Bike Night Sets New First Night Record!

Last week was probably one of the most fun Bike Nights I've been a part of. We had a record number of elementary kids on the ride, and they kept eachother in line! It was awesome!

Please parents, continue talking about bike safety with your kids! The kids were great last week. GOOD JOB!

Speaking of records, we had more than 213 people join us on the first Bike Night. The early rain came and went leaving us the opportunity to ride the streets of Old Town in style!

We had the first ride with the new audio rocket. We're making a few changes to it that will limit the disruption of audio goodness. Tomorrow night the good times will roll!

As for our route - we will hit up the East Side! We'll start at Roosevelt Park, creep down Pratt to 4th Avenue then into the new alley. From there we will meander east to Rocky Mountain School, then back west.

This route uses primarily neighborhood streets with a brief time on Longs Peak Avenue. If you're curious about the route, click on the tab above that shows all our routes.

Also - new this year. Feel free to post your favorite routes. The only rule is that the route has to be 6 - 8 miles, with a Roosevelt Park starting point.

See you tomorrow night!

Ryan

TONIGHT: Bike Night kicks off our 10th Season!

Bike Night 2011

Here it is the first day of our 10th season, and I'm filled with anticipation!

It's this time each year when I wonder - What will I say during the pre-bike night discussion - what minutia will I need to mention. What announcements will I need to make. What important detail will I forget? Do I really need to cover the rules of Bike Night - again? I pray no one gets hurt this year. What if no one shows up?

There is a crazy amount of insecurity that comes out the night before any big event. I remember feeling this way before I'd go off to a football game in high school, prior to a cross country race in Jr. High, or even the night before the Boulder Marathon. What if? What if? What if?

What I realized is that stuff will make you crazy. Bike Night is a great event and draws people from across Longmont and from the surrounding towns. Whether you've found this blog because you're looking for an alternative to Boulder's ride, because your child is finally able to hold their head up and is old enough for a bike trailer, or may be you've recently moved to Longmont and are yearning to get out and meet like-minded people.

Bike Night is that outlet. We're not a booze cruise - entirely. We usually work a brewery or two in to the ride a few times a season. What we are is a community of cyclists out having fun. We don't obey every street sign and every rule of the road, but we do make sure everyone is safe.

I sometimes get an earful from folks who get upset when we don't stop for every stop sign or yield when we're supposed to. I have to remind those folks - do they ALWAYS come to a complete stop when driving their car? Do they ever roll through stop signs, change lanes or turn without signaling, do they ALWAYS wear a seatbelt? Probably not.



Bike Night is intent on drawing the greatest number of people to the greatest ride in Longmont. We do that through making the ride as fun as possible while keeping the group as safe as possible. To that end we want you to be aware - training wheels are highly discouraged. Tricycles and scooters are not allowed. Parents should know their kid's abilities when riding on streets.

Older kids tend to find there way to the front of the pack. I'm usually upfront with all the kids. I'm cool with it, really. However, if your child insists on racing ahead, I will politely ask them to remain with the group. If they race ahead more than twice I will ask them to rejoin their parents in the group. If your child poses a risk to themselves or to the group - I will ask the parent to discuss the problem with their child. I view kids riding in the front of the group as a fun thing. However, if they aren't able to handle it, I will ask them to rejoin their parents. If the behavior persists I will ask the parents to address the issue and perhaps forgo one or two rides.

Having said that we typically hold one or two kids bike nights each year. These are times where we have a bicycling instructor work with Bike Night Kids to be safe and to ride with respect. These nights are a lot of fun and help to build confidence.

I hope you will join us tonight. Bike Night is a lot of fun and we always meet at 6:30p and start riding at about 6:40. We meet at Roosevelt Park in Old Town Longmont - 900 Longs Peak Avenue.

Ryan

Bike Night Advice: Be Safe, Well Lubed and Stylish

This week you get a two for one on the advice.

 Here. We. Go!

So far we’ve talked a little bit about safety and the Bike Night Rules. Please continue to remind your kids about safe cycling. Especially taking the time to talk safety with your family and what they can do to stay safe during Bike Night and on the road.

