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New Ride Official Program
This year, Ride The Rockies is debuting a new program in an effort to make the tour as safe as possible. Volunteer Ride Officials will assist tour participants, encourage safe riding practices, model responsible riding behavior, be cognizant of the rules of the road and help ensure the safety of the event. Each Ride Official will be identified by an orange armband labeled “Official.” We thank this year’s Ride Officials for volunteering their time and energy in this new endeavor!
Registration Details
Registration will take place from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Durango High School on June 14, 2008. If you are unable to register on June 14, registration will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 15 at Durango High School. At registration, you will receive your jersey, water bottle, ID wristband, tags for your luggage and bicycle, and a map book. Please bring a valid photo ID to registration. You must pick up your own registration packet.
If you are unable to register on the 14th or 15th, please be advised that registration will also be available each day at the Information Tent located in each of the host communities.
Chiropractic Services
This year, RTR will work with Dr. Dan Maduff, the ride’s official Sports Chiropractor. Dr. Maduff will work to restore normal spine and joint biomechanics, as well as early diagnosis of any other problems that may arise (like ITB syndrome). Chiropractic services will go a long way toward helping riders achieve a successful and pain-free Ride The Rockies 2008!
If interested, stop by the Sports Chiropractic booth on the afternoon June 14th at Durango High School to secure an appointment in advance. Treatments will last approximately 20 minutes and the cost will be competitive with regular office visits. If you have any questions please contact Dr. Maduff at the Belmar Chiropractic Clinic.
Massage Services
Think your back will need a little rubbing after hundreds of miles on the road? Stop by the Massage Tent at Durango High School beginning June 14th to make advance reservations. Certified massage therapists will accompany Ride The Rockies to provide sports massage therapy at the event headquarter sites and hotels in each community.
Prizes and Raffles
Prizes and raffles for the 2008 Ride The Rockies are better than ever! This year’s prizes include donations from Serotta, Cannondale, Shimano, Trek, Bontrager, Schwalbe, BH Bikes, ZIPP, Continental Bicycle Tires, Felt and Moots. Remember – cyclists must be present to win!
Highlights include:
- Cannondale: Super Six Frame Set/Certificate to be redeemed after proper fitting – Opening Ceremony, June 15
- Shimano: Complete Ultegra Group with wheels, PRO bars, stem, and seat post – Crested Butte Entertainment Site, June 18
- Trek WSD: Trek FX 7.5 WSD Hybrid Bicycle – Buena Vista Cycling Seminar, June 20
- Serotta: Complete Bicycle with Mavic Wheels – Grand Prize Closing Ceremony, June 21
Bike Detailing
Ride The Rockies welcomes “The Bike Detail” to the tour for the first time. Cyclists will have the opportunity to drop their bike with The Bike Detail to have it polished and cleaned. For 15 years, the Bike Detail has provided services to riders in 23 states and two countries. Look for the bike detailing tent if your ride needs a little polish!
Product Demos
Ride The Rockies cyclists can test-ride products ranging from Continental tires to Mavic wheels to Serotta titanium bicycles.
Here's how it works: During the afternoon, visit a Demo tent. If it's a bicycle manufacturer, they'll select a bike that fits you, make adjustments, and put the pedals from your bike on the test-ride bike. The next day, you ride the test-ride bike while the manufacturer transports your bicycle. If it's a wheel maker, they'll remove your wheels and install a set of test-ride wheels. The next day, you ride the test-ride wheels while the manufacturer transports your wheels.
Many of the manufacturers take advance reservations at their tents starting the Saturday before the ride begins, so sign up early!
Post-News Charities
Proceeds from Ride The Rockies go to Post-News Charities, a fund of the McCormick Foundation. Funds raised for Post-News Charities are matched at 50 cents per dollar by the McCormick Foundation and 100% of all funds are distributed to nonprofit agencies that provide literacy services and/or programs for low-income youth. Since its inception in 1992, over $23.5 million has been raised and distributed.
