Bicycle Pueblo, Colorado

Happy Trails and Hippie Tales.

2011-09-15T17:42:00.001-06:00

Hypocrisy has crushed the soul

Caterpillars will metamorphose
The usurper needs your attention

Turning a blind eye should make you see

That a dragon can't ride a bicycle
Poaching is free
váyanse

Masquerate Bicycle Ball

2011-09-14T14:01:00.011-06:00

Join us for a fun night of bicycle related Halloween festivities. Dress up yourself, dress up your bicycle, and ride around Pueblo with a group of fun folks, visiting a few local bars along the way. The ride will end at The Downtown Bar and the party will continue there into the evening while listening to the great sounds of The Ghost of Mike Clark.

Same same, but different

2011-09-06T13:41:00.003-06:00

In Thailand, the phrase "same, same, but different" is used to explain many things. When you first hear the phrase, it seems a bit redundant, but the more you hear it used in different circumstances, the more it takes on a profound yet simple meaning. Well, this Party Ride was definately same, same, but different. Lots of new folks bringing a fun and positive vibe and filling the void left by other regulars that couldn't make it this ride.
I have to say, the ride is becoming more and more magical each time, with it's ability to effortlessly bring strangers together while creating an easy going and fun atmosphere. Beer and bicycles are a wicked combination with the potential power to make you and your worst enemy laugh and high-five each other. Maybe all the world's leaders need to organize their own Party Ride to hash out the world's problems and start getting along.
Video below courtesy of Todd Weber.

Pueblo Road Bike Rides

2011-08-28T08:24:00.005-06:00

Fall bicycle rides in Pueblo are the best. Here is a list of a few local favorites. All routes start from Historic Union Ave.

Downtown to Pueblo Reservoir - 16 miles round-trip - MAP

A nice leisurely cruise along the banks for the Arkansas River on the bicycle and pedestrian trail. A great ride for people that don't like riding around cars, this route is nearly completely car free.

The Plants Loop - 24 miles round-trip - MAP

A cool ride out into the south and east county. Ride past the old and new technology of energy production. From coal-fired to wind and solar, you'll see it all on this ride. Great views of the Wet Mountains and very minimal traffic once you get out of town.

Beulah and Back - 52 miles round-trip - MAP

A great ride out to the Wet Mountains and the town of Beulah. Not the best shoulder, but traffic is minimal (especially on Sundays). A consistent climb on the way out and a much easier cruise on the way home.

Pueblo to Fountain -67 miles round-trip - MAP

You'll need a touring bike or mountain bike for this ride, since much of it is on a gravel road. Zero traffic, great views of Pikes Peak and the Spanish Peaks.

Test Track Ride - 58 miles round-trip - MAP

Nice ride out a dead end road onto the eastern plains, with no traffic to speak of. Many people choose to drive to the airport and then start the ride, but that's lame-o.
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County Loop - 40 miles round-trip - MAP

Great fall ride out into Pueblo county through the farm lands. Can link up with The Plants Loop to make a longer ride. Great views of the Wet Mountains to the west.

August Party Ride

2011-08-09T11:56:00.001-06:00

The above photo is a good depiction of the August Party Ride madness (thanks Sean). It was a wild bicycle jungle out there.

The first stop of the ride was again a great one, the keg was tapped, ice cold beers were grabbed from the coolers, people started to mingle and get loose, and a new bike game was introduced. Bike Golf or Bike Dingle-balls.

Stop 2 is the swim and surf stop. A welcomed relief from the heat. Again, no-one drowned, the beer stayed cold, and we added two or three people to the ride, so it was considered a successful stop.

Stop 3 was under the Pueblo Blvd bridge for more swimming, music, socializing, and the addition of the Burrito Lady for this ride. She now knows that we are a hungry group and will be more prepared for it at the next ride. She was really great though and even made a beer and food run for us, despite being sprayed with mud by a power-slide during the water-bucket bike game. We lost a few riders at this stop, but the majority forged ahead.

The final stop was at the Osprey Campground. An attempt at a bicycle newspaper boy game was made, but the mood had shifted to water and ice fights and wrestling matches. After six hours of swimming, riding, and drinking, we decided to head back home after a quick flat tire change. The return pace was fast and furious, empty coolers and trailers hung on for their lives as they were whipped at high speeds around corners. A few more people dropped off on the return trip and the hardcore kept the party alive at the Shamrock and the DTB into the morning hours.
The next day was slow to get going, but I was already looking forward to the next ride, September 3rd, same time, same place.

Top Bicycle Themed Films

2011-07-28T11:54:00.004-06:00

RAD - 1986 - TRAILER

This film's for the BMX bike racers of the world. A small town is out to raise funds by building a BMX racetrack and sponsoring a major race. They sponsor their own small-town hero Cru (Bill Allen) who's up against the big-monied sponsor's champion Bart Taylor

BICYCLE THIEF - 1948 - TRAILER

If you've ever had your bicycle stolen, this film will bring up anger and frustration from the depths of your soul.
A workman spends a whole day looking in vain in the streets of Rome for the bicycle someone has stolen from him.

BREAKING AWAY - 1979 - TRAILER

A recent high school graduate in Bloomington, Indiana, who is caught with his friends coasting between high school and deciding what to do with the rest of their lives. The four friends are snobbishly looked down upon by the college students of the town as "cutters,". Dave wants to be a champion bicycle racer and he idolizes the Italian racing team -- so much so that he speaks, thinks, and acts Italian. Dave falls for a college girl, but is ashamed to admit he is a cutter and poses as an Italian exchange student to impress her.

QUICKSILVER - 1986 - TRAILER

Two words. Kevin. Bacon.

AMERICAN FLYERS - 1985 - TRAILER

Two brothers, a former National caliber rider (Kevin Costner) and his enthusiastic 'newbee' brother, take an adventure to the 'Hell of the West' (aka Coors Classic) stage race.

THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE - 2003 - TRAILER

When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters--an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire--to rescue him.

BEIJING BICYCLE - 2001 - TRAILER

Guei gets a job as a messenger. The company issues him a bike, which he must pay for out of his wages. When it is stolen, Guei hunts for it. A student, Jian, has it; for him, it's the key to teen society - with his pals and with Xiao, a girl he fancies. Guei finds the bike and stubbornly tries to reclaim it in the face of great odds. But for Jian to lose the bike would mean humiliation.

BMX BANDITS - 1983 - TRAILER

Three adventurous Aussie teens put their BMX skills to the test when they witness a crime and are pursued by the criminals.

JITENSHA - 2009 - TRAILER

Jitensha is a story about a young man struggling to find meaning in life. A co-worker confronts Mamoru on his apparent apathy toward life, and this results in Mamoru leaving his job out of humiliation. Now alone and without work, just as it seems that things could not possibly get worse, parts of Mamoru’s bicycle begin to disappear, one by one. In frustration, Mamoru leaves a note for the thief, begging him to just take the whole thing. The note left in response is signed "God", leaving Mamoru only more confused.

MESSENGERS - 1999 - TRAILER

A successful fashion press agent, is having a bad day. Her business is shut down, everything she has is repossessed and she accidentally runs down a bicycle messenger with her car. To get out of paying for the messenger's medical bills, she agrees to take his place at the struggling courier company that he and his friend run

NEBRASKA SUPERSONIC - 2001 - TRAILER

In Omaha, Nebraska, three slackers--all sub-par French majors--start a business that should not succeed on the vast Great Plains: a bicycle courier service. Through comic adventures, personal challenges, and while charging only two dollars per 120-mile delivery, their business becomes a resounding success.

ISLAND ETUDE - 2006 - TRAILER

A film about an aurally handicapped college student who grabs his bike, backpack, and guitar and goes on a 7-day, 6-night round-the-island tour. On the way he discovers the natural and cultural beauty of Taiwan and during his encounters with different people he is exposed to local arts, folk customs, approaches to environmental protection, traditional family values, and a host of other cultural enlightenments.

PREMIUM RUSH - 2012 - TRAILER

Is an upcoming 2012 American action thriller film directed by David Koepp. Setting around a bicycle messenger who is chased around New York City by a dirty cop who wants an envelope the messenger has.

BICYCLE DREAMS - 2009 - TRAILER
They are seekers, madmen and angels hell bent on riding across America on a bicycle in less than ten days. What began as the adventure of a lifetime is transformed in an instant when one of their comrades is killed in a head on collision. Documentary.

THE FLYING SCOTSMAN - 2006 - TRAILER

Is a 2006 British drama film, based on the life and career of Scottish amateur cyclist Graeme Obree. The film covers the period of Obree's life that saw him take, lose, and then retake the world one-hour distance record.

WITH MY OWN TWO WHEELS - 2009 - TRAILER

It focuses on five individuals from around the world: Fred, a caregiver from Zambia who rides from village to village visiting AIDS patients; Carlos in Guatemala, who invented a pedal-powered device that offers a small-scale alternative to diesel-fueled machines; Sharkey, who avoids gang life by working in a Santa Barbara, California neighborhood bike shop; Bharati, a young girl in India who gets an education because she has a bicycle to ride to school; and Mirriam, a bike mechanic in Ghana stricken with Polio.

JOUR DE FETE - 1949 - TRAILER

Jour de fête tells the story of an inept and easily distracted French mailman who frequently interrupts his duties to converse with the local inhabitants, as well as inspect the traveling fair that has come to his small community. Influenced by too much wine and a newsreel account of rapid transportation methods used by the United States postal system, he goes to hilarious lengths to speed the delivery of mail while aboard his bicycle.

THE AMATEUR - 1999

On the outskirts of a provincial town, Pajaro is determined to enter the Guinness Book of Records by breaking the longest bike-ride record.
He rides around the fountain in the square with the help of his friend, Lopecito. He is willing to face many challenges that face him, in attaining this new record.

Pueblo IS bicycle friendly

2011-07-25T19:25:00.002-06:00

The term "bicycle friendly" really is relative. This neat video of a traffic intersection in NYC really shows what really being bicycle unfriendly is.

3-Way Street from ronconcocacola on Vimeo.

Ride The Rio Segundo

2011-07-21T14:06:00.002-06:00

The first one was a great success, so we'll keep them coming!
Again there will be a small keg and coolers transporting beer. Bring some cash if you want to donate to the keg fund, plus the burrito lady will be meeting us at the dam to sell us burritos. You can also BYOB and bring your own cooler and trailer to help out.
Roughly 16-18 mile ride, easy going pace, 3-4 party stops to relax, drink beer, eat, play bike games, swim, rest, socialize and party with bikes, great people, beer, water, fun and sun!
Same meeting place: Northside Ruynon Lake near the Peace Garden along the bike trail at 2pm.
Interactive map below showing starting locations, general route, and party stop locations.

