Biking to work became a citywide celebration

Though the annual Bike to Work Day is known as a morning event, Longmont businesses kept the festivities going into the evening.

Bike to Work Day, a day where commuters choose cycling over other forms of transportation, was held on Sept. 22 with bike stops in several cities on the Front Range including Longmont. 

The event is organized by Way to Go, a partnership program between the Denver Regional Council of Governments and seven regional transportation management associations. It’s goal is to free up traffic congestion and improve air quality while encouraging exercise through cycling. 

The day kicked off early with a free breakfast station at the city of Longmont Civic Center at 7 a.m., serving up pancakes and sausage griddles. Two other morning stations were set up at the city of Longmont Service Center and Clovis Point Apartments in partnership with NextLight.

Though there was not a shortage of bike stops, a couple Longmont businesses held afternoon parties, giving remote workers and after-work cyclists a chance to participate.

Long Mont Velo, a full service bike and repair shop, hosted an afternoon party in front of its store at 1111 Francis St. Suite B from 3-5 p.m.. The bike shop offered free wings, soft drinks and beer with music coming from the outdoor speakers.

Owner of Long Mont Velo Paul Andersen said he wanted to provide a fun stop for people heading home from work. He added the business as a Bike to Work Day station for its encouragement to choose environmentally-conscious transportation.

“I think it's critical for the community to come together and support other means of transportation other than just your vehicles,” Andersen said. “I think this is a great way to expose people to cycling and keep a few cars off the street and off the roads.”

Andersen added that he felt it was important to provide an event for people to enjoy themselves and be around other people in the community after experiencing the COVID pandemic.

Bike to Work Day was canceled last year due to pandemic restrictions. It’s usually held in June, but the 2021 event was postponed to September as a public health and safety precaution.

Longmont resident and remote worker Lauri Carpenter didn’t have a chance to participate in the morning Bike to Work Day activities. She joined a bike ride that was organized for after the work day.

“I can't ride to work because it would ruin my floors, but I like to ride after work,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter moved to Longmont from an area outside of Chicago less than a year ago. Though she hasn’t been in her new home for long, she said she loves the Longmont cycling community.

Shoes and Brews, a Longmont specialty running shoe store with a microbrewery, held an afternoon station for cyclists in honor of Bike to Work Day. Tables in the taproom were set up as an open coworking space, with notepads and writing utensils as The Office played on T.V. 

It also offered a water station, a raffle for small prizes and a deal on a can of beer and pretzel bites for $6.50.

Though Shoes and Brews is known for running and beer, the Longmont business wanted to show its support for other recreational activities. Shoes and Brews also participated in the Lightshine Radler Ride earlier this month by offering discounts on beer.

“We love the community and being involved in whatever way we can and kind of spreading our reach beyond running,” said Kerrianne Ruhling, a shoe-fit expert and beer slinger at Shoes and Brews.

Langley Erickson, a Boulder resident, worked remotely at Shoes and Brews while spending time with his mother Marcia Erickson. Though they planned on biking over to Shoes and Brews, they decided to walk their dogs, Bryce, Gracie and Pips instead. However, Langley brought his bike to Longmont so he could ride it after work.

Langley wanted to go to Shoes and Brews for the remote work part of the event. He works in IT and added that working from home can be mentally straining.

“It's good to make a concerted effort to get out of your house and be around other people,” Langley said. “And this event seemed like a great opportunity for me to go see my mom in Longmont, work from their house and then come on over here and finish out my workday.”

The Shoes and Brews event that started at noon concluded at 9 p.m. Though not everyone could participate in the morning ride, afternoon events kept the spirit of Bike to Work Day by focusing on wellness and community.