Neighbors on Two Wheels: Bike to Work Day 2026
Article Written By: Joe Petsche
Joe with a family of 3 from Cottonwood Creek / District 1
There's a peaceful kind of magic at 6:30 a.m. biking around Colorado Springs. I set out on Wednesday, June 24th, to join hundreds of neighbors for Bike to Work Day, my favorite day of the year! It is a citywide tradition that trades four wheels for two, even if just for one morning.
I looped around the south side of downtown and then bounced from stop to stop through the heart of the city. Organizers had set up more than 40 free breakfast stations from burritos to bacon, snacks, and plenty of coffee to keep everyone fueled and pedaling. Mornings like this do more than feed us — they give notice to the cars that bikes share the road too. City leaders point out that fewer cars on the road ease congestion and improve our air quality. For me it’s the exercise and the endorphins revving up that starts the day off right!
The food was great, but honestly the people were the highlight.
At the very first stop I met a family of three, and we ended up riding together for most of the morning. Sometimes I'd surge ahead with another group, sometimes they'd linger a little longer at a stop — and every time our paths crossed again it felt like running into old friends. I couldn't help tossing out a few pointers along the way: "Did you get to Fat Sully's? They've got great breakfast sandwiches!" I waved to longtime friends and made a handful of brand-new ones, and I was delighted to spread the word about Hey Neighbor — and to spot so many Hey Neighbor supporters out there cheering on Bike to Work Day right alongside us. A big thank-you to Kangaroo Coffee and Underline for helping keep our neighbors caffeinated and connected.
New Bike Infrastructure to Explore This Year
One of the best parts of Bike to Work Day is celebrating how much friendlier our streets keep getting for cyclists. This year 4.5 miles of new bike lanes are planned and 8 new trailcrossings.. Through the City's Safe Streets COS program, four existing protected bike lanes are being enhanced with delineator posts that add separation between people biking and motor vehicles — improving visibility, and making these corridors safer for everyone. Here's where to find them:
- Pikes Peak Avenue, Corona Street to Nevada Avenue. Heading downtown from Mash Mechanix Brewing to the U.S. Post Office? You'll feel the difference — a smoother, better-protected ride right through the center of town.
- Cheyenne Boulevard, Cresta Road to Sumner Street. This summer, if you ride near Cresta Road by Stratton Open Space, you'll love the extra breathing room these improvements give you.
- Hancock Expressway, East Fountain Boulevard to South Union Boulevard. A little south of town, you'll enjoy a calmer, more confident ride along a corridor that used to feel like it was all cars.
- Fountain Boulevard, Hancock Expressway to South Circle Drive. Starting at Memorial Park, you'll have an easier, safer way to make your way over toward the Valley Hi Golf Course.
