From Denver Trips for Kids

Photo Credit: Trips for Kids

I’m happy to share some special news: today is what we’re calling “1K Day”, the day the combine TFK Denver and Boulder Ride programs reached the 1,000 youth participant for the year!

A young man and longtime Casey Bike Club (a Boulder middle school) participant named Sasha Price was our 1000th customer of the season! Sasha is writing an account of his experiences with Trips for Kids over the last few seasons. I’m looking forward to reading his thoughts on the subject and will pass them along as soon as Sasha puts his pencil down.

Read Sasha's Bio and his experiences with TFK

Reaching 1,000 children with our Youth Mountain Biking program was a goal we set this time last year and, quiet frankly, it was a stretch-goal we realistically hoped to achieve next year. Due to our efforts developing our program at a greater level in Boulder and with the remarkable financial support of Pearl Izumi, REI, Specialized, New Belgium, Primal, The Herbert Parker Foundation, and other financial contributors, we had the resources to significantly increase (we’re estimating about a 45% increase by season end vs. 2009) the number of novice youth riders we reached in 2010.

Read More!

[303Cycling] Tell us something about VeloSwap's 20 year history and how you got involved.
[Reese] VeloSwap was started in 1989 by VeloNews art director Dan Wildhirt mainly because he and his friends had extra bike stuff at the end of the season and wanted to get rid of it. That first edition was held outdoors at a Boulder cyclo-cross race. Over the next few years it became apparent that the swap had outgrown any Boulder venues, so the event had to move to nearby Denver. It finally found a home at the sprawling National Western Complex, famous for rodeo and stock shows. Filling some 140,000 square feet, VeloSwap has developed into the world's largest single-day consumer bike show and swap.

I joined the team 6 years ago when the owners of VeloNews asked me to help them run the event. We have run it ever since and have had a great time doing so. The first year I did not fully understand the true meaning and scope of VeloSwap, but after that first year, I was hooked. Although there is a ton of buying and selling going on, I feel it is really about hanging out with like minded cycling fanatics. It is a great place to reacquaint with old friends and meet new ones.

I hear great stories every year from people calling the VeloSwap phone and telling me what makes VeloSwap special for them. I love that!

[303Cycling] How did the incorporation of the EcoVillage come about?
[Reese] I think the incorporation of the EcoVillage grew naturally from the event. VeloSwap is about recycling bikes and cycling equipment and keeping them out of landfills. Bringing that component to the forefront was only natural. Finding companies that recycled tires and tubes was a bit more challenging, but we now have good relationships with Alchemy Goods and Jai Tire. Our hope is to make VeloSwap a major tire and tube drop where riders save their old rubber for the event.

More Boulder Marathon Pictures

Before 303Cycling, even before I got my first road bike, I was a runner. I think "avid" is a polite word for my relationship to the sport. I started out with marathons and within in a few seasons those 26.2 miles became my training runs for ultras (50 Ks, 50 Miles, 24 hrs, 100 miles etc.).

So when this cold I'm nursing prevented me from racing up in Frisco this weekend, I decided to return to the scene of the crime and shoot the Boulder Marathon and Half Marathon. As many of you may know, the race was postponed from it's scheduled date of Sept 19th because of the Four Mile Canyon Fire.

I talked with one of the volunteers between mile 5 and 6 about how the change in date affected the race. He said overall the numbers were about the same spread over the 10k, half and full marathon. It did effect many athlete's training however and some who planned to do the full, dropped to the half, half the 10k.