View Ride the Rio - Party Ride in a larger map

River Ride

2011-07-03T15:24:00.001-06:00

So the first ever Ride the Rio Party Ride along the Arkansas River Trail in Pueblo was freaking awesome! As usual, it's the people that show up for these events that make them so great. If a person is willing to show up to something unique and out-of-the-ordinary, they're usually ready to have a good time and will be amongst similar company. No pretentious b.s. here, just a rag-tag bunch of people that love bicycles, fun, sun, beer, and good company.

Stop one was only about 1.5 miles in, but it was hot enough and folks were ready for a beer..or three. The first stop was a great green, shady nook in the trees overlooking the river and the Angels and Demons mural. A great first stop for people to have a beer, listen to music, mingle and get relaxed.

Stop two was a much needed swimming stop in the kayak park to cool off. Not everyone went in, but either splashing in the river or relaxing on shore with a brew, everyone was content. I think the day could have been complete, even if we ended the ride right there, but we found the energy and courage to push on.

VIDEO

Along with the Shamrock keg, Javier also brought a few bike games, one of which we played under the Pueblo Boulevard bridge along the trail next to the river. I'm not sure what the exact name of the "Bike Water On The Head Game" is, but it sure was fun. Foul and dirty play seemed to be accepted, with payback and retaliation of more dirty and foul play.

VIDEO

The final stop was at the Osprey campground where we had intended to play more bike games, but the wind prevented us from properly playing. The wind did not, prevent us from drinking more beer and having a shit ton of fun. Incredibly enough, we did not lose one single person along the way to drowning, crashing (even though I counted 4), or fatigue and we actually gained a random stranger who thought it looked like we were having a pretty damn good time and decided to tag along.

The next Ride the Rio Party Ride is scheduled for July 30th, so if you didn't make it to this one, make a point to re-arrange your schedule for the next one. More photos can be found here.
Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo

Tea Tree Cafe

2011-06-30T09:21:00.000-06:00

Riding a bicycle will save you money with the absence of bills for gas, car payments, gym memberships, auto insurance, and parking fees. You can now add eating, to the list of how riding a bicycle can save you money. That is if you choose the proper place to eat.
The Tea Tree Cafe is now offering 10% off to anyone that rides their bicycle to the cafe! This is great! One, because it's cool to save money, but two, because it's cool to go to a restaurant that is full of active and healthy customers and employees. Riding your bike will have a positive effect on your health, but so will the food at Tea Tree Cafe. High quality, healthy ingredients that are full of wonderful flavors. My recommendation is the Chicago-rado.
Thank you Tea Tree Cafe for supporting the bicycle community. Now bicycle community, go support the Tea Tree Cafe. That's how it works.

Ride the Rio

2011-06-28T13:27:00.004-06:00

This Saturday, July 2nd at 2pm, there will be a 16-mile party ride along the Arkansas River Trail. There will be multiple trailers pulling coolers, ice and music...you supply the beer, food, and fun. We'll haul your stuff out to the reservoir and back, making numerous stops to swim, relax, make new friends, play bike games, listen to music, socialize, and have a cold beer. Come for a great ride, relax, and start your summer off right. Everyone with a positive attitude is welcome! No worry warts or bad drunks.

The start of the ride is on the north-side of Runyon Lake, near the Peace Rock Garden along the bike trail. For more information contact Javier at ridetherio@yahoo.com Here is an interactive map to verify the starting location.

View Party Ride in a larger map

2011-06-25T19:13:00.001-06:00

You can now feel very European, stop for a perfectly pulled espresso while taking a break from your bicycle ride along the Arkansas River bicycle trail and enjoy the scenery near the Nature Center. Arkansas River Coffee is now open, serving great espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, fruit smoothies, great baked goods, and breakfast burritos. It's the most bicycle friendly coffee shop in Pueblo!

GONE SURFING

2011-06-22T08:11:00.000-06:00

SEE YOU WHEN THE SURF ISN'T GOOD ANYMORE

Connections

2011-06-16T10:34:00.003-06:00

One of the great things about being part of a bicycle community is wide variety of people you are able to connect with, that share your similar interests. At the Bike-In-Movie last Saturday, I briefly met David and Varina that live in Pueblo, enjoy being on bicycles, and as it turns out, also enjoy hosting cross-country bicycle tourists from time to time.
The cross-country tourists they hosted, keep a very nice blog about their adventures and their post about Pueblo was a very positive one! Minus the flat tire in town (don't worry guys, if you live and ride here, you get a flat at least a couple times a month), their experience of Pueblo seemed great. It's nice to read about bicycle experiences in Pueblo from an "outsider's" perspective. Read their Pueblo post HERE and continue to follow their journey.
It's people like David, Varina, The Great Divide, and even the beer at the Shamrock, that will help continue to cultivate the bicycle culture of Pueblo.

Bike-in-movie

2011-06-12T13:15:00.001-06:00

It was a perfect summer evening to relax by the river, meet new people, drink a cold beer, snack on some popcorn and take in some indie films, outdoors and under the stars. The best part...the only way to take it all in was if you had a bicycle or were willing to walk. About 50 people showed up for Pueblo's first ever Bike-in-Movie along the Arkansas River bike trail.

Before the show, people mingled, drank a few cold beers, talked about bikes and enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the river. A few less-outdoorsy types had raised concerns about mosquitoes being a potential issue, but we combated them with citronella, a positive attitude, and laughter. There were a few minor temporary technical difficulties with the equipment, but the gap was filled with impromptu shadow puppetry and an erotic stage dance.

Special thanks to Rita, Angie, Kristen, and Abby for making popcorn for everyone, to Travis and Emilie for painting the wall a beautiful shade of pink, to Kane for supplying us with a great stencil to make signs with, to Garrett and Mike for making the dream a reality, to the PULP for advertising it, and to everyone that showed up and made this a great community event! Hopefully there will be another one very soon!

Here is a short video of parts of the night.

A Slice of Belgium

2011-06-05T17:56:00.000-06:00

Our most recent cross-country bicycle tourist, Eddy from Belgium, was probably our best this year. We had previous Saturday evening plans, so unfortunately we didn't get to spend as much time with Eddy as we wanted. We weren't about to just leave him out in the cold, so we got him settled, gave him a Pueblo bike map, told him where the shower was and we went on our way with our plans. Eddy had just arrived in America a few days prior and it was his first ever visit to the country. He was very surprised when we assured him that he didn't need to be overly paranoid about crime and theft in America. So by hosting a cross-country bicycle tourist through warmshowers.org, not only can you change others' perception of Pueblo, but you can also show them that America isn't full of a bunch of selfish, gun-obsessed, winy, un-educated, over-privileged, bastardos.

Motivational Speaker.

2011-06-03T13:58:00.001-06:00

If you're having a bad day, frustrated from fighting the wind on your commute, not feeling motivated, or are ready to give up bicycle commuting for a car, just watch this whole video, you will be ready to "rock and roll".

Bicycles, Bluegrass, and Rivers

2011-06-02T21:36:00.000-06:00

Bicycles, bluegrass and rivers might be 3 of my favorite things, saving money might be my 4th. This weekend, you can partake in all of those activities.
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the 22nd Annual Bluegrass on the River music festival at the Nature Center in Pueblo. Enjoy 3 days of great music along the beautiful and scenic Arkansas River. Show the folks at the ticket booth that you rode your bicycle there, and receive $5 off your gate admission for Saturday or Sunday. The river trail is now finished with concrete or pavement from Main Street all the way to the Reservoir, so pack a lunch, ride out to the festival, listen to some great music, and play all day along the river.

Rideshare

2011-06-01T20:41:00.003-06:00

   The hipness level of a town open to alternative thought can often be judged by the amount of Craigslist.com activity. Whether it's taking a chance on finding a stranger to be your roommate, doing your shopping there rather than Walmart, Abercrombie and Fitch, REI, or an online conglomerate, finding like-minded strangers to join a club or group, or finding a stranger to rideshare or carpool with, Craigslist.com has it all...if the community supports it. Here is a quick glance at the rideshare section of Craigslist.com in a few different towns that are relatively similar in size to Pueblo. All have Universities, all are along a major Interstate, but the difference in rideshare activity is amazing. Take a look for yourself. Bellingham, WA      Pueblo, CO      Medford-Ashland, OR.
Why the big difference?
   Many people in Pueblo leave their neighborhood every morning, coffee in hand, and drive alone for 50 miles to work in Colorado Springs, right along next to their neighbors without giving it much of a thought. Or even from Pueblo West to Pueblo or vice-versa. Gas is expensive, double the hydro-carbons just suck, and heck you may even get outside your box, have an interesting experience, get to know your neighbors, your community and make a new friend. So if you're going to drive a car, at least invite someone along for the ride.

BMX

2011-06-01T07:57:00.000-06:00

Now that school is out, the BMX'ers are out in packs. In my opinion, it's way cooler than getting your license or borrowing your mom's car. I grew up riding and racing BMX, watching RAD, ripping around town with my friends, and hanging out in the park. They're great times. But BMX isn't necessarily only about youth, as most of the best BMX riders are far from being teenagers.. So if you're feeling old, pick yourself up an inexpensive BMX bike and recapture some of your youth.
Here is the trailer from a BMX documentary to get you in the mood..

A Scavenger Hunt Classic

2011-05-30T17:44:00.001-06:00

The story goes like this.
Hey Cock and Bull, would you be interested in hosting the after party for our Bicycle Scavenger Hunt and possibly offer discounts on beer and/or food?
Crickets. Silence. No response.
I don't get mad, I get even. Ha.
Scavenger Hunt Clue:
Streak through the Cock and Bull.
Points. 8
Participants that went through with it. At least 4.
Thanks guys and gals.

Bicycle Scavenger Hunt

2011-05-29T11:43:00.001-06:00

Forty-six people gathered on Friday at PCC for the start of the second annual Pueblo Bicycle Scavenger Hunt. Friends, couples, families, and complete strangers formed teams of 2-3 for a night of bicycle riding, laughing, strategy, scavenging, socializing, friendly competition, and fun.

At 6:00pm sharp, an impossibly huge list of clues was handed out and teams scrambled to assemble a game plan to obtain the answers to as many possible clues by 7:45pm and regroup at Bingo Burger downtown.

There were 4 categories of clues on the list that were assigned, with each item assigned a specific point value based on degree of difficulty. The photo section category had teams take digital photos of random things or poses around town.

Human pyramids, posing with a police officer, posing in a shopping cart, a live horse, an out of state license plate, streaking through the Cock-n-Bull, and an Italian flag were a few examples of things teams needed to photograph.

Baseball cards were also hidden under benches, picnic tables, and payphones around town and teams scored points if they were the first to find the cards.

Teams were also required to physically gather clues such as a 7-inch record, hotel soap, a 1040 tax form, pine-cones, and wine corks and transport them in backpacks, baskets or panniers to the final meeting point.

