Ride the Rockies racers will finish in Golden

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GOLDEN, Colo. – The week-long cycling event, Ride the Rockies, is set to finish in Golden on Friday, June 13.  The 473-mile tour will begin in Boulder and make its way to Golden along the scenic route stopping in Winter Park, Steamboat Springs, Avon, Breckenridge and various other communities along the way.

Ride the Rockies is a non-competitive event with a range of participants each year.  The cyclists on tour range from ages 7 to 80, and many travel from out of state or even out of the country to participate.   “The average age is about 50.  I’ve done it numerous times and let me tell you, it ain’t really a race… everyone just goes their own pace and the goal is really just to finish!” laughed Jody Kleinman, a nearly 15 time veteran of the race.  “People from all over the world with totally different abilities come together.”

Bringing in the business

Colorado’s mountain communities demonstrate their hospitality during the event by providing inexpensive community meals, entertainment, camping and lodging options.  Each town the tour stops in sees a significant boost in economic activity for the time, and not only in the local bike shop.  Hotels, restaurants, markets, and shops all benefit from the activity the tour brings.  Many of the riders will even return to the host towns later on as tourists again.

“It’s really like a traveling circus every day, with rest stops and tents that break down and move along with the riders,” Kleinman says.

All proceeds raised during the tour go to The Denver Post Community Foundation.  The Denver Post Community devotes more than $6 million to local nonprofit events and organizations every year.  A grant of $5,000 will be given to each host community along the tour route.  The grant will be designated for an eligible nonprofit organization in that town.

While the tour route changes each year it never falls short of a spectacular ride.  On the 29^th annual tour, riders will travel 28,265 vertical feet and 473 miles total.  They will be tested by the six mountain passes they must climb, or peddle to be more exact- Berthoud, Rabbit Ears, Muddy, Fremont, Tennessee and Loveland.

Ride the Rockies is non-competitive and participants are encouraged to travel at their own pace.  The route is fairly rigorous and challenging even for an experienced rider so training is highly recommended.

 

The 2014 route from start to finish:

–Boulder, June 7-Registration

–Boulder to Winter Park, June 8-Berthoud Pass, 89 miles

–Winter Park to Steamboat Springs, June 9-Muddy Pass and Rabbit Ears Pass, 94 miles

–Steamboat Springs Loop, June 10 – 53 miles

–Steamboat to Avon, June 11 – 82 miles

–Avon to Breckenridge, June 12 – Tennessee Pass and Fremont Pass, 75 miles

–Breckenridge to Golden, June 13 –Loveland Pass, 80 miles