Wearing their wackiest costumes, thousands of enthusiastic Treasure Valley cyclists hopped on two wheels and pedaled their way to the statehouse from Ann Morrison Park sharing the reasons why they love to ride.
"If you ride because you love all the people around you here today let me hear you say ride on!" said Boise Bike Project Founder Jimmy Hallyburton to the crowd.
The wild ride through downtown and the statehouse rally is all part of the yearly summer staple Tour De Fat. The proceeds of the event helping three local bicycle-related non-profits. Boise Police Chief Bill Bones, who led Saturday's parade, says riding gives him a closer look at what makes Boise such a great community.
"The reason I ride is that it's a great place to be in Boise you don't always see that from a car right? You see that when you're out on the street you see people that care people that are engaged but it's something that makes a community what it is," explained Boise Police Chief Bill Bones to the crowd.
Both Chief Bones and the Boise Bicycle Project want the City of Trees to become the bicycling capital of the country. Today the bike project encouraged riders to support bike friendly businesses and vote for lawmakers who are looking out for them on and off the road. They hope with more cyclists hitting the streets more drivers will look twice, and all bikers will follow the rules of the road.
"When there are this many bicycles on the road everybody sees you, you can't feel anything but safe, but when you chose to ride as individual the same thing happens just one person choosing to ride you are making it safer for somebody else to ride that same day," said Hallyburton to the crowd.
