Broomfield's bicycling history began with Pierre Lac Amora, who brought his bicycle with him when he came to Broomfield from France in 1909. Considered a very modern "safety bicycle", its pneumatic tires and brakes served Pierre well on Broomfield's dirt roads at the time. Pierre was known to bump along the roads at quite a clip, stopping at several farmhouses each day as Broomfield's first massage therapist ("masseuse" back then.) Although not a licensed, or even well-known profession at the time, farmers and wives raved that an hour with Pierre could cure many maladies.
During Broomfield's mid-century development boom, acres of farmland suddenly sprouted into neighborhoods full of children, paved roads, and narrow sidewalks. Because it was impossible for two people to walk side by side on First Filing's sidewalks, bicycles became the obvious way to get around the compact community. Bicycling in Broomfield grew with the city.
In 1964, the Broomfield Lions club formed a ladies' bicycle club that rode on Wednesday and Friday mornings for socializing and exercise. This casual get together of both young and empty-nest mothers became Broomfield's first cycling club, evolving into the "Cycle Belles" with regular club "meetings". Some suggested the 'Belles were a gang when it was discovered that members had been trafficking defective bicycle flashlights to local wives and mothers. They held women-onle meetings to showcase their flashlights, but when husbands discovered the items in their wives posessions, one husband complained that the lights "didn't even have a lens." Shortly therafter, the Cycle Belles fizzled, and mention of them in local papers ceased.
Broomfield Bike Club was first conceived by our founders, Brenda and Pat, the night of June 23, 1972. After attending a "Shotgun" concert and dance for young people at the Nativity Church on Midway, Pat returned to his bicycle to find a puncture. Pat was not mechanically inclined, but was reputed to have good fortune. His good fortune included meeting Brenda that night. Brenda worked at Peak's Lawnmower Service was handy and always well-equipped. Pat was impressed at how Brenda made short work of repairing Pat's bicycle, and for years thereafter spoke fondly of watching Brenda work.
Brenda and Pat hit it off immediately, and were still together when the sun came up on the longest Saturday of the year. Brenda and Pat spent that entire day riding around Broomfield, having fun until the sun set. Celebrating the longest Saturday of the year by riding bikes and having fun from sunrise to sunset is still an
annual tradition for Broomfield Bike Club to this day.
Brenda and Pat rode around Broomfield on a tandem bike for many years. Brenda was always the pilot. Pat liked to say it was because he enjoyed smelling her hair while riding, but Brenda confided in a few that it was because Pat's tendency to stare at her instead of watch the road caused him to crash a lot.
Before long, Brenda and Pat attracted a group of like-minded Broomfield bicyclists who would meet on Friday evenings for a bike ride. Pat's flamboyant tendencies led him to frequently ride in disco fashion, his bell-bottom trousers catching his chain frequently the topic of jest. He would deck his bicycle (and anyone else's bike he was left alone with) with christmas tinsel and shiny streamers. As others followed suit, Broomfield Bike Club's Friday Night Bikerides became a regular attraction as bicyclists rang their bells and bystanders beat pots and pans as BBC paraded each week.
Brenda, Pat, and "the gang" were strong advocates for bicycling in Broomfield and regularly addressed city council on bicycling infrastructure and Broomfield history. Their love of civic engagement was a shared interest since the beginning of their relationship when they lobbied Medema Building Corporation to name their massive new development on the western edge of Broomfield after Pierre Lac Amora. Pat touted this commemoration of Broomfield's bicycling history as one of the couple's greatest acheivements, although detractors have argued their only motivation was the nearby Westminster Bike Club wagered they couldn't.
Broomfield Bike Club remained active promoting social bicycling in the city until a small subset of the community misconstrued the club's focus on fun as a form of hoodlumism. This culminated at a particular event gone awry in 1976 which garnered the ire of prominent, but ill-humored Broomfielders.
Rather than adjust the club's activities to satisfy Broomfield leadership, the club elected to focus on self-satisfaction, conducting its activities in private. Friday night tinsel and tassels gave way to quiet rides with private destinations. Events were never publicized, and club membership was ad-hoc. Last names were not used, and nicknames became the norm. Riding bikes and having fun was enough to bond riders.
Broomfield Bike Club continued to operate without noteriety for over forty years until the 2020 pandemic left Broomfield in need of connection, particularly that which could be had outdoors. Broomfield Bike Club remains ad-hoc, but there is no longer any need for secrecy. Fun folks are welcome to join the ride on Friday nights, where LED lighting has provided a level of disco that young Brenda and Pat could have barely imagined.
* BBC did not keep written records in the early days of the club, and has never kept records identifying members by last name. This has left some uncertainty regarding Pat's gender. Some older members used to refer to Pat using male pronouns, some with female pronouns, and one member said he either couldn't tell, or couldn't remember, and wasn't sure which.
