Bicycles in other Colorado towns

As I have traveled around the state this week it has been great to see what other towns offer for bicyclings and how individuals in those communities take advantage of their local infrastructure.

Gunnison is a mish mash of bicycles and people seem to be doing everything on them. Going shopping, going to class, taking kids to school and hauling everything from firewood to a mattress. Gunnison has some nice bike lanes on side streets and people seem to take advantage of the simplicity of riding around town. College towns seem to love bicycles.

Manitou Springs is very hilly on both sides of the main street but people seem to be humping up and down these hills constantly. Simple but effective bike racks are all over the place. Early morning commuting seems to be a favorite activity for local bicyclists in Manitou.

Despite it's size and sprawl with a major interstate cutting through the middle of it all, Colorado Springs seems to have a good handle on bicycle infrastructure. Great signage, routes parallel to the interstate, and abundant placing to park the bike in most areas.

There were great things to see in Denver. The new B-Cycle program seems to be very popular. People were riding all over the place downtown using the bright red bikes of the bike sharing program. The stalls were usually only half full and people seem to be embracing this great idea for a community. Downtown commuters were also very visible. Guys riding in suits, women riding in work attire, briefcases in panniers and strapped to the back of racks. It was also great to see some messengers doing their thing in the downtown area. Nice bike lanes and good parking at least in the downtown area.

Fort Collins really has it going on in the world of bicycles. Great racks, great lanes, and bicycles all over the place. The presence of New Belgium Brewing definitely helps and the community seems to be embracing all things bicycle.

It is inspiring to see what other towns have done and helps define the vision for what I would like to see in our own community.