At 7:45pm, teams gathered at Bingo Burger, who were gracious enough to host the after-party and offer discounts on food and beer. Each team was paired with another team, then scavenger hunt lists were exchange, photos and clues were verified and checked by the opposing team and points were tallied.

Teams socialized, drank beer, ate great food, laughed at photos, made new friends and validated clues for the next few hours. It was awesome to see so many bicycles out but equally amazing to see so many people having fun and getting to know other people in the bicycle community.

When the dust settled, Jonathon, Shawna, and Joel, by only a few points and a lithium battery, edged out Alex and Sarah and Shane and John. Gift certificates from Hopscotch Bakery and Bingo Burger and 3 handmade hats were awarded to the winners. Dave was also the lucky drawing recipient of a one-hour therapeutic massage.

The crowd dwindled slightly, but the after-after party flowed over to the Downtown Bar, who offered $1 off your first beer if you were on a bicycle.
If you missed this Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, don't worry, a late summer or early fall Hunt is already in the works. If you attended this Hunt and have some hilarious photos from your night, send them to alternativecommutepueblo@yahoo.com, I would love to put together a photo collage of everyone's night.

Bicycle Dates

2011-05-25T12:26:00.001-06:00

One of the more difficult aspects of being a bike commuter can be integrating the bicycle into your social life or more specifically your dating life. If you are a bicyclist, but your prospective partner is not, it can make for a pretty awkward first date. If you show up at your date's house on a bicycle, but she/he is expecting to be picked up in a BMW, you may not get a second date. It's probably not going to be the best match either, if you are an avid bicyclist and your partner won't even get on a bicycle. If you can at least convince them to get on a bike once, love has a chance.

Car dates are so easy and boring. If your partner is adventurous and appreciates the extra planning you went through to organize a fun bike-date, he/she is a keeper. If you're looking to incorporate bicycling into a few dates, here are some local bicycle date options.

1. Pueblo Bicycle Scavenger Hunt

This event tops the list by a mile. What could be better than forming a team of two with your sweetie and riding around town, looking for clues, mystery in the air, being silly, and enjoying a drink after? Nothing.

2. Arkansas River Trail Ride

From Main St in Pueblo all the way to the Pueblo Reservoir, the Arkansas River trail is a wonderfully scenic and peaceful way to spend the day with your better half. Plenty of secluded, romantic places along the trail to stop and stick your feet in the river, or take an adventurous late night skinny dip. If you're hungry or thirsty, stop at the Nature Center for some food and drink. The margaritas cost a bit, but they are worth it!

3. Pueblo Bike-In-Movie

In the 1950's the buzz was drive-in movies, get with the times, bike-in-movies are what it's all about. Pack yourself a small picnic, a bottle of wine, some brewskies, and a blanket and ride down on the river trail to enjoy film under the stars and along the river. The romantic meter equals 10.

4. First Friday Art Walk/Bike

Take a lovely evening bicycle cruise down to the Union District, park, and walk around looking at some great Pueblo art. It's becoming the most vibrant event that Pueblo has to offer, and it's only going to get better. Pack along some deodorant (I don't prescribe to this, but luckily I have a girl that enjoys the natural aromas) because things may get intimate after some art, wine, and a stroll around the Riverwalk.

5. Bluegrass on the River

An entire weekend of great bluegrass music that is accessible by a 100% car-free trail. Access the trail at City Park and ride along the scenic river to the Nature Center. Local band, The Haunted Windchimes will be playing on Friday night, so bring your dancing shoes. You may want to bring a headlight, the trail will be dark on the ride home at night. Unless of course the spooky dark night helps bring your lady into your arms, then leave it at home:)

6. South Shore Pueblo Reservoir Mountain Biking

If you don't have a mountain bike, don't worry, sign up for a co-op membership at CSU-P Outdoor Pursuits and borrow one for the weekend. Tons of different trails for a wide variety of skill levels. Ride out to Pedro Point and enjoy the incredible view or sneak down the cliffs to the lake and take an eye-opening swim.

7. Yard Sales by Bicycle

A great activity for people that like hunting for treasure or just like looking through other people's junk. Make yourself a list of yard sales in your area, draw up a good route between them, and start riding. After a cup of Saturday morning coffee, this is a fantastic way to leisurely start your weekend.

8. Xeric Garden Tour by bicycle

The environmentalists in Pueblo realize that we are in a desert and over-watering your long is ridiculous. There are tons of great xeric gardens in Pueblo and it's really fun to ride around by bicycle to look at them. There is a Pueblo xeric garden tour/brochure available at Campbells Nursery that gives specifics on how to find the premiere gardens in town. Ride, and smell the flowers, not the car exhaust.

9. Bakery and Coffee by bicycle

They say the direct way to your lover's heart is through their sweet tooth. A morning coffee and bakery tour by bicycle is a great way to kickoff a Saturday. Start with some coffee at the Tea Tree Cafe, ride down the hill to Hopscotch Bakery, then take a mellow cruise out into the county and visit the Mauro Farms bakery. This way, there's no need tot worry about how many carbs you take in, because you'll be burning them right off.

Graffiti Art Ride

2011-05-24T08:10:00.004-06:00

Last Sunday was the Graffiti Art Ride here in Pueblo. It was roughly an 8 mile loop around Pueblo, visiting 7 or 8 graffiti art walls, that were hand selected by Nicholas Santisteven, and local graffiti artist and cyclist.

We rode around from site to site at a casual pace and stopped briefly to discuss each piece and Nicholas answered questions that people had about the art. Everyone was amazed that they had ridden by a lot of the spots, but never even noticed the art work.

We battled some heavy winds, and the skies threatened to pour down rain, but other than a flat tire, the ride went down without a hitch.

After the ride, we all gathered at the Shamrock Brewing Company for socializing, beer, and food. Shamrock was gracious enough to give us a cyclist discount of pints for $2!
Everyone had a great time and hopefully next year we'll do another ride in a different area of town.

More pics from the rde can be found, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE

Pueblo Bike Polo

2011-05-21T16:16:00.000-06:00

There are rumors that a Pueblo Bike Polo League will be starting sometime in mid-June. The league is being organized by Scott Jones, former owner of Bob's Bicycles. He says the league is open to anyone that has a bicycle and wants to have some fun, but leave the overly competitive junk and bad attitudes at home. Friendly, positive shit talking is encouraged though. Here is the link to the Pueblo Bike Polo Facebook page with full league constitution and rules.
So get together a team of 2-3, come up with a unique team name, and you're ready to play!

Valet Parking

2011-05-20T21:26:00.001-06:00

During large downtown events, finding a car parking spot can be as frustrating as looking for a quality micro-brew to drink in Pueblo. Luckily, I have information on how to make both of those things easier this weekend for the Wild Wild West Festival. If you ride your bicycle downtown you won't have to fight traffic, go round and round in circles, searching for a place to park your car. Instead, you roll right up to the gate, lock up your bicycle and away you go.
Coors, Budweiser, Tecate and Shock Top don't qualify as good beers in my book, but that's mostly what you'll find as you wander Union Ave this weekend. If your taste buds are more refined than that, wander down to Bingo Burger or the Downtown Bar, both of whom have the best micro-brew selection in town.

Communal Office Bicycle

2011-05-20T09:34:00.000-06:00

For many people that have chosen to live too far from their place of employment, bicycle commuting to and from work isn't a daily option. Although a ride to a restaurant at lunch or to run an errand during a break is more feasible. But how do you ride to lunch or for an errand if your bike is still at home? At our office, we have people that have been willing to loan out their bikes if someone else wants to take it for lunch. I've also heard from Jenny at the Health Department, that they are considering leaving a designated communal bike at the office that everyone can use during the day for short trip errands. That way, if you can't ride a bike to and from work, at least during the day you can take a break, get some fresh air, clear the mind, and save some gas money if you need to run an errand

Thursday Costume Ride - Cowboy

2011-05-19T10:45:00.001-06:00

Get a head-start on the Wild, Wild, West Festival, and come join us for the first Thursday Costume Cruiser Ride of Bike Month. Tonight's ride starts on the south-side of Minnequa Lake at 6pm and will be a 2.25 mile ride of the new local trails. Bring your bulls, cowboy hats, chaps, ropes, steers, and boots. Children and families are welcome!
For more information on the Thursday Costume Cruiser rides, visit the ActivePueblo website.
Yeeee-haw.

Pueblo Bike To Work

2011-05-19T07:03:00.000-06:00

What a great morning yesterday! About 70 people participated in the early morning portion of the Bike To Work Day breakfast stop which included the short Downtown Tour ride. The atmosphere was festive. Live music by England Porter, breakfast burritos from Betty's, pedal powered fruit smoothies, gear from Nick's Bikes, patch kits from the Great Divide, political speakers, a live radio broadcast, free massages, and lots of great people on bicycles mingling around and getting to know one another. So thank you very much to all of the organizers, volunteers and participants, everyone made this a really awesome day!

Lighting Project

2011-05-17T13:02:00.002-06:00

If you like riding your bicycle during the day, but have a fear of riding at night because it's dangerous, Project Aura may be able to help.
The biggest limitation of front and rear headlights are when a car approaches you at an intersection from a 90 degree angle, they aren't able to see you if your lights are facing straight ahead. Project Aura emits light perpendicular to the rider's direction, which will give approaching automobiles a heads-up that a bicycle is approaching. They are powered by an internal dynamo hub and change colors based on velocity.
Plus, these lights look ridiculously cool!

Project Aura: Bicycle Safety Lighting System from Project AURA on Vimeo.

Bike to Work Pueblo

2011-05-17T11:09:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is Bike to Work day in Pueblo, CO which is part of National Bike to Work Week. There will be a breakfast station set up at SRDA on Union and Grand Ave which will include free breakfast burritos, live music, drinks, snacks and lots of local bicycle commuters to socialize with. The breakfast station is open at 6am and will continue until 9am. At 7:30am there will be a Downtown Tour, in which all bicycle commuters will take a 2-mile casual ride around the downtown area to demonstrate our strength in numbers and to get to know fellow commuters. This is also the kick-off for the Bicycle Commuter Cup, so if you haven't registered, there is still time.
So ride on down, get some free food, take in some music, mingle with fellow bicyclists, and start your day off right!

Cruisers

2011-05-15T10:38:00.002-06:00

No need to even write about the Friday Cruiser Ride, there are so many smiling and happy faces, the photographs tell the best story. Great ride, great people, great beer, great time! Click on images to enlarge.

