June is Bike Month in Colorado, and there’s no better time to hop on your bike and explore the stunning landscapes this beautiful state has to offer. Colorado is known for its outdoor activities, and biking is no exception. Whether biking for pleasure, exercise, sport, or commuting – Coloradans love it all!
Biking is not only a great way to explore the outdoors and commute around town but it is also an excellent form of exercise that can significantly benefit your cardiovascular health. Regular biking strengthens your heart, lungs, and muscles, improving your overall cardiovascular fitness, and it’s a lot of fun too.
Many of our Rocky Mountain Flex members commute to the gym on their bikes regularly and now, with the completion of the 1.5 mile Broadway Bike Lane Project as of April 2024, their commute will be much easier and safer! The improvement project included a two-way protected high-comfort bikeway on Broadway that used concrete curb buffers and a row of parking on the other side of the buffer to separate people on bikes from cars. The bike path extends from 7th Ave. to Center Ave. and connects to the Cherry Creek Trail to Center Avenue and RTD’s Broadway station. While on this new route, you can make a quick turn on 1st Avenue between Punchbowl Social and Snooze Eatery to head a few minutes down the road to Rocky Mountain Flex!
With Denver making bike lanes safer for riders and Bike Month creeping up in a couple of weeks, it’s the perfect opportunity to join fellow cycling enthusiasts in upcoming cycling events. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or a beginner, there’s something for everyone this June.
How can you participate in Colorado’s Bike Month?
Check out these biking events in Denver and the surrounding areas.
The Pikes Peak APEX in Colorado Springs - June 7th-9th
The Pikes Peak APEX is a multi-day mountain bike challenge on Pikes Peak, featuring routes through dirt roads, jeep trails, and alpine singletrack. Riders can choose to race one, two, or all three days on terrain that’s challenging but not overly technical, perfect for both professional and amateur cyclists. The event includes equal prizes for men and women and prizes for amateur categories. This is a USA Cycling-sanctioned event, participants need a USAC license. The festivities conclude with a Rider After-Party on June 9th, featuring live music, an award ceremony, food, and drinks.
Evergreen Mountain Bike Festival - June 8-9th, 2024
Evergreen MTB Festival will be held at Raging River State Forest, celebrating the grand opening of their new Phase 3 trails. Enjoy demo mountain bikes, group rides, live music, food trucks, a beer garden, skills clinics, kids zones, vendors, and more. Bring your friends and family for a weekend full of mountain biking excitement on June 8th and 9th!
Ride to End ALZ Colorado in Fort Collins - June 9th, 2024
Participate in the Ride to End ALZ Colorado in Fort Collins on June 9th. This one-day cycling event is raising funds for Alzheimer’s research. Choose from routes with distance options of 10, 23, 46, 65, and 75 miles, catering to cyclists of all levels. All routes will start and finish at the Canvas Stadium on the Colorado State University campus in beautiful Fort Collins, CO. Enjoy well-stocked rest stops, complete route assistance, a delicious post-ride catered meal, and stunning scenery along the way. Riders will also receive exclusive gear, including a Ride2EndALZ jersey. With every penny of proceeds going directly to research, your ride makes a real difference.
The Front Range Freedom Tour Classic in Fort Collins - June 15th, 2024
Help support a great cause by joining the Freedom Tour Classic, a community ride to bring hope and freedom to kids rescued from human trafficking. You can choose from 4 routes, a 15-mile family route, a 25, 40, or 62-mile route. All routes begin and end at Timberline Church in Fort Collins. During the race, you can expect fun rest stops, an end-of-race celebration, and lunch from Jason’s Deli. All proceeds go to the kids at the Home of Hope, which offers hope and freedom to kids rescued from human trafficking.
Denver Bike to Work Day in Denver - June 26th, 2024
Join thousands of cyclists across Denver as they commute to work on two wheels for Bike to Work Day. This event promotes the benefits of cycling, including health, environmental impact, and cost savings. Various pit stops throughout the city will offer refreshments, giveaways, and bike checks. Pledge to ride your bike on #BikeToWorkDay and turn eco-friendly commuting into a habit!
Bike MS: Colorado 2024 in Westminster, CO - June 29 - 30th, 2024
Embark on a two-day cycling adventure along Colorado’s Front Range, where you’ll pass through charming towns and picturesque countryside near the foothills. Enjoy stunning mountain views, including the iconic Longs Peak, and breathe in the fresh air. Join a community of enthusiastic riders for the Bike MS ride, all united in the mission to create a world free of Multiple Sclerosis.
Speaking of biking, have you heard of the Denver and Colorado E-bike Incentive Programs?
The City of Denver was the first to roll out the E-bike Incentive Program in the spring of 2022. The program gave Denver County residents rebate vouchers to go towards the purchase of a new electric bike from a local dealer. The original rebate amounts were $400 off an e-bike or $900 off a cargo e-bike, and those who met the low-income requirements were eligible for an additional $800 discount, bringing their discount up to $1,200 – $1,700 rebate. In only nine months, 4,734 Denver residents became new e-bike owners.
Why e-bikes you might ask? Electric bicycles make it easier for people to ride more often for both shorter and longer distances, all while reducing the number of cars on the road and reducing emissions. With e-bikes, you can reduce commuting times to work or to run errands. E-bikes also make cycling accessible to a broader range of people, including those who might struggle with traditional bikes due to age or physical limitations, allowing you to tackle hills and longer distances with ease.
This program became so popular that many other states around the country started implementing similar programs. In 2023, while the Denver program had stopped, the state of Colorado also jumped on board with its own version, which made the program accessible to citizens of other cities in the Denver metro area as well as other cities across the state. Depending on your income bracket, they gave rebates of $500-$1,100 and then an additional $250-$300 for cargo and adaptive e-bikes, plus $100 for either a helmet or bike lock.
The State of Colorado e-bike program is no longer giving out the larger rebates, instead, they are giving an e-bike tax credit to everyone, which will provide a $450 discount off of a qualifying e-bike purchase upon checkout. Not as many retailers are participating in this program, but here is a list of the Colorado e-bike retailers that are.
If you are interested in the lottery for the 2024 Denver E-bike Incentive Program, you are in luck because you can apply during the next few rounds on June 25, August 27, and October 29. Depending on your income bracket, you can expect between $400-$1,400 rebate vouchers to go towards your new e-bike. Make sure to sign up for an account in their portal ahead of time because their system can get bogged down the morning that the application portal opens.
Just keep in mind that when purchasing an e-bike, you still need to exercise regularly with cardio and weight training.
