2026 - A Year in Review

January

January was a big month for We Ride 4 — full of exciting announcements, meaningful impact, and a look ahead to an incredible year of riding and giving back.

2026 We Ride 4 Adventures Announced - We officially launched our 2026 We Ride 4 Adventure calendar, and the excitement was immediate.

Bluff, Utah – Week-Long Gravel Adventure - We’ll start the season with a full week of gravel riding in stunning Bluff, Utah. This adventure sold out quickly and was also offered as part of a Big Event package. Thank you for the incredible enthusiasm.

June – 3-Day Gravel Adventure | Cañon City, CO - Three days of epic gravel riding right here in Colorado.

July – Gravel Adventure | Laramie, WY - Wide-open spaces, big skies, and unforgettable gravel roads.

August – Road Adventure - This year’s road adventure will be extra special as we partner with The Colorado Ride for an incredible riding experience.

September – Riccione, Italy - Nearly 70 We Ride 4 members will travel to Riccione, Italy to ride road bikes together through the beautiful Italian countryside — an unforgettable adventure and a true celebration of our community.

A Leadership Transition Announcement - In January, Sharon Madison, Co-Founder and Executive Director of We Ride 4, announced that she will be retiring in May. While this is a bittersweet moment, it also marks an exciting new chapter as we begin the search for a new Executive Director to carry the We Ride 4 legacy forward. More details on the search will be shared soon.

Giving Back — Because That’s What We Do - We kicked off the year by continuing our commitment to supporting kids and getting them on bikes. In January, We Ride 4 donated $2,500 to the East High School Mountain Bike Team to help upgrade parts on bikes in their bike library, ensuring more kids have safe, reliable bikes to ride.

Thank you for being part of this incredible community. Your support, participation, and generosity are what make all of this possible. We can’t wait to ride, give back, and create more unforgettable moments together in 2026.

We Ride 4 donated $2,500 to the East High School Mountain Bike Team to help upgrade bikes and support young riders.

February

We closed out January and rolled straight into February with our sold-out fundraiser at Laws Whiskey House. What a night — great friends, generous hearts, and we even learned more than we ever expected about the art of whiskey making. Thank you to everyone who joined us and supported the cause.

Our We Ride 4 Tucson crew packed meals for Feed My Starving Children, and WR4 proudly donated $1,000 to support their incredible work. Serving together always reminds us why we ride and give.

We also celebrated exciting news in Tucson — our dear friend Jody Bartz, Executive Director of Gro Girl Gro, stepped into her new role as Executive Director of El Grupo Youth Cycling. Gro Girl Gro will continue and transition under El Grupo’s umbrella. We are so proud of Jody and look forward to volunteering and supporting her in this next chapter.

Our partnership event at CycleBar Littleton with Cycling Without Age Littleton was another huge success. After an incredible ride and generous participation, WR4 added to the total and presented a $2,000 check to CWAL. That’s what community looks like.

For the second year in a row, we partnered with Wheat Ridge Cyclery to host a bike maintenance clinic. Thank you to Andy Stockman for sharing expert tips and helping our members feel more confident and prepared on their bikes.

And we wrapped up the month in the most exciting way — auctioning off a signed Jack Hughes jersey. The winning bid came in at $1,000, and in true WR4 spirit, the winner asked that we donate the full amount to the East High School Mountain Bike Team.

In just the first two months of the year, We Ride 4 has donated over $8,000 back into the community.

We ride.
We connect.
We give.

And we’re just getting started.

February brought community events, giving back, and over $8,000 donated in just the first two months of 2026.

March

March was a powerful reminder of what makes the We Ride 4 community so special — showing up for others, taking action, and continuing to create meaningful impact.

We celebrated our friend Jody Bartz as she stepped into her new role as Executive Director of El Grupo Youth Cycling. Watching one of our own continue to grow and lead in this space is incredibly inspiring, and we’re excited to support her in this next chapter.

From there, we did what We Ride 4 does best — we showed up.