Pueblo Transit

2011-05-13T14:20:00.000-06:00

A recent knee injury has forced me to alter my normal bicycle commute to work and back with something less physical. The easy and convenient thing to do would be to borrow the car and be another single driver on the road. Being an environmentalist, I couldn't do that without having a guilty conscience or feeling like a hypocrite. Being an adventurist, I couldn't do that without feeling very very boring.
I'll be the first to admit that using public transportation takes a little bit of planning and isn't quite as convenient or fast as the personal automobile, but I feel that small bit of effort and time is the least I can do to try and make my community and planet a better place. That same hands-on activism also keeps me from feeling like a boring sheep mindlessly making my way to my job. Riding the bus is cool, really it is. If this blog transforms into a strictly bus blog, I will do my best to show you how cool it is. Until then, I'll let someone else tell you how cool it is, check out my favorite, Bus Chick.

Friday the 13th Costume Cruiser

2011-05-11T13:40:00.001-06:00

I can guarantee you that the weather will be better for this Costume Cruiser than it was for the last one. This Friday, May 13th there will be another Costume Cruiser Ride in Pueblo. We will be meeting at Bingo Burger on 1st St. People will be doing face-painting starting at 6:00pm up until the ride starts at 7:00pm. So bring a costume, be ready to be goofy, but to also be safe and follow the rules of the road. This is a very casual ride, approximately 2-3 leisurely miles. The end of the ride will finish at Bingo Burger, who will be having live music, beer, and burgers on their patio!

Bicycle Enclave

2011-05-11T11:13:00.004-06:00

Living in a town that hasn't quite hit it's full cycling potential has it's disadvantages. Finding people with similar interests sometimes seems impossible. One positive about the scarcity of people on bicycles, is that when you do see someone cycling, you almost instantly feel a connection with them. Similar to a group of ex-patriots in a foreign country that bond together because they miss certain aspects of their homeland or a group of immigrants in the United States that find comfort in others that share culture similarities.
When passing another person on a bicycle while in Portland, Seattle, Boulder, or Minneapolis, you're just another cyclist, one of thousands. There is no waving or cheerful saluting, or the excitement you see in someone's eyes because you just saw another person on a bicycle. You're just a person on a bicycle that has forgotten and taken for granted the work that has gone into their cycling community, all the bicycle related events going on in your town, and wonderful infrastructure that exists.
So whether you're in Portland, Pueblo, Austin, Fargo, Bellingham, Detroit or Miami Beach, the next time you see another cyclist on the road, give them a wave, say hello, and appreciate that you and that person have something in common and are part of something really great.

Religion on Two Wheels

2011-05-10T18:58:00.002-06:00

I personally don't have a belief in one organized religion, but if I did, I might choose a religion that spreads there message while riding a bicycle. These two missionaries that I saw today weren't worried about converting me to their religion, they just wanted to talk bicycles and weather. They were rad dudes.

Car Traffic Kills Your Brain

2011-05-10T08:30:00.001-06:00

Evidence is piling up that pollution from cars is killing our brains. A list of studies showing the negative effects of car exhaust on humans can be found HERE. Basically, by driving a car, you're slowly killing yourself and everyone around you. While most will continue to chose the convenient method of transportation and plead ignorance is bliss, there are plenty of us that will choose to ride a bicycle. The above photo is of Ed, who about 1 year ago decided that riding a bicycle to work at CSU-Pueblo was a much better option than driving a car. Over the past 365 days, Edd chose to ride a bicycle to work every single day, rather than drive his car. Do you want to change your lifestyle? Give bicycle commuting a try for a month by joining the Pueblo Bicycle Commuter Cup.
The comic below may have come up with a solution for the ignorance associated with driving a car.

Instant Summer

2011-05-09T15:13:00.002-06:00

Just like that, the weather changed from snow on May 1st to near 90 degrees this weekend. To celebrate and welcome in summer, we went for a Sunday cruise with Garret and Mike to shoot some bicycle related video for the upcoming Bike-In-Movie and next MWP, went for a frigid but awakening swim in the Arkansas River, and finished the day off with an ice cold beer. Yep, it's summer.

Riding Double

2011-05-09T09:18:00.000-06:00

In America, most adults think that riding double on a bicycle is only for kids, that it's unsafe and/or illegal. It is illegal, but it's not only for kids, nor is it unsafe if done correctly. In Latin America and Asia, riding double on your bicycle with your girlfriend/boyfriend is considered quite romantic. There are a couple of techniques for successfully riding double.

The passenger sits on the toptube while the other person pedals and steers (photo). I've often seen a towel wrapped around the toptube to add a bit of cushion for comfort.
The passenger rides on the bolts of the rear wheel axle (above) and puts their hands on the shoulder of the other person. Often extensions are added to the bolts to make it easier to stand on.
The passenger sits on the handlebars of the bicycle, while the other person pedals and steers (photo). Limited visibility can be an issue.
Neither person is a passenger, both are active riders. Cross hands on the handlebars, each person takes a pedal, and they alternate moving up and down like pistons (photo). I call this the "double pump". Definitely the most difficult technique, but by far the most rewarding, it feels wicked once you get rolling..
The least exciting way to ride double on a bicycle is to buy a tandem (photo).

First Friday Art Ride

2011-05-07T10:14:00.000-06:00

Last night's First Friday Art Ride was great! We started the night parking our bicycles at Wireworks, who by the way desperately need a bike rack, then walked a nice big loop to all the galleries on Union Ave. There seemed to be quite a few bicycle related art pieces too. Lots of people were out and about either walking or riding. We saw a huge variety of bicycles, mountain bikes, single-speeds, cruisers, vintage lightweights, and low-riders. We stopped and listened to Jordan Smart play some great music for a bit, then went searching for the elusive Moving Wall Project. They were projecting some really great short films to onlookers, my favorite being a graffiti animation film done by BLU. If you've never been out for First Friday's in Pueblo, you are missing out. It's lively, it's free, a great way to meet new people, and support the local art and music community. Next month, grab your bike and ride downtown!

Trials

2011-05-06T17:30:00.000-06:00

Urban or street trials biking is pretty damn cool. I haven't seen much of it happening until today. A couple of locals were riding trials-style near the library. If you're interested in seeing the premiere trials rider in the world, check out this video.

Under the Bridge

2011-05-05T10:03:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if they've broken a champagne bottle over the trail yet, but in my opinion the Arkansas River Trail below the 4th Street bridge is officially OPEN! The trail is now completely paved. There is still work being done on the parking lot and trail-head area, and the bouldering and lighting structures still have a ways to go, but you can now ride on smooth pavement between Main Street and City Park. There is also a really nice pavement and rock seating area at the first hole of the kayak park. Enjoy!

A Beautiful Morning.

2011-05-04T08:03:00.000-06:00

While waiting at the stoplight on Abriendo and Colorado this absolutely beautiful morning, I saw a bicyclist cruise by and ride the bike lane down towards downtown. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was Ben Sandoval from the Health Department. The Health Department must be picking up the pace and getting ready for this year's Bicycle Commuter Cup. Nice job!

Friendly Commute

2011-05-02T11:55:00.001-06:00

If you see someone you know while driving to work in an automobile, it's not really that exciting and other than waving, you don't really communicate with them. That's not the case when you see someone you know while commuting by bicycle. You actually get to communicate with them, have a conversation, and that's a great way to start the day!
It was doubly cool, because just yesterday I saw Angie dressed as a pirate and a mom at the Costume Cruiser Ride and this morning I saw her as she was heading to work at Parkview as a Recreational Therapist....all on a bicycle. Nice!

Critical Mass Success

2011-05-01T18:00:00.004-06:00

Many bicyclists braved the not so springlike day and rode through rain, sleet and snow to show their support for the bicycle community that we all belong to.

My favorite part of the event was the variety of people that showed up. Young, old, parents, children, activists, students, teachers, serious cyclists, and people that just like dressing up in costumes.

The hope is that people will continue to ride their bicycles, not only for fun and social reasons, but also as a replacement for the mainstream mode of transportation...the car.

It was the first Critical Mass for many people at the event and for many the first time even hearing the words Critical Mass.

Everyone did a pretty darn good job obeying the rules of the road and the response from automobiles on the road was very positive.

We received a lot of friendly honks, thumbs up, woot-woots and only one car driver asked me if I was dressed as a dildo. Honestly, my shark costume could have easily been mistaken for a dildo.

The energy of the group was pretty high to begin with and we got a bit spread out, but towards the end of the ride we developed a better rhythm of keeping everyone together as a group...or the Union hill tired everyone out and slowed everyone down.

I think one way to make the ride more kid friendly in the future would be if we put a few kids in the front and let them lead until they get tired, then the adult group could continue on with another route.

I think the group did an excellent job of getting a message across without being abrasive or negative.

Whether your reason for riding a bicycle is to make a statement about the environment, your physical health, your mental health, your political views or your financial improvement, we made signs for everything.

Plans to continue a similar event in the future were discussed and people were also informed of all the other fun bicycle related EVENTS that are already planned for bike month.

So if you are a fair-weather bicyclists and happened to miss the inaugural ride you won't have to wait long for the next fun bicycle event.

It was cool to meet a lot of great new people that love having fun, riding a bicycle and doing something unique, healthy, and slightly out of the ordinary.

So whether it's the next Critical Mass, the Bike-In-Movie, the Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, the Bicycle Commuter Cup , the weekly Thursday Costume Cruiser rides, or the Adults on Kid's Bike races be sure to attend and bring as many friends as possible.

The Pueblo bicycle movement has been inching along for years, I think it's time to take off and flourish!

Bicycle Canvassing

2011-04-30T16:07:00.002-06:00

Convincing people to participate in bicycle related events is difficult. Mostly because everyone has different reasons for wanting to participate (or not wanting to participate), therefore your target audience is extremely varied. Here are 4 groups to target.

1. Target the car-culture obsessed.
Even though the chances of convincing someone in this group to participate is next to nothing, the thought of getting a person on a bike that normally wouldn't even think about it is too sweet not to try.
Technique: General posters around town at bars, Walmart, fast-food places, car shows, and gun shows. Poster graphics should involve women in bikinis, men without shirts, and Coors beer.

2. Target the hipster / activist / political type
Some people just love to be involved with things because it helps them with their image of being cool or their cause. It doesn't matter what the event or cause is, as long as it makes them look cool, they'll be down for it.
Technique: General posters around town at coffee shops, tattoo parlors, Facebook, art galleries, and record stores. Poster graphics should involve tattoos, saving the whales, being vegetarian, saving the endangered gopher, black glasses, signing an online petition, turning the earth green, chic clothing, mass movements, anything retro, and catchy slogans.

3. Target the recreational bicyclist
You know they already ride a bicycle, but depending on the bicycle event, it may not be extreme enough for them. Chances of convincing them to attend the event are good because they already have the love for the bicycle.
Technique: Place posters in bike shops, gyms, yoga studios, running clubs, Footlocker and at organized endurance races. Poster graphics should include bulging muscles, insanely expensive bicycles, No Fear, skin tight lycra, the word XXXtreme, a Red Bull or microbrew sponsor, scars or blood, and nutrition.

