This story originally ran in Cd'A Magazine. You can see the full story here. 

Summer evenings in Coeur d’Alene are magic. When the heat of the day still radiates from the streets, and the air begins to chill ever so slightly, people flock from their air conditioned homes and the beaches to the streets downtown to visit their favorite restaurants and pubs. Live music fills the air as locals cruise down to Sherman to meet up with friends and soak up every second of summer.

It is during this time you might find a new group cruising the Centennial Trail and downtown streets, a new group of bikers who are as passionate about the community as they are about riding.

“Ironman was a bug that infected us all when it started here. We all went out and bought road bikes, spandex and went for it,” John Kelly, founder of BikeCDA, said. “But there’s been a demographic that was being neglected for many years, and that’s our cruiser riders.”

Last summer Cd’A Cruiser Rides began a Tuesday night tradition of family-friendly rides from Bardenay in Riverstone, to Java on Sherman. These rides quickly escalated to full moon rides, bike to Art Walk rides and pub crawls. BikeCDA, Cd’A Cruiser Rides and several local businesses, including Java, Seasons, Taphouse Unchained, and the Blackwell Hotel, partnered to offer special deals to those riding in these special events.

“It’s a great way for families to get out together and to include those that love to cycle for fun,” Kelly said. “It’s more than just bicycling, it’s a way to bring us together as a community and encourage businesses to connect with the bike community.”

Get Involved

Join the BikeCDA Facebook group to stay up-to-date on all biking events and group rides in the Coeur d’Alene area. If you or someone you know needs assistance, BikeCDA offers free bicycles to those in need. To donate or find assistance, visit bikecda.com.