Help us to improve the Colorado community by making a donation this year!
Make a charitable gift of $10 to Post News Charities and receive a 2008 RTR Route Bandana. Gifts of $50 and above receive a 2008 RTR Hydra Pack. Gifts of $60 and above receive both items.*
 Post-News Charities
*Please note the amount of your donation over the fair market value of $3.45 for the Route Bandana and $18.39 for the Hydra Pack is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Post-News Community Grants
Each year, the Post-News Community/Ride The Rockies grant program funds nonprofit organizations that provide services for low-income children and youth through recreation, education, or the arts and/or agencies that offer direct-service literacy programs.
In 2008, $35,000 in grants will be awarded to Ride The Rockies host communities.
Recipients of this year's grants include:
- Durango - Tri-County Head Start/Quality Early Childhood Program
- Cortez - The Piñon Project Family Resource Center
- Telluride - Telluride Education Foundation
- Montrose - Partners of Delta, Montrose and Ouray
- Crested Butte - Gunnison Country Partners
- Buena Vista - Boys & Girls Clubs of Chaffee County
- Breckenridge - Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center
Safety
Each RTR participant should have received a helmet insert and safety letter by mail. Ride The Rockies is conducted on open roads with vehicular traffic present. These roads include both marked and unmarked hazards. Safety is our number one priority – please check out our safety page and CDOT’s Share the Road Safety Video before the tour.
Ride Nutrition
Along with your training, look to good nutrition to boost your performance on the tour. Check out our nutrition page for updated information from Jessica Loring, a Clinical Dietician at Swedish Medical Center. Jessica provides tips on a balanced diet, pushing fluids, and making sure that you’re eating enough to keep you riding hard even on the longest days.
RTR Movie Night
Join us in Telluride on Monday, June 16, for the first ever RTR Movie Night. We’ll be showing the bicycling classic American Flyers in the Telluride Palm Theater. Starring Kevin Costner, American Flyers features great views of the Rocky Mountains!
CBS4 wants you to share your pictures from the Ride!
Simply go to www.cbs4denver.com and post them under the “You Report” section. It’s a great way to share some of your pictures with family, friends and everyone in Colorado. You can post them during the ride or when you get home! Become a Ride the Rockies “You Reporter” and share your pictures on www.cbs4denver.com.
Ride The Rockies Gear
This year we have a full line-up of tour merchandise that will be available on the tour from PB&J Enterprises. We look forward to seeing your smiling faces in some new gear!
If you haven’t checked it out yet, pre-tour merchandise items are still available at PB&J Enterprises. This year’s pre-tour line includes a soft-shell jacket, a long-sleeve Dri-Mesh t-shirt, a beanie, and the official 2008 Ride The Rockies poster. Get yours now!!
In Memory of Shahram Moghadamnia
Shahram Moghadamnia first participated in Ride the Rockies in 1991 and had ridden most years since then; along the route he made great friends and promoted safe cycling. Although the accident that took his life on April 19, 2008 was not preventable, Shahram was an example for riding safely.
He was an ambassador for bicycling, as well as an exceptional skier, swimmer, hiker and all-around athlete. He worked 28 years at Coors as a Principal Product Development engineer, P.E. His education was completed at CU Boulder after he emigrated from Iran in 1976.
Shahram was a devoted and caring man, touching the lives of many, and taking a positive approach to everything in life. He is survived by his widow Sharon and two children, Shane, 18, and Hannah, 14. He will be missed by all his dear family and friends. Please think of him as you enjoy this ride.
Contributed by Ali Imansepahi
Thanking Our Volunteers
Ride The Rockies is staffed by an incredible group of almost 80 volunteers, many of whom have been volunteering for a number of years. This year, we are honoring their hard work by featuring a new batch of volunteers every two weeks in our Volunteer Showcase. Check it out!
Recognizing Our Partners
An event of this magnitude would not be possible without the support and contributions of various organizations and companies in our community. Please click the link below to view all of our tour partners!
2008 Partners
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