4. Target the everyday bicyclist.
I think this group has the highest percentage for successfully being convinced to participate. If you see a bicycle parked on a rack, you already know that they are riding, so just hope they aren't the DUI bicyclist or the uni-bomber and will be excited that they received a small note and will attend your event in order to meet new people.
Technique: Find a bicycle parked on a rack, then tape a small flier to their seat. Poster graphics should be simple. You could add some Jack Daniels graphics if you think it may be a DUI bicyclist.

Getting people on a bicycle is only the first step. Convincing the active cyclists to become active in the overall movement is almost as difficult as initially getting someone on a bike. Just because you ride a bicycle, doesn't mean you shouldn't help the bicycle community in other ways. If you don't like that there aren't bike lanes, that not many people cycle, or that existing events aren't done the way you like...do something about it.
More information HERE, to get involved with existing events

The Start of Touring Season

2011-04-29T11:42:00.000-06:00

Last night our first cross-country bicycle tourist of the year stayed with us! Kerry from New Zealand had gotten an early start on the touring season and wasn't overly bothered by the piles of snow and frozen gears that he encountered in the Rockies. Kerry was a very nice and interesting fellow and it was a pleasure to have him as a guest for the evening. A few glasses of wine and stories of the open road made for a great night.
I encourage all Puebloans to host cross-country cyclists through warmshowers.org. Whether you are a cyclist yourself or not, it's not only a great way to help the local cycling community by creating a positive perception of Pueblo to out-of-towners. It's also a great way to feel like you are traveling without leaving town and a great way to meet new and interesting folks. Soaking in travel stories from others and reminiscing of your own past travel experiences is the next best thing to actually traveling. Frequent refreshing waves of an outside-Pueblo perspective is always a good thing too.. It doesn't hurt that we also now have a welcoming home waiting for us in New Zealand if we decide to tour the island:).
Visit the BICYCLE TOURING section of this website to find out more ways you can help promote bicycle touring in Pueblo.

Critical Mass

2011-04-27T15:18:00.008-06:00

This Sunday, May 1st, Pueblo will hold it's first ever (at least that I'm aware of) Critical Mass-Costume bicycle ride. The goal of the Critical Mass is to peacefully and lawfully raise awareness about automobile related environmental issues and the cyclist's rights to share the road. The goal of the organizers is to be seen as a group, but not be confrontational by fully blocking traffic, and to obey traffic laws. And of course, to have fun and ride around with others within the bicycle community. The event will be kid friendly and safe!
Sunday from 1-2 pm in City Park, (Public Pool) there will be a mobile bicycle kitchen setup to teach basic DIY bicycle maintenance and dig up volunteers for a more permanent DIY bicycle kitchen project, followed by the Critical Mass ride starting at 2pm. The ride will last approximately 1-1.5 hours and end in downtown Pueblo.
So spread the word, find a fun costume, bring yourself to City Park, and help make a positive statement that will help the Pueblo bicycle community.

How to organize a Bicycle Scavenger Hunt

2011-04-26T12:38:00.001-06:00

Organizing a Bicycle Scavenger Hunt is really pretty easy. I prefer a hybrid scavenger hunt, with 4 categories of clues to find. I will include a link to my scavenger hunt list at the end of this article.

1. ITEMS TO COLLECT
These are physical items that the teams need to seek out, collect, and then transport them in backpacks or panniers until the end of the hunt.

2. FIND THE ANSWERS
These types of clues, give a general statement, in which the answer can be found somewhere around your town, then the answer is written down and taken to the end of the hunt.

3. FIND HIDDEN BASEBALL CARDS
This takes a bit of prep work by the organizer, who takes a few baseball cards and tape and hides them around town the night before the hunt. Then a clue to their location is given and teams have to go find them and collect them. It adds a nice layer of strategy to the hunt, because only one team will be able to score points since there will only be one baseball card per clue.

4. TAKE PHOTOS.
These will be items or actions that teams will have to do or collect and document by taking digital photos.

At the end of the hunt, teams are paired up with another team, and they grade each others clue lists and tally up how many points were earned. This is nice, because the organizer doesn't have to spend the rest of the night tallying up points and also gets teams together to get to know each other, laugh at photos and dispute points earned. I have uploaded my Bicycle Scavenger Hunt List at the following location.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnXNvP3sLNP3dDEteXFodEZSTHRHTUhQRVNaOW55RUE

The list will have to be slightly modified for your town.

Easter Biker

2011-04-24T16:11:00.001-06:00

Sundays are usually a great day in Pueblo because the usual car drivers are all churching it up, so the roads are wide open for the bicycle. An extra special religious Sunday makes things even more desolate on the streets. No bicycle bunnies were spotted, but for the sinning bicyclist that doesn't celebrate Easter it was a great day for a cruise!

Bicycles and Burgers

2011-04-22T09:27:00.000-06:00

People get their motivation to ride a bicycle for many different reasons. Health, appearance, status within the scene, environmental, and financial factors can all inspire folks to get on a bicycle. A hungry belly can now be added to the list of motivating factors. Until this Saturday, anyone that rides their bicycle down to Bingo Burger in Pueblo will receive a 20% discount on their order!
It's programs and incentives like these that I would love to see more local businesses move towards becoming our first official Bicycle Friendly Business. Bingo Burger has accomplished many of the stipulations for becoming a BFB, as they are promoting biking to work amongst employees by participating in the Commuter Cup, have a nice, big, ideally located bike rack out front, and are offering discounts to customers that ride bicycles. Nice job!

Biking Buddies

2011-04-19T18:19:00.000-06:00

Finding the motivation to ride to work or school isn't always easy. Having a group of people to ride with helps to encourage one another and often makes the ride more enjoyable if you have someone to talk with along the way. Plus, it's a great way to meet people and get to know people in your neighborhood that may be biking in the same direction. A steady group of CSU-Pueblo commuters is forming and growing, hop along for the ride!

Mail by bicycle

2011-04-15T08:26:00.003-06:00

This post was inspired by a few recent posts by my friend Jenny who writes a great blog about recycling in Pueblo.
Apparently the USPS has come out with a collection of Go Green stamps, one of them promoting bicycle commuting. It started me thinking about mail delivery, bicycles, automobiles, and conservation. Bicycle mail is relatively commonplace in countries like New Zealand, the UK, Germany, Denmark, and France, but I had no idea that even in the US of A in Sun City, Arizona, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Miami Beach, Florida the mail is delivered by bicycle too. Year round warm weather and flat topography are probably the key. I say Pueblo should go for it too!
The UK not too long ago banned their postal workers from delivering by bicycle, siting efficiency and safety as the reason for the change to a fleet of vans. But what about consumption of oil and gas, pollution, and worker health? In the US, the largest fleet of vehicles for any one company belongs to the US Postal Service (Wal-Mart being second). So what has more environmental impact, greenwashing with a stamp collection or reducing vehicle use?
Enviromedia Social Marketing and the University of Oregon have partnered to make a public list of greenwashed ad spots that can be rated by the public. HERE is the pretty interesting site. Is the USPS more concerned about their image or about promoting environmentalism?

Turning Heads

2011-04-14T08:45:00.002-06:00

As I waited at the stoplight on 4th and Main this morning, I watched this guy swerve in and out of traffic while he attempted to look behind him. I think he was looking for cars and he came real close to finding one closer than I'm sure he wanted. He almost got hit 3 or 4 times while trying to look backwards and ride forwards.

Surprisingly, it's not that easy to keep both hands on the handlebars, turn your head and shoulders nearly 180 degrees, focus on something behind you, and continue to ride straight. That's the correct bicycle "safety" way, but it's HARD and naturally makes you want to swerve. It takes a bit of practice. I personally feel more comfortable keeping only my right hand on the bars, letting go with the left hand while turning my head, shoulder and torso to look whose behind me.

Probably the safest thing to do is get a decent mirror.

dogs ON bicycles

2011-04-10T17:24:00.001-06:00

As a bicyclist, one main concern while riding is wild, unleashed dogs that may take a bite out of your ankle or even something worse. Dog mace, whistles, yelling in a stern voice, sticks, pepper spray, dog tazers, or speeding up are all techniques used to deter an attacking dog. One thing I had never thought of, is giving the attacking dog a taste of his own medicine...another dog! I saw this couple riding around with their two poodles mounted on the back of a tricycle today. click to enlarge

Trail Access from Main Street

2011-04-10T12:41:00.000-06:00

There is now paved access from the Main Street trail-head down to the Arkansas River trail!
The Arkansas River trail section from Santa Fe to 4th St is also complete and sweet.
Under the 4th St bridge isn't officially open, but is ride-able on a weekend when workers aren't present. Check it out! They are making progress on some nice landscaping, a parking area for kayakers and hopefully a bouldering area!

Concerned Commuter

2011-04-09T09:37:00.001-06:00

After I was done sweeping the bike lane the other day and gathering up my stuff, Dane, a concerned commuter stopped because he thought I had wrecked. It's that kind of camaraderie that makes a bicycle community great. Dane's commute is a healthy one, from out in the county to Walgreens on 4th street, so I urged him to register his workplace as a Commuter Cup team.

Guerilla Maintenance

2011-04-09T09:35:00.003-06:00

I hadn't noticed until my friend Wren pointed it out while he was visiting Pueblo, but ever since, I really notice the steep angle of the Union Avenue bike lane between the library and the bridge. The street is basically an arc, so if you're riding on the center line it's flat, but the closer you get to the curb, the steeper the angle. Add a nice layer of gravel left over from winter and screaming down the hill in the bike lane becomes a pretty sketchy task. I didn't expect the city to sweep the bike lanes anytime soon, so I decided to bring my broom with me on my way to work on Friday and do the job myself. I swept the worst 50 meter section of the reach and in my opinion it's much better now.
Music credit: This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb

Get Ready For Fun

2011-04-07T09:47:00.001-06:00

We are starting to finalize dates, times and locations for all of the Bike Month activities planned for this May-June. Here is a list of many of the events that are planned. Help spread the word.
We're still looking for people to organize/host more bicycle related events. Take your favorite activity, add bicycles, and poof...you have a bicycle event.

Bike to Work Day Breakfast and Parade

Wednesday, May 18^th, 6-9am, in front of SRDA, live music, breakfast burritos, smoothies, coffee, and a downtown bicycle tour/parade at 7:25am. FREE: Just ride your bicycle. Come celebrate bike to work day with other bicycle commuters!

A Bike-In movie with the Moving Wall Project

June 11th, 7:30pm, In a secluded bike-in only location along the Arkansas River trail, the Moving Wall Project guys will set up shop and show a few bicycle related films. Click HERE for a map to the location.

