Thursday, April 26, 2012

Spring Newsletter

Hello Bicycle Enthusiasts!  There is no lack of fun things to do this spring in our beautiful valley.  GVB is participating in some activities that we think you’d enjoy - keep reading for details!

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The April Junk Ride will be held tonight Thursday, April 26th at 6pm.  Meet at the garden near the corner of 10th and Main in downtown GJ and get ready to ride your socks off to celebrate spring.

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Take Life by the Handlebars

Grand Valley Bikes (GVB) has been busy implementing Grand Junction’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program in School District 51!  The SRTS program creates a sustainable culture of walking and bicycling at each school by increasing the safety skill-set of students as well as incorporating parents and guardians to monitor routes to school.  Children in physical education classes learn walking and bicycling road-safe skills from GVB bicycle instructors and practice them in a bicycle rodeo course that includes multi-colored cones, sidewalk chalk, helmets and a fleet of bicycles.  Our time at Tope and Rocky Mountain Elementary this school year has been loads of fun and we are thankful to their staff and students for being superb hosts.  We are looking forward to celebrating Bike to School Day with over 900 students at these schools on Wednesday, May 9.  You should switch gears too and bike to school (or accompany your children to their school)!

Then on March 22nd, 2012 the  Colorado Transportation Commission unanimously approved GVB’s second Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project  application for $30,365 to expand this comprehensive wellness policy to three additional elementary schools; Chipeta, Dual Immersion Academy and Fruitvale!  The program fits well into the system D51 currently uses with other mobile classrooms, such as gymnastics and bowling.  Physical Education teachers check-out the mobile bicycle classroom and conduct the program independently.  In this way the SRTS curriculum is adopted and sustained by each school and student instruction will continue each year. 

If you are interested in having SRTS at your child’s school or to volunteer at these educational events, email grandvalleybikes@gmail.com or visit www.saferoutesinfo.org

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Run/Walk/Bike Family Fun Day

You don’t want to miss the second benefit event of 2012 to honor the Riverfront Trail’s 25th Anniversary on Saturday, May 5th from 8a-12p. The fun begins at Corn Lake on 32 Rd (parking cost is covered by the registration fee) at 9a with a 9- or 14-mile bike loop led by GVB, a 5k run/walk is also available that begins at 9:30a.  The bike loop allows for a shorter and longer option:  everyone begins on the new Riverfront Trail section east of Corn Lake, turning south on the new pedestrian bridge and continuing south on 32 ½ Road, turning west on B ½ Road, THEN EITHER turning north on 29 Road to the Riverfront Trail and east back to Corn Lake (9 miles) OR continue further west on B ½, winding through residential Orchard Mesa to Eagle Rim Park, north across the river on the pedestrian bridge and east  on C ½ Road and the Riverfront Trail to loop back to Corn Lake (14 miles).  To register or for more information go to http://riverfrontproject.org/events/18-family-fun-day-5k  OR call 970-683-4333 for a registration form.

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Bike Rodeo Course for Everyone!

GVB has been taking the rodeo course, a sampling of bikes and helmets to the streets.  We set up the rodeo at MOG Fest on April 14th with great success-people ages 8 to 60 years old were taught hand signals and proper helmet fit among other things.  We look forward to educating with fun at more summer activities including Earth Day on Sunday May 6th from 11a-5p.  Come out and see us!

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Colorado Bike to Work Day & Month

June is Bike to Work Month and Wednesday, June 27 is Bike to Work Day!   Mark your calendar and get pumped up for breakfast, prizes and amusement on your bike commute to work!  Email grandvalleybikes@gmail.com to get involved or for a Bike to Work Day poster to hang at your workplace!

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Bike to School Day is Wednesday, May 9th (in case you skipped the SRTS article).  Switch gears and bike to school, or accompany your children on their ride to school!