June Is Bike Month

There are more bikes per capita here than any place I've lived. The 300 days of sunshine and mild climate make for excellent biking weather. June is Grand Valley Bike Month.

As part of the celebration, The Mesa County Libraries are hosting several events all month long. Bike Month and Bike to Work Day are community efforts organized to encourage riding and educating its benefits.

Check out all the cool bike stuff!

• All Children 17 and younger who ride a bike to any Mesa County Libraries five times during June will receive one free admission to a swimming pool in Fruita, Grand Junction, or Palisade.

• Learn bike safety and maintenance at "Bike Repair and Maintenance," a presentation by Palisade resident Tim Wilson scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 6, at the Palisade Branch Library, 119 W. Third St. The presentation will include demonstrations and hands-on activities for kids.

• "Bike Fun in Your World" is for kids.  It encourages healthy lifestyles by riding bikes, along with learning bicycle safety.
• 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, at the Clifton Branch Kids' Club
• 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 20, at the Palisade Branch children's Story Time
• 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at the Fruita Branch Kids' Club
• 10 a.m. Friday, June 30, at the Orchard Mesa Branch children's Story Time
• 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, at the Central Library Kids' Club

• "Genre de Vie," is a cool documentary about bicycles that explores how urban life is improved by the bicycle. It will be shown at two library locations: 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, at the Palisade Branch; and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at the Central Library in downtown Grand Junction. The film screenings are free and open to the public.

• Plan to participate in Bike to Work Day on Wednesday, June 28, a day when local businesses and organizations compete to see who can get the highest percentage of employees to ride to work that day. Businesses that win the challenge earn the right to display a traveling trophy for the next year (The trophy is proudly on display at the Central Library because Mesa County Libraries won the challenge in 2016.)

I'm going to have to get myself a bike!