Where the West Rides!

Bike Cruise participants saddle up for fun summertime rides

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Goldenites were back in the saddle again June 27, as they donned their cowboy hats, untied their steeds from the hitching posts, and rode o into the sunset.

Hundreds of locals saddled up for the “Cowboys & Cowgirls”-themed Golden Bike Cruise, a summertime staple that fundraises for local nonpro ts.

e event, which is the last Tuesday of the month May through September, starts at the Armory parking garage and loops through north Golden before returning downtown. The bike cruise also features music by a local band, Golden-based food and beer vendors, and other local sponsors.

Golden Community Commons, a subset of Calvary Church, hosts the event and partners with a different nonprofit each month to share revenues. For June 27, it was the Rotary Club of Golden.

The cruises, which started about 16 years ago, raises about $3,000 a year for Golden Community Commons and about $600 each for five nonprofits, organizers explained.

The event also has a different theme each month, except for the September ride, which is always zombie-themed.

Organizers Peter Ewers and Jill Powers said June’s “Cowboys & Cowgirls” theme was coincidental, but saw how it aligned with Golden’s history and Old West feel.

“We are where the West lives,” Ewers said, referring to Golden’s iconic arch. “It’s a good way to harken to the past, as we enjoy today and look to the future.”

Rides can draw anywhere from 150-300 participants depending on the month and the weather. The May 30 event started with ominous clouds overhead, which Ewers and Powers said might have warded off some riders, but it ended up being a nice evening.

Overall, though, the Golden Bike Cruise is truly a homegrown event, drawing mostly locals for quality community time each summer, Ewers described.

Joe and Cristin Lasser, for instance, have been bringing their kids since 10-year-old Ezra was a baby. They’ve also started a tradition of celebrating Ayla’s birthday at the June bike cruise, and brought a cake and decorations for her fifth birthday to the June 27 event.

It also worked out nicely that Joe’s band — Derek Hall & the Possibilities — played at the June 27 event.

Joe and Cristin said they return every summer because they love biking and the event’s sense of community, along with its vendors and music.

“It’s one of our favorite events in Golden,” Joe continued.

Meanwhile, the Taylor family members rode in their inaugural bike cruise after moving to Golden last month from northern Virginia. They described how they saw a flyer in a downtown shop and decided to try it out.

The Taylors — parents Nicholas and Jordana, and children Clara, Devon and Zoe — all enjoy cycling. It was one of the reasons they moved to Golden, Nicholas described. So, they planned to participate in the summertime bike cruises as often as possible, with Jordana emphasizing how it’s an activity all of them can do together.

The next cruise on July 25 will be “Tropical Paradise”-themed. For more information, visit goldenbikecruise.com.