2023 - A Year in Review
January
January is traditionally a month to reflect, renew, and re-energize, setting new goals and dreaming of new adventures in the year to come. At the start of 2023, We Ride 4 did just that. We spent time reflecting on our successful rides from the previous year, and thoughtfully planned out rides for the upcoming year. We are excited for another year of riding and giving with our amazing team members!
February
In the month of February, our members donated a wide variety of cycling accessories, pumps, tools, and time to help the Pueblo Road Warriors get their bikes ready for the season. Always with a smile, these kids embrace the generosity of our members and share our eagerness to get outside on their bikes.
We Ride 4 Executive Director Sharon Madison said, “The kids get very excited every time I visit. They want to learn so much that it warms my heart, and every time I ask our club to help out, whether it’s time or with precious products this team can use, We Ride 4 never lets me down. I’m so proud of our club.”
Pueblo Road Warriors stand together for a group photo, holding air pumps while prepping their bikes for the upcoming season.
March
During March, We Ride 4’s Executive Director, Sharon Madison, was selected by Denver’s Fox 31 & Channel 2 News as Denver’s Remarkable Woman of the Year. She was chosen out of more than 400 nominees for this prestigious award.
Remarkable Women is part of a nationwide initiative by Nexstar Media to honor women’s influence on public policy, social progress, and quality of life. Most of us know Sharon as the main force behind We Ride 4, but few know her journey from a humble childhood in rural Nebraska to the overwhelming challenges she has endured in her adult life. Yet, she inspires us daily to overcome unexpected setbacks with a resilient mindset.
News coverage announcing Sharon Madison as Remarkable Woman of the Year 2023.
April
This month, Sharon Madison, Executive Director of We Ride 4, led a breakfast bike ride with our nonprofit beneficiary in Tucson, the Pueblo Road Warriors. Students in this program have been participating in cycling classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the school year, along with club rides on Saturdays.
The students rode along a picturesque portion of “The Tucson Loop,” which the students seemed to enjoy. The small group rode to Los Beto’s Mexican Food, and the seasoned riders all did a great job! It was hard for Sharon to say goodbye to these students because of the special relationship she had formed with them during the school year.
Additionally, our Paceline Sponsor Tom Wigginton from Vitruvian Fitness held a bike building event with nonprofit beneficiary Lucky to Ride. This event raised over $10,000! We are so lucky to have both members and sponsors alike supporting our nonprofit beneficiaries.
Students of the Pueblo Road Warriors stand outside of Los Beto’s Mexican food in Tucson, their destination on the breakfast bike ride led by Sharon Madison.
May
During May, We Ride 4 helped lead an after-school ride in Boulder at the Flatiron Vista Trail alongside our non-profit beneficiary Lucky to Ride. WR4 Sponsor Trish Miller helped lead this ride. Twenty teenage students were able to practice their mountain biking skills on this beautiful trail.
We Ride 4 also hosted our season kick-off party, “Crank It Up!” at Platte River Bar and Grille. “Crank It Up!” hosted 75 members, and prizes were given away throughout the evening.
In Arizona, We Ride 4 Tucson paired with the Greater Arizona Bicycling Association and led a bike tune-up at Pueblo High School, our Tucson non-profit beneficiary.
Additionally, this month, a few of our amazing sponsors led an informational Zoom discussion for our members. Megan Hottman and Andrew Phillips of The Cyclist Lawyer and Deloss Buseman of Briq Insurance co-led an informative session titled “Learn Why Cyclists Need Auto Insurance Coverage.” Participants were educated on the importance of being adequately insured in case of the unforeseen event of being hit by a car while riding. We are so grateful to The Cyclist Lawyer and Briq Insurance for sharing this important information with our members!
Trish Miller leads students on an after-school ride in Boulder at the Flatiron Vista Trail in partnership with Lucky to Ride.
