Denver takes on Portland in the 2013 Cycling City Showdown

It's coming down to the wire. Everyone knows that Denver beats Portland when it comes to beer and weather -- but how do the two rate as bike cities? REI recently rolled out its 2013 Cycling City Showdown, and Denver has already beaten Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis -- now it...

By Patricia Calhoun

April 3, 2013

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It's coming down to the wire. Everyone knows that Denver beats Portland when it comes to beer and weather -- but how do the two rate as bike cities?

REI recently rolled out its 2013 Cycling City Showdown, and Denver has already beaten Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis -- now it faces that pallid Portland in the finals, with today the last day to vote.

Which you can do on REI's Facebook page.

You can also leave a comment there, as Deb just did when she dissed on Portland: "Denver -- so many trails, sunshine, winter riding is easy, cars are bike-aware, BikeDenver rocks, bike events, bike shops...need I say more?"

Christine Downs, spokeswoman for the Denver Department of Public Works, will. "As you know," she says, "Denver is constantly making improvements to our bicycling infrastructure and we, of course, think we are better than every city, including Portland."

About Portland, the city to which we're often compared, she notes: "By winning this, we'll definitely show that we're on the map and the champions of the world."

You're on a roll, Denver.

From our archives: "The ten worst Colorado bike collisions of 2012."

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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