Ride Director Comments

Ride Description

OVERVIEW
Experience a ‘Rocky mountain high’ when you ride with us in Colorado’s most stunning scenery. Stay in historic towns and unique hotels which includes 3 nights in downtown Aspen. During this 10 day tour in the Roaring Fork River Valley, you can visit some truly spectacular places on your bike.

There are 4 required ride days as we move between hotels with a minimum of 2 consecutive nights at each location (Aspen is 3 nights) which allows time to explore the surrounding areas on your bike or by other means such as bus or hiking.  Two of the hotels will have pools if you would rather spend a day relaxing. The ride begins and ends in Glenwood Springs which is easily accessible via car and Amtrak.  Parking is available for those who want to leave their cars during the ride.

Our starting and ending location is Glenwood Springs which has many activities to explore and enjoy, from hot spring resorts to western history. We bike to and stay in the Redstone Historic District and the Crystal River Valley.  Optional day rides include biking to scenic Marble Colorado which is the source of some of the world’s finest white marble, biking the Frying Pan River Valley, a fly fishing gold-rated destination and exploring several destinations around Aspen (elevation 8,000 feet).

The history of Aspen is that of a silver mining region and today is a world-class winter and summer destination. It is also a great base to explore and bike optional higher elevations including 12,100 foot Independence Pass or Maroon Lake (9,600 feet) where you can hang out for a while and bask in the shadow of the Maroon Bells, two of Colorado’s 14,000 ft. peaks. Our hotel in Aspen is an easy 3-block walk to the downtown area where you can buy ice cream (a BAC favorite) and have coffee while listening to the summer musicians playing on the street corners. And cap off your day in the hotel pool to soothe your tired muscles.  All bikes are accepted, including tandems, ebikes and rentals. 

RIDE RATING
Rating for this tour is 2A. Optional riding days may exceed the ride rating depending on your selected route.  On the four required riding days, distances and elevation gains are moderate with moderate grades, and the average daily elevation gain is 1767 feet, averaging 30 miles per day.  There are no steep grades on this ride, unless you decide to make the optional climb up Independence Pass, which is a 4100 ft climb from Aspen over 19 miles, topping out at 12,095 feet. The elevation of the start of the tour in Glenwood Springs is 5671 feet, about 400 feet higher than Denver which is also known as the mile high city. Please note that Aspen is 8000 ft. and the planned optional rides are uphill from there. Several of the optional rides are out and back so you can ride as far as you choose or in some cases add distance.  Of course, that means that the return portion of the ride is mostly downhill.  For instance, Maroon Lake is a climb of 2000 feet with a moderate grade (the road portion to Maroon Lake is mostly closed to vehicles during the day except for a few busses). With the exception of about 10 miles in and out of Redstone and the optional day routes in Redstone, Basalt and Aspen, the majority of the routes are on the paved Rio Grande Trail. All roads and routes are paved. 

GPS data, cue sheets, daily itineraries and route details will be accessible in Ride Leader Docs 3 months prior to the ride start date.  RWGPS tracks will be provided for all routes, but it is up to you to know how to use your GPS device before the trip begins. Participants wanting paper cue sheets will need to print them from the RWGPS files provided.

WEATHER
August is typically the most comfortable time to bike in the Colorado Roaring Fork region. Average temperatures in Glenwood Springs in early to mid-August range from lows in the upper 40s and highs in the lower 80s, and in Aspen averages are lows in the mid-40s and highs in 70s. We may experience afternoon thunderstorms throughout the valley with precipitation averaging an inch for August. 

LODGING & MEALS
The tour includes 10 nights accommodation in 4 hotels, 5 continental breakfasts,  4 group dinners, and 10 social hours with snacks and beverages. The first two nights are at the Historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs and we will return to the same hotel for our final night. Other locations we will be staying are two nights at the Historic Redstone Inn, two nights in Basalt, and three nights at the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired Hearthstone House in Aspen, which is conveniently located near the center of town. 

We will meet in the hotel lobby for a brief opening meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 11th, 2025, then proceed on a short walk to a local brewpub for dinner. On Day 3 we will have a catered happy hour & dinner at the Redstone Inn. During our stay in Aspen will schedule one informal dining event at our hotel in Aspen. Our closing dinner will be on Wednesday, August 20th at the Hotel Colorado and the ride officially ends the following morning, Thursday Aug 21, 2025. Breakfasts in Glenwood Springs and Redstone are not included. 

