Freewheelin Denver
A Unique Bike Share Program Comes to the Mile High City
Denver is a city that loves its bikes -- a freewheeling kind of town -- with one of the biggest biking, hiking and jogging trail systems in the nation. The Mile High City’s massive network of more than 850 miles of paved, off-road trails that crisscross throughout the seven county metro area make it a two-wheel paradise. That’s why it makes sense that the Freewheelin bike share program is coming to the city.
The Freewheelin program was developed by Humana, Inc. in partnership with bike industry leaders. As part of the multi-pronged initiative, Humana and the not-for-profit Bikes Belong will bring nearly 1,000 bikes to Denver during the Democratic National Convention in August.
How does it work? The bikes can be used free of charge by anyone looking for an alternative to automobiles while the convention is in town.
The legacy program will feature Freewheelin bike racks set up at various points around the city, each housing a collection of the program's proprietary bikes, which are equipped with trip computers. A solar-powered kiosk through which participants can "check-out" a bike will accompany each bike rack. Participants can use the bikes for things such as riding to work or doing errands, or simply taking a leisurely spin. Once users are finished, they simply return the bike to any Freewheelin rack in the city.
Participants can register for the program on www.freewheelinwaytogo.com, and use the site to automatically track things like their mileage, their personal carbon offset and other health information. Riders simply use a credit card or a Freewheelin key fob to check the bike out at no charge during the convention.
A first of its kind partnership among a municipality, bike industry leaders and a Fortune 100 company, Freewheelin was developed by Humana’s Innovation Center, an internal think tank that develops creative ways to improve peoples’ physical fitness, emotional health and environmental awareness.
Freewheelin connects personal health with environmental preservation, and appeals to anyone who is looking to get a little extra exercise, go from point a to point b or catch up with friends.
Click here to pre-register for Freewheelin at the Democratic National Convention.
Get more info on Green Convention initiatives here.
Find out all about Denver bike trails here.