G'Knight Ride Registration is OPEN!

So the days are getting longer, well, not a lot longer, but mathematically, the days ARE getting longer. That means after our two snowiest months, February & March, plus one random blizzard (April) we'll be ready to ride! What better way to spend your easy going late April & May days than getting ready for the 2nd Annual G'Knight Ride!

This year we're bringing you a better course (with fewer turns), more food, awesome entertainment and lots of other cool things. We will also be adding a 1 mile toddler route.

Registrations are now open at a special low rate ($12/individual and $28/family). we are opening this early for those who participated last year, friends, family, and general Bicycle Longmont fans. The general public sale will open on February 15th at slightly higher rates - so register today!

The G'Knight Ride is a celebration of cycling, and is meant for cyclists of all ages, sizes, and abilities. The Ride is a great excuse to dust off that old 10-speed, mountain bike, or cruiser and hop on with 1,500+ other riders on a great evening tour.

So jump on this now and register. We'll be updating you about what's up with the G'Knight Ride on Thursdays & Tuesdays. We lots going on and you won't want to miss a minute. You can also follow the developments by following me at @mrbikenight or @gknightride.

To register head here.

Cheers!

Ryan

Bike Night Loves a Parade!

Why else would we parade around on a Wednesday, right? Well I'll tell you this, it's fun to watch a parade but it's far more fun to be IN a parade!

Come out on Saturday night and ride with us in the Longmont Holiday Lights Parade. We'll line up at 4pm on Longs Peak Avenue somewhere between Terry and Pratt Streets. We are float lucky number 13.

If you'd like to come out and get your Martha Stewart on we'll be decorating and lighting the Bicycle Education And Safety Trailer at Small Planet E-Vehicles located at 724 Main Street. I hear there will be cider and hot chocolate. The first 8 people there may get free lights, rumor has it! Decorating will start at noonish.

Bring the sunscreen because we're going to top out at 40 something degrees, too!

See you Saturday Night!

Ryan

Pre-Owned Bike Love: Give Some This WEEK!

Bike Love - just saying it puts a smile on your face, right? Remember that first time you came down the steps or climbed that half flight in your parent's split level ranch? That was the moment you saw that gleaming chromoly frame twinkling in the christmas tree lights and your world changed for ever. Or, maybe it was a shiny aluminum BMX bike, at that moment you didn't care about the difference between beer can aluminum or airplane aluminum, it was yours and you were independent.

On December 9th Bicycle Longmont will pass that feeling on to 400 kids. We need you to help us by contacting your friends, family and neighbors to donate any dusty kid's bikes before December 5th. Longmont Fire Stations, Lefthand Brewery and Oskar Blues' Tasty Weasel & Homemade Liquids & Solids will accept bikes until the end of day on December 5th.

Please help us out. Thanks for all that you guys are doing and for what you've already done!

Ryan

What ya upto tonight?

Tonight we have a cruiser ride meeting at the Dickens Tavern at 300 Main Street at 6pm. We will cruise to the Oskar Blues Canniversary taking place at the Tasty Weasel. If you have lights put 'em on your ride and join us. There's a lot going on with this ride and at the Caniversary. We are gonna have fun!

Join us.

Ryan

URGENT: BICYCLE LONGMONT NEEDS KIDS BIKES

URGENT: Bike Donations are down this year. WAY DOWN. Bicycle Longmont is in serious need of additional kids bikes for the Kid's Holiday Bike Program. We've raised money to purchase parts, tires, tubes, and tools, however, we need kids bikes to be donated. We are less than 4 weeks from the Kid's Holiday Bike Day. So, If you or someone you know has any children's bikes, stryders, tricycles, or even scooters, bring them to a local Longmont Firestation or, bring them to either Oskar Blues' Tasty Weasel or Home Made Liquids & Solids, or to the Lefthand Brewery for a free pint of beer.

If you'd simply like to make a donation for the Kid's Holiday Bike Program simply mail a check to:

Bicycle Longmont

P.O. Box 2410

Longmont, CO, 80502

Kid's Holiday Bike Program in FULL Swing! Check us out.

It's that time of year again! Bicycle Longmont has launched our Kid's Holiday Bike Program in conjunction with the Ed & Ruth Lehman YMCA.

Bicycle Longmont is accepting gently used kid's bikes 20" bikes and smaller. You can drop your gently used bike off at any Fire Station in Longmont.

Longmont’s Craft Brewers are supporting the Kid’s Holiday Bike Program, too!