2nd Annual Bicycle Scavenger Hunt

May 27th, 6pm, start on the Pueblo Community College lawn. Bring a pencil, backpack, and a digital camera. Teams of 2-3 will ride around Pueblo looking for clues. Beer to follow. Last year's inaugural event was a success and everyone had a blast, this year's Bicycle Scavenger Hunt should be bigger and better than last year.

Adults on Kid's Bicycle Races

June 3rd, 7pm, Starts at the Rawlings Library. Adults riding and racing as fast as they can on miniature children's bicycles through the streets of Pueblo. Bring your own bike and dress in a costume. FREE to race. Plenty of wacky antics will be on display.

Weekly Costume Cruiser Rides

May 18th - June 23rd, 6pm, Every Thursday. Dress up as a cowboy, pirate, 50's greaser, and super hero and casually cruise around town with other bicyclists. Last year's ride was a teaser, this time it's for real! Visit www.activepueblo.net/cruiser-rides for starting locations and themes.

Ice Cream Social Ride

June 7th, 6pm, Starts at the main library. Social ride along the Arkansas River Trail to Nick's Dairy Cream and Taffy's for ice cream and fun.

Graffiti Art Ride

May 22nd, 5pm, Starts and ends at the Shamrock Brewing Company. Ride around town to view a few of Pueblo's amazing graffiti art spots.

Pueblo Bicycle Commuter Cup

May 18^th – June 22^nd, Month long FREE and friendly challenge to introduce people to bicycle commuting. Track your mileage; inspire co-workers and other businesses to ride. For more information and to register your workplace: www.pueblobcc.com

First Friday Art Ride/Walk

June 3rd, 5pm-8pm. Why walk when you can ride? Ride your bicycle downtown and hop from art gallery to art gallery, enjoy live music, a few snacks and refreshments. Participating galleries can be found HERE
Be sure to keep an eye out for the Adults on Kid's Bikes Race going on.

For a full list of events, check:
http://activepueblo.net/calendar

If you would like to plan and host your own event or have any questions about the above events, please contact alternativecommutepueblo@yahoo.com

The Good and The Bad

2011-04-04T17:11:00.000-06:00

The Good
The previously unpaved section of the Arkansas River trail between Santa Fe Ave and Main Street is now completely paved and smooth. No more mud and winter ice.
Also, construction workers have almost completed a paved section connecting the Main Street trailhead down to the trail. Very nice!

The Bad
The trail underneath the 4th Street bridge is still closed. Today I was told to turn around. How can they get away with not offering a detour option? If an automobile road were under construction would they not offer a detour...or just tell you to turn around and get out of there? Most cities, when bicycle trails are impassible and under construction, a detour option is marked with signs. CDOT must know this, they work all over the state, including Springs, Denver, and Boulder, where bicyclists would raise hell if their bicycle highway was closed. Since it's Pueblo, apparently it's ok.

On A Steel Horse I Ride

2011-04-03T12:16:00.000-06:00

I was recently asked to write an article for the Pueblo PULP about the South Shore mountain bike trails. Whenever I am riding out there, the atmosphere, environment and scenery always reminds me of a 1970's Spaghetti Western, so I used a lot of cowboy references in the article. Last month, I saw an actual cowboy riding his steel horse around town. Giddee up!
Hopefully the article will inspire locals to get out and explore the South Shore...because it really is a special place!

Pueblo to Boulder and Back

2011-03-29T09:33:00.002-06:00

WARNING: Very long post with numerous photos, click on links for more.

Many people spend their Spring Break partying on a beach in Florida. We opted for a more adventurous way to pass the week. We decided to combine public transportation, bicycle touring, and meeting strangers into a wonderful 5 day vacation.
Navigating our way out of Pueblo was easy, using the very familiar Fountain Creek Trail, but we quickly entered uncharted territory. First the bike trail ended, then the pavement ended, and we spent 13 bumpy miles wondering if a different route would have been better.

Luckily the weather was beautiful and the views of Pikes Peak and the Spanish Peaks were spectacular. Strip malls soon gave way to farm houses, solar panels, cows, and irrigation structures. Some of the gravel Overton Road is hard packed and in spots almost like asphalt, but there are also spots of thick loose gravel that expend plenty of energy and slow the pace.

Traffic was minimal, maybe 4 or 5 cars total, most of which slowed down as they passed so they wouldn't kick up gravel and dirt, but not everyone was so considerate.

After a couple of gravel dustings, we were thankful to be back on pavement and heading towards Fountain. We came across interesting art pieces and made other junk into art pieces of our own. We stopped for a break along Fountain Creek, which is still just as smelly as it is in Pueblo, but I had to stop and do some work at one of my field sites along the way.

We then hooked up with the southern portion of the Pikes Peak Greenway, which is a nice gravel bicycle and pedestrian path that follows Fountain Creek. Yes, it's still stinky, but there are some nice fountains, views, and the elusive prairie dog to keep your mind off the smell.

When we got closer to Colorado Springs, the gravel trail turned into a nice paved trail, but we didn't stay on it for long. We had about an hour to kill before catching the FREX, just enough time to find a cafe and take in a coffee and a sandwich.

For those of you that don't know, the FREX is awesome. For $11 you can take it from Colorado Springs all the way to Denver. We detached our panniers and loaded our bicycles on the front rack and boarded the bus. They also have a convenient bike locker at the bus stop, if you want to leave your bike safely overnight.

I don't get the opportunity to travel by bus much anymore living in Pueblo, but I was reminded why I love it so much. Someone else drives, I get to relax, read the paper, kick my feet up, and don't have to worry about directions. When we reached Denver, the traffic was insane, and all I could think about was how many single drivers were on the road and wondered what was going through their minds.

We made a quick transfer at the Market Street station and bordered another bus towards Boulder. Our bicycles weren't so lucky this time, they didn't get the cool ride up front, but did get their own separate compartment underneath the bus.

On the bus ride to Boulder, I remembered that I forgot to call my cousin who lives there so I pulled out my phone to give him a call. I was literally searching through my phone contacts when I noticed someone 4 rows up that looked very similar to him. I spent the next few minutes trying to convince myself that there was no possible way that the one person I knew in Boulder, would be sitting 4 rows ahead of us on the bus. I was wrong. Conveniently, I didn't have to use my cell phone to make plans to meet up with him and his wife later.

That evening, we went out for dinner with Rita's relatives at the Boulder Tea House then met up with my cousin and his wife for dessert afterward. It seemed like we had done an awful lot in one day and were basically exhausted and ready to sleep.

The next day was exciting as it was my first time riding a bicycle in Boulder, one of the premier bicycle cities in the U.S. For the most part, I was not disappointed. Definitely a lot of people riding and walking everywhere. The amount of bicycle infrastructure was mind blowing, which almost made things more complicated for getting around. The biggest thing I noticed was drivers being comfortable and courteous around cyclists. In my opinion, Boulder earned it's platinum ranking.

Denver on the other hand was far more disappointing. I know it's not fair to judge some place after only riding there once, but being an out of town cyclist in Denver is not easy. We spent a good portion of our day looking for routes, trail heads and connectors that were suppose to be somewhere according to our bike map. Signage was horrible.

Once we made it onto the South Platte trail, things were a little easier. I always thought Fountain Creek in Pueblo was pretty gross, but relative to the South Platte and Fountain Creek in Colorado Springs, the Pueblo reach of the Creek is sparkling clean.

The northern section of the South Platte trail rolls through some heavy industrial areas. Not that appealing, but fairly interesting just because I wasn't aware of the dirty side of Denver. The further south we rode, we started to notice a few more yuppy joggers and fixed gear bicyclists here and there and were soon in the LoDo neighborhood.

We were a bit behind schedule from looking at maps most of the morning, so made a quick stop at a hipster coffee shop for lunch, and continued on our way. We did come across a section of the South Platte trail that was closed for construction, but a nice detour was prepared and very thoroughly marked and easy to navigate around A+ for that..

Our destination for the evening was in Littleton with our host Cathy from Couchsurfing. Her friend Don came over, we had a beer or two, Rita cooked a great curry, we sampled chocolates for dessert and topped off the night with a relaxing soak in the hot tub.

The next morning we set out early, but not before a prepared breakfast of waffles and homemade yogurt.

We were back on the road, and the southern section of the South Platte trail was by far the prettiest. That section is named the Mary Carter Greenway...I'm not sure who Mary Carter is, but she sure knows how to make an urban trail.

We followed the Mary Carter Greenway and 470 trail as long as we could but said our goodbyes to urban trails and hello to suburban sprawl neighborhoods as we rode through Highlands Ranch and Castle Pines. We also said hello to very steep grades and very strong headwinds. We were also introduced to the suburban buffalo.

After a lunch break, we continued the grind into the wind and uphill towards Palmer Lake. The scenery was spectacular, but it was difficult to enjoy while being blown around by the wind. Our original plan was to ride all the way to Colorado Springs, but I was developing some hefty right knee pain due to wrestling with the wind, so we opted to spend the night in Palmer Lake.

Spending the night in Palmer Lake was a nice treat. We were the only guests at a bed and breakfast, so we lounged around in bathrobes all night watching television and reading outdated magazines.

We woke up the next morning to beautiful blue skies, people were out walking, riding and washing their cars. We decided to ride only 30-35 miles, take a day to rest my knee, explore Colorado Springs, go rock climbing, and still be able to meet up with our Warmshowers host Liz who was gracious enough to reschedule our visit after our wind/injury delay.

The ride along the New Santa Fe trail from Palmer Lake to Colorado Springs through the Air Force Academy along upper Monument Creek was excellent. The ride was a little slow because the trail is gravel, but we were in no hurry, so we could enjoy the views.

In Colorado Springs, the Pikes Peak Greenway is mostly paved, with the same great views. We rode into old Colorado City and had a great cup of coffee and read the morning news while marinating in the warm sun. While Rita was in the library looking for directions to City Rock so we could do some bouldering, there was an interesting scene outside that involved a lost girl, a delusional grandfather, and a few police officers.

We met up with Liz and Larry from Warmshowers and they welcomed us with snacks, wine to soothe our injuries, a great dinner, and many great laughs. We're hoping that they will ride down to Pueblo this spring, so we can return the favor and give them a comfortable place to stay while they take in what Pueblo has to offer.

The next morning we woke up to a slight dusting of snow on the ground in Colorado Springs. We planned our Colorado Springs exit strategy over a couple of cups of hot coffee and decided to bypass the Fountain Creek trail for a more direct street route, hoping that the Sunday church goers would be off the roads. The direct route was definately easier, but our feet were frozen by the time we arrived in Fountain so we stopped again for more coffee.

We took our time over the last 15 miles, stopping a few times to soak in the last bit of our trip and reflect on the good and the bad and also to think about planning our next mini-tour.

