From the Tour Director - December 2017
Looking forward to the 2018 Tours!
Hello!

It has been about 6 weeks since I became the Tour Director and I've jumped in feet first! My first day was spent on the proposed 2017 Ride The Rockies Route. Certainly, not a slow orientation, but as they say, this is not my first rodeo and I was ready to go. There is much work to do between now and the 2018 Tours, but I can hardly wait until June and September to be out there in the communities with all of you.

Our team is starting to get some information out there and we want you to be the first to know about our exciting plans. This newsletter should fill in a few details as you start to plan the year for yourself (and your bicycle). We want to be part of your New Year's plan!

Just a side note: you will be receiving "From the Tour Director" emails that will have information about both of our Tours - Ride The Rockies and Pedal The Plains. After you register for Ride The Rockies you will receive "Spoke Notes" e-newsletter and likewise, when you register for Pedal The Plains, you will get your "Plain News" e-newsletter. Our goal is to ensure you receive information about both Tours and our charitable beneficiary, the Denver Post Community Foundation,as they are all intertwined.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me about thoughts, ideas, concerns, etc. I always appreciate hearing from participants, sponsors and volunteers. Now, onto the news!

Tour Director
Ride The Rockies & Pedal The Plains
No More Lottery! It's 1st Come, 1st Serve for Ride The Rockies!
Yes, it was time to change the system and see what shakes out. Registration is still limited and it's best to register as soon as possible.

There will be 3 tiers of pricing:
  • Tier #1: $525 for the 1st 500 cyclists
  • Tier #2: $575 for the 2nd 500 cyclists
  • Tier #3: $625 for the rest!

RTR Registration will open on February 3rd, during the Route Announcement Party (RAP). The RAP will be live on Facebook and when the Route is announced, registration will go live at the same time. We will have kiosks at the RAP allowing for onsite registration. Anyone unable to attend will be able to register online at the same time. We anticipate announcing the Route and going live with registration at approximately 8:30pm MST on Saturday, February 3rd. We are aware that people come from all over the world to do Ride The Rockies, and not everyone can come to the RAP! We will definitely send you a reminder on February 2nd with a link to registration.

New Featured Team Program!
When you sign up as a team, you will enjoy lots of great benefits including early access to the hotel booking system so you can book a block of rooms for your team. BIG PERK: Teams are guaranteed registration at Tier 1 pricing. Check out the list of benefits here . Groups must have a minimum of 6 people to qualify as an official team.

If you are a nonprofit, this is a great way to fundraise for your cause! Ride The Rockies already has some great non-profit teams: Team Samaritan House; Davis Phinney Foundation; World Bicycle Relief; Project ReCycle; Wish for Wheels; Bicycles for Humanity and Adaptive Sports Center.

All teams must submit an application to register as a team. Click here and fill out the 2018 Team Application. The RTR staff will be in touch with you after we receive the application and go over next steps with you.
Yes! You Did Read That Teams Will Have Early Access to Hotels
One of the benefits of being a Team is that they will get early access to the Summit Cycle Solutions (SCS) Hotel Booking. Here are some answers to the questions you may have about this benefit:
Q: Teams get advance information about the route?
A : They will learn the Host Communities before the RAP Party through the advanced hotel booking system. They won't know the actual route and there are multiple options for each day, so that will still be a secret!
Q: Will there be rooms left for participants not registered on teams?
A : Absolutely! A few important things to keep in mind:
  • Teams must submit an application
  • Peloton Teams must guarantee 10 members before they have early access
  • Not all Teams stay at hotels
  • Summit Cycle Solutions has done a great job and has a large inventory of hotel rooms in each community. We are confident that all RTR cyclists will be well taken care of through the process.
Q: Are blocks of rooms held for teams after February 3rd?
A: No. Once registration opens, we will no longer hold blocks of rooms for teams. The opportunity is only available for teams from January 29th to February 3rd.
Q: The SCS website says that VIP's have early access as well as teams. What constitutes a VIP?
A: For this purpose, a VIP means our sponsors and individuals that are planning on doing the Prologue.
Q: How can I get early access to the hotel booking process?
A: Join one of the Podium or Paceline Teams, sponsor Ride The Rockies, or sign up for the Prologue! Email us for more information on any of those options!

Don't forget about Sherpa Packer! They bring the tent (and cots, sleeping bags, camp chairs),set it up, take it down, charge your phone AND bring coffee! sherpapacker.com (Sherpa Ville is the very organized looking tents above.) Another option is the Private Support Vehicle Pass Program. Sign up for the program and you have a guaranteed space in the Host Community to park your RV.
Pedal The Plains!
PEDAL THE PLAINS
September 14-16, 2018
Hold those dates!
We have already met with Governor Hickenlooper's staff to start preparing!
WHAT IS THE ROUTE?
We are not quite ready to announce that yet but we are hoping to announce it in March this year!
Make sure to follow the Pedal The Plains Instagram account for photos from Route Recon!
The Denver Post Community Foundation
Ride The Rockies and Pedal The Plains are both signature programs of The Denver Post Community Foundation (DPCF). Did you know that the Colorado State Spelling Bee is also a signature program of the DPCF? This longstanding tradition, which encourages and rewards our young people’s love of learning, welcomes more than 270 of the top spellers to test their abilities in a written spelling test and a vocabulary test. The top scorers move on to the verbal round where approximately 30 students go round for round until a champion is left standing. The winner of The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee goes on to represent Colorado in the Scripps National Spelling Bee held near Washington D.C. The 2017 Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee champion is Faith Baca, an 8th grader from Rocky Mountain Expeditionary School of Learning in Denver. Her winning word was “rhabdoid” in the 21st rou nd.
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Is there a Prologue this year? YES!
AND....wait for it...RTR is a loop this year! Ride the Loop!