COLORADO, (KOAA) — 25 cyclists rode just over 100 miles from Black Forest to Hudson on the first day of the four-day, 300-mile bike ride aimed at honoring fallen first responders and raising money to provide free body armor to first responders.
UCCS Police is one of the first responding agencies benefiting from the ride.
Jake Skifstad, Shield 616 President, said the group was optimistic heading into the day.
"Day one is here and today we're going to have a little over 90 miles, actually closer to 100, and we'll be riding from northern Colorado Springs to Hudson, Colorado, so it's going to be a good day. It looks like we'll have good weather and thankfully there's plenty of downhill for the riders to enjoy."
Check Out How Day 1 Went in the Video Player Below
By day's end, Skifstad said the ride went well despite the heat.
"It was 100 miles in the heat, but overall it went really well. We had no injuries, which is huge. We had some morning overcast skies, which made the morning really nice and cool. And despite being in the flats, we had some really pretty country."
Shield 616 rider John Alesch with the Lakewood Police Department said he was grateful for everyone who participated and is already looking ahead.
"Excited for day two, and as far as working for UCCS and we're the main benefactor for this ride, I'm very thankful to all these people who came out to do this."
To donate to Shield 616 during the bike ride, visit their website here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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