1.
2016
City
of
Fort
Collins
Daniel
Nieman
MPH
[BUILDING
A
SUCCESSFUL
BIKE
CLUB]

2. 1
“Bikes
are
neat,
school
is
alright.
Bikes
make
school
a
little
more
neat.”
–
Jack
E.
(student)
Why
Have
a
Bike
Club
at
Your
School?
The
members
of
Rocky
Mountain
High
School’s
bike
club
are
silver
level
Bicycle
Ambassadors!
There
are
many
positive
reasons
to
have
a
bike
club
at
your
school.
Community
engagement,
advocacy,
less
motorized
traffic,
improved
air
quality,
reduction
of
parking
issues,
independence
and
healthier
lifestyles,
just
to
name
a
few.
A
bicycle
club
can
help
encourage
bicycling
in
various
forms
at
your
school,
including
transportation,
recreation
and
as
a
competitive
sport!
This
toolkit
is
designed
to
lay
out
the
steps
needed
to
start
a
successful
bike
club
at
your
school.
Happy
Cycling!
Step
#
1
–
Starting
the
Club
“My
passion
is
riding
a
bike.
Sponsoring
a
bike
club
at
FCHS
is
a
way
to
encourage
staff
and
students
to
ride
a
bike.”
-­‐
Cathy
H.
(instructor)
Sponsorship
In
order
to
start
your
bike
club
it
is
important
to
gain
permission
from
the
school’s
principal
and/or
other
supervising
staff.
You
may
also
need
to
get
approval
from
the
school
district
before
starting
the
club
at
an
individual
school
Finding
a
teacher
who
is
interested
in
being
a
part
of
a
biking
club
to
supervise
this
endeavor
has
been
shown
to
be
critical
to
continuing
the
success
of
club
over
time.
Club
Requirements
Once
you
have
the
necessary
approval
and
staff
support
of
the
club
you
should
determine
if
your
school
has
any
additional
requirements.
• For
example,
does
your
club
need
to:
o Raise
a
certain
amount
of
money?
o Have
a
certain
number
of
hours
of
community
service?
o Elect
officers?
o Any
other
Requirements?
In
addition
to
individual
school
requirements
it
is
important
to
include
safety
requirements
for
club
members.
Encouraging
safety
in
your
bike
club
will
lower
the
risk
of
injury,
and
inspire
others
to
be
safe
and
healthy!
Requirements
can
include:
• Members
must
wear
a
helmet
while
bicycling.
• Member
must
follow
all
the
rules
of
the
road
such
as;
stopping
at
stop
signs
and
traffic
lights,
signaling
while
making
turns
or
changing
lanes,
yielding
to
pedestrians
in
crosswalks,
etc.
• Reflectors
and
lights
at
night
or
during
cloudy
weather
help
with
visibility,
both
with
the
rider
as
well
as
with
traffic.
• Members
should
be
prepared
for
all
weather
related
situations
like
rain,
snow
and
ice
by
having
the
proper
gear.

3. 2
Step
#
2
–
Marketing
Building
Club
Membership
Building
membership
and
involvement
with
the
bike
club
can
be
achieved
by
using
various
marketing
avenues.
Beyond
posting
flyers
around
school
and
having
an
announcement
between
classes,
clubs
might
consider
adding
a
social
media
presence
to
the
marketing
aspect.
Create
a
Facebook
page,
Instagram
and
Twitter
handle
and
use
your
own
unique
hashtag
to
share
events
and
updates
with
the
club
and
its
members.
A
text
and
email
thread
is
another
good
way
to
communicate
with
a
large
group
of
people.
The
creation
of
an
official
and
catchy
club
name
and
club
logo
can
also
help
with
promotion
and
marketing
of
your
club.
A
logo
can
be
put
on
stickers
and
pins
to
be
given
out
at
club
and
school
events.
Recruitment
There
are
a
number
of
ways
to
recruit
members
to
your
club.
Here
are
a
few
ideas
to
get
you
started:
• Have
a
booth
or
table
at
your
school’s
wellness
fairs
or
sporting
events
• Offer
snacks
or
a
meal
at
a
new
member
meeting
• Host
a
special
"bring
a
friend"
meeting
and.
Provide
incentives
for
the
member
and
the
friend
• Offer
free
bike
safety
checks/tune-­‐ups
at
lunch
and
tell
prospective
members
about
the
club
while
they
wait
for
their
bike
to
get
fixed
up
• Gather
testimonials
about
bike
club
membership
from
active
members.
Use
the
testimonials
in
your
marketing
materials
Get
creative
and
have
fun
with
the
recruitment!
When
others
see
you
having
fun
they
are
more
likely
to
want
to
join
the
club.
Step
#
3
–
Define
the
Club
Vision
&
Mission
Your
club
should
have
an
overarching
vision.
A
vision
is
an
aspirational
statement
of
the
purpose
of
the
club
and
should
serve
as
the
guide
for
all
of
the
clubs
goals
and
activities.
Here
are
some
examples
of
existing
and
possible
vision
statements:
• Everyone
at
the
school
is
a
bicyclist.
• Empowering
students
through
bicycling
•
More
Bikes.
Safe
Streets.
One
Voice
(vision
for
non-­‐profit
advocacy
group,
Bike
Fort
Collinsi
)
Once
a
vision
is
established,
a
mission
statement
can
be
formulated.
A
Mission
statement
should
reflect
what
the
club
hopes
to
accomplish
but
not
necessarily
in
quantifiable
terms.
Note:
It
should
be
something
the

