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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 03 May 2007 |
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 Not all bikes are for play — some wheels are for work.
They deliver speedy lunches, patrol the town and help the environment.
For people like Matt Johnson, bicycles are invaluable tools in the workplace.
Johnson is a District 1 officer with Fort Collins Police Services and patrols Old Town Fort Collins by bike.
“I get around downtown faster than in a car,” Johnson said. “For my unit, it really gives us the opportunity to go out and meet people. We are in front of them one on one, not driving by at 30 mph in a police car. We know what’s going on and observe more.”
Fort Collins has a bike patrol unit of about 15 officers that work different shifts and patrol different areas of the city.
These resources are especially useful during special events that draw a large crowd of pedestrians.
“I have a lot of fun and we do a lot of good work on bicycles,” Johnson said. “It’s a neat program, and I am proud to be a part of it.”
In his line of work, though, there are a few situations that do not easily lend themselves to bicycles. If there is an emergency call too far away, a patrol car will go.
 “If we arrest somebody, it’s pretty tough to have a person in custody ride on the back of the bike,” he said jokingly. In these cases, the officer calls for a patrol car.
Other businesses that use bikes for work:
Jimmy John’s delivers sandwiches in the Old Town area by bike.
Owner and operator John Hynds said the bike increases efficiency and speed.
“Everybody wants to do it,” Hynds said. “It’s definitely one of the better jobs here. It’s kind of fun and doesn’t use any gas.”
Across the street from Jimmy John’s, The Cupboard offers an incentive for employees to ride their bikes to work.
Manager Patty Snyder said the owner pays employees 25 cents per mile if they ride their bikes, walk, inline skate or carpool to work — a practice that has gone on for years.
“It cuts down on pollution and encourages people to get exercise,” Snyder said. “It also helps alleviate parking congestion downtown. If we all take up parking spaces there are less for our customers.”
And, of course, a story on bike-friendly work environments wouldn’t be complete without mentioning New Belgium Brewing Company. Employees receive a cruiser bike after working there for a year. The brewery also hosts the popular Tour de Fat philanthropic cycling circus.
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READ MORE OF OUR BIKE GUIDE:
• Trails
• Cycling events
• Listings of Bike shops in the area
• Work space with Perfect Circle Cyclery
• What's with the Velodrome?
• Spinning is like cycling, only harder | Only registered users can write comments.
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