Montrose Bicycle

Fall riding

2011-11-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

After riding a bicycle to and from work and around town all week I have remembered some wonderful things about being on a bike. The sound of leaves under the tire. The cold air against your face. Watching the sunrise while rolling along. Holding a mug of coffee while riding slowly. Happily waving to the person in the vehicle that just flipped you off for merely existing. Shifting gears and feeling the slight increase in speed. The smell of burning wood in the air. Riding a bicycle in the fall is pure joy.

Inspiring bicycle touring books...7 recommendations

2011-10-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

1. "Moods of Future Joys" (vol. 1) and "Thunder and Sunshine" (vol. 2) by Alastair Humphreys

2. "Take a Seat" by Dominic Gill

3. "Odysseus' Last Stand" by Dave Stamboulis

4. "Where the Pavement Ends" by Erika Warmbrunn

5. "Into Thick Air" by Jim Malusa

6. "Cycling Home from Siberia" by Rob Lilwall

7. "Riding with Reindeer" by Robert M. Goldstein

Bicycles in other Colorado towns

2011-10-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Perspective on advocacy

2011-10-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance is all about bicycle advocacy and improving riding conditions in our community. The very nature of advocacy work can lead to disagreements, arguments, lengthy discussions, misunderstandings, and the need to be educated and educate individuals on both sides of an issue. For those of us that are or want to be actively involved in bicycle advocacy work we need to keep in mind what riding a bicycle is all about. Riding a bicycle is about the wind, the hum of the tires, being healthy and efficient, friends, food, a cold beer at the end of a ride, a well deserved meal, and the freedom of getting from A to B in the absolute best way possible. These fantastic things need to be remembered when discussing policy, bad drivers, bad cyclists, hostile people from the other point of view, and the day to day of getting things changed. At the end of the day bicycles are about fun.

Time to BLOG

2011-10-06T14:26:00.001-07:00

Today starts a new chapter in MABA. Blogging on a regular basis. Please spread the word and join in with comments and suggestions.

new MABA email

2010-05-27T16:59:00.001-07:00

Effective today the new email address for the Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance is:

montrosebicycle@gmail.com

Thanks-Rob

Facebook | Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance

2010-04-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Facebook Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance: "The Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance is sponsoring a kids bike rodeo that will be presented as part of the Mission to Ride. The rodeo will be for kids of any age that can ride a bicycle. Officers of the Montrose Police Department will be on hand to offer safety instruction. A helmet fitting and bike insprection will a...lso be part of the event. All participants will receive a t-shirt and will have the opportunity to win a new bicycle. The event will be held at Rotary Park beginning at 10am on May 16, 2010. If you have any questions please contact Rob Brethouwer at 970-596-4682."

MABA update/spring and summer group rides

2010-04-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to let everybody know that the Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance is really gaining some steam and the support shown has been fantastic. The board has a full lineup of officers and we are looking for 4 more people to complete the board. If you are interested please let me know.

If you are looking for a regular road ride please join us at 5pm Wednesday evenings at Centennial Plaza. A group of us ride for about 90 minutes and we usually end up somewhere for a beer and/or food. This is not a "hammer hard" type of group so if you are looking for some miles and some conversation please join us.

Organizational meeting

2010-01-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

On January 19, 2010, an organizational meeting of MABA was held. The 9 attendees had an active discussion on the future course of MABA and there was a lot of enthusiasm. Immediate next steps: finding a volunteer to fill the Secretary position on the board, checking account, establishment of monthly meetings, and initial grant applications. If anybody is interested in the Secretary position, serving on the board, or just being a part of MABA at any level please contact me at 970-596-4682. Thanks!

Rob Brethouwer
Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance

2010-01-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

There will be an informal organization meeting of the Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance on January 19, 2010 at 7pm. The meeting will be held in the Sneffels conference room at 300 N. Cascade Avenue in Montrose. Enter off the south side patio.

Rob Brethouwer

Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance

2009-12-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the initial blog entry of the newly formed Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance. MABA will focus on local bicycle advocacy, bicycle education and safety, paths and trail connections, equipment and route information and will also be a social network for area cyclists. Thanks for blogging and being an interested participant.

Rob Brethouwer
Founder, MABA