4. 3
students/club
members
relate
to,
and
reflects
the
purpose
and
objective
that
the
students
want
to
see
for
the
club.
Establish
this
early
on
in
the
club’s
formation
to
instill
a
sense
of
ownership
in
the
students/
club
members
to
keep
them
coming
back.
An
example
of
a
mission
statement
from
FC
Bikes
Bicycle
Ambassador
Program
is
“Learn!
Educate!
Advocate!
For
a
better
cycling
community.”
Another
example
is
the
mission
of
Cascade
Bicycle
Club
based
out
of
Seattle,
WA
which
states,
“Improving
lives
through
bicycling.”
Develop
By-­‐Laws
of
the
Club
Have
your
bike
club
members
decide
on
rules
and
by-­‐laws
of
their
bike
club.
This
can
range
from
this
as
simple
as
“Accept
riders
of
all
skill
levels,”
to
electing
bike
club
positions
such
as
president,
treasurer,
and
secretary.
The
by-­‐laws
should
also
outline
the
purposes
and
objectives
the
club
hopes
to
achieve.
Purpose
Define
the
purpose
of
your
club,
what
do
the
students/
club
members
want
to
get
out
of
this
club?
o Racing
–
Ciclismoii
is
a
youth
racing
team
in
Northern
Colorado
in
which
students
can
compete.
Are
students
joining
the
high
school
club
because
they
are
a
member
of
Ciclismo?
Are
they
seeking
a
varsity
letter
for
joining
a
bike
club
and
racing?
Are
the
club
members
part
another
racing
club/team
in
your
area,
and
wanting
to
bring
that
passion
to
the
school?
“Bike
club
is
a
great
way
to
get
more
kids
involved
in
the
sport
and
have
a
great
time
riding
with
your
friends.”
-­‐
Jack
K.
(student)
o Commuting
–
Do
club
members
commute
on
bikes?
Are
members
looking
to
get
more
comfortable
riding
with
traffic?
Are
members
interested
in
learning
about
low
stress
routes
to
travel
by
bike?
o Fun
&
Exercise
–
Biking
is
a
fun
way
to
exercise
your
and
experience
the
outdoors.
Are
club
members
looking
for
fun
paths
and
trails
around
the
city?
Do
club
members
want
to
go
mountain
biking
more
often?
Or
maybe
just
bike
around
town
and
explore
with
friends?
o Social
Connections
–
Bike
Club
can
offer
opportunities
to
meet
new
people.
Both
friends
and
professional
connections
can
be
made
that
may
help
a
student
advance
in
school
and/or
a
career.
o Knowledge
–
Fort
Collins
is
a
large
cycling
community,
but
that
doesn’t
mean
your
bike
club
members
know
as
much
as
they’d
like
when
it
comes
to
bikes.
Perhaps
they
joined
the
bike
club
to
learn
more
about
bike
maintenance,
traffic
skills,
or
trails
around
town.
Note:
it
is
possible
that
different
members
of
the
club
have
different
ideas
about
what
they

