Momentum Header

February 19, 2013
February Momentum Newsletter
Greetings!

One of the greatest aspects of our community is our temperate climate: we can go from winter highs in the 60's to a foot of snow on the ground the very next day.  And despite the fluctuations, our residents continue to ride on!  Be sure to check out yourgroupride.com for ongoing local rides that take place year-round.  For our fair weather cycling friends it might still be a little chilly to get out and ride but do not fret: we have a lot going on this month to help you get excited about the quickly approaching spring riding season.  Take this time to do some early spring cleaning and donate your unused cycling gear to the Mountain2Mountain Gear Drive or encourage your favorite bike shop to apply to be designated by the National Bicycle Dealers Association as the Best Bike Shop!  

To all our cycling enthusiasts, stay warm and check out all the fun stuff happening this month: 
Local Bike Events   

Traffic Skills 101 Course

New Lunch & Learn Format at 281 N. College

This FREE course, based on the League of American Bicyclists curriculum, covers sharing the road, rules of the road, bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques, PLUS lunch and materials. It's recommended for students above the age of 14 years. 

  • Wednesday, February 20, noon-1pm
  • Wednesday, February 27, noon-1pm
  • Wednesday, March 6, noon-1pm
  • Saturday, March 9, 8:30am-12:30pm

For more information and to RSVP, contact Nancy Nichols at [email protected] or 970.416.2357.

 Gear Drive for National Cycling Teams of Afghanistan

Deadline: THIS Friday, February 22

Do you have extra cycling gear laying around that you never use?  Perfect!  Mountain 2 Mountain is hosting a gear drive for cycling gear that will be sent to cycling teams in Afghanistan and they need your help.  Check out this website for more information on the cause: Mountain2Mountain Gear Drive.  One of our very own local Fort Collins residents has volunteered to collect the gear and take it down to the collection site in Denver.  Please contact Jason Curtis to arrange a pickup or dropoff at [email protected] before this Saturday.

 

Gear suggestions for men and women, both road and mountain bikes:  helmets, pedals, shoes, cleats, seats, chammies, long pants, jerseys, gloves, jackets, windbreakers, sunglasses, socks, tools, tubes (no 29ers please), tires, lube, air pumps.  Lightly used old gear and new gear is welcomed!!  

North American Handmade Bicycle Show 

February 22-24, 2013 in Denver at Colorado Convention Center, Hall D

Be sure to sure to support our local shops that will be in attendance this year.  It's a short trip down to Denver to visit the show where local shops like Boo Bicycles, YiPsan and Black Sheep Bikes. This will be the 8th annual NAHBS bicycle show. The show has grown 8-10% a year since 2005. The NAHBS show moves location every year, so head to downtown Denver to check it out. If you visit the show and use Twitter, use the hashtag #NAHBS.

NAHBS


Show hours:
  • Friday, February 22, 11-6pm, $18;
  • Saturday, February 23, 10-6pm, $18 
  • Sunday, February 24, 10-5pm, $15.

These fees apply if you register online before the 20th, if not you will pay $4 extra at the event (7000 expected to attend).

 

 For more information, visit: North American Handmade Bicycle Show.

 

NAHBS Mobile App:

This year there will be a mobile app. instead of a paper guide. With features such as interactive floor maps, brief exhibitor bios, attendee photo galleries and calendar reminders, it works on Android and iOS, so bring your smartphone to enhance your NAHBS experience.

 

National Bike Summit

March 4-6, 2013 in Washington, D.C. 

 

The National Bike Summit� is the premiere advocacy event of the year. More than 800 advocates, government staff, and cycling enthusiasts of all types come together to tell Congress about the benefits of bicycling.

LAB Summit
And this year we mean business... 
 

 

In pure economic terms, bicycling pours billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, creating jobs and boosting community development from coast to coast. In political terms, bicyclists mean business, too. The united voice of the bike industry, event directors, local riding clubs and advocacy groups is a powerful constituency.

 

The Summit begins at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 4, and ends at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6. If you want to pedal the nation's capital, stick around for the bike ride on the morning of Thursday, March 7!

Bike News You Might Have Missed 

Get Involved!

 

Become a Bike Friendly Community Local Reviewer 

Deadline: February 26

 

Fort Collins is applying to the League of American Bicyclists as a Bike Friendly Community and needs your help.  Each application to the Bicycle Friendly America program is reviewed by a panel of national bicycle experts and several local reviewers are consulted to share their on the ground perspective of the applicant. If you are knowledgeable about bike issues and would like to become a Bicycle Friendly America program local reviewer, please  sign-up here before February 26th.

  

Are you one of America's best bike shops? Apply to get your Best Bike Shop Designation!

