Boosting bike tourism may be one good way for Boulder residents to bootstrap the town toward greater prosperity. But it’s going to take some work, concluded attendees at a February 8 meeting held to discuss ways for the town to brighten its economic future.
The event, organized by the Boulder Monitor and Solutions Journalism Network, included about 10 local attendees and two Bike Walk Montana board members. It was held to supplement the Montana Gap series being published by the Monitor, where a co-op of journalists from around the state has looked at ways communities can bridge the gap between economic growth
in cities and losses in small towns.
The hope in Boulder is that the dollars bike tourists spend as they pass through town can support businesses, helping the town move on from the closure of the Montana Developmental Center. A 2014 study by the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research estimated the average bicycle traveler passing through the state spends about $76 a day.
Boulder already has a bike barn intended as an overnight stop for touring cyclists on the county fairgrounds south of town. Built by volunteers with backing from the Elkhorn Community Foundation and the county fair board, it houses a table, chairs, a microwave and a mini-fridge. An overhang provides a sheltered space for picnicking or parking bikes. The building is next to a facility with restrooms and showers and has adjacent camping spaces.
However, the bike barn’s existence was news to some attendees at the February 8 meeting, including Mayor Rusty Giulio — something the discussion chalked up to a need for more effective marketing.
Lots of options do exist for promoting Boulder as a place that welcomes bike tourists, Larry Volkening and Darlene Tussing from Bike Walk Montana told the group.
Cyclists rely on several information sources well-known by bicycling enthusiasts, Volkening said, websites like crazyguyonabike.com or maps produced by Missoula-based Adventure Cycling. He also suggested Boulder bike promoters ensure the shelter is listed on Google Maps.
“Don’t forget about word of mouth and remember you need different drawing cards for different types of folks,” Tussing said. Meeting attendees also suggested publicizing biking “corridors” and mentioned a hotel operator along the Continental Divide trail who reportedly puts out a walkie talkie so passing travelers can radio him for a ride. A number of other ideas were identified for making Boulder more welcoming to cyclists as well:
• Add bike racks at the bike barn and downtown, perhaps designed and built by JHS shop students;
• Erect signs directing folks to the facility;
• Work to attract a retired bike shop owner to come in and start a part time repair shop and/or work with the local hardware store to carry cycling supplies;
• Or find a bike mechanic to park a trailer next to the bike barn on summer weekends;
• Provide a means of charging cell phones and inform visitors about internet access at the site;
• Make it easier for cyclists to cover the camping fee, and perhaps reduce the current $25 per night fee that must be paid at the clerk and recorder’s office;
• Leave information at the bike barn about services available in town, including the grocery, restaurants, and laundromats;
• Encourage local businesses to offer grab and go meals suitable for cyclists;
• Encourage the formation of a Boulder bike club;
• Organize a cycling poker run.
A committee interested in taking those ideas on as soon as this spring was formed, with Bettie Schlueter and LaDana Hintz volunteering to serve and Rusty Giulio agreeing to encourage an area cycle enthusiast to join. Anyone interested in assisting should contact one of them.