5. 4
would
like
to
gain
from
being
a
member
That
is
OK!
Your
purpose
and
objectives
can
meet
the
needs
of
a
variety
of
member
desires.
Objectives
After
the
purpose
or
multi-­‐purposes
of
the
club
has
been
established,
develop
the
objectives
of
the
club.
The
objectives
are
measurable
and
time-­‐bound.
Examples
of
club
objectives
might
include:
o Touring
-­‐
Our
club
will
go
on
two
touring
excursions
during
the
school
year
o Racing-­‐
50%
of
member
will
compete
in
one
race
o Mountain
biking
-­‐
Weekly
mountain
bike
rides
that
cater
to
all
riding
abilities
o Bicycle
safety
-­‐
Host
one
bike
safety
training
for
members
during
the
school
year
o Bicycle
maintenance
-­‐
Offer
free
monthly
bike
maintenance
check-­‐ups
to
anyone
who
rides
to
school
o Advocacy
-­‐
Work
with
school
administration
to
make
school
grounds
safer
for
cyclists
Note:
your
club
may
have
multiple
objectives
in
order
to
achieve
the
purposes
that
the
club
established.
Club
Rules
Establishing
club
rules
helps
to
ensure
that
all
club
members
are
respectful
and
on
the
same
page.
A
few
examples
may
include:
o Accept
riders
of
all
skill
levels
o Welcome
new
riders
o Follow
all
traffic
laws
when
riding
in
town
o Help
other
riders
when
needed
These
are
just
a
few
suggestions
to
get
you
started.
The
club
members
should
come
up
with
the
majority
of
the
club
rules
and
should
also
include
anything
that
is
mandated
by
the
school
and/or
district.
Elected
Members
Club
members
should
decide
whether
or
not
they
want
to
have
elected
members.
If
having
elected
members
will
help
to
drive
the
club
forward
then
it
is
recommended.
• President
o Calls
meetings
to
order
o Sets
and
follows
the
meetings’
agenda
o Calls
votes
when
necessary
o Sets
up
any
out
of
school
time
group
rides
• Treasurer
(if
the
club
has
funds)
o Monitors
the
funds
of
the
club
o Budgets
and
allocates
money
accordingly
o Sets
up
fundraisers
and
oversees
all
earnings
of
the
club
• Secretary

6. 5
o Takes
attendance
during
club
meeting
and
out
of
school
gatherings
o Takes
notes
and
types
minutes
for
the
club
meetings
If
the
club
is
large
enough
other
positions
such
as
Vice
President
or
Event
Coordinator
can
be
created
and
responsibility
can
be
delegated.
Enhancing
the
Club
Using
the
community
and
community
members
in
the
area
is
a
great
way
to
further
enhance
the
bike
club
experience.
A
few
ideas
for
how
to
engage
a
community
might
include:
• Partnering
with
a
local
bike
shop
to
see
if
they
would
be
willing
to
come
in
and
give
some
free
pointers
on
bike
maintenance
and
bike
safety
or
would
be
willing
to
offer
discounts
to
members.
• Partnering
with
a
local
eatery.
In
a
bike
friendly
community,
you
might
find
that
local
businesses
are
happy
to
accommodate
young
bikers
who
are
out
on
a
group
ride.
Some
places
may
even
offer
discounts
for
bike
clubs
on
a
group
ride
or
to
club
members
in
general.
• Partnering
with
the
local
municipality.
In
Fort
Collins,
CO,
FC
Bikesiii
and
the
FC
Bikes
Bicycle
Ambassador
Program
offer
educational
recourses
to
help
your
bike
club
(see
the
“Activities
for
your
Bike
Club”
for
examples
in
Fort
Collins).
• Partner
with
local
bike
clubs
or
advocacy
groups.
In
Fort
Collins,
the
non-­‐profit
advocacy
group,
Bike
Fort
Collins
has
a
division
called
the
Bicycle
Friendly
Business
Peer
Network
that
can
help
your
school
apply
for
a
Bicycle
Friendly
Business
designation
from
the
League
of
American
Bicyclists.
(Fort
Collins
High
School
became
the
first
public
school
in
the
country
to
receive
a
silver
level
Bicycle
Friendly
Business
designation!)
“It’s
(bike
club)
great
for
learning
how
to
keep
my
bike
in
Shape.”
Connor
M.
(student)
• Connect
with
local
businesses.
Some
local
businesses
already
give
discounts
to
Ciclismo
riders,
and
may
be
willing
to
extend
that
offer
to
a
high
school
bike
club.
Check
out
the
complete
list
of
Bicycle
Friendly
Businessesiv
.
These
are
examples
of
places
that
might
be
willing
to
partner
with
a
bike
club.
Step
#
4
–
Moving
Forward
Activities
for
Bike
Clubs
Your
bike
club
can
engage
with
a
variety
of
activities,
learning
opportunities
and
fun
events
in
Northern
Colorado.
For
a
complete
list
of
upcoming
courses
and
events,
visit
FC
Bikes.v
Your
bike
club
can
also
create
in
their
own
fun
events.
• Classes
and
programs
bike
clubs
can
be
involved
with
o Everyday
Cycling

