Colorado Daily

The thunder rolling down the street makes the crowd stop. It is loud, and it is terrifying. But the thunder isn't is caused by a late afternoon thunderstorm rolling in over the mountains. It is the 2005 24th Almost-Annual Matt Armbruster Memorial Big Wheel Rally.

"We get a bunch of people together at the Pearl Street Mall and we ride from bar to bar to bar on Big Wheels," said Armbruster, the organizer and mastermind of the adult rally, Saturday night in Boulder.

Back in 1991, Armbruster went to Australia only to discover his semester abroad program had been cancelled. He returned to Boulder with no classes, no job, and not much to do.

So he and his friends got together and thought of things that would cheer him up.

"We thought, let's get some Big Wheels and go to Pearl Street and see what happens," he said.

That night, the Big Wheel Rally was officially born.

Big Wheels - for those of us that don't remember - are three-wheeled, plastic bikes that we all had as children and were one of the greatest toys ever invented. Most of us grew out of this stage of Big Wheel infatuationŠ most of us.

Armbruster, known to the Big Wheel Rally participants as Captain Obvious, remembered his childhood love and, in typical CU-Boulder fashion, used it to create a new style of going to the bars. Fourteen years later, it has become one of the most amusing traditions in Boulder.

The rally began with only 15 people, but when people saw the group of Big Wheelers, Armbruster says the childhood love returns.

"Everybody has had a Big Wheel," he said. "When they suddenly see one, they suddenly remember how much they love them."

Because of the Big Wheel nostalgia the thunderous roar of plastic on pavement creates, the rally has grown. The size has quadrupled from the original crew of friends in 1991, and this year it will be much bigger.

"Normally we would have about 35 Big Wheels and twice as many people, but this year it could be huge," Armbruster said.

Extra people are expected on this particular occasion because the Big Wheel Rally has expanded to become a benefit. This year, proceeds will go to the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

"Back in December," Armbruster explains, "my friend's pregnant wife checked into a hospital. She had a ruptured appendix. The baby was born a couple months premature and weighed only three pounds. It's a miracle that both she and the baby survived."

When Armbruster found out that the hospital had a fund for donations and it is running very low on money, 2005 instantly became the year that the Big Wheel Rally also became the Big Wheel St. Joseph's Benefit.

Around 3,000 of the St. Joseph's employees have vowed to attend, as well as many others giving the Big Wheel Rally national attention.

For $5 you can join the group at 7 p.m. at the Republic of Boulder as they begin their cruise through Pearl Street, doing jumps and turns on modified, upgraded Big Wheels. You will also get a limited edition red bracelet very similar to the yellow "Livestrong" bracelets that so many of us own.

Many bars have promised drink specials and the Republic will even have a special track to ride your Big Wheel on.

Don't know where to find a Big Wheel?

While you register for the rally at the Big Wheel Rally Web site, bigwheelrally.com, also check out the buying tips and modification tips. For some additional reading, check out the humorous history and guidelines for Big Wheel safety.

Of course, none of this would be possible if not for Captain Obvious himself.

"Captain Obvious was born out of a trip to a thrift store for some Big Wheel parts. There on the clothing rack was a gold jumpsuit. I didn't know why I needed it, but I did," said Armbruster.

The jumpsuit is so bright and so noticeable that it is just, obvious.

Captain Obvious, the CU graduate and aerospace engineer (yes, meaning rocket scientist), is the ringleader of the pack. When people see Armbruster in his Captain Obvious outfit leading a pack of Big Wheelers down Pearl Street, they're bewildered, says Armbruster.

"People realize we're on Big Wheels, and they think, 'My God, how do I get in on that,'" said Captain Obvious proudly.

However, Armbruster realizes not everyone will have a Big Wheel, and it doesn't matter.

"Even if they don't have one, they can still register (and benefit St. Josephs), come out and have fun, get some great drink deals, and get the limited edition wristband," he said.