Ride the Rockies highlighting both Crested Butte and Gunnison in June

“Dirty Thirty” an option

Crested Butte and Gunnison will get a big bicycle bang next June, as both communities have been chosen to host an overnight stop on the Ride the Rockies bicycle tour. The valley will be a mid-way rest stop for the 30th annual bike tour. With 2,000 registered cyclists, the tour regularly brings in more than 2,500 people total at each stop.

Ride the Rockies will start June 13 in Grand Junction and end June 20 in Westcliffe.
But the thousands of bikers and their support crews will arrive in Gunnison from Hotchkiss on June 16. The next day, the tour will take what amounts to a leisurely ride to Crested Butte for another overnight. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the event, riders will have an option that stage to take the “Dirty Thirty” route that will bring riders up Ohio Pass and down Kebler Pass Road into Crested Butte.
Upon waking Thursday, June 18 beneath the Butte, riders will head off over Cottonwood Pass to Salida. The route finishes with a ride from Salida to Cañon City and from Cañon City to Westcliffe.
Crested Butte mayor Aaron Huckstep is stoked about a return of Ride the Rockies to Crested Butte. “We’re very pleased to host the 30th anniversary of Ride the Rockies this June. I look forward to helping our entire valley share our two-wheeled lifestyle with all of the Ride the Rockies participants.
“This event’s visit should be a great kick-off to what is sure to be a bustling summer season,” Huckstep continued. “Take advantage of our abundant sunshine now to get your lycra tan lines razor-sharp by June! I hear the chamber of commerce might be doing a brush-up on the Velominati Rules in advance of their visit, too. That’ll be one meeting you don’t want to miss.”
Chamber director Dave Ochs didn’t mention the Velominati Rules but he did say he wouldn’t be riding his Fat Bike for the June event. “As much as I love that bike—it has a place and time—it’s road riding season, baby!” he said.
Ochs and the chamber will ride point for the event. “We are working with the Towns and Public Works Department, the Community School, and of course the Marshal’s Office,” he explained. “The chamber is acting as the local liaison between the event and the organizers. It will be another time for us to shine here locally. This is a like-minded crowd that partakes heavily in local amenities while they are here. We should put out our best and give them more reasons to keep coming back.”
So overall, bikers will ride 465 miles and climb 40,537 feet in seven days. Participants will get to ride the Colorado National Monument, venture across the Grand Mesa and Curecanti National recreation Area by Blue Mesa and get a taste of the dirt with Ohio and Cottonwood Passes.
From a town management perspective, Todd Crossett, town manager of Crested Butte, said this event would be a good one for early summer. “We are very excited to be an overnight stop on the Ride the Rockies tour this year,” he said. “Ride the Rockies has been great to work with, and we are looking forward to hosting our guests in June.”
In Gunnison, city manager Ken Coleman said one of the best things about the event is the long-term exposure. “I was personally pleased to see the news release announcing the Ride the Rockies route for 2015. It will be another exciting time with a large group of bicyclists visiting our valley this summer,” he said. “Ride the Rockies brings thousands of people to some of the most beautiful areas of Colorado as they ride and enjoy incredibly scenic vistas along the way. While this event brings lots of visitors who consume many tasty goods, the long-term value gained is from the interest of some participants in coming back for a longer stay.
“The press coverage and aired programming provide some solid exposure for the host communities,” Coleman continued. “As a bicycle enthusiast it does my heart good seeing so many human-powered machines traveling on our byways. They fill up hotels and restaurants as well as keep the local bike shops hopping. I for one am quite happy to enjoy the festive atmosphere this type of event brings to our towns. While I am not quite ready for winter’s departure, I look forward to the fun ahead.”
Ochs also said that while you will see tents fill up the school grounds, the lodging in the area is already starting to get booked for that week. As for food, “We will be looking to local groups to provide lunch and dinner on the arrival day, and breakfast the following day for departure. That can be a fundraiser to benefit a local group. Inquiries and interests can be directed to me or Eliza at the chamber.”
The event organizers also make a point to leave some non-profit benefit in each host community.
“Cyclists from all walks of life, nationally and internationally, have joined us to explore the Rockies for the last 30 years,” said Mac Tully, president and CEO of the Denver Post, which puts on the event. “They experience Colorado’s natural beauty while also supporting local businesses within each host community. We take great pride in giving back to these cities and towns as we all realize that none of this is possible without their support and hospitality.”
According to an event press release, “Each day of the ride brings an average $250,000 in economic impact to its host communities. Local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, bike shops and retailers benefit from the tour. Additionally, the Denver Post Community Foundation, in partnership with Wells Fargo, awards a $5,000 grant to a nonprofit organization in each town.”
Cyclists may register for the event online at ridetherockies.com. Applications will be accepted February 8 to March 1. Once the lottery is conducted, applicants will be notified of their status on March 6.
The last time Crested Butte was a host community for Ride the Rockies was 2011. Gunnison played host last in 2012.
Ochs says he would be seeking volunteers to help pull off the event, so contact him if you are interested. “We are planning on a Block Party, much like the USA Pro Challenge,” he said. “There will be music, the mechanical bull, games on Elk Avenue, and entertainment for our guests. We will need help with a beer garden, putting on the games and entertainment, and securing the event footprint, as well as information areas and good public stewards.
“The statement their ride that day makes—going from Gunny to Crested Butte on the Dirty 30 over Ohio Pass and Kebler—is they love it here already and want to spend more time here,” Ochs concluded. “Let’s show ‘em the goods!”
And as a side note, Ochs said, the smaller Bicycle Tour of Colorado would be passing through Crested Butte the following week. That tour will get here Wednesday and spend a rest day on Thursday before taking off Friday. That will kick off Crested Butte Bike Week.