I hope this accident does not deter anyone in our biking community from enjoying the bicycling experience here in Fort Collins or Northern Colorado.  Bicycling is still one of the safest forms of recreation and transportation you can participate in and our roads are still some of the best in the nation.  I have still been riding and I returned to the TTH group ride on Tuesday.  I must say, I was a bit nervous on the way over to the Peloton parking lot.  As we grouped up and left the parking lot, I was glad to see the tempo of the group hadn’t changed. My nervousness quickly turned to anticipation for the first rotation.  Now coming from a mountain biking background, I admit I am not that savvy in a pack, and again I made a tactical error and found myself off the back of the group. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Eventually I’ll learn the tricks of the trade and get better just in time for Stuart’s return!  I won’t bet who gets there first though!

Beyond the outpouring of support for Stuart, still more evidence that Fort Collins is a thriving bicycle community lies in the numbers we were able to post during our Bike to Work day — 5,175 participants, 25,463 miles ridden, 1669 work sites, 28 breakfast stations……wait, 28 breakfast stations??  If that doesn’t show community support for bicycling, I don’t know what does!  Some of the businesses receiving top honors were REI, The Neenan Company, and you guessed it the New Belgium Brewing Company.  The Neenan Company had a whopping 97% participation – way to go Neenan!

And just because bike to work week is over, doesn’t mean you have to ride alone!  There are a number of organized weekly group rides around the city for anyone interested in attending.  Organized rides like these are perfect for those just getting into cycling and who want to learn more about riding or to gain confidence riding in a group.  Visit http://www.fcgov.com/bicycling/ for some of dates and times of some of the rides in the area.

Speaking of riding in groups, how could I not say something about this year’s Tour De France??…..Amazing!!!  With only 4 stages to go, there is still plenty of life and scenarios yet to play out.  Will Lance be able to make the final podium?  Will Andreas Kloden be able to put a spectacular time trial together?  Will Alberto continue his reign on Mont Ventoux or will the Schleck brothers gang up on him again? If you don’t watch any other stage – watch stage 20 on Saturday and don’t forget about LEE’S Tour De France bike sale.  Great bikes! Great deals!  BTW – Ever wonder what the 1274 signifies on Lance’s bikes??  Times up!  It represents the number of days he was away from competition.

Finally, a safety reminder — report any close calls while riding your bike in Fort Collins due to a road hazard or motor vehicle at the following site– http://www.fcgov.com/bicycling/report.php Comments are read and taken seriously.

Be safe and be seen!

Steve Lacey

And discover it’s just as easy to grab a bike lock as car keys for in town errands

When Sara Majors signed up for the Urban Assault Ride (UAR) last year, she didn’t own a bike. In fact, she hadn’t been on a bike in nearly a decade. She had so much fun participating in this pedal-powered urban adventure and exploring the city streets by bike, however, that after the event, she purchased a bike and began commuting to work two or three times each week, a round trip excursion of nearly 30 miles. The Rio Grande Urban Assault Ride, created to show cyclists that it is indeed possible – even enjoyable – to safely maneuver Fort Collins by bike, returns to town July 19. This quirky event

introduces cyclists to the viability of urban cycling – and using a bike for transportation – not just recreation and fitness.

This funky bike scavenger hunt sends two-person teams riding to checkpoints around town to complete crazy obstacle courses at each stop. Obstacles may include the human wheel barrow, the keg walk, bike

jousting, or the paper boy relay, but since they change at each venue, cyclists never know what to expect.  Mental muscle, however, is just as important as bike skills as teams choose their own course to checkpoints around the city and solve riddles along the way.

The first team to the finish line takes home a pair of limited edition cruiser bikes.

This pedal-powered urban adventure is for riders seven and older. Tandems and tag-alongs are welcome.

Sponsored by Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, the Urban Assault Ride is a green event designed to show riders that a bike is a great way to get around town. The Urban Assault Ride’s green focus extends beyond bike advocacy. The production powers the event with a solar generator, a bio-diesel truck delivers the gear to each city, and almost all event waste is composted or recycled.

In addition, Urban Assault partners exclusively with companies that have sustainable business practices and promote bike advocacy.  In addition to Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant and New B

elgium Brewing, Urban Assault partners include Trek Bikes, Keen Footwear, Clif Bar, Sweet Leaf Tea, Swobo, Timbuk 2, Rudy Project and other local sustainability-focused partners.

Find out more at www.urbanassaultride.com.

Reasons to participate!!

• It is fun – a party on a bike
• It is great to do with kids, sig others, or friends
• Any bike will do just fine
• It’s more about having fun than going fast
• Huge after party with lots of free New Belgium beer
• The obstacles are a blast
• You will laugh so hard your stomach hurtsAnd it is also a green event with a focus on sustainability
• It’s a fun and non-threatening way to learn your way around town so you can commute or run errands on your bike
• You’ll see how much easier it can be to grab your bike lock rather than your car keys