This annual event, now held on the Sunday after Labor Day weekend, was begun by Bob Ohman in 2003. In the early years The Old Bike Ride (OBR) was just a small group of Bob’s friends who would ride into the mountains on the weekend after Mother’s Day to commemorate the new riding season. It gradually grew into a larger event that drew riders of old motorcycles from all over the front range. It has never been brand-specific. In recent years Norton Colorado provided Bob with logistical support. Bob died September 9, 2021, a few days before the 18th running of the Old Bike Ride, but we are trying to maintain the tradition in his honor.
The Old Bike Ride is open to all riders of (sufficiently) old motorcycles and all (sufficiently) old motorcycle riders.
The purpose of the OBR is to encourage people to bring out their old motorcycles and ride them. American, British, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, motorcycle, scooter, sidecar, concourse original or hideous mongrel, any engine capacity, we do not care as long as it’s old enough. The Old Bike Ride is open to anyone riding a motorized vehicle with less than four wheels and starting with the 2025 OBR the age criterion will be 25 years or more. We also honor people who refuse to quit riding just because they got old, so a rider over the age of 75 can ride whatever they want to, dammit.
In honor of Paul Swenson, departed Sidehacker Extraordinaire we also open the OBR to anyone of any age riding a sidecar of any age. Because this event is sponsored and subsidized by Norton Colorado, we permit any member of the club to participate, regardless of what they ride. Retribution for leaving the Norton in the garage and riding the Honda Goldwing takes place in a separate ceremony.
The route, which can change from year to year, takes us over some of the finest motorcycling roads of the Front Range. Details of each year’s event are published here several months before the event.
Here’s a link to the information for the 2024 edition, OBR21.
Each year a spiffy custom decal is distributed to the riders during the ride. This is the one for OBR21:
There is a page illustrating the decals from past OBRs.
History
We have created photo galleries for some of these. If you have some photos from past OBRs you’d like to share please get in touch.
- OBR 5 on Saturday, May 12, 2007, starting at The Hornet, 1st & Broadway, Denver.
- OBR 6 on Saturday, May 10, 2008, starting at The Hornet, 1st & Broadway, Denver.
- OBR 7 on Saturday, May 9, 2009, starting at the Golden Hotel, 800 11th St., Golden.
- OBR 8 on Sunday, May 23, 2010, starting at the Golden Hotel, 800 11th St., Golden.
- OBR 9 on Sunday, May 22, 2011, starting at the Golden Hotel, 800 11th St., Golden.
- OBR 10 on Sunday, May 20, 2012, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 11 on Sunday, May 19, 2013, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 12 on Sunday, May 18, 2014, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 13 on Sunday, May 17, 2015, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 14 on Sunday, May 15, 2016, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 15 on Sunday, May 21, 2017, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 16 on Sunday, May 20, 2018, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 17 on Sunday, May 19, 2019, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 18 on Sunday, September 12, 2021, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 19 on Sunday, September 11, 2022, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 20 on Sunday, September 10, 2023, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.
- OBR 21 on Sunday, September 8, 2024, starting at 13th St. & Washington Ave., Golden.