Spring Awakening

There I am: my rear-end hanging off a cushy bike seat into the busy early evening traffic of downtown Boulder. I am pedaling with abandon. It’s a good feeling—and spring is most definitely in the air. Everyone seems so happy and revived. People are smiling. Soon, there will be sustenance: snacks and drinks and conversation.

But first, I must pedal my rear-end—and 15 others—across an intersection, up a hill, through traffic and into a parking spot.

Around me are food and restaurant writers and editors from local media. We gathered for what can only be considered a freak show on wheels: a mini pub crawl to local spots on a contraption aptly named My Handle Bar (myhandlebar.com).

My Handle Bar is a 16-passenger “bar bike.” With eight or so people pedaling, the rest enjoying the spectacle and one sober driver, we hauled ourselves into the near-dusk of night—screaming, laughing and howling with a type of glee rarely heard by grown professionals. We are a sight to be seen: causing traffic jams, pointing and laughing from cyclists and pedestrians, and even a few people pulling out their cameras and snapping photos. A man walks out of a salon, hair still wet, plastic poncho still on, jaw dropped and eyebrows raised. The expression on their faces is all the same: “Only in Boulder,” they are thinking.

Spring is for rebirth and renaissance. It’s  the loveliest of seasons, oozing with beauty, passion and occasionally unruliness (but the best kind of unruliness). It’s about waking from the hibernation of winter into the blooming bounty of sunshine, skin, gardens and patios. It’s a chance to explore and to see your surroundings with new eyes, to hop aboard the crazy train.

Do I sound inspired? You betcha! You ride a giant half-trolley, half-bike in the Colorado sun—fueled by house-made simple syrup, orange bitters and local vodka—and just try not to feel invigorated. You can’t do it.

That’s the moral of the issue: Best of the West is about celebrating the treasures of the area, sharing these gems with our friends and neighbors. It’s our way of reinvigorating your spirit. Welcome back to spring. It may seem weird at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. It’s kind of like riding a bike.