Now that you’re an expert with the safety and such, let’s look at your bike(s). Are your brakes working? Are your tires holding air? Is your chain rusty? Are your wheel bolts or skewers tight? If you have gears do they shift properly?

Like windex – grease or lubricant can fix a lot of woes. Make plans to go to one of Longmont’s bike shops and pick yourself up some chain lube, or if you’re cheap, like me, you can run over to your neighbor’s car and siphon out some motor oil, or, better yet, use your own from that `10-w40 quart sliding around in your trunk.

OK – now that you’re back from the store, your trunk, or the neighbor’s, apply a generous amount to your chain  while turning your crank. DO NOT APPLY LUBE directly to your derailleur (that thing dangling from your rear wheel). This could botch things up inside of the housing/mechanism.

Did you hear that? Your bike’s drivetrain just sighed with relief.

(BTW – you’re better off spending the money to buy chain lube – if you use motor oil, the oil will collect dust and ultimately you’ll need to “de-grease” your bike, which sucks).

Next – tires.

Like you (and me), your tires don’t like winter much, and like us if your tires aren’t used regularly they get flat and saggy. SO – grab your air pump and get busy. You’ve got miles to ride and there’s fun to be had!

Grab an air gauge and check your PSI. The proper tire pressure can be found on the sidewall of your tire. On 26inch cruiser and mountain bike tires, they usually clock in around 35 – 45psi. Road tires and 700c wheels often have much higher psi’s. BUT – I’m guessing if you have a road bike you might already know that.

There are two kinds of air valves – Presta & Shraeder. Shraeder valves are the ones everyone is accustomed too. They’re used on your car, on just about anything that requires air. So if you have shraeder valve stems you’re in business.

However, if you have PRESTA valves, well, you can do two things 1. Blame the French and 2. Buy a cheater. A cheater is a handy brass fitting available at any bike shop. A cheater converts your presta valve into a common shraeder valve. I highly recommend buying one for your bike(s).

Otherwise, with most cycling related pumps there are presta options and/or shraeder valve options. You shouldn’t have a problem finding a pump that has either or both.
Uh oh – you’ve got a hole in your tube. Good thing you went to the Bike shop and picked up that handy dandy patch kit, right? Patch kits are awesome, especially when they work. To find out the quick and easy way to change your tire and patch your tube – go to “You Tube” and search for changing a bike tube/tire fix a flat etc. There are a lot of great tutorials out there.

Now that you’ve successfully reinstalled, tightened, and aired your tires up, lubed your chain and things are shifting properly.  

Do you feel like something’s missing?

That’s right! A headlight, tail light and a bell. All three can be had at a bike shop or by going to any of the big box stores. However, the one headlight I like is one sold at Bike N Hike. It’s an LED light and has a rubber mount that stretches and fits any handlebar out there. It’s great for quickly swapping between bikes. I forget the name. But Dave or Rick will know what you’re describing.

Bells are great and I think they help you to make your bike your own. There are a lot of options and I’d search online and find one that fits your personality.

Speaking of customizing your ride – This week is all about that. Do yourself a favor and troll pinterest or google or whatever, and find some cool baskets, basket liners, stickers and helmets.

www.nirve.com has great accessories

www.electrabike.com is probably the cadilac of cruisers and they have a lot of really nice bike corture.

www.nutcasehelmets.com  AWESOME Helmets! 

You don't have to wear a helmet on Bike Night, but if your bike is a statement about you and who you are, why not have a helmet that says as much?

Right now much of the bike industry is scurrying to figure out what women want, and by-and-large- women are more likely to customize their bikes with items that are style driven and not-so-much functional.  So what I’m saying is there are a lot of cute things out there for your bike. 

This designer is local and her basket liners are awesome. Check em out.  Especially if you're into going to the Farmer's Market!

www.bettybasketliners.com/ 

Like a good little blogger I should have a ton of links for you – but I don’t. Except this one www.google.com . You can find just about anything there.

I hope this installment is helpful and you and yours will be safe, well lubed, and stylish. Bike Night is only 2 weeks away!

4 Weeks til BIKE NIGHT!

We are just four weeks until the new  10^th season of Bike Night begins. Between now and then I’ll be posting things you can do to get yourself AND your family ready for BIKE NIGHT!

