We love the Denver Bike Community

How much do we love it!  We love it so much that a HUGE part of our philosophy is supporting and sharing information about how to live the Denver Car Optional Lifestyle.  For many of us living the Denver Urban life means commuting by bike, light rail, public transportation, or just using our feet.

One of the favorite social aspects of Denver’s love affair with two wheels is the Denver Cruiser Ride Community.  Beginning with the first ride on May 14th Denver bike lovers gather every Wednesday for a costumed theme based cruise throughout our great city.   Each and every Wednesday the streets are filled with costumed bicyclists as they travel from one Denver establishment to another.  Some go for the rides, some for the social, and some for the opportunity to do their most creative adaptation of the weekly costume theme.

The Denver Cruiser ride has grown so much since the very first rides.  I can recall, many years ago, when the rides were so small that you pretty much new everyone on the ride.  As the secret got out and the biking size grew the group worked to establish some courtesy rules and work with Denver government groups to ensure safety and that the group knew and understood  the Denver Municipal Bicycle Code.  Kudos to responsible biking.

The new themes for the 2014 Denver Cruiser Season are (at least at the time of this posting)…

Denver Cruiser Theme Ride Schedule 2014

• May 14th – Reds and Robes
• May 21st – Denver 1894
• May 28th – Seven Daily Sins
• June 4th – Summer Camp
• June 11th – Soul Train
• June 18th – Bubble Wrap, Duct Tape and Card Board
• June 25th – Overcoats and Underwear
• July 2nd – People of Walmart
• July 9th – You Light Up My Life
• July 16th – Suits and Swim Suits
• July 23rd – Dress Night
• July 30th – All Holidays
• August 6th – The Letter S
• August 13th – Dungeons and Drag Queens
• August 20th – Big Top
• August 27th – Road Warrior
• September 3rd – TBD
• September 10th – TBD
• September 17th – Pirates, ,Sea Men and Mermaids
• September 23rd – Ullr Fest:  Winter Wonderland

These rides can be a lot of fun and a great chance to meet some wonderful people.  For those who are interested in joining the Denver Cruiser rides visit their website here to learn more about the Denver Cruiser rides and familiarize yourself with their rules and guidelines.

Denver PeopleforBikes Green Lane Initiative

Our city is really making great strides to be one of the most Car Optional and Bike Friendly cities in the nation. In fact Denver has been selected out of hundreds of cities to be one of 6 cities to be chosen for an intensive two year bike lane project.  In this article we learn more about how PeopleforBikes Green Lane project is going to focus on establishing safer bike lane systems for our city to encourage people to bike and walk more.  They mention in the video that by 2020 they hope that 15% of Denver residents are commuting by bike/foot and this project can mean HUGE support for those who want to live car optional.  Read the 9 News article here.

Of course it helps that Denver’s B-Cycle system has established a bike sharing network throughout the Denver Urban area.  In 2013 B-Cycle announced that it would become a year round program and added some 20 new stations with plans for more on the way every year.

And for those who want to live 95% car free the huge expansion (and competition) within the Car Sharing community means that you can still have access to a car for those rare occasions when you need one.  Car2Go Denver did one of the largest rollouts of any car share organization here in Denver putting hundreds of cars throughout the city.  Having tried the system repeatedly I have nothing but positive reviews to share.

When you look at how building such as SPIRE or the Riverfront Park Glass House have Parking Spaces going from $40,000 to $55,000 from the Developer (who knows what resales might top out at) the option of buying a condo or loft in the Downtown market without car could mean getting a much greater value.  These are real dollars that a Denver home buyer could use for more square footage, their favorite location, or just a reduced mortgage payment every month.

To help you evaluate all your Car Optional Denver Condo searching we have set up several web tools for our fans to use.  Check out these wonderful green living Denver Urban resources:

• Denver B-Cycle Friendly Property Search
• Denver Light Rail Friendly Properties
• Denver Community Garden Friendly Properties
• Denver Dog Park Friendly Properties
• Union Station Properties (the hub of light rail)
• All Neighborhoods
• Denver Light Rail Friendly Homes Facebook Page
• Denver Bike on Twitter 

Vote for your Favorite Denver Cruiser Ride Theme

Request More Information

The post 2014 Denver Cruiser Ride Themes and New Bike Lane Development appeared first on Denver Urban Living.

Returning from hibernation somewhere we do not know, the arrival of these beautiful Red creatures means warmer weather and summer days are just around the corner.

Okay, we know the bikes are migratory birds… but it is a fun metaphor.

Sustainable living in Denver is something we love to share information and resources about.  We want our city to lead the green movement in responsible development and growth.  So whenever we hear new stories about advancement in Light Rail, Bike Commuting, Community Gardens and all those fun areas we want to share.

After all, our city is growing.  What is truly admirable is that our sustainable approach is keeping pace with that growth.  Sure, we can ask for there to be more but we should also live in the moment and celebrate each step when it happens.

Today that celebration is all about bike commuting.  With this years addition of 30 new B-Cycle Stations the total number of stations will be 86.  Here is the Denver B-Cycle convenient folding map you can download and print at home to show you all the stations.  Please note we will have to update this link because they seem to be missing the 30 new stations.

Last night over we had friends over to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with my homemade Corned Beef (which was uber Yummy by the way) and one of our friends was celebrating the B-Cycle opening to facilitate their daily commute downtown.

The first question that came from the table was “Why don’t you just buy your own bike”.

It’s a logical question, and his response was equally logical.

He explained that he doesn’t always want to bike.  Some days it may still be chilly out and he takes the 16th Street shuttle.  Other day’s he prefers to walk, taking a longer path and thinking about the day’s schedule or events.  But often his end of the day commute is where he prefers to jump on a bike and get home as quick as possible.    That’s the short of his explanation.

Others I know love to go out on the town and have a one way home solution that doesn’t involve driving and parking as spaces become more expensive and harder to find.    Some prefer not to leave their bike chained up outside for fear of theft.  Some just love the flexibility it creates.

All those reasons sound good to us and we CHEER the return of the migratory Denver B-Cycle.    Happy Spring.

To learn more about sustainable living in Denver keep these DenverUrban.com resources in mind.

• The Denver Light Rail Living Resource (to find a home or condo within walking distance of a station)
• The Denver Community Garden Living Resource (Live Urban AND have a community garden in your backyard)
• The Denver B-Cycle Living Resource (Live, Work and Play next to a B-Cycle Station)
• Twitter @GreeninDenver
• Sustainable Living Blogs

The post B-Cycle Opens for 4th Season in Denver Today appeared first on Denver Urban Living.