Deadline: February 28

NBDA Best Bike Shop

 

The National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) launched a new program at Interbike 2012 that rates bicycle stores in North America against the highest performance levels in the industry, with the goal of identifying and promoting "America's Best Bike Shops." The program defines the characteristics of "America's Best Bike Shops," and uses the results to lead bicycle shops to become the best they can be.  It rewards the top performing participants for their achievements by providing recognition to consumers and the bicycle industry.

 

 

An on-line application asks shop owners to explain what sets them apart from the competition, how they develop customer loyalty, and what they are doing to make their corner of the globe more bicycle friendly.  Participating stores that receive the highest scores on the application will be visited by a mystery shopper who will rate the store on appearance, web site and customer service both in person and over the phone. The due date for applications is February 28, 2013.  For more information, visit www.nbda.com.


Click here to complete your online application today!

 

What do you think about a VeloPark in Fort Collins? Give your input! 

Deadline: March 1 

You are part of the northern Colorado cycling community so should know about plans to build a bicycle park (VeloPark) in Fort Collins. The goal is to develop a world-class

FC Velopark

 VeloPark to support all types of cycling for education, recreation, fitness, competition, tourism and events. The VeloPark will benefit not only cyclists of all ages but also

 businesses, youth organizations, schools, bike clubs and the community at large. Please take a few short minutes to get more information and to send your input to the VeloPark Committee by going to this link. http://bit.ly/T0iRtB.


Contact Dot Dickerson, a member of the VeloPark Committee, at [email protected] if you have any questions.
    

 

CSU Commuter Air Pollution Study

 

Volunteer for a CSU research project evaluating commuters' exposures to air pollution.  Please check out the attached flyer for details.  The researchers are particularly interested in participants that live and/or work in central and south Fort Collins.  Email [email protected] for more information.

CSU
Bicycle Friendly Business Program
Deadline: June 20, 2013
Calling all local businesses: apply to be a designated a Bicycle Friendly Business!  
 
The Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) program recognizes employers' efforts to encourage a more bicycle friendly atmosphere for employees and customers. The program honors innovative bike-friendly efforts and provides technical assistance and information to help companies and organizations become even better for bicyclists.
For more information and to start your application, please visit: League of American Bicyclists: Bicycle Friendly Business Program.


Volunteer for the Fort Collins Stage of the US Pro Cycling Challenge

Event Date: August 24, 2013

USPCC

Stage 6 of the USA Pro Cycling is going to be a major undertaking. It will take between 600 and 800 volunteers to get all 17 teams safely from the start in Loveland up to Estes Park and back down to the finish Fort Collins.  Positions will include but are not limited to, course marshals, city ambassadors, VIP relations, venue set up and tear down.

 

For more information, please visit the official website: http://prochallenge.com/volunteer.

 

 

 

 

 
Street Closures

MAX Station Construction

A lot is happening with the MAX construction.  Check out this flyer for more information on street closures: http://www.fcgov.com/common/pdfs/spotlight-pdf.php?id=397.  Also, be sure to check this page for updates: http://www.fcgov.com/max/max-construction.php

 

Ongoing: Shields Street Bridge Replacement

* NOTE TO BICYLISTS: You can and should take the lane when riding through this construction zone.

 shield street bridge

Over the next several months, the City of Fort Collins will be replacing a structurally deficient bridge on Shields Street just south of Rolland Moore Park. This bridge has the second lowest sufficiency rating of all the bridges inspected within the city.

Schedule: September 2012 to June 2013

Construction will occur in phases:

Phase 1: September 2012 to January 2013

  • Northbound lanes of Shields will be closed first, and traffic will be diverted to the west side of Shields; one lane of travel will be open in each direction.

Phase 2: February 2013 to June 2013

  • Southbound lanes of Shields will be closed and traffic will be diverted to the east side of Shields; one lane in of travel will be open in each direction.

Work zone notes:

  • Lane closures will be static throughout each project phase
  • Bicycles will be required to merge with automobiles in the work zone or follow signed detour routes to avoid traffic
  • Pedestrian access will be available, but it will be restricted to designated areas
  • Business access will remain open during construction.

For more information and to sign up for the e-newsletter updates, please visit: http://www.fcgov.com/engineering/shields-bridge.php.

Fun Facts
Did you know . . .
Maintaining a bike annually costs twenty times less than maintaining and riding a car. 


Sincerely,

Becky Moriarty

FC Bikes Intern

O: 970.416.2471

[email protected]

I Bike FC 

 

In This Issue
Quick Links
FC Bikes Logo 
Stay Connected

Facebook    Twitter    LinkedIn    Pinterest
FC Bikes | [email protected] | http://www.fcgov.com/bicycling
281 N. College Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Text


Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.