DURANGO - Longtime friends, cyclists and community advocates, Dave Hagen and Rick O’Block, are proud to announce the launch of pedaldurango.com. Pedaldurango.com and its social platforms have been designed as a “one-stop shop” for all things related to cycling in and around Durango.
“Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, useful resource for the cycling community and for visitors to our area,” Hagen said.
Through Pedal Durango, Hagen, former Fort Lewis College cycling team director, and O’Block, with a 30-year career in hospital administration at Mercy Medical Center, have developed this new venture as a resource guide. Their goal is to provide a clearinghouse for local trail networks, road and gravel rides; bike shops that collectively cater to every need and style of riding; the best places to fuel up and wind down; the local companies that produce bike-specific gear and provide bike related services; the programs, teams and clubs that support youth cycling and the events and social rides the co-founders say define Durango’s cycling community.
“The launch of the site is just a start, as the surface has only been scratched on what a one-stop shop can be for cyclists,” O’Block said.
Retailers will be able to list their businesses in specific categories on the site, as well as offer discounts and provide updates on their businesses.
“If you are hosting a cycling event, we can upload your information to the events calendar onpedaldurango@gmail.com informing others about how they can participate and support your business or organization,” Hagen said. “On the horizon, there will be a promoter-created events calendar, ways to support local commuting and advocacy efforts, trail systems in nearby towns and bike shop group rides. We may also produce or share content for marketplaces, clinics, how-to videos, a newsletter and personal-interest stories.”
Hagen and O’Block most recently worked together promoting the Fall Blaze – an annual ride that directly supports FLC cycling team scholarships and its cycling club. They share a strong belief that the Durango cycling community is unique, and that many visitors come here to find out what makes Durango’s cycling scene so special.
“We want visitors to feel welcome in our community and make the most of their time here, enjoying and appreciating what we get to experience every day,” O’Block said. “We also want everyone to respect and honor the natural and man-made resources we have right out our front door; helping build an even stronger cycling community ensures that.”
The co-founders’ hope is that pedaldurango.com will provide a professional looking, well used tool in this community. To this end, they say they will rely heavily on collaboration with cyclists, businesses, organizations and the community at large. They also intend to expand the site to include other communities in the state, integrating local information and individual site links into a single-source site.
“We encourage people to share their experiences by posting photos of their rides, tagging @pedaldurango and hash tagging the trail system or ride so that others can see what our community is all about,” Hagen said. “Durango’s cycling culture creates a sense of pride, respect, togetherness, understanding, appreciation for the environment and world-class athletes. We are excited about the potential of pedaldurango.com and what it can provide to everyone who visits the site, including both locals and visitors.”
“We encourage people to check it out and give us their feedback. We hope our community site meets a need, and that it will be the first place people visit for all things Durango cycling,” O’Block said.
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