You may have seen the Gilroy City-Style Cruizerz out on the town Wednesday nights, roaming the streets on their personally modified beach cruisers and listening to loud music. At first glance they look like a typical biker club, decked out in leather and shirts with the club logo emblazoned on the back, but the Cruizerz are a force for good in Gilroy.
“We’re not a bike club that’s out there riding around being knuckleheads,” said Nick Alderete, founding member and former president of the Cruizerz. “There’s a purpose behind it.”
Alderete, 53, founded the club in 2012 with a group of his close friends and neighbors. “Before the club even got started, myself and my best friend Paul Chavez used to ride around Gilroy by ourselves all the time,” said Alderete. “There was not many bikers out at that time.”
They would ride around Gilroy on their custom ape hangers—those motorcycle-like handlebars—with Alderete pulling his $4,000 custom sound system in a modified trailer attached to his bike. “[The whole thing] is over 10 feet long,” Alderete said. “It sounds better than most cars.”
Before long, they began to attract attention and notice more people out riding. “I started thinking about getting a club together,” Alderete said.
Alderete and the other nine original members rode for the first time as a club on July 4, 2012. “We went from there and it just grew,” said Ralph Duarte, original member and current president of the Cruizerz.
They decided early on they wanted to use their club to give back to those in need in Gilroy. “You’ve got the homeless, and it’s pretty bad,” Duarte, 43, said. “Some of them are vets, and they served the country and could use some help.” Duarte sees Gilroy’s homeless as the biggest issue he would like to help with, however the Cruizerz charity ventures assist with a a number of important causes.
The group has organized and participated in events that do everything from feed families to raise funds for St. Jude’s hospital. Their first and longest running charity event is their toy drive. Each Christmas since the group was founded, a member would dress up as Santa and ride around Gilroy delivering donated toys to the children of low-income families. “It’s such a joy to see the smiles on their face and just to give them something that was unexpected,” Alderete said. This year, the Cruizerz delivered 100 toys to 16 families on December 23.
For the past two years, the club organized a Turkey Drive for Thanksgiving, providing meals for families. “It’s a whole turkey dinner; everything comes in it,” said Duarte. Last year, they fed seven families. The year before, they were able to feed 13.
The Cruizerz work closely with other clubs in the area, including Los Padrinos car club, of which Duarte is also a member. The groups share donated items to be distributed at their various events. The Cruizers have even received donations from clubs as far away as Modesto.
As a bike club, the Cruizerz also participate and compete in bike shows all over the West. These involve large rides with many different clubs and feature awards for bikes in several categories. In 2014, club member Jesse Duran took first prize in a contest between the youngest participants at the annual Outlaw Bike Club show in Las Vegas. He was 18 at the time. “You’ve got people with bikes that are like $5,000 or $6,000.” Duarte said. “He built this bike out of the back of his garage. They saw what he was capable of so they gave him first place.”
Duran used parts salvaged from other bikes to piece together his creation. “When it was first put together it took two days,” Duarte said.
The large shows are about getting to know new people and fostering camaraderie among the various clubs. For Lorraine Duarte, 44, club member and wife of Ralph Duarte, the best part about going to shows is meeting fellow cyclists. “It’s just about meeting different groups and making friends,” she said.
The Cruizerz are a tight-knit group. “We have barbecues, we celebrate birthdays,” said Duran. “It’s a real family.”
Added Duarte: “The whole thing is trying to keep together the family. When you’re together, things work out.”
On their Wednesday night rides, the Cruizerz are a sight to behold. Members roam the streets on their bikes as a large, group spanning all ages, races, and genders. They listen to music ranging from modern rap to ’60s rock, hang out, enjoying the time spent with family and friends. Their bikes range from shiny ape hangers to lowrider stretch bikes, and the care each member takes with their ride is evident in each bike’s unique modifications. Some are even decked out with colorful LED lights that brighten the streets during the Cruizerz nighttime rides. One ride with the club is all that is needed to understand the appeal.
They’re a warm and welcoming group of people, and they are open to anyone with a bike who may be interested in riding along. “It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you have,” Alderete said. “If you want to ride, that’s all that matters. Come out and join us.” Rides typically start Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at Shifty Cycles, 275 Welburn Ave.
Information about upcoming events, rides, and donation drives can also be found on the City-Style Cruizerz Facebook page.