June
The month of June was full of excitement at We Ride 4! Alongside Lucky to Ride, We Ride 4 took 60 students from Colorado Uplift and ventured to Lakewood, Colorado, to cycle at Bear Creek Park. Despite unexpected hail and a reschedule, we are so grateful to partner with organizations such as Colorado Uplift and Lucky to Ride, whose mission is to build long-lasting, life-changing relationships with urban youth.
Sponsor Megan Hottman from Cyclist Lawyer hosted a screening of the film “The Engine Inside at the American Mountaineering Center” in Golden, Colorado. The film features Megan on Lookout Mountain alongside a multitude of international cycling stories.Additionally, Primal / Audi Denver / We Ride 4 ’s team for Bike MS Colorado 2023 raised over $129,000! This exceeded the amount we raised last year of $126,000, and we were so happy to see everyone unite for this beautiful day. We were thrilled to see our club members alone raised over $75,000 for the event.
Our team placed second in Bike MS Colorado for the total amount of funds raised. We are so proud of our team for helping in the fight against multiple sclerosis!
Primal / Audi Denver / We Ride 4 team stands together for a group photo.
July
In July, We Ride 4 was surely busy! We held a Biked Goods event in Breckenridge that culminated in a culinary experience post-cycling. Together with Biked Goods, we were able to collectively raise funds for We Ride 4’s mission and Biked Goods non-profit partners in Summit County. Our Denver chapter held their “Christmas in July” at Adobo restaurant, and we celebrated with a white elephant gift exchange. We love celebrating with our members!July is also home to our “3 Days of Gravel” event, which was held this year in Custer, South Dakota. Our ride began in Black Hills National Forest in Custer, and with just over 5,300 ft of elevation, this ride was no small feat! On each day of the ride, we rode across a portion of the picturesque George S Mickelson trail. Notable aspects of this ride included a visit to the Bike Sculpture and an optional ride to Cicero Peak. We volunteered for Lucky to Ride's “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” at Ruby Hill, with a skills course held by WR4’s very own John Genell, and the kids had so much fun on the pump track. A warm thank you to all our volunteers for making this event possible! The first of four Bikes and Brews events of the year commenced in Boulder, CO. The challenging ride culminated in a social gathering hosted by Roadhouse Boulder Depot and Vibe Concepts. Thanks to Chef Scott Bousson and Chef James Doxon for facilitating this event with We Ride 4.
Riders stand together in front of the Bike Sculpture for a group photo on the We Ride 4 Gravel Adventure Ride.
August
August is home to We Ride 4’s “3 days of Road” event, which took place the first weekend of August. This adventure took riders just over 8,700 ft of elevation in downtown Telluride, with 3 out and back rides ranging from 31 - 66 miles per day. The ride trekked through former Ute Indian territory which was later turned into silver and gold mines.
At the end of August, riders took part in Colorado’s Ride, which took riders on a 5-day journey through Durango, Silverton, and Pagosa Springs. Thanks to Colorado’s Ride “50% Of Profits to Charity” program, we were grateful to be the recipients of a $750 donation thanks to our team’s participation. We held our 2nd Bikes and Brews event thanks to sponsors Roadhouse Boulder Depot and Vibe Concepts, and our 3rd Bikes and Brews at Great Divide Brewery in Castlerock. Water and hydration stations were available before the ride, and afterward, bikers shared lunch and beer. We love hosting these events with such great sponsors!
At the end of August, riders took part in Colorado’s Ride, which took riders on a 5-day journey through Durango, Silverton, and Pagosa Springs. Thanks to Colorado’s Ride “50% Of Profits to Charity” program, we were grateful to be the recipients of a $750 donation thanks to our team’s participation. We held our 2nd Bikes and Brews event thanks to sponsors Roadhouse Boulder Depot and Vibe Concepts, and our 3rd Bikes and Brews at Great Divide Brewery in Castlerock. Water and hydration stations were available before the ride, and afterward, bikers shared lunch and beer. We love hosting these events with such great sponsors!
Members stand together for a group photo on the first day of Colorado’s Ride in Durango.