When Karen from EverGrow Child Advocates reached out about a gentleman in need of transportation to get to his two jobs late at night, this community didn’t hesitate. Mike and Diana Spencer stepped forward and generously donated a bike, along with funds to ensure he had everything he needed to ride safely.

With support from our friend Steve Morgensten at Bicycle Ranch Tucson, we were able to provide a helmet, lock, lights, and a pump. When we delivered everything, the recipient was beyond grateful — and with a smile, told us, “this bike is very fast.”

Moments like this are why we do what we do.

This month, we also shared our 2025 Impact Report — and it’s because of YOU that we were able to raise and distribute $76,008.90 to organizations making a difference in the lives of children and families.

Let that sink in.

This is more than a cycling community.

This is a group of people who care deeply, act quickly, and change lives.

Thank you for being part of We Ride 4. Your generosity, your energy, and your heart are what make all of this possible.

Together, we ride.
Together, we give back.

March highlighted the power of community — showing up, giving back, and changing lives together.

April

April was one of those months that reminds us exactly why we do what we do at We Ride 4.

John and I had the opportunity to spend time with a gentleman who recently received a bike thanks to the generosity of Mike and Diana Spencer. We helped him get his tires fixed and the bike ready to ride again — but what we really gained was hearing his story. It was a powerful reminder that a simple bike can truly change someone’s life. Moments like that stay with you.

We also came together for our Earth Day Cleanup on Lookout Mountain, alongside our amazing sponsor Andrew Phillips from The Cyclist Lawyer. The turnout and effort from this community was incredible. Seeing so many of you show up, bring friends, and make a difference was inspiring. Together, we’re not just riding — we’re giving back to the places we love.

On the community side, we had a fun night out supporting our sponsor Mike Zislis and his band Something Out Of at the Muse Performance Center. It’s always special to see our sponsors doing what they love outside of cycling — and even better when we get to support them together.

And of course, April was full of what we do best — riding bikes and bringing people together. From local rides to new faces joining us, the energy continues to grow. Whether you showed up for one ride or many, thank you for being part of this community.

We are building something special — and it’s because of each and every one of you.

April brought community, connection, and impact — from bike support to Earth Day cleanup and riding together.

May

May was another incredible month filled with community, volunteering, adventure, and giving back through the power of cycling.

The month kicked off with the Front Rangers Cycling Club reaching out because they needed two experienced ride leaders to help support the kids along the route during their May 9th ride. As many of you know, We Ride 4 can never say no when it comes to helping kids. A huge thank you to Jim Levy and Barry Sundland for stepping up to volunteer and support the ride. Your willingness to give your time and energy means so much.

I also want to personally thank everyone who donated to my WR4 Birthday Fundraiser. I truly cannot express how grateful I am for this community and all the love and support you continue to show We Ride 4 year after year. Together, we raised an incredible $3,941.40 to help support children’s causes through the power of cycling. Your generosity, friendship, encouragement, and belief in our mission mean more to me than words can say. Thank you for continuing to ride alongside us and helping make such a meaningful impact in the lives of kids.

For the 12th year in a row, John Genell organized a team of We Ride 4 riders to volunteer as bike leads for the elite runners at the Colfax Half and Full Marathon. They did an amazing job helping keep the runners safe throughout the event. We cannot thank John and all of the volunteers enough for showing up year after year for our community.

Melissa Baumann also organized a fun WR4 Summer Social Happy Hour this month. It was great seeing our members spending time together without spandex on for a change! The laughter, conversations, and connections are such a big part of what makes WR4 special. We hope to continue these social gatherings monthly throughout the summer.

We wrapped up the month with our week-long gravel adventure in Bluff, Utah. The group had an amazing time exploring beautiful gravel roads, taking in breathtaking scenery, and creating unforgettable memories together. This adventure was originally part of the silent auction at The Big Event, where we sold 25 spots. Based on all the smiles and stories from this trip, we can already tell you next year’s adventures are going to be something special. You’ll just have to wait until The Big Event to see what we have planned next!

Thank you all for continuing to make We Ride 4 such a special community.

May was filled with volunteering, adventure, community connection, and $3,941.40 raised for children’s causes.