Word on the streets in Denver during the Democratic National Convention was that Freewheelin is the way to go.

After four days of Freewheelin in Denver, the pioneering bike sharing effort exceeded all expectations. Delegates, media, volunteers, and residents took to the streets using 1,000 bikes provided through a unique partnership between Bikes Belong and Humana.

The numbers from Denver say it all:
• 5,552 rides
• 26,493 miles
• 821,304 calories burned
• 9.3 metric tons of carbon offset

Now Freewheelin moves to St. Paul and Minneapolis for the Republican National Convention.

The total goal for both conventions is 10,000 rides and 20,000 miles.

In addition to inspiring thousands of people to ride bicycles, Freewheelin is also garnering widespread and positive press for bicycling. The Washington Post listed Freewheelin as one of the top five things to love about Denver. Syndicated columnist Dave Barry wrote about the bikes. Hundreds of stories in top newspapers and on television networks nationwide promoted the program and the benefit of using bikes for short trips in cities.

Our hope is that this bike sharing effort raises bicycling’s profile in the minds of policy makers, convention attendees, and all Americans. Stay tuned for results from the Republican National Convention next week.