to work when the roads are dry. I take a lunch ride with friends whenever I can.

What are the benefits to riding your bike/joining the challenge?

I find starting the day with a bike ride to work kick starts my brain activity! I really miss it when I am unable to get my morning ride.

How to Plan Your Commute Route: A Guest Post

A guest post by our Bike Ambassadors member, Marieke! 

Route planning tips for bike commuting

Planning your bike commuting route can be challenging. When commuting, you want to get to work or home as fast as possible and you don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of time on a longer detour. Of course, you would like to be safe too. Fortunately, there are different tools and websites available to help you out.

Just like a car route, Google Maps is a great way to start: identify your home and your destination and GO! Make sure to look at the bicycle overlay, which will show green (or brown) lines as bike friendly streets and trails, and use the bike search option, versus the standard car search. Google bike routes are considered in beta version, but the data behind the maps are usually directly fed by municipalities and do give a great first approach of the route to tackle… After a first result, I often check the satellite images for bike lane signs or use streetview to get a lay of the land. It is always good to know if you are on the street, if there is a bike lane, or if you are directed to a poorly-maintained sidewalk that only in name has just been upgraded to bike route. Would you be better off in the street in that case, or should you reroute? Another great way to get an idea where others ride is via Strava heatmaps, which is free and can be accessed without an account. It is fun to see what other riders prefer, and maybe you can optimize your route.

Be aware and prepared, a bike lane or trail can unexpectedly end.

There is a personal touch to each bike route. Not everyone likes or is comfortable riding in the same streets. Some people wish to avoid bike lanes at all cost and are willing to take longer routes to be completely off street on a bike path. Some quirks, like unfriendly intersections, you will only find out by trying your route, which is done best when you are not in a hurry for a 9 am meeting. I usually keep optimizing my routes to be faster and safer for a long time after my first attempt. Bike infrastructure in Colorado keeps improving rapidly, and new bike lanes or trails show up all the time. I also like to ride with colleagues and friends, just to learn new ways. I even have different routes depending on the time of year. In winter, I will partly use a bike trail that is nicely plowed after each storm, has no cars, and is safer and off-street in the dark. In summer, I won't dwindle and go the shortest route, which is unfortunately along a busy highway. A bonus gravel trail along the way makes up for it and is a shortcut and quiet.

If you have the luxury, trails are a wonderful and safe way to commute off street.

Denver, as most other Front Range municipalities, has a network of designated bike trails across town. In Denver these are labelled as D-routes and they are a great way to start plotting your commute. It will be worth to check out what your own city or county has listed as bike trails and routes. Bicycle Colorado has a nice list to get you started for most communities (link below).

A GPS, your smartphone or just a plain old map can be handy to take a peak when you are lost, have an unexpected flat and need the nearest bus stop, etc. And.. rule number one when riding your route for the first few times is to give yourself enough room before your first morning meeting.

Happy pedaling!

Useful websites:

• Google Maps                   www.maps.google.com

• Strava heat maps              https://labs.strava.com/heatmap

• Bicycle Colorado statewide and local bike maps  https://www.bicyclecolorado.org/ride-colorado/colorado-bike-maps/

• Denver bike map            www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/bicycling-in-denver/resources/bike-maps.html

My summer morning commute is unfortunately on the shoulder of a busy highway. It is very scenic and by far the quickest way to work, but I try not to ride here in the dark.

The Magic of Bike Commuting: Why We #RideMoreDriveLess