Test Flight

2011-03-25T07:47:00.003-06:00

We had a test run the other night for the Bike-In-Movie with the Moving Wall Project along the Arkansas River Trail to test batteries, projector, inverter and speakers. No technical problems and we have an excellent spot along the river, it's going to be great! So here's a quick teaser video. I'm hoping to give brief teasers of all the upcoming events this May/June as the date gets closer.

Bicycle Friendly University

2011-03-24T07:56:00.002-06:00

I'm always seeing lists for the most bicycle friendly cities and towns, but universities also have started to make bicycle friendly lists. Here are the most bicycle friendly universities in the U.S. I would rank CSU-Pueblo as a Rusty Tin award winner, but Pueblo Community College (pictured above) would rank much higher.

University Award

Stanford University Platinum

University of California, Davis Gold

University of California, Santa Barbara Gold

California State, Long Beach Silver

Colorado State University Silver

Portland State University Silver

University of Arizona Silver

University of California, Irvine Silver

University of Minnesota Silver

University of Oregon Silver

University of Washington                              Silver
University of Wisconsin                                Silver
Boise State University                                   Bronze
Cornell University                                         Bronze
Emory University                                          Bronze
Indiana University                                         Bronze
Michigan State University                             Bronze
University of North Carolina                         Bronze
University of California, Los Angeles             Bronze
University of Maryland                                  Bronze

Families that ride together, stay together

2011-03-23T06:05:00.001-06:00

Do families that play together actually have better relationships? Apparently yes. Recent social science research shows that spending recreation time together fosters a healthy family environment.

A study published in the July 2001 issue of Family Relations explored how two types of family leisure activities, core and balance activities, influenced family members’ perspectives on emotional bonding (cohesiveness) and flexibility in roles and rules (adaptability) within the family.
For the study, researchers surveyed 138 college students about their families. The study asked the students about two kinds of activities. Core activitiesbalance pattern activities were defined as more “novel” experiences that were less frequent and often away from home, such as a family vacation. The researchers found that both core and balance activities are positively correlated with family cohesiveness and adaptability. In fact, the strongest association was between core activities, which families do with consistency and familiarity, and perceptions of family cohesiveness, the emotional attachment aspect of familial relationships. were defined as “common, everyday” activities, such as watching TV or playing sports in the backyard. In contrast, balance pattern activities were defined as more “novel” experiences that were less frequent and often away from home, such as a family vacation. The researchers found that both core and balance activities are positively correlated with family cohesiveness and adaptability. In fact, the strongest association was between core activities, which families do with consistency and familiarity, and perceptions of family cohesiveness, the emotional attachment aspect of familial relationships.

Thanks to the Kerr-Vanderslice family for showing me proof of this study.

Handlebar bags at night

2011-03-20T16:46:00.000-06:00

Having a front handlebar bag is pretty high on my list of accessories to have while touring or even commuting. Having a front bike-light is an utmost necessity when riding at night. The problem happens when you try to combine the two. Normally, your bike-light attaches to the horizontal part of the handlebar, but if you have a bag that attaches to the crossbar, you have a problem

Option 1: See attached photo
Option 2: A helmet-light, they look super cool.
Option 2: Buy a bag-style that mounts to a front rack and not to the horizontal part of the handlebar

This Means War

2011-03-19T06:24:00.000-06:00

Up until now, I really haven't had an opinion one way or other on the Pueblo Nuclear Plant issue. That was until I found out that Don Banner, who is leading the campaign to bring the plant to Pueblo, also led the campaign to put the Pueblo YMCA in the most ridiculous and auto-centric location possible. You can put uranium in my soup, but don't you dare make our community bicycle unfriendly! Actually, Don Banner just sounds like a sleaze ball that isn't concerned about the community and is more about making money.

Pueblo Bicycle Commuter Cup

2011-03-18T06:49:00.001-06:00

It's a little early yet, but I have to celebrate a little bit after finishing the webpage and database for this year's Pueblo Bicycle Commuter Cup. I'm a bit of a data geek, so creating the database was super fun! Registration is officially open, so if you're a daily bicycle commuter or someone that just wants to give riding to work a try and would like some extra motivation and camaraderie from your co-workers, sign up your workplace or office. It's basically a way to log and keep track of your individual and office bicycle commute rate and create a fun and healthy atmosphere amongst your fellow co-workers. This will be just one of many fun bicycle related events planned for this May/June. Help spread the word, become a fan of the Facebook fan page, and ride a bike!

Come check out some of the photos from last year's bike to work events.

Morning Glare

2011-03-17T08:13:00.001-06:00

We've all encountered it while driving to work in the morning, if traveling west to east. The bright Colorado sun peeks up over the horizon, it's beautiful...but it's also blinding. Many accidents, involving car or bicycles, have happened due to the glare of the sun. If you enlarge the above photo, you WILL see a bicyclist, although at 35 miles per hour, talking on your cellphone, and taking a sip of your morning coffee, you most likely wouldn't see them. So when the sun is glaring in your eyes, slow down, concentrate, and be careful.

The Bike Rack and The Nuclear Power Plant

2011-03-17T05:59:00.003-06:00

With all the Nuclear Power Plant discussion going on in Pueblo right now, it reminded me of the book “Parkinson’s Law” and the Law of Triviality.
In the book, he compares the discussions of a committee during the building of a nuclear power plant to the work of a committee considering putting up a bike rack. The argument is that when the committee analyzes the issue of the nuclear power plant the issue is so complex that most people can’t even begin to comprehend it. So they assume that everyone else understands it, and in effect leave the matter up to the experts. No one wants to appear silly in the face of an expert, so even people with strong opinions often withhold them for fear of being shown to be ignorant and the matter goes through.
Now compare and contrast that with the decision about building a bicycle rack. Everyone feels he/she can talk on this for the simple reason that the bicycle rack is, well, simple.
So as a result of the Law of Triviality they spend more and more time discussing bike racks, because everyone wants to ensure that they can make a solid contribution. They debate the color, the design, the style… and meanwhile the nuclear power plant is built next door.

Just for the record, bike racks are not simple nor trivial in my opinion.

Sprung

2011-03-15T18:16:00.000-06:00

It's not easy to tell from this photo, but it feels like spring is here. I'm almost ready to plant my garden, tulips and other spring greens are starting to poke up out of the ground, and lots more people are out on bicycles!

Sidewalk Snake

2011-03-15T09:16:00.000-06:00

Riding on the sidewalk is usually not advised and for the most part, a cyclists is much safer on the street. There are a few exceptions I use though. When a street or road is particularly unsafe with zero shoulder and high traffic, I would choose the sidewalk for short sections. Although, the best technique is not to put yourself in that position and choose a better route, but sometimes it's unavoidable. When riding with younger kids, unless the road is very low traffic and wide, I might also choose the sidewalk over the road. Also, if I was riding with someone that rode at a slow velocity, and the sidewalk didn't have a high pedestrian volume, I might choose the sidewalk.

Not so ordinary commute

2011-03-14T16:06:00.001-06:00

If you think you have a rough or difficult commute check out this urban downhill riding in Valparaiso, Chile.

Helmet Cams

2011-03-10T15:46:00.001-07:00

You can't really see it in this photo, but this guy had either a helmet cam or a helmet light mounted on top of his head. I'm fairly certain is was a camera.
Helmet cameras aren't only useful for capturing you and your pals doing sweet tricks, they also can come in handy for legal reasons when dealing with aggressive motorists. Here is a video of the helmet camera documenting automobile road rage.

Bike-In Movie

2011-03-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's not very often that the rendezvous point for a "business" meeting is on an urban trail and done so on bicycles, but that's exactly what happened today when I met up with Garrett from The Moving Wall Project to scout out some potential areas for this summer's Bike-In-Movie. If you've never heard of the Moving Wall Project, it's basically two guys that choose a new location every month and project films onto random "walls" around Pueblo...for free. In the past, the events have all been done by car, but we are in the process of coordinating Pueblo's first Bike-In-Movie scheduled for this summer's Bike Month activities. The location will be along the Arkansas River Trail, between the Reservoir Road trailhead and the City Park trailhead under the railroad bridge. So grab your bicycle, some popcorn, prepare a picnic and ride out and have some fun! Keep checking the event calender here or on activepueblo for specific dates and times.

Going Slow, Pays

2011-03-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

I always stress that my favorite part about riding a bicycle is that it slows my life down. Physically I move slower, but I'm also able to mentally digest visuals and make connections I wouldn't be able to make whizzing by in a car. Whether it's having the time to watch two squirrels chase each other up a tree or making eye contact with and nodding to the old man walking out to pick up the morning newspaper, slowing down makes sense. In a recent morning conversation with John, we came to the conclusion that slowing down also makes financial sense. His recent commute to work by foot isn't going to help him retire earlier, but the small treasure may buy him a couple of happy hour beers at the Shamrock. First, he found a quarter on the sidewalk, not a bad find, makes you feel lucky. He kept walking, scanning the terrain like a hawk looking for a mouse, and came upon a crisp $5 bill! So the morning commute yielded $5.25 plus any money saved for not having to use gasoline. Score.

Bike Lanes

2011-03-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

In Pueblo, having a bike lane is a luxury which makes many people on bicycles feel separated from motorists. The counter thought is that bike lanes actually put bicycle riders at a greater risk of injury because the thin white striped line gives the rider a false sense of confidence and lowers their focus.

Recently a study was conducted in Montreal which compared bicycle injuries on cycle tracks versus those in the street. Their data suggests that the injury risk of bicycling on cycle tracks is less than bicycling on the street. Before getting too excited, remember that cycle tracks are far different than bike lanes. But before you become paranoid and use safety as an excuse not to ride, remember that Pueblo is so full of wide and low car volume streets, that if you choose your route correctly, the bike lane safety debate should be the farthest thing from your mind. Read the full Montreal study HERE.

Children and Bicycles

2011-02-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

Pueblo has some of the highest child obesity rates in the state. A 2009 health profile for Pueblo County showed that 12.5 percent of children ages 2-14 were overweight and 17.8 percent of the same age group were obese. Two main factors of obesity are diet and exercise. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Social and cultural factors can affect the diet of a child. Healthy food can be expensive. "It's been at least a generation of bad-habit building. Families in poverty have the least ability to change bad habits. They often don't have the resources or the ability to change" says Dr. Chris Nevin-Woods. Although, I believe with a little research and effort, eating healthy can be done on the cheap.

Exercise habits on the other hand can be changed regardless of economic factors. A video game or a television is much more expensive than a bicycle, skateboard or a soccer ball. A child does need a mentor in order to learn those good exercise habits. It doesn't need to be about fitness, make it fun. If someone told me I needed to ride my bike just to make me healthy, rather than doing it because it feels good to have the wind blow through my hair and feel the excitement of going down a hill, I'd have a difficult time doing it.

