Longmont is one of the coolest communities to cruise on two wheels—and we set out to prove it. From a bike taxi to a beer-pouring cycle shop, we tracked down some wheely good stuff for our unofficial guide to most things bikes.
Illustrations by Amanda Maldonado
The Joyride
Meet Darrin Thomas, the Man Behind Longmont Bike Taxi’s Bright-Yellow Pedicabs
Darrin Thomas of Longmont Bike Taxi is easy to spot pedaling one of his bright-yellow pedicabs down Longmont’s streets, the sound of music blaring from his trailer as he waves to passersby in search of his next fare.
And by “fare,” he means anyone who wants to jump in for a quick ride, whether they can pay him or not.
“Just get in, have the experience, and see what’s happening,” Thomas says. “If they want to donate to the cause, they can donate what they feel is fair.”
Whether they’ve scheduled a ride ahead of time for a night on the town or just happened upon him during a busy weekend evening, the price remains the same.
“I don’t make a lot of money with it, but there’s something about it,” he says. “Like, on nice days after parades or art walks, I’ll just hang around, just give people joyrides, and they tell me, ‘You’ve made my day.’”
Originally from upstate New York, Thomas earned a bachelor’s in fine arts in college but ended up working construction jobs to pay the bills. Twenty years ago, he needed a change.
“I feel we should be doing the things we love to do, not just making money,” he says.
He worked a construction job in Longmont, where he eventually settled. He was ready to live by the mantra, “Do what you love.”
“I’ve been riding bikes ever since I can remember,” he says. “I like cycling. I like people. I’m social, so I [started] a bike-taxi business.”
He launched Longmont Bike Taxi in late 2018 with a pedicab for one to three passengers. He quickly added a second to his fleet, then a third—a six-passenger one he calls the Limo that he rides most often, typically on weekends. Thomas loves making connections with others through his business and seeing them enjoy the ride.
“The biggest surprise is the joy people experience as soon as they climb in,” he says. “And once we start pedaling, they start smiling. They laugh.” —Heather Mundt
Not Just a Bike
In Her Second Children’s Book, Author Brenna Jeanneret Traces How the Bicycle Became a Symbol of Freedom for Women and Girls
More than a decade ago, kidlit author Brenna Jeanneret came across an article listing 19th-century activities forbidden to women. Bicycle riding was on it, which didn’t surprise her.
What did was the reason: bicycle face.
The term, Jeanneret explains, was a medical diagnosis for the expression women supposedly made while concentrating. In other words, a concentration face.
“Youʼve got this bike thatʼs just a thing,” says Jeanneret, who lives in Longmont with her husband and 9-year-old son, Finn. “But depending on whether you add the ingredient of a boy or a girl, it becomes this whole different thing. If itʼs a boy on a bike, nobody cares. If youʼre a girl on a bike, it means freedom. And it means, ʻIʼm an equal.’”
And the bike sparked a revolution.
“The suffragettes used [cycling] to get the word out,” Jeanneret says. “They were able to cover more ground, and they had independence. It just spread out from there.”
Jeanneret hadn’t thought about “bicycle face” until years later, when it popped into her head as a topic for a 150-word writing contest. That short entry inspired her second children’s book, A Bike Is Not Just a Bike: An Ode to Girls Who Dare to Ride, publishing in July. Geared toward kids ages 5 to 8, the book tells the story of how bikes came to represent freedom for women and girls.
Jeanneret knows firsthand the power of riding a bike. As a 9-year-old in Wisconsin, she was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and prescribed Ritalin. Her mom said the drug made her act like a zombie.
“So she took me off of it, and then gave me a bike,” Jeanneret says. “The physical activity made me feel good. And it also gave my body an outlet so that my brain could do what it needed to.”
Riding a bike opened a new world of activities for Jeanneret, from skiing and playing basketball as a kid to rock climbing as an adult.
The message, she says, isnʼt just for girls.
“You are who you are. And if you want to ride a bike, you can ride a bike.” —Heather Mundt
Your Favorite Bike Garage
Hooptie Bike Lounge is REEB Cycles’ Home, Where the Bike Shop, Repair Garage, Fabrication Floor, and Hangout SPACE Share the Same Address
Set in a row of steel warehouses on Boston Avenue, just east of St. Vrain Greenway, sits Hooptie Bike Lounge, the Longmont home of REEB Cycles.
The “Hooptie” sign hanging near the entrance of the nondescript industrial building prompts the obvious question: What is this place?
A bike retailer? A full-service repair shop or bike-themed bar? A place for cyclists or noncyclists?
The answer’s in the tagline: Service, Sales, Suds. In other words, all of the above.
“It’s your favorite garage with even better beer,” says Bailey Eddy, REEB/Hooptie customer-service expert. “And you don’t have to be a cyclist.”
