Biking in Denver is more popular than ever – time to give bike commuting a try!

Over the last few months, Denverites have seen the benefits of fewer cars on the road: cleaner air; quieter streets; and more room to walk, bike, and roll. Demand for bicycles was so high that Denver bike shops actually experienced a shortage of inventory as more people started biking around for recreation and transportation. Now as the city begins to open back up but social distancing requirements remain in place, bicycling is one way to prevent traffic, pollution, and noise from returning to their previous levels.

Before the pandemic, an estimated 50,000 people drove alone into downtown every day, with a quarter of those coming from just 5 miles away. As many Denver residents have been finding out, five miles or less is an enjoyable and reasonable distance to travel by bike. So if you’ve recently started biking around your neighborhood and are interested in trying out bike commuting, Bicycle Colorado’s Neighborhood Navigators are here to help!

The Neighborhood Navigators program is designed to build urban biking know-how and confidence among would-be bike commuters living near and commuting to downtown Denver. The program objective is to get more people on bikes more often, and in particular, as an alternative to driving alone into the city.

Through this program, experienced bike commuters, known as “Navigators,” will be matched up with less experienced “would-be bike commuters.” These trained, vetted and paid Navigators will show you, turn-by-turn and block-by-block, how to commute by bike from your home to work and back — safely and conveniently. Even if you’re not back in the office yet, it’s a great time to start trying out different routes to work by hopping on your bike. To sign up for this free service, visit the Bicycle Colorado website!