BIKE

hopefully try it again and make it more of a routine.” is is the second year that Giant of Centennial participated in the bike station, o ering consultations to cyclists passing through, said Ian Latta, lead sales manager.

One of the main pieces of advice he had is to check the tire pressure on a bike before going on a ride.

“People that ride bikes, we want to support them,” he said, adding that his favorite part of the day was talking with people and seeing the di erent types of bikes people are riding. “It’s fun.”

A positive of biking versus driving is the mental and physical health bene ts it o ers, Winn said.

“ ere’s lots of studies showing that people that bike to work are healthier, they take less sick time, their mental health is much better, and that their overall wellbeing is much better for biking to work,” he said.

One of the highlights of the morning was when Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce School Resource O cers Deputy Adam Nardi and Deputy Candace Gray arrived with their four-legged partners, Riley and Bear, who are both therapy dogs. e agency’s bike unit deputies also attended the event.

“ is is a huge partnership between Centennial, the Denver South TMA (transportation management association), our own Arapahoe County Health Department, our Arapahoe County Sheri ’s (O ce) — it allows everyone that is involved and touches the biking community (to) get out here and support them,” Winn said. His favorite part of the day was interacting with the cyclists and sharing resources with them, saying he is the biggest fan of the county’s “Explore Arapahoe County Bike and Trail Map.”

“It’s a great resource,” he said, noting that the map is color-coded to indicate if a bike route is in the street with tra c or o the street. “You can visually see that on the map and plan your route according to your comfort level, and that’s something that a lot of people are really excited about.”

In an email, Arapahoe County Public Information O cer Anders Nelson said an estimated 150 to 175 people visited the station at the Arapahoe Road Trailhead this year, which is less than last year’s turnout when more than 200 people visited the station.

Comparing the turnout this year to previous years, Winn said, “Before, we would just get a huge rush and then it would all subside ‘cause everyone had to go to work. Now, I feel like it’s just been a steady stream (of people).”

Winn thinks more people working from home may be a reason for the change, adding that he encour- ages people who work from home to still get out on the trails and take a “joy ride.”

“It’s more about experiencing getting out and enjoying the trails than it is actually that commuting aspect,” he said.

Overall, Winn said the day is important because it shows people that it is possible for them to bike to work.

“I hope that just more people realize that there’s more trails in their backyard than they knew about,” he said. “I also really hope that even a fraction of the percent of people that tried biking to work today make that more of a habit, so we can reduce some of the congestion on the roads and get people into more of that … healthy habits and healthy lifestyle.”