What's in Grinnell's Water?

Posted May 17, 2010
9,167

Grinnell, IA

What's in Grinnell's Water? Obviously something this year!

BIKEIOWA has been watching Grinnell climb the ladder into the lead for this years Bike Month participants. We wanted to know their "secret to success", so we hooked up with Craig Cooper aka "Coop" of Bikes to You in Grinnell for a little interview.

BIKEIOWA

Grinnell is in the top 10 for Bike Month 2010. What is your secret to success? and who is behind it all?

COOP

Imagine Grinnell has spear-headed a "Grinnell Bike Week". They are Quality of Life foundation that has many projects including the Grinnell area trail project. Grinnell bike week includes several components one of which was an employer wellness incentive to encourage participation in Bike To Work week. This was really a pilot program with just six larger employers who received information and 20 commuter "starter" kits to get employees involved. The actual employers will receive a small financial reward for the purchase of bike racks. Additionally Imagine Grinnell and the Grinnell Area Chamber of commerce has coordinated a six week Bike and Hike to shop program with 53 business participating.

BIKEIOWA

Grinnell is an active community. How do bikes play a part?

COOP

Grinnell is really quite flat and bike friendly. In most instances it is just as easy to ride a bike than drive a car, because parking takes a fair amount of time. Also we still have a local grocery and our downtown is very active. I would like to think Grinnell has more than it's fair share of active people. If we were in a slightly warmer climate I think it would over the top because we would have even more people on bikes.

BIKEIOWA

What is Coop's #1 recommendation for keeping your bike in tip-top shape?

COOP

Air your tires! Actually as part of Grinnell bike week we had a maintenance seminar where I really hit Airing your tires and lubing the drive-train hard, airing your tires prevents so many of the common repair problems including pinch flats, premature wear, bent wheels and even sometimes accidents.

BIKEIOWA

How easy is it to Bike to Work in Grinnell?

COOP

I would say very, because of terrain and peoples attitudes toward seeing bikes. It is not at all uncommon for people to drop their kids at day care and lock up the child trailer outside, or go ahead and ghost ride with a trail-a-bike onto work.

BIKEIOWA

Name and event that you are looking the most forward to riding this year?

COOP

A fall bike ride in Italy with my wife and friends. It will be a first for us and is kind of an outlier to our homey personalities.

BIKEIOWA

Favorite bike in your stable right now?

COOP

Not even close, a Salsa Fargo. It is like a SUV for bike nuts. I just got it last month so I could rant and rave for several paragraphs but safe to say it could be the perfect bike.

TOP 10

At the time of this writing Grinnell is #1 in the top 10 participating employers and #2 in the top 10 participating clubs Grinnell has been no slouch either in year's past. They finished #9 for participating employers and #8 for bike clubs in 2009. KUDOS to Grinnell for their continuing efforts! they are certainly a bike-friendly community with a drive to make each year better on two-wheels! Stop in and tell Coop "hello" the next time you are in Grinnell!

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