7. 6
o Bicycle
Friendly
Driver
o Smart
Cycling
o Bicycle
Ambassador
Program
o Safe
Routes
to
school/
Adventure
PE
Class
• Events
bike
clubs
can
attend
or
be
involved
with
o Fort
Collin
Events
§ Bike
to
school
day/week
§ Open
Streets
§ Tour
De
Fat
Parade
• Set
up
a
“Bike
Scavenger
Hunt”
with
local
business
and
locations
around
town.
o A
Bike
Scavenger
Hunt
could
have
a
group
or
groups
from
the
club
pedal
around
town
to
visit
different
business
and
locations
and
either
take
pictures
or
get
a
memento
to
prove
they
completed
this
task.
This
can
also
be
played
as
Bike
Bingo
where
groups
or
individuals
need
to
complete
a
bingo
on
a
pre-­‐made
card
to
win.
Photo
evidence
could
be
required
to
prove
riders
visited
these
places
on
their
bike!
o Other
Activities
§ Out
of
school
rides
around
town
(Bike
to
a
designated
point
like
ice
cream
or
other
food)
§ Bike-­‐In
movie
night
§ School
Health/Wellness
Fair
• Basic
Bike
Maintenance
• Training,
Competitions,
and
Races
Benefits
of
Joining
a
Biking
Club
There
are
a
myriad
of
social
and
personal
benefits
that
can
come
with
being
part
of
a
school
bike
club
• Health
o Personal
§ Increases
Cardiovascular
Fitness
§ Increases
muscle
strength
and
flexibility
§ Improves
Joint
mobility
§ Obesity
and
weight
control
§ Decreased
stress
levels
§ Improves
posture
and
coordination
§ Strengthens
bones
§ Decreases
body
fat
levels
§ Prevention
and
management
of
disease
§ Reduces
anxiety
and
depression
o Environmental
§ Reduces
CO2
and
greenhouse
gas
emissions
§ Virtually
NO
carbon
footprint
§ Most
energy
efficient
form
of
transportation
§ Reduces
the
demand
for
parking
lots
and
paving
the
earth
§ Less
noise
pollution
• Comradery
o You
will
be
a
leader
in
your
community
and
at
your
school
o Help
make
biking
cool,
hip,
rad,
or
“fleek”
• Meet
new
like-­‐minded
people
o Bicycling
is
a
great
full
family
and
friends
activity
• Adventure
o Discovery
your
city
• Confidence/
Skill
Building

8. 7
• Advocacy/
Awareness
• Fun
o Appreciate
more
of
the
nuances
of
the
natural
and
built
environment
o Bicycling
in
your
neighborhood
is
a
great
way
to
meet
your
neighbors
and
build
community
• Independence
o Biking
can
be
a
great
way
to
get
around
without
having
to
rely
on
the
use
of
a
car
• Saves
Money
o A
bike
costs
less
than
a
car
o Bike
repairs
cost
less
than
car
repairs
o No
parking
fees
• Productivity
o Exercise
can
increase
your
productivity
at
school/work
o Reduction
of
stress
o Your
commute
will
be
the
best
part
of
your
day
instead
of
the
worst
part
of
your
day!
“It
feels
nice
to
know
that
by
starting
this
Bike
Club
(FCHS),
it
sparked
other
clubs
within
high
schools.”
–
Sam
R.
(student)
i
Bike
Fort
Collins
-­‐
http://bikefortcollins.org/
ii
Ciclismo
-­‐
http://ciclismoyouthfoundation.org/
iii
FC
Bikes
-­‐
http://www.fcgov.com/bicycling/
iv
Bicycle
Friendly
Businesses
-­‐
http://www.bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/BFB_Full_Li
st_through_Summer_2015_1.pdf
v
FC
Bikes
-­‐
http://www.fcgov.com/bicycling/