New this year, Bicycle Longmont has partnered with Oskar Blues & Lefthand Brewing. You can trade your kids' gently used bike for a free pint of beer at the Tasty Weasel, Homemade Liquids and Solids, or the Lefthand Tasting Room.

How can I help?

People often comment that they would like to help but they don't know anything about bike repair. Surprise! You don't need to know anything about bike repair to help.

The greatest need we have is getting all the bikes cleaned and polished. We have an air compressor that can be used to inflate tires. If you can only help with those small tasks, that will be huge!!!

Our bike repair has begun in the warehouse at Sun Construction, 1232 Boston Ave., across from Left Hand Brewery.

During the past 5 days we completely cleaned and repaired about 25 bikes. Ther

e are currently 40 bikes inside the warehouse waiting for some bike love. Never fear, though, we have an entire trailer full, waiting, too.

Charlie Daniels of the Chain Whip?

For those who can handle bike repair, we need your help again this year. Please bring your own tools and a repair stand, if possible. There are 3 repair stands at Sun but we could use several more. If you can leave one there with your name on it, we can make good use out of it during the week and we'll make sure it is returned to you.

Don’t wanna cart your tools around, and you don’t wanna lose ‘em either? We’ve got you covered!

New this year - we have a secure place to store any tools you would like to leave there so that you don't have to lug them back and forth each time you come. Check with Tom, Pati or myself for details.

The warehouse is generally open on weekends at about 10:00am both Saturday and Sunday. It will close mid-afternoon both days.

Monday thru Friday, it is open from dark:30 until about 4:00pm.

Just show up when it's convenient and stay as long as you like. There is plenty to be done. It is easy to see which bikes need cleaning and some work. Inside Santa's Bike Workshop you'll find cleaner, polish, rags, tubes, repair parts and lots of bikes needing some TLC. It is all organized better this year and all parts are separated by type.

To get into the warehouse, enter thru the chain link fence that is just east of Sun's office. Go into the building that is just northeast of the offices. Look for the "Santa's Bike Workshop" sign.

Please contact us with any questions.

Bicycle Longmont

www.bicyclelongmont.org

www.meetup.com/bicycle-longmont
www.facebook.com/BicycleLongmont
Education, Encouragement, Advocacy
303-709-6991

Movie Night October 12th, 2011 - 7pm

Thanks to everyone who helped make the Hops & Heifers cruiser ride a bucking success. We rode nearly 18 miles from Longmont to Hops & Heifers, ending at Homemade Liquid & Solids.

It was a great way for folks to see beautiful Boulder County and to experience farm-to-can-to-farm-to-table at its finest.

In other news Bicycle Longmont keeps the Autumn rockin' with our fall movie night at the Dickens Opera House. We're going to show Breaking Away! If you've never seen this favorite, come and see what you've been missing. This is a cult favorite among Cyclists. If you have seen it, bring a newbie.

We're excited to be working with the Dickens again. We had a lot of fun a few weeks ago when Runnin' with Scissors joined us for the next to last Bike Night. The Opera House is a great venue for live events and MOVIES.

Come hang out with us for a while and don't forget to wear your favorite jersey. Kudos for an Italian cycling jersey, higher kudos if you're a Cutter and can prove it!

See you on October 12th, 2011 - 7pm at the Dickens Opera House - 3rd & Main Street in beautiful Downtown Longmont.

Upcoming events for the Bike Night Nation

Hey all,

Don't forget this weekend is the Hops & Heifer's Bike Ride. We'll meet at the Tasty Weasel saturday October 1st at 10am.

Here's the details direct from the OB Website. Come join us.

Saturday, October 1st

Cruiser Ride- 10am-2:30pm

If you are in Denver for the GABF Great American Beer Festival then, catch the OB bus up to The Tasty Weasel from Denver (or you can meet us at the Tasty Weasel at 10am) for a cruiser bike ride out to Hops & Heifers farm.

The cost for this ride is $25 and covers all this below:

After a brewery tour and a fuel-up in the tasting room, we’ll head out on bikes. The ride to the farm is 8 miles. We’ll re-fuel with water, ice cold beer & snacks while touring the farm. Farmer Geoff will give the nitty-gritty about the benefits and importance of farm-to-table sustainable practices.

We’ll have an option for those who want to take a van back to Homemade Liquids & Solids after the first leg of the ride. Once back in Longmont, we’ll have lunch at Homemade Liquids & Solids before heading back to Denver. We’ve partnered up with Bicycle Longmont to help out with bike rentals for the day– let us know if you’ll need a bike rental.

