There’s a quote, possibly misattributed to the great science fiction writer H.G. Wells, that states, “Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.” No matter who said it, the sentiment stands: Bikes have the ability to not only make us feel like kids again, but also, just maybe, to help us save ourselves from exhausting our fossil fuels. But just how much do we love bikes and riding them? Read on for the geeky stats.
40 Million
Number of mountain biking participants annually in the US.
Twenty Five
Years since the first annual Bicycle Colorado Gala fundraiser. This year it takes place on April 28th in Denver.
90,000
Value in dollars of a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado to support the Palisade Plunge Project, a 6,000-foot trail that will drop 10,700 feet. The trail is targeted to open in either 2018 or 2019.
3 days, 19 hours, 40 minutes
Record time set by Neil Beltchenko on the 500-mile Colorado Trail Race in 2016. He started in Denver and traveled west to Durango. The time/distance includes the Tarryall Detour, instead of riding US-285 to avoid the Lost Creek Wilderness. Think you can beat that time? Be in downtown Durango at Velorution Cycles on Sunday, July 23, 2017, at 4 a.m. to line up.
Six
Consecutive years new IMBA executive director Dave Wiens won the Leadville 100, from 2003 through 2008.
$330 Million
Value of biking and walking projects awaiting funding in Colorado. Any transportation funding bill headed to the state government needs to consider funding these projects. Be sure to let your representatives in government know that bicycling and walking are of value to you.
Forty
Percentage of bike shops that have closed since 2000.
11 Percent
The average grade of the Wheeler Trail, which climbs 2,286 vertical feet from Breckenridge, before bombing 3,424 feet down to Copper over 10.8 magical miles.
200
Number of brands so far who have committed to exhibit at the Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava-Girona Bike Show in Girona, Spain, June 2-4, 2017. seaottereurope.com
15,000
Number of family members who participated in over 150 community events for IMBA’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. Several events were registered in other countries including: Italy, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Malaysia, and Mexico.
400+
Number of toddler-aged racers expected to attend the 2017 Strider Cup World Championship race on July 22 at Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Eleven
Gain in percent in 2016 of fatalities caused in Colorado by distracted (read: texting) drivers. This includes 16 bicyclists and 84 pedestrians. Don’t be part of the problem and encourage others to be safe drivers for the sake of cyclists and pedestrians as well as other drivers.
770,500
The number of miles the
good people of Copenhagen bike every day. Denmark’s capital city lays claim to 282 miles of cycling lanes, too.
