My Platte River Ride

My Platte River Ride
Originally uploaded by freewheelinbiker

I figured that I wouldn't be much of a freewheeler if I didn't take a ride myself. After getting some of the nearby stations up and running with webcams and photo uploads, I headed back to our main station at 14th and Stout.

Grant Harrison had just arrived in Denver, so we decided to go out to Platte and 16th street - the most distant station from downtown (see this map for details - I love this map)..

We rode around the convention center, past the Arts Center and Sculpture Park, down to the Cherry Creek bike path. For those of you who haven't been to Denver, this path is a gorgeous stream that runs through the heart of the city, with a pedestrian path on one side and a bike/rollerblade path on the other.

I had checked out a new Raleigh cruiser to ride, but wasn't comfortable with my inability to shift. So we stopped by the station closest to the Pepsi Center - 14th and Wynkoop (that's pronounced WINEkoop for the novice) and got myself fitted for a Giant 21-speed. SWEET! We continued on, enjoying all of the convention activities around . . . protests, marches, bands playing and people just generally having a good time. Except for the protesters. They seemed as if something was bothering them. [editorial note: I know that people who care enough about an issue to come to Denver and talk about it deserve to be taken seriously. But they do tend to run together after a while]

When we reached Confluence Park, we ramped up out of the bike path and found ourselves in the shadow of the legendary REI building. The park and the bridges crossing it were gorgeous . . . enough so that I stopped for a picture (in spite of the hundreds I've taken today, this may be the only one taken of me!)

A few blocks up, we reached our bikestation at 16th and Platte. We found their systems to be in order, and the webcam was happily broadcasting away. At that point, they'd just gotten a shipment of new freewheelin water bottles - perfect to fill up and take back for the return trip. It's fun riding through the traffic downtown, but Cherry Creek and Confluence Park take the prize as best rides in Denver as far as I'm concerned.

I've spent a lot of time talking to folks who've just gone freewheelin; look for some good podcast materials shortly.
- Greg