Winter Bike to Work Day takes place Friday in an effort to get more people to consider taking two wheels to work instead of driving, according to the website.
“Most people haven’t been out on their bikes since our first snowfall,” said Bicycle Longmont Board member Scott Conlin, in a news release. “This is a great program for residents to dust off those bikes and get outside, and do something different in the middle of winter. We are lucky here on the Front Range that the weather often allows it.”
People, governments and even businesses are joining in on the winter fun by setting up stations for cyclists and offering free snacks, coffee, discounts and more.
In Longmont, the city of Longmont Development Services Center at 385 Kimbark St. is hosting a breakfast station from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Here riders can stop in for a breakfast burrito, hot drinks and homemade cookies. The city will also offer free bicycle lights and city of Longmont bicycle maps to patrons who stop by.
Businesses such as Oskar Blues, Simply Bulk Market, Rosalee's Pizzaria, Java Stop, Left Hand Brewing, Long Mont Velo and Shoes and Brews will offer treats and discounts on Friday and through the weekend to participants.
Winter Bike to Wherever Weekend Participating business, organizations, and offers:
- Bicycle Longmont: Free Bicycle Longmont sticker at many of these locations. Tag #bicyclelongmont in your photos over the Weekend - chance to win $25 Downtown Longmont gift cards!
- Bootstrap Brewing: $1 off first pint with helmet, all weekend long, before 5 p.m.
- City of Longmont: Breakfast station - burritos and warm beverages, 2/11, 7:30 - 9 a.m., 385 Kimbark St
- Grossen Bart Brewery: $1 off pours with helmet, all weekend
- JavaStop Cafe: Free 12 oz coffee with pastry purchase, 2/11, all day
- Left Hand Brewing: $1 off first beer with helmet, 2/11, 4-6 p.m.
- Long Mont Velo: 15% off product purchases when you ride in, all weekend long
- Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse: Happy hour pint price with helmet ($1.50 off), all weekend long
- MECO Coffee: 10% Coffee & Pastries, show your helmet, all weekend long
- Oskar Blues Brewery Taproom: 15% off beer and merch 2/11, 4-6PM, bike bag giveaways too
- Rosalee's Pizzeria: $1 off first pint with helmet, all weekend long
- Shoes n Brews: 15% off shoes & 1/2 off first pint with helmet, all weekend long
- Simply Bulk Market: Coffee and pastry samples, 2/11, 9-11 a.m., AND 4-6 p.m.
- Small Planet e-Vehicles: Breakfast station, 2/11, morning
- Wibby Brewing: Extra 4oz pour with purchase, all weekend long
Everyone is encouraged to pull their bikes from their winter storage spot and participate. “We don’t care where people decide to ride, we would just like to see them opt for a ride over a car trip when they can,” Conlin said.
Those opting into riding their bike to work, school or simply to the store are encouraged to register their pledge to ride at BikeToWorkDay.co. According to the Bike to Work website, pledges highlight "residents' desire to commute by bike, which supports the efforts to improve biking infrastructure" by showing the impact of taking 30,000 or more cars off the road that day.
The city of Longmont offers the following tips to cyclists:
- Since the sun is low in the sky in the early morning, make sure you are dressed in highly visible clothing.
- Make sure your bike is properly lit in both the front and the back.
- The law requires a red reflector facing the rear, a white reflector facing forward and reflectors that can is visible from the side.
- While wearing a helmet is not compulsory under Colorado law, the city strongly encourages helmet use in all riding conditions. Even a low-speed impact to the head can be life-threatening or cause severe injury.
- Colorado’s model traffic code regards bicycles as vehicles subject to the same rights, rules and responsibilities as motor vehicles. This means you are required to follow the rules of the road like riding with traffic as opposed to against traffic and observing all signage like STOP signs, etc.
