Bicycle riders are impressed with a new service at the Stampede grounds this year.

You can check your ride at a bike corral for free and staff will watch over your bicycle while you tour the grounds.

Kate McKenzie was one of the first people to try out the new service.

"I'm an urban cowgirl and I don't ride a bronco, I ride a bike. So I love that I can ride my bike right into a bike lock and it beats taking traffic any day," she said.

The complimentary program is sponsored by the Stampede but the idea came from a Calgary company, Do It Green (DIG).

Spokesperson Leor Rotchild says it encourages people to take alternative transportation to the Stampede.

"With the new cycle tracks in Calgary, it's so much more convenient to get here," he said.

"If you are thinking about the safety of your bike this is a great option for you because you can park it here and we'll be watching over it all day long and making sure that your bike is there for you at the end of the day."

The service is offered from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.