This week focus on bike safety with your kids.

Make time at dinner, riding in the car, or waiting in line to talk about bike safety. Start by asking “What does it mean to be safe when biking?” Some answers can be, wear a helmet or ride on the correct (right) side of the road. Another question could be “When riding on the street should we ride in the bike lane or on the sidewalk?” The answer to this is we should always ride in the Bike Lane)  whenever one is available or on the street, with kids, staying to the right as is safe.

My favorite question is “What are the rules of Bike Night”?

1. Have fun!
2. Kids in the bike lane!
3. Is Bike Night a race? (NO!)
4. What do we say if there’s a car BEHIND US? (Car BACK!)
5. What do we say if there’s a car INFRONT of us? (CAR UP!)
6. If there is a car back, we MUST move over to the right and let the car pass.
7. If there is a car up, we MUST move over to our right and let the car pass.
8. Do we ride all over the road? (NO) We must stay in our lane and never cross the yellow or white lines.
9. Should we stop at stop signs? (YES!)
10. Should we ride on the sidewalk during Bike Night? (NO! Never, ever ride on the sidewalk).
11. The last rule of Bike Night – Tell your friends and neighbors to join us EVERY Wednesday!

Have fun and lets hope this snow melts, SOON!

Marching ON!

Well, it’s been awhile!

Here’s an info graphic that sums up a year in the life of Bicycle Longmont! Notice that all ya Bike Nighters constitute 22% of the total participants of Bicycle Longmont’s rides! Woohoo! We’ve got a lot in store for Bike Night this year, the G’Knight Ride and a lot of general bike related goodness!

BUT, First!

These warm spring-like temps have got me thinking spring! Who’s with me on this? With spring comes a host of events that should get you in the mood and on the right path to have the best biking season, yet!

First Up is Lefthand Brewery’s Hops & Handrails on March 23^rd!  Left Hand’s new winter event will feature 23 of Colorado’s finest craft breweries alongside a 25’ high ski ramp at Left Hand Brewery from 2-7 p.m. Hops & Handrails Beer Fest & Rail Jam will bring the best Colorado has to offer in a family friendly winter wonderland loaded with skis & snowboards, great music, local food, and craft beer. Hops & Handrails will benefit 3 different nonprofits, SOS Outreach, A Woman’s Work, and the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Check  this out for more info!

Next, we have Bicycle Longmont’s 3^rd Annual Film Fest: Our film fest is back and is coming up on April 17^th & 18^th. We will hold it at the Dickens Opera House doors will open both nights beginning at 6pm. 

The first night, April 17^th will be a double feature Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (7pm)  & Breaking Away (9pm)! We will have lots of cool stuff to give away and we will even have a couple bikes on hand that were in the “Little 500” race depicted in “Breaking Away!”

April 18^th, we welcome back Mike Dion who last brought us “Ride the Divide”, will be back to present his latest feature film “Reveal the Path”. This is a great movie that follows several mountain bikers as they embark on a journey to ride a handful of “Epic Rides”. Along the way each rider talks about their personal journey that is heartfelt and sincere. This movie will get you inspired for your cycling season.

Mike Dion will be available following the film for a question and answer period. So bring your questions and enjoy the films!

April 19^th Bicycle Longmont will benefit from the “Microbreweries for the Environment” fundraiser at the Boulder Theater. Over 20 local breweries will be on hand pouring their beverages. Bicycle Longmont and Oskar Blues are providing transportation for 30 of our super fans aboard the OB Beer Trolley.

Festivities will begin at 5pm with a happy hour at the Tasty Weasel that will go from 5pm to 7pm. This, too, will be a fundraiser for Bicycle Longmont with a buck from every beer sold during that time going to support Bicycle Longmont.

We are sure we have more than 30 super fans so we will also organize a group bike ride to Boulder, too. 

The ride will leave the Tasty Weasel around 6:30, via the LOBO trail. There will be a limited number of tickets available for sale at the Tasty Weasel beginning Monday, March 18^th, 2013. If you’d like to participate please purchase your tickets online by going to the Boulder Theater’s website. www.bouldertheater.com . Tickets are $24 online.    