4th Street Phantom

2011-02-24T09:09:00.001-07:00

I've been seeing this guy off and on for the past couple of months, but haven't been able to grab a photo. He's that fast. I've seen his bike parked outside of PCC, but other than that, he's a mystery. The one thing I do know is that he's a very dedicated daily bicycle commuter.

Town with a Plan

2011-02-23T11:10:00.002-07:00

View Proposed Trails in a larger map
Planning for the future isn't always instantly gratifying, therefore many people don't do it. In recent years, seeing instant results has become the norm, while future planning and the hard work part get left behind. Going to last night's 2035 Transportation Plan meeting gave me hope that the City of Pueblo hasn't forgotten about planning for the future. Many cool and interesting "potential" future projects are outlined in the bicycle section of the plan. I decided to make a rough interactive map of what Pueblo would look like if all the long term projects were done immediately. Pretty awesome! Details about the long term projects have yet to be fully worked out, so this map is just a rough estimate of plans. CLICK HERE to see full map view and a map legend which briefly describes the long term projects. To read the entire Bike Plan, CLICK HERE

YMCA Adventure

2011-02-21T08:31:00.003-07:00

Rock climbing on the indoor wall of the new YMCA is something I've been doing more and more of lately. The bummer, is that the new YMCA is not located where anyone in Pueblo or Pueblo West can use alternative transportation to get there. Route 8 of Pueblo Transit runs to the YMCA complex, but not on Sundays or after 5:30pm. Riding on Highway 50 or Pueblo Boulevard are alright and have a decent shoulder, but the high volume of buzzing cars makes the ride not overly relaxing.

I've taken the route that drops onto the Arkasas River Trail then over the Wildhorse Creek bridge up to 18th Street, then wiggle through the side streets up to 24th Street and pop out on Pueblo Boulevard, but I was looking for something that didn't end up on a busy road. I had heard there was a way to cut through the range land between 24th and the YMCA, avoiding all major thoroughfares, so we decided to make an adventure out of it.

So, technically, yes, there is a way to get to the YMCA without riding on a busy street, BUT, in order to do that you have to ride a few fairly technical sections of motorcycle path, (or walk your bike), cross 2 barbed-wire fences, and wade through Wildhorse Creek. It was fun to do for explorative purposes, and possibly illegal, but not something I would want to do on a daily commute to the YMCA...or actually ever again.

An extension of the Wildhorse Creek Trail, that currently ends at 18th Street, would be a perfect trail that would connect most of Pueblo to the YMCA. The YMCA is full of young kids and teenagers doing all sorts of activities from basketball to rock climbing to Wii fit to ping-pong, but what kind of example does it set if the only way they ever arrive at the YMCA is by having mom or dad drop them off in a car? Their website states that their goal is to connect with the community, but apparently that "community" needs to be an auto-centric one. So write them a letter, maybe they'll help fund the extension of Wildhorse Creek trail if they are really concerned about connecting community. The same fellow, Don Banner, that led the campaign to place the YMCA in the middle of nowhere, is the same fellow leading the campaign to put a nuclear power plant just outside of Pueblo.

Utility Cycling

2011-02-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics 45 percent of daily car trips are taken for shopping or errands, 15 percent for getting to work and back, and 27 percent for social and recreation activities. When these activities are done on a bicycle, at least two of the categories are usually combined in order to minimize back and forth efforts. Whether it's shopping or commuting to work, we always have the need to carry things.

Not everyone can, or even wants to spend their money on expensive bicycle panniers or trailers, but there are plenty of other options to assist you with utility cycling on a budget. Rita has a nice pair of 100 % water proof kitty litter panniers that she made for around $15, here is a good instruction set on how to make them.

If you have even intermediate sewing skills and access to a sewing machine, the sky is the limit for making various bags and panniers for your bike. I made the above medium sized panniers out of an old pair of Hodgman neoprene waders with heavy duty Velcro to attach it to the rack. Total time, about 2 hours, total cost, about $1.57 for Velcro and thread. Here is a DIY pannier instruction set that someone has posted.

For carrying the small stuff, maybe I.D., credit card, pump, patch kit, extra tube and your cellular phone I made this nifty little seat bag out of an old pair of canvas waders and an old zipper. Cost was $0.00, time spent was a bit more because sewing small items is more difficult for me, plus it was my first time sewing a zipper.

If on-bike bags aren't your thing, messenger-style bags are the easiest of all to make. With the messenger bag, I continued the theme of re-using waterproof waders for the body, added a button, and used a thicker mountain bike tube for the strap.

Riding with plastic bags strapped all over your bicycle is possible, but not the easiest. With a little creativity and effort, you can equip yourself with some inexpensive DIY gear that will make hauling your stuff from the store or work, much easier.

Road Rage

2011-02-17T12:05:00.002-07:00

Over the weekend I was involved in bicycle/automobile road rage incident. While riding west on Indiana Avenue between Orman and Lake Ave, which is a very wide and low traffic street, a car buzzed within 1 foot of my handlebar. It got my attention and I threw up my hands as to say "WTF" was that for? He was anxiously looking in his rear view mirror, obviously waiting for a reaction and decided that since my hands came off my handlebars, that I must have given him the bird. So he slammed on his brakes, got out of his car, threatened to break my finger and do other bodily harm. It was intense, I wasn't sure if I should drop my bike and ready my kung fu stance or try to weather the storm. If this act wasn't classy enough, we also noticed that his young son was in the car, watching and learning from dead-beat dad. It blows my mind that someone would buzz a bicyclist in the first place, you could easily kill that person, but then to attempt to blame the bicyclist when they react to you almost killing them is completely absurd. Hey dead-beat dad, I know you probably can't read, so I found THIS for you to explain the law.

Parking Problems

2011-02-16T07:27:00.001-07:00

Most automobile drivers have had to deal with full parking lots or packed streets with no where to park, but unless you live in a city with a high concentration of bicycle commuters, it's rare to have to deal with parking problems related to space on the bike rack. Not having a bike rack at all to lock up to is quite another story. Very common in the PBL. The other day at the Arc, the small rack was almost full, 4 bikes in total. I wasn't annoyed like an automobile driver might be if they couldn't find parking, I was proud!

Familiar Blinky

2011-02-15T07:15:00.001-07:00

On my ride to work this morning, I spotted another bicycle commuter far ahead of me, waiting at the stoplight on 1st and Santa Fe. I knew they were a legit bicycle commuter because 1) they were stopped at the stoplight and 2) they had a rear blinky light. I quickly weaved through the side streets in order to catch up and take a photo, and then realized it was my co-worker Dan! We were able to ride the few remaining blocks to work together and comment on the wicked good sunrise.

A Ride In The Park

2011-02-15T06:40:00.001-07:00

Disc golf is kind of like darts or pool, except that you don't have to sit inside of a dank bar. Instead you can enjoy a nice walk and some fresh air. One can still enjoy a tasty beverage while doing it, but I think it's technically illegal. With the days getting longer, you are now able to ride over to the park after work, throw 18 holes of disc golf, and get home before sundown. One thing I don't know, is where to buy discs in town, so if anyone has that information, please let me know.

Flood Danger

2011-02-14T19:27:00.001-07:00

On my way home today, I saw a bunch of construction equipment down on the Arkansas River Trail as I passed over the Union Street bridge. My first thought, was that they had started construction on the new trailhead below 4th Street, so I wanted to go take a look. No easy task as you can see from the photo (left). When I got down there, I realized that the river flow had been cut back to nearly a trickle, so that the equipment could start working on the HUGE CRACK in the levee that protects Pueblo from floods. OK, we have a few months before spring runoff starts, but just in case, I bring my life jacket every time I go out to the bar in the Union District in June.

Welcome Back

2011-02-14T11:46:00.001-07:00

Welcome back bright, blue, beautiful warm Colorado sky! I missed your warming sun and all of the people that come out to see you. They are coming out of the woodwork now, all just to see and play with you. Don't let us down. Stay for a while

Photo Accomplice

2011-02-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Now that I have a full-time riding partner in Rita, it is much easier to take photographs of other people on bicycles without looking like a stalker. Now it is just assumed that I'm photographing my girlfriend:)
But, I would still like to photograph even more people using alternative transportation in Pueblo, so if you take a photo, please SUBMIT it.

Active Age

2011-02-13T15:47:00.004-07:00

This morning at the Valentine's Day Twosome 5K relay we noticed that there was a obvious lack of participants in the 21-35 year old age group. There were plenty of 18 and under participants and over 40 participants, but the lack of healthy, active, 20-somethings was really startling. Plus, it was a costume race! Even if you aren't in tip-top shape (I am a very slow runner), what kind of young adult doesn't like a party/costume event followed by beer? That's unheard of in most vibrant college towns! Luckily later in the day, we saw Travis and Emilie as we were finishing our post ride ice cream at Taffy's and it gave me more hope that the young crowd in Pueblo still may be interested in being active rather than sitting inside and doing nothing. It doesn't have to even be physical, but at least do something active in your community that will help it in the long term.

Smoke'em if you've got em

2011-02-11T17:56:00.001-07:00

The only thing cooler would be a beer in one hand to go along with the cigarette between the lips. Cigarettes are bad for the lungs, riding a bicycle without a helmet can be dangerous if you crash, but did you know THIS about biking and smoking together? Swim faster little guys!

Cabin Fever

2011-02-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not an alcoholic, that's just frost bite on my nose. My cheeks and nose are turning to leather from all the cold weather riding I've been doing. I'm ready for a change. Senorita NOAA tells me good things ahead. Hang in there. I think I'll dream of my favorite beer to get me through the winter blues.

They've got your back.

2011-02-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

I am constantly trying to get people to rethink their lives and their repetitive, unhealthy daily grind of getting to and from work, by promoting bicycle commuting in the workplace and amongst co-workers. Not only does it unbind the monotony and mindlessness of your daily car traffic hassle, by replacing it with an adventurous, uninhibited, and mind opening bicycle commute, but it also creates a camaraderie with your fellow co-workers at your place of employment. Whether you are a part-time commuter or the leader of your Pueblo Commuter Cup team, yesterday I realized one more reason to promote biking to work at your workplace.
Before a lunch meeting yesterday, I realized I had flat tire. No problem, right? It became a problem when I realized I had glue, tire levers, pump and sand paper, but NO PATCHES! Thankfully, I have fellow co-workers that also commute to work by bicycle and got hooked up with a patch, was able to change my flat, and ride home no problem. Strength in numbers my friends, strength in numbers.

Portlandia

2011-02-09T09:51:00.001-07:00

Hilarious video from the new sketch comedy Portlandia about the cliché, overly hip, ear stretched, fixed-gear, bicycle riders.