Glowing bikes, smiling faces and a chorus of kazoos helped Bike Cochrane celebrate its largest Glo Ride yet as the organization wrapped up another year of growth.
The fourth annual family ride drew an estimated 120 to 150 participants, with favourable weather helping bring a large crew onto Cochrane’s river pathways.
Upwards of 150 cyclists participated in the annual Glo Ride of Bike Cochrane. Photo/Bike Cochrane
Riding the Cochrane trails during the annual Glo Ride. Photo/Bike Cochrane
“Lots of happy, smiling and loud kids, actually,” says Paul Perrault, Bike Cochrane’s director of operations.
“We wound up having a bunch of kazoos that we were happy to get out of our ownership and into kids’,” he says. “Definitely made them be a loud group out, which was fun.”
Photo/Bike Cochrane
A ride for the whole family
Riders were invited to decorate themselves and their bikes with glow sticks for the casual outing from Riverfront Park toward the SLS Centre and back along the Bow River pathway.
At just under eight kilometres, the route offered a manageable adventure for younger cyclists, some of whom did the whole distance.
Away from vehicle traffic and with relatively few hills, the pathway allowed families to ride at their own pace.
“It’s nice to be able to do events like that that’s so much more inclusive than a big, long ride,” he says.
The gathering continued afterward with snacks, hot chocolate and a bonfire at Riverfront Park. Children could keep riding at Bike Cochrane’s micro bike park while parents gathered around the fire.
“It’s just a really nice location,” says Perrault.
Glow Ride coordinator Shane Hudson says the event helps children experience the community connections that cycling can create.
“It’s important to offer fun, family bike events so that our children get to experience the fun that comes from being in a community on bikes. We had a great event in 2026 with over 120 participants and we look forward to more biking fun next year.”
Membership reaches new high
The turnout reflects the momentum behind an organization whose membership continues to reach new highs. They had a record 1,235 this year, believed to be the largest member-based trail society in Western Canada.
But there’s much more to the organization whose mission is to serve Cochrane through the promotion of, and advocacy for, cycling in the community.
Beyond building and maintaining trails, Perrault explains its work includes advocating for active transportation, recycling bicycles and offering activities ranging from children’s races and camps to women’s learn-to-bike programs.
“We’re so much more than just a trail society,” he says. “I think our continuing and broadening membership base is really … a good result of that.”
The fourth annual acclaimed three-day Ride, Empower, Connect (REC) program was held Sept. 25 to 27th. Above camp organizer Bri Sharpe draws attention to the program’s sponsors. Cochrane Now/Noel Edey
Winter riding and year-end gathering
Bike Cochrane still has a couple of dates on its calendar before closing out the season.
A Nov. 10 speaker session at Big Hill Cycle will focus on winter bike commuting, with an experienced volunteer sharing lessons learned from riding through the colder months.
The organization’s annual general meeting follows Dec. 3 at Sheepdog Brewing.
Back in Gear
Meanwhile, volunteers with its Back in Gear bicycle recycling program will be kept busy this winter.
The program recently moved from Cochrane High School into a more permanent indoor workshop, providing volunteers with improved space to repair donated bicycles. Bike Cochrane will continue involving youth in the program despite the change in location.
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The refurbished bikes will help stock the organization’s spring community bike swap, giving families an opportunity to find new-to-them bicycles.
“Our community bike swap is really a great opportunity to get new-to-families bikes into their garages and get their kids riding,” says Perrault.
Storage needed
While the workshop is an improvement, storing completed bicycles remains a challenge.
Perrault is appealing to anyone with spare indoor space to consider helping the organization store bikes as volunteers prepare them for sale.
“We do lack right now the ability to store them really well,” he says. “That’s really our limit.”
Bike Cochrane has partnered with Home Treasures and Home Reno Heaven to help collect donated bicycles, but at this moment they aren’t able to accept further bike donations at either location because they’ve maxed out.
Perrault encourages prospective donors and volunteers to follow Back in Gear updates on Bike Cochrane’s social media channels to find out when and where donations are being accepted.
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