Bikers splash color during Golden Cruise

Splashes of color –; every color of the rainbow –; filled the Golden Library parking lot.

Hundreds of bicycles were lined up outside of the gated area. There were small bicycles, big bicycles, tandem bikes, a unicycle –; even a giant tricycle.

The bikes’ owners, dressed in swirls of red, pink, yellow, blue, green and purple, gathered inside the gated area. Some people were eating a meal at the Table Mountain Inn tent. Some adults were drinking beer at the New Belgium tent.

Everybody was hanging out, talking and laughing, getting ready for the Golden Bicycle Cruise. The free community event, held on the last Tuesday of each month through the summer and fall, brings everyone together to enjoy some food and live music, before they hop on their bikes for a leisurly ride around the city.

“This is the community doing a cool thing,” said Mike Helms, an event organizer.

As every child walked by his tent, Chris Cuttitta said, “Would you like an ice cream cone?”

An automatic smile answered his question. After receiving a parental nod of approval, Cuttitta asked, “Chocolate or chocolate chip?”

Cuttitta has been doing the Cruise for six years, he said, but until this one, there’s never been anything for the kids. So he and his two assistants, Hope, 10, and Alice, 6, brought four gallons of ice cream and 150 cones to give away to any child that wanted one.

At the entrance of the gates, under the St. Anthony Hospital tent, Vicky Cassabaum helped fit helmets and bandaged minor scrapes.

Cassabaum has been a nurse at the hospital’s emergency room for 30 years. She helps on the medical staff for the Ride The Rockies event and just happened to have a First Aid fanny pack with her at the Cruise.

It happened to come in handy. “I already fixed up a little knee injury,” she said.

Julie and Jefferson Patrick made a family affair out of the event. They bought the supplies and dyed their outfits themselves. It was the first time they had ever tie-dyed anything.

It took about two seconds, 5-year-old Xavier said. Said his dad: It took the family about 30 minutes to do all three outfits.

Tie dye is a fun theme, Julie said. “And the whole community got in the tie-dye spirit.”

At 7:15 p.m., the hundreds of bikers were off to cruise around the town, ringing bicycle bells and riding along Clear Creek in their array of color.

“This is a great community atmosphere,” Jefferson said. “Community events are awesome.”

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