Faces of Bike Month: Fort Collins

Last year we took a look at the many faces of Bike Month — from advocacy groups to bike shops, May is an opportunity for bikes to unite.  Over the next several days, we’ll be highlighting some of the stories — and faces — we featured in our American Bicyclist magazine for Bike Month 2013.

Today, we’re taking a look at a story by Molly North, interim coordinator for Fort Collins’ Bike Program, about the city’s love of bicycling  during Bike Month and beyond!

Whether two wheels transport our residents to work or to recreate, bikes are part of our local culture and we love to celebrate them in serious and silly ways.

Our cyclists make biking fun and funny — and we can’t get enough of the camaraderie that happens when they bring their simple machines together. Bike to Work Day has become a community-wide celebration of cycling culture and a holiday to which people look forward.

Our bicycle friendly businesses, bicycle friendly university and bicycle advocates sponsor breakfast and afternoon stations. Breakfast stations offer free food, bike repairs, and entertainment, while afternoon stations offer free adult beverages, fashion shows, live music and a drawing for a commuter bike. With approximately 10,000 total station visits in a single month, these fun stops are a way to give kudos to people who ride regularly and encouragement to people who try bike commuting for the first time. 

But BTWD is just one of the many ways we celebrate. Fort Collins also hosts an annual Bike Week that spotlights facilities like bike lanes and multi-use trails, while emphasizing a place for everyone in our cycling community. Some of our favorite events include: Bike ‘n Jazz (an evening of music at a local park), our Bike Prom (which encourages silly, bike-themed costumes), our Bicycle Fashion Show (which highlights the many clothing options for cycling) and the Bike Pedal vs. Gas Pedal Challenge (a friendly competition to show that, in many instances, running errands by bike is just as fast or faster than by car).  

Here in Fort Collins, Bike Month is successful because of the people who make biking a priority. And, as a Bicycle Friendly Community, we take pride in making biking better every day of the year. 

Fort Collins, Colo., is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community. Learn more about the program here.