one of our favorite [borrowed] mottos:

"We aren't stopping traffic, we are traffic!"

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Junk Ride on KAFM today at noon!

Junk Ride, Grand Valley Bikes, and the Urban Trails Committee will all be part of an interview on KAFM's Conservation Connection today at noon. Tune in to 88.1 on the dial or online here: http://kafmradio.org/

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Boosting Biking Mojo

The City of Portland, OR, has called in experts to help them regain the title of Bike Friendliest City (they have been replaced by Minneapolis!).  A few of the lessons learned are passed on in this TreeHugger article: 6 Ways to Boost Bike Mojo.  Here in JunkRide land i think we are doing well on the "Pedalpalooza" idea.  Time for more action!

Black Hawk Bike Ban

Junk Riders ------------
get our your typing fingers and let your voice be heard. If you are not already aware of the Black Hawk Bike Ban, please make yourself aware:
http://bicyclecolo.org/articles/black-hawk-bike-ban-pg1118.htm

And then WRITE TO THEM!

CityClerk@CityofBlackHawk.org Council phone: 303-582-2212

To: Mayor David D. Spellman and Aldermen Linda Armbright, Paul G. Bennett, Diane Cales, Kathleen Doles, Tom Kerr, Greg Moates

Please restore bicycle access to Gregory Street and all Black Hawk streets. Your ban is closing a major cross-state route to bicyclists preventing residents and tourists from biking.

SPREAD THE WORD!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

City & County Proclamation + FREE BREAKFAST on Bike to Work Day! Wed., June 23rd

Please see the poster below for Bike to Work Day info. A FREE BREAKFAST will be served by the fountain at City Hall at 5th & Rood on Wed., June 23rd from 6:30-9:30am to all those biking to work on Bike to Work Day. Must have bike and helmet to receive free breakfast. Our thanks to the generous donations from local downtown businesses for helping to make this event happen.


The Junk Ride and Urban Trails Committee accepted this Proclamation yesterday morning on behalf of Grand Valley Bikes, the Bike to Work Day committee and the City and County from our County Commissioners:

We accepted this Proclamation from Mayor Teresa Coons and the City Council yesterday evening:


We hope that you will share in our sentiments that this support from the City & County can help propel us toward our goals in a most rapid fashion. And we hope that we can all continue to work together towards these goals and build upon this momentum here in June, Colorado Bike Month in order to carry us forward through 2010 and more quickly toward our long term aspirations. Our groups are working hard to establish safe bike routes throughout the valley for both commuting and recreational activities. Our goals consist of, but are not limited to, promoting alternative transportation, securing fun ways of recreating, creating safe conditions for cyclists, and reducing traffic congestion in the Grand Valley. Learn more about each of our sister organizations here:
www.grandvalleybikes.org
Urban Trails Committee

Please join us for this upcoming Bike to Work Day celebration. And please do not hesitate to contact the Junk Ride directly at gj.junkride@gmail.com if you wish to get more involved in this timely and important movement.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

tale of a cyclist on Horizon Drive

Just a good citizen taking one more car off the road by bike commuting to work. And whaddya know?! She's cruising along, headed southwest on Horizon Drive, in what many of those who bike commute to that area generously call a "bike lane", which is rather more like a gravelly shoulder. And Blam! Some nutzo lady decides to take a left turn into the parking lot of Bubb's Field where she undoubtedly had just minutes to spare before the 1/2 price wings and penny pitchers of luscious watered down light beer special was about to run out. And she hits our young protagonist, a direct/side-swipe-style hit, who most definitely had the R.O.W. While she and her bicycle both lie on the hood of the driver's ed poster child's expensive and shiny new SUV, she does a scan to make sure she is okay. She is pretty sure she is and she collects herself and her bike and gets out of the middle of the road and heads into the parking lot. Driver lady pulls in, parks her car, gets out, and gets into cyclist's face, blaring, "You didn't stop!" WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!!
Well, this is why we ride. To help to illustrate to those unfamiliar w/ cycling or physical activity or respecting those on bikes (be it commuters or recreational riders) or sharing the road at all ---- how they can learn to do so. And we do it in a group in order to support each other and to bring recognition to the cause by our sheer numbers. The movement is growing. Don't miss out! You are needed to help make progress on this, especially here in the Grand Valley. Especially for the Horizon Survivor who lived to tell about this.
If you have yet to do so, please sign up for our e-mailing list (by sending an email to gj.junkride@gmail.com) to get info. about upcoming rides, events, and cycling newsworthy tidbits.
Here's to spokes, gears, and pedal power!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

June Ride ----- to Fruita!

What an AMAZING turn out for the 1st Bday Party ride! Thank you all for being there and for being in costume and for such a fun ride!

We are planning a BIG RIDE this month --- OUT TO FRUITA to see
Sweet Sunny South play in Fruita Civic Center Park.

Mark your calendar for June 24th. We will depart earlier than the normal Junk Ride departure time so that we can get there in time for the music. Plan on meeting up at 10th & Main at 5:30pm. There is always the option of grabbing a pizza pie from the ever-bike-friendly
Hot Tomato.

We are hoping to organize a big trailer and a few carpools to get ourselves and our bikes back to Grand Junction. If you have any ideas or would be interested in driving or shuttling to help the cause, please email us here:
gj.junkride@gmail.com

THANKS FOR A GREAT year one JUNK RIDERS!