The Oskar Blues Ordeal- Saturday Cruiser Ride Schedule- 8:30am-4pm

8:30am: Pick up in Denver* (if you happen to already be, in Denver)

10am-11am: Drop off at Tasty Weasel. For those not taking the bus from Denver, arrive at the Tasty Weasel by 10am. Brewery tour and beer stop. Get geared up with bikes from a local shop.

11am-1:30pm: Bike to Hops & Heifers farm Cruiser Bike Ride (8miles one-way, 16 mile round trip. Half way option available)

1:30-2:30mp: Homemade Liquids & Solids for lunch

4pm: Arrive back in Denver*

To register go HERE

Smiles all around!

* PICK UP & DROP OFF: The Falling Rock Taphouse in Denver, 1919 Blake Street

Also ON OCTOBER 12 at the Dickens Opera House - THE ITALIANS ARE COMING!

End of the Season? So, What's Next?

I'll post a season recap tomorrow. Until then here is a graphic for you to munch on. We had agreat, great season - but, then, you already knew that, right?

I'll have some cool things to post about tomorrow. Until then....

Hang tight.

The Last Words on Bike Night: ONE MORE!

One more, last Bike Night.

The words for this Wednesday - Let's do it one more time!

Can we pack the streets with bikes? I think so. Join us at 6:30 PM at Roosevelt Park for one more tour of Old Town. The leaves are beginning to change and Old Town has never looked better.

Last Wednesday we had approximately 15 folks ride - I think we rounded it up to 21, but nevertheless we had fun. After riding in the rain we dried off and partied with Running with Scissors at the Dickens Opera House.

We hoped to reschedule but don't think that's gonna make sense. We'll connect with Runnin' again later in the year.

Help us send 2011 out with a bang THIS Wednesday night.

See you then!

Last Bike Night?

Wow. Tonight really was one for the ages. Rain, Rain, I wish it would have gone away. But, unfortunately, not so. I asked myself - "Is this how Bike Night's best season ends - with a drizzly, cold & nasty last ride??" What d'ya think?

I didn't think so either.

So next week we'll cue it up again. We'll have one more last Bike Night - maybe we'll call it the Lastest bike night. Or, whatever.

Anyway - we had a great time with Running with Scissors and we had a great time hanging at the Dickens Opera House. If you've never seen a show there or been to a concert you owe it to yourself to check it out. It ain't the nasty pool hall you might remember.

We'll pound out the details for next week. Stay tuned.

News for Wednesday = Rock STAR!

Hey all,

This Wednesday is the last Bike Night of the season. The theme will be "Rock Star!" Come to Bike Night dressed as your favorite Rockstar and we'll blast around Old Town. We'll end the ride just before 7:30pm at the Dickens Opera House.

At 7:30pm We'll head upstairs for a special concert from "Running with Scissors". If you attended the G'Knight Ride then you know how good they are. A lot of people asked us to bring Running with Scissors back so here you go!

There WILL be a $5 cover charge. We are just as cheap as you, so we're trying to keep the costs down by spreading it around.

Bring $5 and your favorite Rockstar outfit and we'll see you on Wednesday!

rjk

FINAL Bike Night : ROCK the Bike!

Next Wednesday we’re sending the season out with a bang. I know you look forward to Wednesday and especially Bike Night, RIGHT? Well get ready for me to blow, your, MIND.

All of us at Bicycle Longmont are teaming up to bring you the best end of season blow out in HISTORY! As a matter of fact you could call it “G’Knight Lite!” We’ve gotten together with the Dickens Opera House and the band Running with Scissors.

Running with Scissors is based in the area and they are a lot of fun. If you came to the G’Knight Ride then you’ve heard Running with Scissors. They play classic rock cover tunes, originals and they ROCK!

The ride is free as always but five bucks ($5) gets you in the door! The $5 cover helps to cover the costs of the band. Anything we raise over that will be donated to the Aspen Center for Child Development (formerly the Our Center Childcare Center). We’ve donated our end of the season blowout bash cash to these guys for quite sometime.

So get your party on, light up your ride, and join us next Wednesday September 14^th, 2011. We meet at 6:30pm at Roosevelt Park and roll around 6:40p. We will do a shortened trip around Old Town ending at the Dickens Opera House. Bring you bike lock.

Bike Night: Tonight we take a trip to Margaritaville!