Porches & Pints PLUS USA Pro Challenge, Bicycle Longmont and BIKEmont

Wow, I can't believe it's been a little more than a month since my last post. Let me catch you up on what's rockin' in BIKEmont!

1. Left Hand Brewing produced and with the help of BIKEmont's other brewers - Pumphouse Brewery and Oskar Blues, they put on the best Oktoberfest BIKEmont has ever seen. That took place on September 28th & 29th. This was also the same weekend we held our first ever BIKE Prom!

Bike Prom 2012!

Bike Prom brought out 30 of Longmont's most outrageous folks. We began the ride at Oskar Blues' Tasty Weasel and ended at Oktoberfest at Roosevelt Park. We had a grand entrance and really enjoyed ourselves. I think I speak for the group when I say - we can't wait for next year.

A few great ideas for 2013 Bike Night themes came out of the night, too. "Bridesmaids Gone Wild" and "Bridezillas". Needless to say a great time was had by all.

Oktoberfest benefitted Bicycle Longmont and from the generosity of those who attended, Bicycle Longmont received $7,000. Thanks to all of you who celebrated Oktoberfest.

Also - Bicycle Longmont was invited by the USA Pro Challenge to submit an application for a 2013 stop or start in Longmont. We are very excited about this. We presented to Longmont's City Council on  Oktober 23rd and received their support the same night. Much will happen over the next two weeks. If you'd like to support us please come to the November 13th City Council meeting at 7pm. The City Council meeting is located at the Civic Center at 350 Kimbark Street. Come join us! It will be fun?

Coming up on November 10th is the Historic West Side Home Tour. Bicycle Longmont's Holiday Bike Program will benefit from this great fundraiser. We are honored to have been chosen by the neighborhood where we cruise every Wednesday night. I hope you will join us on November 10th any time between 10am and 4pm. We will have a cruiser ride starting at 11am at Roosevelt Park.

For $20 you'll get admission to the home tour and a pint of beer at Left Hand Brewery and the Tasty Weasel. Our tour will take us to each home and to both tasting rooms. Please join us for Porches & Pints!

We're going to have lots of fun. Plus I'll pull the music wagon!

Lastly, On November 5th (next Monday) we are co-hosting a happy hour beginning after 5pm. The Happy Hour will be held at the brand new Longmont Bike Garage. We've got more than 30 people RSVP'd for the event. So make plans to attend. You'll get a tour of the shop and have time to mix and mingle.

The Longmont Bike Garage is located at 1250 Hover Road in the former Sears Auto Center located on the north end of Twin Peaks Mall. You can enter through either the east or west retail doors adjacent to the over head garage doors.

Wow - that's a lot going on!

See you Monday!

Bike Prom: Party of 35 now seating!

Tomorrow is Bike Prom and the kick off to Oktoberfest in BIKEmont! Here's your weekend itinerary and how tomorrow will shake out!

Lunch:  Skip lunch and anything fizzy you don't want to be bloated for the big event. Also - Get over to Jesters Theater to get your costume, errr. Tux.


3pm - Meet up at the Tasty Weasel for a Bike Parade!

Our friends at Left Hand Brewing, and Bicycle Longmont built a ceremonial bike trailer to haul the "Golden Keg". The Golden Keg will depart Oskar Blues' Tasty Weasel at 3pm, making it's way to Left Hand Brewery, the Pumphouse and on to Roosevelt Park where Mayor Coombs will tap the Golden Keg at 4pm. This tapping is the opening salvo to the 2012 Oktoberfest!

The Golden Keg's Chariot!

At about 5pm we'll duck back to the Weasel to get ready for Pre-Prom (6 - 7:30pm) and the Grand March (ride) to Roosevelt Park.

Bicycle Longmont will have the Bike Valet going strong tomorrow night and Saturday evening - you won't need to worry about your ride.

The Longmont YMCA has Kid-toberfest going on Friday night, too. This is the perfect opportunity to get out and have fun with out the nerve racking babysitter bill dampening your fun. The YMCA will have bike art (the kids will ride the Y's Bikes through paint, then over paper!), 6' inflatable balls, swimming and games. They will also provide healthy snacks for the kids too!

Call the Longmont YMCA to get your child signed up.

For the itinerary of Oktoberfest see below: