I love Bike to Work Day. I’m sure other cities may have a similar ritual, but Denver’s the first one where I have ever actually participated.

Full Disclosure: Yes, I do work in a home office, but I justify my “ride to work” by making an enormous loop from Congress Park to Cherry Creek to downtown and back home. So I am technically riding to work, it’s just far longer that my usual descent down the stairs to my desk!

This was my third year riding (I missed last year due to vacation), and it’s so impressive and refreshing to see the variety of riders who make their way downtown. Business professionals in suits, casual people on their cruiser bikes, the Apparent homeless, and ready-to-go, full-on spandex-clad racers. I couldn’t help but smile at the bravado of the woman in high-platform shoes. You go, girl.

The Mayor showed – as always – at the big gathering at Civic Center park to take advantage of the assembled voters with a few brief platitudes on the benefits of biking to work and riding in general. Nice to see the top local brass put their weight behind environmental issues. And so I rode home, my bag full of power bars and biking schwag. A fine way to start the regular slog. Ride on, everyone!