Bicyclists, you should have been there

April 26, 10:55 PMDenver Cycling ExaminerGary Koenig

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Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll

Bicycle Colorado’s Bike Gala Friday night at the Colorado Mountain Museum was the place to be for bicyclists who care about the rights of all riders in Colorado. If you weren’t there you should have been.

The bash was reasonably well attended, although I’m guessing that, unlike the past few years, it was not a complete sell out - tickets were still available at the door. The less than central location may have had something to do with the attendance, but most likely the punk economy was more of a detriment.

But the evening was fun, informational, educational and financially beneficial to Bicycle Colorado. Food and drink were more than adequate, but the real attractions of the evening were the items and services on auction and the chance to rub elbows with the riders and stakeholders who truly care about making Colorado a more bicycle friendly place.

Amongst auction items were many of the usual suspects, but there were a number of intriguing offerings that generated a fair amount of interest. Official registrations for the sold-out Triple Bypass and the equally sold-out Ride the Rockies were bid up to respectable levels. The belt buckle Dave Wiens won by grinding Lance Armstrong into the ground at last year’s Leadville 100 went for over $1000. A day in the Garmin-Slipstream car at this fall’s Vuelta d’Espana tempted me, but when the bidding got to $1200 my blood thinned considerably. A 3-day bike tour in Napa valued at $2200 seemed like a bargain at less than $1800.

Although I did not score any of the major items, I did end up with a Bobby Julich autographed jersey and an OUCH team jersey signed by the team’s key riders including Tim Johnson and Floyd Landis. I’m figuring if Floyd ever finds his way back to the Tour and wins it without fueling up on extra testosterone, that jersey will be worth something.

Keynoter Ned Overend, the fastest old man on wheels, gave an entertaining talk touching on his racing career (which is not yet over) and the trepidation of watching his son try downhill bike racing. But the real highlight of the evening for me, and many of the other cyclists in attendance, was the brief talk by Speaker of the Colorado House, Terrance D. Carroll, who described the efforts that went into getting the Colorado Bicycle Safety to the verge of passing. (If you haven’t called your representative yet, please do so on Monday morning – the final vote is scheduled to happen that day.) The effort to get this bill passed has been very bipartisan in nature, with Senator Greg Brophy, Republican from Wray leading the charge in the Senate. Senator Brophy was also at the Gala, and it was encouraging to be in the presence of two state legislators who not only believe that bicyclists have rights, but who also happen to be dedicated cyclists in their own right.

There were plenty of funny stories about a very serious subject – Sheriff Jim Alderden, the bicycle-hating, make-my-day impersonation of a sheriff from Larimer County. I shared my disappointment in my own representative, Diane Primavera, with Rep. Carroll and Sen. Brophy. They both just shook their heads as we commiserated about her nonsensical position insisting that no motor vehicle can ever safely pass a bicycle if it requires crossing a solid lane line. Anyone who drives more than a few miles per year has crossed a solid line to pass a bicyclist, or a tractor, or a truck, or a pedestrian, or a child, or a dog, or a broken down vehicle, or a police officer writing a ticket, or a … But Rep. Primavera can’t seem to admit that reality to herself so she continues to vote to make Colorado an unsafe place for bicyclists to ride.

Despite bicycle-haters like Sheriff Alderden, the Colorado Truckers Association and Rep. Primavera, the night was upbeat and a huge success. If you weren’t there, you should have been. I understand that there are many competing demands for your time and your hard-earned dollars, so I’ll let you off the hook if you did not make it to the Gala. But if you don’t belong to Bicycle Colorado, you are doing a huge disservice to yourself and letting down the rest of the Colorado bicycling community in the bargain.