Bike to Work Day turns riders out to the streets

BOULDER AREA

Bikers stand at a food station at Spruce and 26th streets on Walk and Bike to Work Day in Boulder on Wednesday. SYDNEY SCHRADER — SPECIAL TO THE DAILY CAMERA

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By Sydney Schrader

The Boulder community on Wednesday morning highlighted its vibrant cyclist and pedestrian culture in dozens of gatherings around the region to enjoy quality time and the sport that keeps them energized on Walk and Bike to Work Day.

An estimated thousands of people were expected to take part, according to the organizers behind the event.

“People really put their hearts into it, and I really love that,” said John Bump, a cyclist of 48 years.

Boulder’s Walk and Bike Month began as a single day of bicycling events in 1977 and has grown to a monthlong celebration, according to the program’s website. As part of that, Walk and Bike to Work Day aims to encourage cycling. Walk and Bike Month is focused on enhancing the city’s multi-modal transportation system and reducing single-car usage, the program’s website says. It’s a chance to see more active lifestyles and ultimately a healthier town, both physically and environmentally.

The event can create an environment where people feel safe, Bump said, as well as kick a new hobby into gear.

“It’s a feeling of camaraderie, you know, but also it’s really nice to be out when there are as many bikes as cars. Eventually, it could be like that every day,” Bump said.

June’s walking and biking activities around the Boulder area are supported by the city and by local nonprofit Community Cycles, which helped the city celebrate its annual Bike to Work Day.

The Bike to Work Day effort organized a local map of more than 50 free breakfast stops, according to an event webpage, providing donuts, coffee and good conversation for its participants with the help of local and national partners.

Boulder-area resident Cathy Ann Gaffney said she overcame a traumatic brain injury and found support in a biking community.

She found connection and encouragement among other bikers, including Dax Burgos, Community Cycles shop manager.

“We’re a community making bicycling a truly sustainable, equitable, and affordable means of everyday transportation,” Community Cycles’ website says, “where human-powered transportation is prioritized in fact and not just in words; and where transportation betters all residents’ lives physically, emotionally, and economically.”