pedal progress
In Philadelphia, May Means Derby Time By Erin DeCou, Executive Director, Neighborhood Bike Works Fort Collins
“Here in Fort Collins, Bike Month is successful because of the people who make biking a priority.” entertainment, while afternoon stations offer free adult beverages, fashion shows, live music and a drawing for a commuter bike. With approximately 10,000 total station visits in a single month, these fun stops are a way to give kudos to people who ride regularly and encouragement to people who try bike commuting for the first time. But BTWD is just one of the many ways we celebrate. Fort Collins also hosts an annual Bike Week that spotlights facilities like bike lanes and multi-use trails, while emphasizing a place for everyone in our cycling community. Some of our favorite events include: Bike ‘n Jazz (an evening of music at a local park), our Bike Prom (which encourages silly, bike-themed costumes), our Bicycle Fashion Show (which highlights the many clothing options for cycling) and the Bike Pedal vs. Gas Pedal Challenge (a friendly competition to show that, in many instances, running errands by bike is just as fast or faster than by car). Here in Fort Collins, Bike Month is successful because of the people who make biking a priority. And, as a Bicycle Friendly Community, we take pride in making biking better every day of the year. Fort Collins, Colo., is a Gold level Bicycle Friendly Community.
At Neighborhood Bike Works, we aim to turn our kids’ creativity into transportation creation. And Bike Month means putting that artistry on display during the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby. Each February, when after-school riding opportunities are minimal, we open up a unique class that gets our kids’ artistic gears turning. The local artists-in-residency program (40th Street AIR) lead youth on a journey to create a bicycle sculpture for the Derby. From a pirate ship to a prehistoric shark to an alien space craft, their ideas never fail to awe and inspire. On Derby day in May, our sculptures are mounted to our four-person chassis and Neighborhood Bike Works youth from many parts of the city don costumes for the 13-mile journey. We gather in Kensington at the eastern edge of the city and parade through the streets — 30 or 40 strong — with several dozen bike sculptures. The Derby is not a race, but there are perils along the way. Many crafts break down; indeed there is even a Best Breakdown category in the final judging. In the homestretch lies the biggest
Neighborhood Bike Works AMERICAN BICYCLIST 19