Volunteers Needed: Community Cycles bike pickup

Community Cycles needs voluteers for a massive bicycle pickup tomorrow. Wednesday, August 20th, from about 9:45 until about noon or so.

From Rich Points, CC's director:

"Meet at Community Cycles at 9:30. We'll leave at 9:45a.m. We'll drive over to the Boulder Police Station around 10a.m. to load up about 50 bikes into the van.

Once we've processed those back we'll head over to the Boulder Housing Partners storage area for another 100 bikes."

Volunteers should meet either at Community Cycles, at Boulder Police Station, or at Boulder Housing Partners. Volunteers on bikes are welcome and encouraged, as most of the help we'll be needing will be loading and unloading of bikes. We'll have our regular van, as well as a rental van to help move the bikes to their new home. Driving volunteers are also welcome.

For those of you not familiar with them, Community Cycles does a ton of awesome work with these donated/recycled bikes, including Earn-A-Bike programs for kids and adults, Mechanic's classes for volunteers, and lots of other amazing programs.
Check out their website (very first link above) for more information.


Full disclosure: I volunteer at Community Cycles myself. I help run the Youth Earn-a-bike program, as well as sit on the board of CC.

More bike shops than grocery stores?

Boulder has a lot of bike shops. The list at right has 20, including both Full Cycle locations. 20 bike shops. A quick google search for "grocery store, boulder" listed about 10 actual grocery stores before it got to 7-11 and Target.
I'm not sure what my point here is, (aside from a sneaky way to introduce the links at right, muwahaha...) but I've tried to include as many bike shops as possible in the list(s). I'll be adding links as I come across them. I'm pretty sure I've left off some awesome bicycle shops and stores, (I'm still trying to decide whether to include shops in Denver...any input, dear readers?) so please let me know if I have, and I'll add those.
Boulder is also rich with bike industry folks, companies, and manufacturers. I'll be compiling a list of those as well, just to include all of us bike folks together in one happy place. If you know of, work for, or own a company that does things for people on bikes, please get in touch. From manufacturers based in Boulder, to DIY messenger bag makers, I want it all.


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Burnworks party Saturday

Sorry for the late notice, I just learned of this party this morning, and didn't get to post until just now.

Boulder's resident freakbike builders, fire worshippers, and guerilla gardeners, the Boulder Burnworks, are putting on a "Recompression party" tomorrow night, Saturday. Looks like it's a pre-Burning Man shindig, so bring your ideas, and suggestions about the Playa.
They're also selling some costumes and other stuff to benefit B.L.A.S.T.^

What is "B.L.A.S.T^", you ask?

Well, it's local group doing things right here in Boulder: 'To enhance the community by example, using art, beneficial civic activities and celebration as tools.' is our mission statement, and our doors are open to all who would like to participate. Some past B.L.A.S.T^ projects include the Cottonwood Creek clean up last May, screening of environmental films, discussion groups, and the Boulder Creek clean up in May 07. Future projects and ideas include public and recycled art, mobile gardens, elderly and low income home improvements, disaster relief and recovery... and we are always looking for new and exciting projects, the sky is the limit!^

For more information, visit Burnworks.org.

Volunteers needed: Get bikes to DNC visitors in Denver

The Bikes Belong Coalition, in partnership with Humana, Inc. and the Democratic National Convention Host Committee, will bring 1,000 bikes to Denver for the Democratic National Convention August 25 – 28. The bikes will be free for use by delegates, media and the general public. Volunteers are needed to staff 8 bike-sharing stations in the city center.



Bikes Belong is a Boulder-based national non-profit dedicated to "putting more people on bikes more often" and working with the bike industry to promote cycling, personal health and environmental sustainability. Fortune 100 health benefits company Humana Inc. launched the Freewheelin bike-sharing program in their headquarter city of Louisville, Kentucky. The US bicycle industry is loaning all of the bicycles, helmets and related equipment for the project. The sponsors will host bike-sharing projects in both Denver and the Twin Cities at the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

For more information please visit www.freewheelinwaytogo.com or www.bikesbelong.org.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

Fill out and return the attached volunteer commitment form to piep@bikesbelong.org. DO NOT CALL, EMAIL OR FAX Bikes Belong or Humana, Inc. Preference will be given to volunteers who can commit to at least two shifts. Shifts are approximately 7 hours long.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?

Volunteers are asked to wear khaki shorts or pants, shoes or sneakers, and provided attire (T-shirts and ballcaps). Volunteers will attend a 1 ½ hour mandatory training in Denver on August 22, 23 or 24 (several sessions will be offered). Lunch, volunteer gear and gifts will be provided, plus, you'll get an unforgettable experience sharing your passion for cycling and Denver at a high-profile DNC sanctioned event! For more information contact Volunteer Coordinator Piep van Heuven at: piep@bikesbelong.org.

WHEN IS IT?

8/4 - Volunteer Leaders Confirmed
8/6-7 - Volunteer Leadership Trainings (Denver 8/6 @8pm, Boulder 8/7 @TBD)
8/15 - Volunteers selected & roles assigned
8/18 - Email update to volunteers & master schedule finalized
8/22-23 - Mandatory volunteer training sessions
8/25-28 - Democratic National Convention

Note to self:

Don't run red lights in Denver without a mouthguard.

Where I won't be on Sunday...

Venus De Miles.

A pair of Women's only rides that starts in Longmont. One is 35 miles, the other 65. Besides being a great way to get out on your bike and ride with other active women, the ride is in support of Greenhouse Scholars. "Greenhouse Scholars provides mentorship and scholarship support to high-performing, under-resourced students – cultivating the next generation of community leaders with an environment that allows them to fully thrive."--from their website.

Why won't I be there? Well, I've got this Y chromosome issue...

Have fun out there, ladies! Hope you stay dry!

For more information on Venus De Miles or Greenhouse Scholars, please e-mail info@venusdemiles.com, or call Teresa, the Priestess of Venus de Miles, at 303-460-1745.

Riding a bike cures depression?

I know when I'm feeling down, some time riding around can help get me out of a slump. I count myself lucky to never have had to deal with real depression personally.

Here's a great story about a friend of mine, Peter Allen.

At the end of the article is information about a ride that he's putting together to benefit the Center for People with Disabilities, a great organization that helps folks with disabilities. The money raised from registration fees and donations on the ride will go towards the purchase of a van for the Center.

The ride, which is from Boulder to Fort Collins, begins on Friday, September 5th, includes camping overnight in Fort Collins, and joining up with the Tour De Fat the following day, with a bus ride back home Saturday night.

For more information about the ride, or volunteer opportunities, please contact petetomato80303@yahoo.com.