Co-op News

New Blog

2010-01-22T15:40:28Z

Hey, since we're such good friends, I wanted to let you know thay we're moving. No, you don't need to make excuses for the upcoming weekends, we don't need your help. It's only the blog that's moving. So, if you're following this with an RSS feed you'll want to update that. You can find the new blog at http://fcbikecoop.org/blog
See you there!!

Cash For Clunkers

2010-01-05T20:12:41Z

Photo by Professor Bop

Through Jan. 31 the Cycologist Bike Shop will give you a 10% discount if you turn in a "clunker" bike with the purchase of a new bike. The good news is that the Cycologist will donate your clunker to the Bike Co-op for recycling, refurbing and redeploying to someone in need! Everybody wins.
Visit the Cycologist web site today and take a look in the basement for that clunker that you never use!

Then plan to visit the Bike Co-op to see what we do! (Of course, we're glad to take that clunker as a donation if you don't intend to buy a new bike this month).

Safe Cycling Coordinator

2009-11-13T15:33:02Z

Rick Price with Governor Ritter and Dan Grunig of Bicycle Colorado

The Fort Collins Bike Co-op announces the appointment of Rick Price, Ph.D. as the Co-op's "Safe Cycling Coordinator". The part-time, paid position is made possible by a grant from REI to promote safe cycling in Fort Collins and to teach bicycle safety to 10 - 14 year olds. The Co-op hopes to reach 5-10% of school children in that age group (400 to 800 students) over the next thirteen months under the program.
Price is a board member of the Bike Co-op, one of two founders of the bicycle advocacy group, Bike Fort Collins, and has been active in bicycle advocacy locally for over two decades. Dr. Price owned ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours with his wife Paola Malpezzi Price, since 1993, though they actually began the company as Bike Across Italy in 1972. The Prices sold the international company to their daughters last November.
"I've been putting people on bikes since 1972", said Price in a prepared statement, "so I see no reason to quit now that I'm retired". Price received his League Cycling Instructor certification from the League of American Bicyclists last April and has been active in the Bike Co-op's program to increase the number of certified instructors in Fort Collins from two last March to ten this month. The Co-op's sponsorship of another certification program in October will result in an additional fourteen instructors in Fort Collins. According to Price, "This will give Fort Collins twenty-four nationally certified instructors compared to one in Boulder and ten in Denver. Only Austin Texas has more instructors" said Price, "with twenty-nine". "Still," said Price, "that's one instructor per 26,000 inhabitants. We'll have one instructor for every 5,500 residents by the end of October!"

New trikes and the new shop

2009-09-06T17:25:52Z

The Co-op would like to thank Christopher Eriksen, M.D. of Alpine Ear Nose and Throat for donating a new Pedal Pickup from Main Street Pedicab http://www.pedicab.com/ just down the road in Denver. We also got the other one refurbished and now are styling TWO awesome gas-free haulers.

Exciting things are happening at the Co-op. We've recently moved to 331 N. College and will be reopening soon for public shop time. In the mean time please consider lending a hand helping us get organized and back rolling. We also now stock and sell refurbished bikes and bike frames for your next project.

Cassi returns from the Colorado Trail

2009-07-28T03:08:33Z

Cassi and Tony are back from their tour!! We mentioned them earlier here:

"We are back from our mountain bike tour of the Colorado trail. We had a wonderful 16 day adventure. You can check it out on our website
Thanks for everyone who helped to make it happen. We could not have done it with out you. Also thanks to everyone who helped us raise money for the Fort Collins Bike Co-op. Have a great summer and keep pedaling,

Cassi and Tony Mason
tony@greyrock.org
"

Way to go you two. The Co-op can't thank you enough!

Fort Collins Urban Assault Race

2009-05-20T16:20:00Z

The Fort Collins Bike Coop is proud to be the beneficiary of the Rio Grande Urban Assault Ride! The Urban Assault Ride. is the biggest bike scavenger hunt series in the world! You and a teammate will take to the streets on a city-wide bike adventure. Plot your own course to checkpoints around town where you'll take on physical and mental obstacle courses. Be the 1st team to hit all the checkpoints and you'll win a pair of New Belgium Brewing cruiser bikes (and be the first team to the beer tent ;)

The event is well known for its funky obstacle courses which must be completed before moving on. We're talking modified Big Wheels, Bike Jousting, The Keg Walk, Inflatable Slides...and much more. Obstacles change every year and at every UAR. It's a killer event for anybody who can pedal a bike (ages 7 and up). After the fun at the checkpoints there's a ragin' after party with a huge prize raffle and plenty of New Belgium beer and Rio Grande fajitas.

