ALAMOSA — Grantley Showalter was presenting on behalf on the Bicycle Coalition to the Alamosa City Council on Friday. The Alamosa Bicycle Coalition (ABC) began on an uphill climb getting started in the middle of COVID wreaking havoc in the summer of 2020. Currently, the coalition rents a shop location from Hobby Town on Main Street in Alamosa. Community outreach from the coalition covers many bike-related issues in Alamosa. The ABC’s own mission statement is “To increase equitable access to bicycles and safe bicycling skills to youth and adults” and to accomplish that mission they partner with different locations around town such as La Puente, the Boys and Girls Club as well as SLV Health creating education opportunities as well offering access to bicycles to those that may otherwise not be able to afford them, provided by community-wide bike drives.

Repair and education is further achieved using events like Mechanic Mondays where there is a bicycle mechanic on location offering helpful advice on repair and maintenance.   

More recently the coalition held their first Earn-a-bike program this past fall which involves a 6-week program that offers participants the ability to pick up valuable knowledge and skills over a month and a half period that culminates in them taking home the bicycle they learned all of them on.

The coalition also seeks to sponsor bike safety and repair building events in their own shop as well as with different partner organizations all over town, look for pop-up tents featuring the ABC at the next local event.

To connect with the Alamosa Bicycle Coalition visit their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Alamosa-Bicycle-Coalition-363889717661701/

Or their Instagram @alamosabicyclecoalition.