Is it abandoned? Maybe someone is hiking nearby. Perhaps it’s a “bait bike”, set to snare a would-be thief? Turns out it’s part of a bike share program from a company called Ofo.

Ofo is a dockless bike-sharing program. If you find one (I’ve seen two so far), you can unlock it with an app, ride it anywhere you like (for $1 an hour), and leave it anywhere (safely and legally). Each bike has a QR code, and a wheel lock that prevents rolling until unlocked with the Ofo app. You can also use the app to find nearby bikes.

According to @ofo_bicycle (ofo.com), there are 10 million of these yellow bikes around the world. The program was just introduced in the U.S. in August 2017, in 20 cities. And Ofo plans to rapidly expand across North America. So keep an eye out for all these yellow bikes!

Happy riding!

“Anyone can ride in the warm sunshine!”, a fellow cyclist once triumphantly yelled to me as we slogged through a downpour.  He certainly had a jovial spirit, but internally I’m thinking “only us idiots are out riding in this kind of weather!”. Winter riding in Colorado can bring about the same sense of “why am I out here”. Ultimately, it’s always great to be riding – no matter the circumstances. A winter ride often brings a heightened sense of pride and accomplishment.

Bundled up with the right gear, including leggings, arm bands, shoe covers, and ski gloves, I can comfortably withstand temperatures down to about 30 degrees.  When it gets in the 20s, the wind-chill factor on a bike starts to really kick in – and my eyeballs literally start to freeze.  I suppose I could try ski goggles to match the gloves!

A full schedule of summer rides and tours helps provide motivation for those cold winter rides.  And I’ve got some great rides planned for 2018.  This year I’ll kick off a coast-to-coast ride with a 9 day tour from Astoria, Oregon to Boise, Idaho.  To train for this 700 mile jaunt, I’ll be riding the Santa Fe century in May, and a popular local ride in early June called the Elephant Rock.  More on all these in future blogs.

For now, the goal is to sneak in those cold winter rides when Mother Nature allows, and rejoice with a few other crazies out joyously freezing on our bikes.

Happy Riding,  ~Dan

(originally posted December 30, 2017) Donning ski gloves, shoe covers, and a bandit-worthy balaclava, I rolled out into the December cold today to log a significant milestone before the close of 2017: reaching the 40,000 mile mark on my Bianchi Imola bike. This trusty steel steed has dutifully carried me all over Colorado and beyond, without once complaining. Well, maybe a few squeaks and clicks, but no formal complaints (except for that popped spoke near Chugwater, Wyoming – but that’s another story).

Riding along a favorite city bike path, I pulled over when the odometer clicked 40000 and celebrated with a cold water bottle shower as some puzzled Canada geese looked on. The aptly named Bear Creek Trail follows Bear Creek from the foothills hamlet of Morrison, CO to its confluence with South Platte river in Denver – and the “BCT” served as a gracious host for the occasion, especially since many of those 40,000 miles were accumulated on this very path.

Purchased in 2002, my Bianchi has held up beautifully – thanks in large part to the friendly mechanics at Turin Bike shop in Denver. Virtually every component has been replaced or overhauled at least once, but the black-and-celeste frame remains solid and true (with just one battle scar from a tangle with a downed tree branch – but that’s yet another story!).

15 years, 40,000 miles, and countless memories. Here’s to one great bike!