That's right bring the Hawaiian shirts and probably long johns as we set sail for margaritaville. See you tonight at 6:30, Roosevelt Park. 910 Longs Peak Avenue - Next week is our LAST Bike Night of the season.

Ryan

Great American Beer Festival - BL & Oskar Blues - Hops & Heifers

!!!!! Registration info added at the bottom of this post !!!!!

Oskar Blues & Bicycle Longmont are wicked excited to announce our first ever Fall Cruise - Hops & Heifers on October 1 begining at the Tasty Weasel. We will begin our fun filled cruise to the Oskar Blues Hops & Heifers farm west of Longmont at 10am.

Have you ever wondered what hops look like? How they are grown and what it takes to turn these green beauties into a pale ale? Come a long on October 1st and find out. We will ride from the brewery to Hops & Heifers farm. Once there we will hear all about the operation that brings takes it from farm to pint!

This is going to be great!

After the farm tour Oskar Blues will have the Blues Bus & trailer available as a bail out. The rest of us will ride back to Longmont. We will all meet up at Homemade Liquids & Solids for eats and liquid treats.

In addition to all the cool kids from Longmont we'll get to brush elbows with GABF goers, too! We're gonna have fun.

As promised here is your opportunity to register! Registration is $25 it includes food and eats and, if you need it a bail out at Hops & Heifers to Homemade Liquids & Solids. To register: Go here.

No bike? No problem: If you're coming in from out of town we'll have bike rentals, too!

1 2 3 - BIKEMONT!

Tomorrow night - Elvis!

We will ride Old Town tomorrow night - no confusing greenway adventures, just good ole Old Town. We'll meet at 6:30 and roll around 6:40. We're winding down the biggest Bike Night Season, ever! Thanks.

Remember to get your Elvis on!

rjk

Wednesday - Jersey Night - St. Vrain Greenway & Lefthand Brewing

Hey all,

So here's the "situation" - Wednesday's theme will be "Jersey Night" no, not THAT Jersey rather, we will honor the USA Pro Cycling Challenge by wearing your favorite jersey.

What, you don't have a bike jersey? No worries wear your favorite sports team jersey -Bronco's, Rockies, Minnesota Vikings, Blue Sky Velo, Nuggets, North Stars, Lefhand, Oskar Blues etc. Or if you don't have a single jersey take a white t-shirt and make one.

Our route will be Roosevelt leaving between 6:30 & 6:40, going almost directly to the Greenway out to Golden Ponds and back along the St. Vrain Greenway. Most likely there will be a contingency of folks stopping at Lefthand either on the way out or on the way back from Golden Ponds.

Next week (August 31st) the theme will be "Elvis".

Followed on September 7th with Margaritaville possibly with an after ride at Santiago's on Main Street.

September 14th will be the "Last" Bike Night for the season. There will be an after party for sure, somewhere....

Put those dates in your calendar and we'll see you Wednesday.

Bike Night Kids NIght: Late Breaking News

There are a lot of things going on tomorrow night. First I understand many schools have their "Back to School" nights tomorrow and Art In Public Places has their bike rack dedication at Sunset Pool, plus we're having Kids Night at Bike Night.

NORMALLY, this would be the run down for tomorrow night:

5:30 - 6:30 Kids Bike Night: Game Night @ Lincoln School located at Bowen Street & Lincoln School

6:45 Bike Rack Dedication ride begining at Roosevelt Park.

7pm - regular start

to Bike Night (tomorrow night is the 3rd Wednesday and that means late start)

So here's what we're going to do: We want to support Art in Public Places and those who need to start Bike Night Later.

If you'd like to ride to the

bike rack dedication meet at Roosevelt Park prior to 6:45. There will be someone there to lead the group to Sunset Pool. Following the dedication there will be a fun cruise around Old Town. (If you'd like to be the person leading the dedication ride send me a message on Facebook or comment here).

The kids will meet at 5:30pm and do their Game Night between 5:30 & 6:30, followed by a mini- cruise. The mini-cruise will go from Lincoln School to Roosevelt Park via 6th Avenue to Bross Street south to 5th Avenue by Thompson Park then over to Roosevelt Park via Pratt Street.

We will then circle Roosevelt Park to 8th Avenue, Bross Street, 6th Avenue and back to Lincoln School. During that time we will most likely meet the "Dedication Group". Feel free to jump into that group and continue your ride through Old Town.

There will be a break between the games ending ant the Kid's Cruiser Ride beginning. At that time if you'd like bail and go to the dedication, feel free to do so. The Dedication Riders should be passing about the time we finish with the game portion of the night. The dedication will be a lot of fun and I hear there maybe snacks.

