Cooked. Spent. Exhilarated. Relieved. Satisfied. And yes, sometimes frustrated. All these emotions sum up the experience that was the 2021 Ride the Rockies, which wrapped up Friday with an exceptionally challenging 83-mile ride from Ridgway back to where it all started in Durango. In between was a massive day of climbing in the high mountains of Southwest Colorado, including ascents … Read More
Day 5 Dispatch: Ridgway Loop
Things that made Ride the Rockies Day 5 Ridgway Loop one to remember: Layover day in Ridgway so you didn’t have to pack your bag Ripping tailwind that made the 15-mile northward spin on US550 a breeze Magnesium chloride-treated dirt roads that meant no dust and a buttery smooth ride Views of the Uncompahgre Plateau and San Juan Mountains that … Read More
Day 4 Dispatch: Norwood to Ridgway
Best recipe for a great day on the bike following a brutally tough century ride? Start with a little extra sleep, add a relatively easy route, and season with sunny skies, stunning scenery, and a ripping descent to the finish line. That was the marquee menu item Wednesday at the 2021 Ride the Rockies, which served up Day 4’s spin … Read More
The Norwood Crusher Delivers
Typically, cycling century rides are stand alone affairs. One day. One hundred miles. Done. Go home. But not at the 2021 Ride the Rockies. Following a pair of testing but (relatively) shorter days to kick things off in Southwest Colorado, Day 3 sent the RTR peloton on a 100-mile vision quest from Cortez to Norwood. Yes… there was a century … Read More
Day 2 -Ventured west to Cortez Monday, traveling 69 miles and climbing approximately 3,600 feet
After a great opening day in and around Durango, the 2021 Ride the Rockies ventured west to Cortez Monday, traveling 69 miles and climbing approximately 3,600 feet. But instead of the traditional humdrum, straight shot route along US160, the 2,000-plus riders taking on this year’s tour got to spend extended time on the (scenic) road less traveled. The ride’s first … Read More
2021 Ride the Rockies: Day 1: Durango Loop
We did it. All of us. After enduring the strangest (and arguably most challenging) year of our lifetimes, we’re back doing what we love — riding our bikes in beautiful places. After a one-year, pandemic induced hiatus, the 2021 Ride the Rockies returned Sunday with more than 2,000 cyclists taking on an ever-rolling loop that started and finished in Durango. … Read More