Cyclists will roll into Hayden on Sunday for the Ride the Cog Festival, a gravel biking event that has grown into a celebration of community, recreation, inclusion and history.

The event began in 2014, when Hayden resident Wes Dearborn organized a small ride as a fundraiser for the ALS Foundation. Two years later, the event shifted to supporting the Hayden Granary, a historic gathering place for the community. Over time, the ride outgrew its original structure and passed through different hands before eventually landing with current event director Brian Erhart.

Erhart moved to Hayden in 2021 and first joined Ride the Cog as a participant. Eventually, he stepped into the event’s chief leadership role when it looked like the event might not survive.

“I signed up that first year, rented a gravel bike and did the ride, and from that day on I was hooked,” Erhart said. “The next year I volunteered, and then when it looked like it might go away, I saw the opportunity to keep it alive and maybe build it into something bigger.”

Ride the Cog has never been billed as a race. Instead, it remains a celebration of both cycling and community, with a purpose centered on expanding outdoor recreation opportunities in Hayden, particularly for local youth.

Last year, Erhart connected the festival to West Routt Forward, a local nonprofit that supports community projects such as bike clinics, trail work and youth-focused programs.

“We’re providing free bike clinics for all skill levels, something people might not normally get in Hayden,” Erhart said. “With Routt County Riders, we’re also putting together trail work days at Elkhead Reservoir to create accessible single track where kids as young as 3 or 4 can start learning mountain biking.”

The event also supports programs through The Cycle Effect, a nonprofit that promotes equity in cycling by working with girls and young women. Erhart said that bringing their programs to Hayden creates access in a town that often looks east to Steamboat Springs for recreational opportunities, particularly when it comes to cycling.

“My driving force has been trying to bring that passion for outdoor recreation to more people,” Erhart said. “It’s not always accessible and it’s expensive, especially when you factor in the time and cost to get to Steamboat. I wanted to bring that here to Hayden.”

This year’s festival features the traditional “cog” routes up the historic cog road and around Elkhead Reservoir, along with a 20-mile loop on Breeze Basin Boulevard.

“It sounds easier than it is,” Erhart said of the Breeze Basin route. “It’s a pretty challenging 20 miles with washboard and chunky gravel, but it’s a great preview of what West Routt has to offer. You don’t see much traffic out there, maybe some side-by-sides or tractors, and that’s what makes riding here special.”

The other two routes are the Gravel Grinder and the Combined Route, which are 34 and 43 miles, respectively.

Ride the Cog also continues to expand family offerings. Bike clinics range from beginner to advanced, with the latter added this year for riders looking to sharpen their skills. The children’s area at Hayden Town Park, once a casual “strider” playground, will now feature formal races for toddlers and young kids, as well as clinics specifically for young girls and women.

“It’s another way to get kids excited about biking and being outside,” Erhart said.

With new apartments, townhomes and proposals for residential development on the horizon, Hayden has been changing. For Erhart, the Ride the Cog Festival plays an important role in helping newcomers find their place in the community.

“I think Hayden is truly a town where you do need to get out and meet everybody,” he said. “West Routt Wednesdays, which is a free weekly community ride at the Granary, is one of those things where people show up and build friendships. That’s how you learn the history of Hayden and appreciate it as a community, not just as a place to live.”

Ride the Cog carries that same spirit by blending recreation with a chance to gather and give back. Erhart said that while the event has grown, its community-centered character and shared purpose have stayed consistent.

“We’re not a race, and we’ve always attracted a different kind of crowd — people dusting off their bikes, showing up in baggy shorts and a Hawaiian shirt,” he said. “That’s what makes it special. It’s about the cause and about enjoying being out there together.”

As the festival heads into its second decade, Erhart sees it not only as a way to preserve tradition but also to invest in Hayden’s future by generating a collective momentum to support new trail systems, bike parks and more local opportunities for both children and adults to ride without leaving town.

“We want to connect the community through trail systems,” Erhart said. “We want kids and families to have trails right here in Hayden that are accessible and fun.”

Erhart hopes this year’s event will draw cyclists of all abilities from across the Yampa Valley and beyond for a day of riding and celebration.

“Everybody has a lot going on at the end of summer, but this is a great opportunity to get on a bike with other like-minded people and celebrate,” he said. “That’s really what Ride the Cog is about.”

For more information about the Ride the Cog Festival and West Routt Forward, visit RideTheCog.com.