have already rolled through Colorado, but that doesn’t mean you’re cut out of proving your pedal power for the rest of the summer. We’ve sussed out a few more ways to test your grit and gears, going for the long haul in a century ride, cruising by the light of the full moon, or sitting on the seat of a Big Wheel at the end of an Urban Assault race.
More than halfway through the summer bicycling season, plenty of two-wheeling festivities await those willing to put their mettle to the pedal. Even novices can join in the fun of a self-propelled breeze at most events. More formidable challenges await hard-core cyclists who’ve already saved Aug. 9 as the date to hear legendary racer and seven-time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong deliver the keynote speech at the Kids On Bikes fundraiser in Colorado Springs (kidsonbikes
). – Claire Martin, Denver Post staff writer
BLUEGRASS BY BIKE TO ROCKYGRASS
Friday-Sunday
What’s earthier than a grassroots movement? A bluegrassroots movement, the “Sustainable Festivation” campaign, mounted by local cyclists who travel to bluegrass festivals on two wheels instead of four.
Earlier this summer, a trio of Bluegrass by Bike cyclists traveled from Golden to Telluride for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, a far more epic journey than the rolling 13-mile spin from Boulder to Rockygrass, on the Planet Bluegrass grounds in Lyons.
To join the Bluegrass by Bike riders – and take advantage of a free luggage shlepping service – meet at 9 a.m. Thursday at Moe’s Bagels, 2650 Broadway, Boulder.
Latecomers can join up Thursday evening at the Bluegrass by Bike camp in Lyons’ Meadow Park. (The most direct route from Boulder to Lyons is via the wide shoulder of U.S. 36, which brings riders from north Boulder to the eastern outskirts of Lyons.)
To join the Bluegrass riders, call 303-819-3189 or go to
. Rocky-
grass is officially sold out, but some tickets can be found at .
URBAN ASSAULT RACE | Sunday
Here’s adventure cycling as interpreted by the Three Stooges: Pairs of participants bike between five checkpoints on a 15- to 30-mile route that sends riders over bridges, railroad tracks and other metropolitan obstacles. At each checkpoint, the duo compete in oddball events that would scandalize organizers of the Tour de France.
Challenges remain a mystery until teams arrive at each station. Previous competitions included negotiating Big Wheels tricycles through an obstacle course, stilts, foam pits and teamwork time trials.
It’s too late to register for today’s Urban Assault Race in Boulder, but dauntless teams – coed, female, male and a family division for teams with a partner ages 7 to 12 – can still sign up for the Denver Urban Assault on July 29, or the Fort Collins Urban Assault on Oct. 14. The $100 to $120 registration fee includes a daypack filled with swag.
Participants must obey traffic laws and avoid specified high-traffic streets. For more information, call 303-408-0747, or go to visit
. and click on “Denver.”
SUNRISE CENTURY RIDE
Saturday
Hard-core cyclists insist on completing the full 100-mile ride around Boulder County that gives the century ride its name, but organizers include two shorter options – 80 miles, and 45 miles – for slackers.
All you need are a bike, a helmet, a water bottle, some solid bicycle training for the longer loops and a little grit. (You’ll have lots of grit, mainly on your legs and face, by the end of even the 45-mile loop.) Bike shorts help.
The $59 to $69 registration fee and donation include bike repair help and seven aid stations offering food and water, plus access to post-ride festivities at Stazio Ballfields in Boulder. Proceeds from this ride benefit Bicycle Colorado, a cycling advocacy group.
Being a staff volunteer costs nothing and doesn’t require wearing those ugly bike shorts. Volunteers get free T-shirts, food and plenty of gratitude from weary riders. For more information on volunteering, call 303-322-8113. For more about the ride, go to . and click on “Sunrise Century.”
MOONLIGHT CLASSIC
Aug. 18
Sports Illustrated for Women picked the Moonlight Classic as one of seven top national cycling events, calling it the “Best starlit ride.” The 15-mile loop and the 8-mile short route both start at the state Capitol building and route cyclists through downtown Denver.
The Family wave of riders leaves the Capitol at 10:30 p.m., allowing riders to brave dark city streets and still finish in time for a little shut-eye. The Gonzo wave leaves at 11:30 p.m. for more intrepid – or insomniac – types.
It practically goes without saying that there’s an Outrageous Costume Contest rewarding the “creative and obnoxious,” plus drawings for prizes and a lunar breakfast.
Participants’ bicycles must include front and back lights, plus reflectors. Registration costs $35 for adults, $30 for seniors 60 or over and $20 for children under age 12. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit agency Seniors Inc. For more information, call 303-282-9020, or go to moonlight-classic
.
GOING GREEN 100
Aug. 18
About 150 riders joined in the inaugural Going Green 100 last summer, most of them pedaling the steep 4,000-foot climb up Cottonwood Pass.
For those who prefer to skip the climb, this year’s ride includes a 25-mile option and a metric century (about 62 miles) option, both on relatively flat terrain between Salida and Buena Vista.
The $40 to $50 registration fee includes a health-conscious lunch and a cloth shopping bag rather than the standard commemorative T-shirt, a nudge toward the sustainable living theme governing this event and the accompanying Going Green Expo in Salida. A free community ride takes recreational cyclists on a tour of eco-friendly Salida sites, including a community garden, a wind generator, a local recycling facility and energy-efficient homes.
For more information, e-mail andy@southcentralracing.com or go to .