Make sense?

So, Short update:

Kids = 5:30, Lincoln School

Dedication Ride to Sunset Pool= 6:45, Roosevelt Park

Kids Cruiser Ride = Following the game night at Lincoln School, Longs Peak & Bowen Street.

Thank You, for a successful "Thankful RIde".

Lastnight nearly 100 riders joined us in our first ever "Thankful Ride". I'll send a note to 3M letting them know we've rebranded their blue 2inch painter tape "Thankful Tape".

Thanks for making that ride so great.

Next week will be the first ever Bike Night Game Night. Currently we're planning this to be in the parking lot at Lincoln School. Thursday is the start of the 2011/12 school year so we're begining the kids Game Night at 5:30pm. The Cruiser ride will start at 7pm at the usual place - Roosevelt Park at 7pm. We'll do a kids cruiser ride from Lincoln to Roosevelt and back to Lincoln.

Art In Public Places will dedicate a new bike rack at Sunset Pool that night, too. We'll ride from Roosevelt directly to Lincoln then, Sunset Pool. I suggest if your little one isn't good with hills, ascending or descending, you have him or her on a tag-a-long or trailer during the cruiser ride to/from Sunset Pool.

I'll post the games in a few days. All I can say is they will be fun.

Thanks for a great Bike Night. Don't forget to put your tape on your bike or car window.

rjk

Bike Night Wednesday - "Thankful Ride"

Saturday we had between 35 & 40 people join us on our first cruise to Niwot. We began & ended in Prospect. Our route took us down Plateau Road through the Water Song Neighborhood and southwest on the LoBo trail.

We grabbed a bite and a brew at the Niwot Tavern and then cruised "downtown" Niwot. It was a lot of fun.

We're thinking about doing this again on another Saturday in September. Stars, maybe?

Wednesday is fast approaching, the theme this week will be "The Thankful Ride". This is in direct response to the tragic events that occurred in NE Longmont over the weekend.

On Saturday or Sunday a 38 yr old father killed himself after killing his 3 yr old daughter. Initial reports stated he had been divorced and in financial trouble. Evidently he found killing himself and his 3 yr old was the only way out.

Reading this story made me think about all the things I was thankful for, and, while we all struggle from time to time, suicide is never the answer. That night I posted to facebook my feelings on this subject. Following that post I walked into my daughter's room and hugged her and told her I was so thankful for her and that I loved her.

Holding her I came up with this week's theme. I know it's not super goofy, or kitchy. No, Instead of wild costumes and craziness, I'm going to bring with me a roll of masking tape and a few sharpies. I invite you to attend the ride and write what you're most thankful for on the tape then display it somewhere on yourself your bike etc. After the ride maybe it will find its way to your rear car window or bumper. Who knows.

I just think with all the tragedy around us and with this global financial mess we're all in maybe we should take one night, one Bike Night, and just proclaim for ourselves what matters most.

I'm Thankful for my daughter, my wife, and even our crazy-ass dog.

Following our Thankful Ride here's something to look forward to!

The first ever - Longmont Bike Night - GAME NIGHT!

August 17th will be a really fun end to a great summer. The 18th, the kids must report to school. Parents will sigh with relief, I on the other hand will be filled with tears as Anna begins her Kindergarten year..... Yeah Class of 2024! Yikes ah hootay.

Anyway, because the 17th is a school night. - we will begin with the kid games early, at 5:30pm. I'm hoping to use the parking lot at Lincoln School on the corner of Lincoln Street and Longs Peak Avenue. If you'd like to drive there is ample parking on 6th Avenue and Lincoln Street. Please don't park in the parking lot.

We will have lots of fun games to play on our bikes. And, we may have prizes.

Also that night the Art In Public Places program will dedicate a new artful bike rack at Sunset Pool. We will ride over to Roosevelt at 7pm to pick up any stragglers and then to Sunset Pool for the dedication.

Following the dedication we will go on a cruise around old town.

5:30p to 6:30p - Bike Night Game Night for the kids

6:30p - 7p - break for a snack and dinner on your own

7p ride from Lincoln to Roosevelt to get folks starting at 7pm (it's the third Wednesday of the month - late start night).

7:05ish - Ride to Sunset Pool for the dedication.

7:30ish - Continue the cruise.

8:00 wrap up near 5th & Kimbark.

So I hope you can join us for both rides - tomorrow and next week.