LOGISTICS
The ride begins and ends in Glenwood Springs at the Hotel Colorado.  The first meeting will be at 5pm on Monday August 11, 2025.  The ride will end Thursday morning, August 21 upon checkout from hotel.  Many participants will elect to arrive by car but Glenwood Springs can be reached via the Aspen airport (43 miles via taxi or free bus for those 65 years and older on the RFTA), as well as Denver International Airport (220 miles), or Eagle Airport (70 miles). Glenwood Springs is also accessible via AMTRAK. 

If you want some extra time to acclimate to the higher elevations in Colorado before the beginning of the tour, the starting hotel is offering our group rate but you must contact the ride leader to make this arrangment.  This offer is subject to availability and the hotel’s discretion.

In Glenwood Springs, free parking for the duration of the trip is available at the Hotel Colorado's north parking area off Pine Street with a parking permit issued by the hotel registration desk. 

The Hotel Colorado will provide secure bike storage and excess luggage storage for the duration of the  trip. If you'd like to ship your bike and have it assembled, several bike shops are in the area and arrangements must be made directly with them.  A google maps search is one way to find them.  Tandem and e-bikes are acceptable.  Be sure to bring a lock for your bike.  At least one hotel location has requested that bikes be kept in the adjacent courtyard and not in the room.   

Rental Bikes: Ride leaders are not coordinating bike rentals. Participants are responsible for their own arrangements. If renting an e-bike, be sure to explain to the shop your expected daily riding miles and elevation to rent the appropriate bike. You may also contact the ride leader for further information regarding e-bikes.   

A van will be available to transport luggage and supplies.  Participants are expected to complete the required rides as the van will not serve as a sag vehicle, however the van will be available to assist with any emergencies, or to accommodate riders who are sick or injured.

Health and Safety

The elevation in the Colorado mountains can be very challenging to many riders who only ride near sea level and/or are sensitive to the effect of higher elevation because of medications or medical history.  Please consider arriving at least one day early to assist with acclimation.  See the Logistic section above for hotel information.

Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. All participants should be vaccinated for covid and boosters are recommended. Should someone's health become compromised and the group’s health and safety placed in jeopardy, protocols will be developed by the ride leader(s) and communicated to all participants. Participants who become ill or test positive for Covid but are still able to ride their bike can stay on the tour with precautions in place. This may involve required masking, social distancing, or isolation from the group. Participants who test positive for Covid or become ill and are unable to ride must isolate in place. That may mean departing the tour or arranging one’s own transport to subsequent hotels on the tour, and protocols for isolation will be necessary. The expectation is for the group to work together to mitigate any spread of infection or illness as a means to ensure the tour can continue as planned. 

COST & ADMINISTRATION
This ride in 2025 will mirror the prior years which has been highly rated in participant surveys.   The estimated cost is $2900 + $85 non-refundable BAC registration fee. per person double occupancy for 10 nights lodging, 10 happy hours, 4 group dinners, and all administrative costs including scouting of routes, preparation of GPS files, luggage van, and driver. After the tour we will provide a report of expenses and return any money that remains after expenses have been paid. There is an initial deposit of $1,350, with an additional final payment of $1,550 due on May 1, 2025.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY
A “single” is a member who signs up by himself or herself and wishes to share a room with another participant. A “solo” is a member who signs up by himself or herself and does not wish to share a room. 

Singles: There are limited room types and availability in all hotel locations except Glenwood Springs. We encourage single riders who are willing to share a room, and recommend that singles try to find their own roommates. The Ride Leader can assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride, but singles must make their own rooming decision. Singles will be asked to stay on the pending list until they secure a roommate. There will be a limited time-frame to do so if there are more BAC members on the wait list.

Solo: We have not reserved solo rooms and will only offer a solo option if the tour does not fill by April 15. In that case, the solo supplement would be $1,500 due by May 1, 2025, and details for making solo supplement payments by check or Zelle will be shared with solo riders as needed.

Cancellation Policy

The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the canceling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

Ride Participant Responsibility

Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and cleanup. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you might have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

Insurance Statement

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents. This coverage applies when touring inside the US, regardless of your nationality. It’s assumed that members’ personal insurance will cover medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, so these have not been included in the BAC policy. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible. You may want to consider personal coverage for emergency evacuation, as this is not included. The costs of treatment or quarantine for Covid and other unexpected illnesses are not covered. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date. 

Sign-up

To submit a request to join this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC website to digitally accept the terms of Release of Liability (ROL) and pay the non-refundable BAC fee and tour deposit of $1,350 by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. Final payment of $1,550 is due no later than May 1, 2025. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by “clicking” the name at the top of this Ride Description.