COMMUNITY RIDES
These rides are intended to encourage, engage, advocate, generate goodwill and build bicycle culture and community.
RIDE OF SILENCE
This year’s Ride of Silence will take place on Wednesday, May 17th. During this casual paced, no-drop ride we will visit the site of both bicycle fatalities in 2023. At this time we will dedicate a ghost bike for each life senselessly lost.
The Ride of Silence is a nationally recognized event that takes place the third Wednesday in May each year.
• Day: Wednesday, May 17th, 2023
• Tentative Timeline (subject to shift slightly):
5:45 pm – Gather at Retreat Bakery Bar
6:00 pm – Roll-out to Lemay Avenue and Centennial Road
6:15 pm – Arrive – Moment of Silence for George Rigby
6:25 pm – Roll-out to East Harmony Road and McMurry Avenue
6:45 pm – Arrive – Moment of Silence for James Defazio
6:55 pm – Roll-out to Purpose Brewing & Cellars
7:15 pm – Arrive Purpose Brewing & Cellars – Join us Upstairs for a Moment of Reflection
* As always, helmets & lights required and rules of the road observed
From the official Ride of Silence website:
“-Ride of Silence will traverse and unite the globe as nothing before it. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn’t aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.”
In accordance with the recommendations of the Ride of Silence website, we alwasys ask that you follow these ride guidelines:
- Remember and honor those who’ve been hit & killed while riding or seriously injured
- Ride slowly and a relatively short distance – this is not a race
- Wear a helmet & obey road laws for bicyclists
R.A.T. (RIDE-AROUND-TOWN) RIDES – April 18, 2023
Equinox Brewing (133 Remington St.) – Meet at 5:15 p.m, for a 5:30 p.m. rollout
RAT Rides are advocacy rides with a heavy emphasis on fun. They are casually paced, designed to explore different areas across Fort Collins from a bicycle safety lens. Friendly, experienced ride leaders set a no drop, no attitude pace, and make frequent stops to smell the flowers and talk about road conditions, infrastructure, traffic volume, etc.
As part of the ThinkBike Workshop Dutch representatives from Mobycon, Goudappel Coffeng, and the Dutch Cycling Embassy, will be joining us on the ride.
Lennart Nout with Mobycon, Lennart is an urban mobility specialist with over twelve years of experience in infrastructure design, transport and land-use planning and traffic safety projects.
Richard ter Avest with Goudappel, Richard is professionalized in mobility planning and design. His expertise lies in organizing a city in a bike- and pedestrian-friendly way by also taking into account public transit, car infrastructure and public open spaces.
Margot Daris the Project Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, Margot matches questions from abroad regarding cycling mobility with Dutch knowledge and expertise. She works on several topics connected to cycling, such as behavior change, inclusivity, infrastructure, and policy. Margot believes it is important to keep a pleasant living environment and sustainability as a starting point for mobility policies.
BFC representatives capture any ride notes and details from what is observed or identified and forward them on to the appropriate entities. Any big comments, issues, or ideas from the rides are communicated on our blog or via social channels. Ride routes are focused on fun as much as trying to finding any areas for cycling safety improvement. Route ideas or suggestions welcome.
The only requirements are wearing helmets, obeying road laws for bicyclists, and having fun.
Please bring lights and reflective clothing for your ride home.
Did you miss a R.A.T. Ride? No worries, click on a date below to see the route and read the notes:
May 6, 2021 | July 28, 2021 | October 21, 2021 | May 11, 2022 | August 17, 2022 |
TOUR DE PI(E) RIDE – MARCH 14, 2023
Happy Pi Day! It’s your favorite mathematical constant event, Tour de Pi(e)!
The annual Tour de Pi(e) will take place on Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 and includes three stops featuring three premier pie and pizza makers in Fort Collins. Join us on this wonky math day as we wind through town for 9-ish miles, enjoying the perfect ratio of pie and beverage along the way. Hurry, space is limited!
Early-bird registration open through February 28th: $35/rider
Registration as of March 1st: $40/rider
Bike Fort Collins member registration: $25/rider
See the route Here. Tentative timeline (subject to shift slightly as details are confirmed):
* As always, helmets & lights required and rules of the road observed. woot!
Bike the Lights RIDE – CANCELED
** December 29 Update: Unfortunately, due to the snow we received and in the interest of everyone’s safety, we are canceling the ride that had been rescheduled to take place tonight. We will not be rescheduling a second time, but rather will look forward to resuming the ride next year. Our apologies that Mother Nature didn’t cooperate with us this year. Happy New Year! **
Bike the Lights is a Fort Collins holiday favorite. Following a different route each year, this annual ride takes a leisurely tour of some of our town’s best holiday light displays. We also encourage festive attire and bicycle decoration for added good cheer.
This year, the 2022 tour will leave from Retreat Bakery Bar (2601 S Lemay Ave Unit 2) at 6pm on Thursday, December 22nd and wind through the FoCo Southeast neighborhood! A family friendly affair, we will ride at a kid friendly pace with route distance not to exceed 5 miles. Please be sure to arrive early and enjoy a warm beverage at Retreat Bakery Bar before our 6pm roll-out. Happy holidays, dress warm and we hope to see you there! (Note: Helmets required and rules of the road followed)
Velotines Alleycat
Join us (virtually) for this year’s Velotine’s Alleycat event on Thursday, February 17th! Let the Velotine’s (untimed) Alleycat self-guided tour empower you as you ride around town to checkpoints highlighting our city’s historic hotspots as they relate to the Black/African American, Hispanic, women, and LGBTQ+ cultures.
The below checkpoints offer you the opportunity to explore our city’s history by bike with a focus on marginalized genders, including women, non-binary and trans folx. Althouth this year’s event is virtual, we look forward to compiling our shared experiences on the Bike Fort Collins website. Please feel free to remain annonymous or not, depending on your preference by submitting your ride pics and insights HERE.
Checkpoints
- McDaniel Residence – 317 Cherry Street
- Hicks/Lyles Residences – 310 and 312 N. Meldrum Street
- Lucy McIntyre’s Residence – 137-143 Mathews Street
- A Quiet Corner Bookstore – 803 E. Mulberry Street
- Council Tree – 425 10th Street
*Please note: If you find that the link has connected to the incorrect location, please scroll to the appropriate location.
This event is to honor and empower marginalized genders, including women, non-binary and trans folx. We are grateful for the continued collaboration of Bike Fort Collins, FC Moves, Fort Follies, Bike Ride For Black Lives and Ride For Racial Justice.
Alleycat: An alleycat is the bicyclist’s word for a scavenger hunt competition, and during the self-guided Velotine’s Alleycat we do not use time as a measurement of winning, we use experience. Everyone that participates is a winner! Please share your pics and reflections HERE.
TURKEY HOT LAP CHALLENGE
New in 2020, given the pandemic, we created the “Virtual” Turkey Hot Lap Challenge that could be done on an individual basis (in keeping with social distancing protocols) to help celebrate Thanksgiving.
How many hot laps do you have in you?! Each participant logs as many Turkey Hot Laps of a set course as they can anytime on Thanksgiving or Black Friday and they earn a chance to win prizes. This year they were from New Belgium and Topo Designs
Click here for details and more information as we approach Thanksgiving each year.
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