September
September is home to our Big Event, and we were so pleased this year with a fantastic turnout. Hosted with our sponsor at Audi Denver, our biggest fundraiser of the year allows us to donate annually to our partnering non-profits and an additional surprise recipient. With a live and silent auction, food trucks, and the bringing together of so many wonderful We Ride 4 members, we were able to collectively raise almost $50,000. In September, we held our fourth and final Bikes and Brews event of the year with our partners Great Divide Brewing and Roadhouse and Vibe Concepts in Castlerock, CO. Our ride began and ended at the brewery, and riders received prizes and beer tokens. At the end of the month, our sponsor, Nate Eward of Somatic Synergies, hosted a breathwork clinic for our club members. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to offer such unique experiences to our club members, thanks to the unique specialization of our sponsors!
Sharon Madison and John Genell at The Big Event at Audi Denver.
October
In the month of October, we hosted our second biannual “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day with Lucky to Ride.” This event is a great opportunity for kids of all ages to gain more experience and comfort riding outdoors. We are immensely grateful to all of our We Ride 4 volunteers for making special events like this possible. Together, we continue to inspire more kids to get on bikes! Additionally this October, we had our annual clothing order for our newest collection of We Ride 4 riding merchandise. We are grateful to our sponsors over at Primal for continuing to be a great merchandise partner for our group! We additionally started up our winter Zwift rides to carry us through the winter months. These rides are a great way for riders to continue to connect and ride together through the colder, darker season. That's one thing we love about our resilient team. We Ride 4 members always find ways to ride!
Kids wait in line on their bikes while imitating a safety command modeled by a volunteer at “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.”
November
During the month of November, our members had a great time riding in El Tour de Tucson, which is hosted annually in Tucson, AZ. This desert ride was customizable to each rider, and we had members riding a variety of lengths. We had We Ride 4 riders competing and riding for fun.
Our non-profit beneficiary, the Pueblo Road Warriors, were especially notable riders. These students fought hard to keep their cycling program in their school, trained on their own for the event, and completed the ride triumphantly. We are so proud of these kids! We were also so grateful to have received several donations after El Tour de Tucson to purchase short and long-finger gloves for the Pueblo Road Warriors. We have the kindest, most generous members and non-members!
We also built bikes with our partners at Bikes for Change. Our We Ride 4 Tucson chapter donated these bikes to under-served children. We are grateful to our generous volunteers who gave their time and energy to make this event possible.
November is also the home of Giving Tuesday, and this year, We Ride 4 participated in Giving Tuesday campaigns on our website and Facebook. Together, we were able to meet our goal and raise over $5,000 through this campaign! We are grateful to our gracious donors who allow us to continue our mission!
Volunteers from the Bikes for Change bike-building event stand together around a bike they have built.
December
The month of December for We Ride 4 truly is a wonderful time of year. We always celebrate a special organization in the month of December with a surprise donation check, and this year’s recipient was none other than Cycling Without Age Littleton! When our Executive Director Sharon Madison broke her pelvis back in May of 2022, she was given the opportunity to ride on a trishaw, a three-wheeled piloted bicycle equipped with a seat for riders who have physical limitations. From that point onward, her dream of raising enough money to donate to Cycling Without Age Littleton was born.
With the help of Barb Lotze, Executive Director of CWA Littleton, We Ride 4 surprised CWA pilot and board member Roy Bash with the check for $15,000 for a new trishaw. We Ride 4 is ever grateful for our opportunity to give back to our community, and we are so excited for our future plans with Cycling Without Age to get more disabled kids out on bikes, as well as seniors!
We Ride 4 also donated $7,500 to Lucky to Ride. We've been grateful for the opportunity to support this organization over the last two years, and are so excited about what's to come as we expand our giving in 2024! Thank you to all who supported us throughout the year and helped us make both of these donations a possibility! We Ride 2 Give!
Sharon Madison and Prilla present $15,000 surprise donation check to Roy Bash, pilot and board member of Cycling Without Age Littleton.