Hooptie Bike Lounge opened in mid-2024 as a full-service bike shop. The bar followed a year later. The space features a lounge area and retail floor stocked with REEB Cycles, Austin-based Fairdale Bikes, and other bike gear. The repair space toward the back services all bike brands.
Offering a selection of beer, wine, nonalcoholic drinks, and snack options—including a $10 “Dale’s and a hot dog” special. The backbar displays a collection of glass beer mugs, representing some 100 members of the official mug club. (Regulars can join for $99.)
REEB Cycles was founded in 2011, when Oskar Blues Grill & Brew founder Dale Katechis decided to make a bike for himself.
“Someone stole his bike off the back of his truck,” Eddy says. “And then he was like, ‘I’m going to make a bike.’”
To build his masterpiece, Katechis worked in the barn behind the original Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in Lyons. It would become the first fabrication site for REEB Cycles, a line of handmade steel-framed gravel and trail bikes created on-site. The name is “beer” spelled backward. Hooptie Bike Lounge is now REEB’s all-in-one location.
“This is the first time we’ve had the bike shop and the fabrication shop together,” Eddy says. “And it’s pretty cool.” —Heather Mundt
Summer’s Coolest Ride
Longmont Bike Night Captures Community, One Cruise at a Time
On Wednesday evenings from May through September, cyclists young and old descend upon Roosevelt Park at 6:30 p.m. for a community bike ride through the Old Town neighborhoods.
For those under 10, jockeying for position at the front of the pack is an unmatched thrill on this cruise. It’s there they join Ryan Kragerud, founder of Longmont Bike Night, who leads the pack with a boom box on a small makeshift trailer.
“There’s kind of a vibe with Bike Night that it’s a parade,” he says. “It’s making some noise and letting people know that we’re coming down the street … It’s pretty special.”
What began as a way for Kragerud to meet people in 2004 has turned into a rolling community centered around bike rides, quality jams, and an excuse to gather. Sometimes there is a theme. Sometimes it’s just about the ride. As the cruise winds through the neighborhoods, residents step out front to wave. In return, bike bells chime in unison.
“Bike Night gives our family a weekly excuse to get outside, be active, and ride alongside friends, neighbors, and new faces as Old Town comes to life,” says local resident Rob Vermillion. “It’s become one of our favorite summer traditions and has built an amazing sense of community.”
Kragerud, a planner/GIS specialist at the St. Vrain School District by day, references his spreadsheet to confirm the first ride welcomed 23 riders. Now, 22 years later, cruises average 120 riders of all ages. Along the way, he’s had a small team’s support in hosting the bike nights.
“Longmont Bike Night’s magic is the people who show up to do it,” Kragerud says.
When asked about what makes Longmont Bike Night successful, Kragerud points to the kids who show up with their parents, much like his own daughter, who is now 20.
“I just remember when she was old enough to be in the trailer. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we can leave the house now,’” he says.
He believes that someday, when these Bike Night kids are adults, they will remember these rides and know it’s a way to meet others where they live.
“They start their own bike night,” says Kragerud. “And maybe I don’t know about it, or it’s never brought to my attention, but if that happens, that’s success because we’re building community across different areas.” —Katy Ibsen
From the Arc de Triomphe to the LoBo Regional Trail
Three-time Tour de France Rider Tom Danielson Brings Pro-Level Coaching to Longmont Riders
Downtown Longmont might not look like the Champs-Élysées, but three-time Tour de France rider Tom Danielson doesn’t care—he wants you to feel like it is. After 13 years as a pro cyclist from 2002 to 2015, Danielson was ready to write his next chapter. He cofounded CINCH Coaching in 2016 with his wife, Kourtney.
“CINCH was born out of my career as a pro, where I learned all kinds of cool stuff in racing,” he says. Before opening CINCH, he hosted several cycling camps and learned that most people would just pick up a bike and start riding but didn’t know what the sport of cycling was all about. Through CINCH, Danielson and his team of seven coaches don’t just make cyclists fitter. They make them fitter in the way that the sport demands.
“[We] teach people what they can do, how they can experience the sport, and make them feel the Tour de France version of cycling like I experienced,” he says.
Today, CINCH has a cult following, offering cyclists of all abilities various coaching options to improve their technique, fitness, nutrition, and cycling experience. One of their first clients was Dennis Coombs, the former mayor of Longmont, while he was in office. At the time (in the 2010s) Longmont wasn’t a very cycling-friendly community, according to Danielson.
“He led the charge in a lot of the development that we see now,” says Danielson of Coombs.
When asked what his favorite local ride in Longmont is, Danielson doesn’t hesitate—the LoBo Regional Trail.
“Longmont is a very high-potential community. It still has a lot of growth on the cycling side of it, and there’s potential to do more,” he says. “It would be cool to unify more of the groups in Longmont.” —Katy Ibsen
