Fort Collins Bike Week Kicks Off [VIDEO, PHOTOS, INTERVIEW]

Bike Week in Fort Collins is June 18-25!!!! In a town that is known for its bicycle culture, it is like opening day of hockey in Canada, St. Patrick’s Day in Boston, Christmas at the North Pole, and Carnival in Rio all wrapped into one. Okay, that’s hyperbole, but Bike Week in Fort Collins is a huge deal!!

Bike Week Starts June 18, 2011...Bike To Work Day Is June 22! Bike week opens with the Northern Colorado Bicycle Expo at the Ranch at the Larimer County Fairgrounds on Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

WIN – WIN Situation – Riding a bicycle has no noticeable flaws. It is good for the environment. It is better for your health. It creates a bond between us and our surroundings. If you’ve eaten, you can’t run out of gas. You never forget how to do it. Bicycling rocks!!!

These are the top 5 reasons that BICYCLING IN FORT COLLINS ROCKS!!

1. Tour de Fat

Tour de Fat was born here. This is a festival that has no known competition. There is nothing like it on this planet or any other. Put on by a New Belgium Brewery, it is TRULY about the bicycle, not the beer...but people enjoy beer there, too. Tour de Fat happens in various other markets, but nowhere as big as the Beer/Bike Mecca of Fort Collins. Last year's tally? Over 15,000 bicyclists participated. Bueno. This video is by Paul Wozniak. The original song, "Ride My Bike" was created by Paul's alter ego, the Green Minstrel.

2. Fort Collins is rated Gold for Cycling

While the League of American Bicyclists rank Colorado as the 12^th best state for bicycling, Fort Collins gets a Gold rating on their scale, so that’s pretty good.

3. Paved Trails

I grew in Pennsylvania, and I never imagined the network of trails that snake along the rivers, through mountains and across the plains could even exist! In the Colorado Rocky Mountains, you can go from Breckenridge to Vail and beyond on these paved trails alone. Through the city of Fort Collins, you can see the best the area has to offer. These trails are great for the smaller wheels of skateboards and rollerblades, too.

4. The Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op

This organization simply promotes the activity through volunteer programs, outreach and education. They have an 'Earn-a-Bike' program, that is just like what it sounds. Participants 'earn' a bicycle through a contribution of their time for volunteering for programs within the Bike Co-op.

5. Google Maps

We’re on Googlemaps!! Not every town has their bike paths and streets with bicycle lanes on the behemoth search site, but we do!! Trying to find a safe route on your bike? Click to expand your options, and then put a check next to ‘bicycle’. That’s a lot of safe ways to ride your bike!!

The Northern Colorado Bicycle Expo is on Saturday at the First National Bank Exhibition Hall at the Ranch.

The expo will include a bike swap, bike safety rodeo for children and adults, gear and bike demos, educational seminars, a vintage bike show, good food, beer garden and free basic bicycle tune-ups for event attendees.

His name is Dave Kemp, but to everyone who knows him, he is DK, the Bicycle Coordinator for the City of Fort Collins. What a cool job! Great interview, too!!

You never forget how to do it, so if you haven't been on a bicycle for a while, this is your week to get back on two wheels!