It's a Pedal-Powered Urban Adventure! Get all the info and sign up here: www.urbanassaultride.com

Bike Co-op Donates Marin Commuter Bike for Save the Poudre "June Rise" Contest

2009-05-11T15:29:06Z

Every spring, the Cache la Poudre River rises as mountain snows melt. Some years there is abundant snow and the river's flow is high enough to clean and refresh the river. Other years we have a dry winter and, because there are lots of diversions, there may be hardly any water left in the river in Fort Collins and the river suffers. Regardless, every year at some point the river hits its "peak" snowmelt-driven flow, when the water is at its highest, usually in June -- thus "June Rise" -- but ranging from about May 15th through June. After that, water levels drop.
What will the river do in 2009? You be the judge in Save The Poudre's First Annual June Rise Contest. Guess when the Poudre River runoff will peak at the USGS Canyon Mouth Gage, as well as how much the actual peak flow will be in cubic feet per second (cfs).
See the Prizes for the winners and runners up

Polaris High School Freshman to ride the Colorado Trail

2009-05-06T14:11:06Z

To whom it concern:
I would like your assistance in raising money for the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op. I am looking for sponsors who will contribute directly to the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op as I spend 2 weeks mountain biking the Colorado Trail. I will cover all my own expenses, carry my own gear, ride during the day and camp out along the 500 miles of trail between Denver and Durango.

I felt I could make my 2 week trip even more rewarding by raising money for the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op. The Bicycle Co-op is a nonprofit organization that promotes the health, environmental and economic benefits of bicycling in Fort Collins and abroad. They do this primarily by collecting and repairing old bikes and reusing them here as well as in developing nations over-seas.

There are several ways you can support my cause for a more bicycle friendly world. You can go directly to the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op web site and donate on-line or mail a check to the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op 222 Laporte Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80521. If you prefer you can pledge a donation now, either a set amount or a dollar-per-mile amount and I will collect from you after I finish in July. If you contribute direcly to the Bicycle Co-op please let me know so I can track it.

Thank you for your support. I appreciate your contribution.

Sincerely,

Cassi Mason

tony@greyrock.org
Freshman Polaris High School

2008 Collegiate National Championships

2009-05-06T14:10:00Z

Dear Fun-loving bicycle enthusiast,

Would you like to win a sweet, vintage Raleigh single speed Grand Prix? The Co-op has one for you!

The Bike Co-op has committed to finding 80 community volunteers for the National Collegiate Road Cycling championships Friday, May 8th. We'd love to have you join us! If you've never seen a big road race like this now's your chance to see these young athletes race. And did you know that CSU has the Overall National Collegiate Track champion cyclist, Dan Lionberg. Dan will be racing May 8, 9 and 10. Come out and support him!

This message will serve to let you know the opportunities for volunteers both Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th (when we need fewer volunteers).

Before you read on, though, check out the 84 prizes we'll hand out to our volunteers by drawing.

Action Requested to volunteer for May 8 & 9:
1) Please fire back a response to this message to Rick@ExperiencePlus.com (leave the subject heading the same)
2) Indicate WHICH time slot you can volunteer in either Friday or Saturday.
3) If you can help Friday AND Saturday - all the better!
4) Can you recruit a friend to join you? Please send this message to them or send me their contact info and I'll send them this message (you might check with them first, but I'd love to include them in future messages).
5) Thank you again!

What's in it for you? Besides, of course, the pride of helping to build our local bike culture you'll have the chance to win the following for volunteers only:
- Sweet Raleigh single speed fun commuter bike from the Bike Co-op (or trade it in for a cruiser . . . )
- Two Poudre River half-day rafting trips
- Hotel nights in Colorado
- And much, much more

Friday May 8th:

This is the beginning of the National Collegiate Road Cycling Championships and includes four road races throughout the day beginning at Hughes Stadium. Volunteers will be marshalling the race, making sure the road is safe for cyclists. The Air Force ROTC unit at CSU will cover most of the critical spots on the route. So we are responsible mostly for the Hughes Stadium area, Overland Trail and the north dams section of the course during the following times:

Time slots when we need help (PLEASE NOTE: Slots may change slightly - we'll keep you posted):

7:15 - 8:45 a.m.
10: 15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
12:45 - 2:30 p.m.
IF YOU CAN DO TWO SLOTS all the better!

Saturday, May 9th

This is the day of the Criterium around the Civic Center, Court House and First National Bank in Old Town. We need help with Valet Bike Parking for the Co-op during the following times:

7a.m. - 10 a.m.
10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

We'll be parking bikes in the Court House parking lot.

Just in case you're curious, here are details about the race and the course May 8th and 9th

Odells Charity Of The Month (March)

2009-03-06T20:28:37Z

The Bicycle Cooperative of Fort Collins, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has been selected as one of two "charities of the month," at Odell Brewing Company, 800 Lincoln Avenue in Fort Collins. As a charity of the month the Co-op will receive 50% of all funds paid at the brewery for their taster tray program. On Wednesday, March 18, 10% of all brewery sales in the tasting room will be added to the donation to the brewery. So the Co-op would like to encourage everyone to visit Odell.s on March 18th to buy that t-shirt, cap, or set of glasses you've been meaning to pick up! The Co-op thanks Odell Brewing for its generosity in helping us achieve our mission of "Building Community through Bicycling".