As the tour draws near, we want to provide you with some helpful information about the event.

Included in this newsletter:

• Cycling Seminars
• Ride The Rockies Ride Officials
• My Ride
• Nutrition Tips
• Ride The Rockies Gear
• Tread Lightly
• Group Riding Tip
• Cocona
• Mark Your Calendar
• Thanking Our Volunteers
• Recognizing Our Partners

We look forward to seeing you in June.

Quicklinks:

Rider Manual
Route
Host Communities
Training
Group Rides
Alpine Cycle Connection
High Country Shipping
Gearing Form
Ride News

Cycling Seminars
Each night of the tour we will host a cycling seminar that highlights a particular, exciting topic relevant to the biking community. We are thrilled with our impressive line-up of speakers, so be sure to read more about them on our website. Click here.

Guest Speakers:
Ron Kiefel: Host
USGS: “Springs, Silver, & Scenery -- Geology Along the 2009 Ride The Rockies Route"
David Wiens and Susan DeMattei: “Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone”
Alison Gannett: "Alison Gannett's Global Cooling Show"
Tom Purvis: "Salida Mountain Trails: Making the Most of the Resource"
Steve Stevens: “Colorful Colorado Cycling ...the Early Years”
Bob Roll: “Tales From Bobke”

Ride The Rockies Ride Officials
For the second year, a few riders participating in Ride the Rockies are volunteering as Ride Officials. These individuals are experienced cyclists responsible for modeling proper sharing of the roadways with other cyclists and motorists.

Each volunteer wears a Ride Official armband, assists cyclists in need, encourages safe and skillful ride practices, and offers suggestions to riders that could improve their riding experience.

If you are interested in joining this group of fun-loving volunteers, please contact Scott Christopher at Bicycle Colorado, scott@bicyclecolorado.org or 303.417.1544 ext. 17. Ride Officials will complete a League of American Bicyclists Traffic Skills certification course on May 29 and 30 in Denver. Ride The Rockies will cover the cost of this course!

My Ride
Connect with tour participants before the ride this June! Join Ride The Rockies' new social networking site - My Ride. Interact with fellow riders; share photos and videos, post bulletins, and join discussions.

Nutrition Tip by Jessica Loring, Registered Dietician
A common place to eat on the tour is on your bike. Eating and drinking while cycling is necessary and since most of you will be cycling longer than two hours, fuel throughout the day is essential in order to keep your energy stores full. If you are a rider that chooses to eat while on your bike, be sure to keep the following in mind:

• If you are a first time rider, practice eating during training rides.
• If you have difficulty eating while riding, stop at an aid station and consume your snack.
• If you eat in a pace line, eat at the end, not in the middle or while pulling the line.
• Take those required sips of fluid when traffic is minimal, shoulders are wide, and not
while passing other riders.
• Keep your snacks for fuel in the outside pocket of your jersey.
• First drink from your water bottle on your down tube. When it’s empty, switch it out
with the full bottle from your seat tube.
• If you are munching on an energy bar or fruit while climbing, maintain concentration on the road or wait until you reach the summit of the hill.

Ride the Rockies Gear
Pre-tour merchandise items are available now at PB&J Enterprises. Get your goods while they last! This year’s pre-tour merchandise line includes the official 2009 Ride The Rockies poster as well as performance garments to complete your RTR kit: a windtex jacket, arm warmers, riding gloves, racing cap, beanie, and skullcap.

Tread Lightly
In line with our green initiative this year, Zero Hero will host a Sustainability Headquarters Tent in each community we visit. This 'Stewardship' HQ will provide riders with information on RTR's progressive waste reduction programs, Leave No Trace camping information, highlights of the community scholarship recipients, green contest award winners, and your opportunity to offset your personal travel carbon to and from RTR.

RTR made a commitment to offset the production of the event, but it is up to you to purchase offsets for your personal travel. We have selected the Colorado based non-profit Trees, Water and People (TWP) to offset our carbon though their award winning fuel efficient stove program. TWP's stoves are gaining popularity in Central America where wood is the abundant cooking fuel. Not only do TWP stoves reduce carbon emissions and deforestation but they significantly improve the indoor air quality of the villagers, proving once again what is better for the planet is better for people.

Group Riding Tip by Bicycle Colorado
When you are preparing to change your position on the roadway or shoulder – such as passing other cyclists – be sure to look over your shoulder. Consider using a rear view mirror as well. Mirrors can be mounted on your helmet, glasses or handlebar end.

Practice looking over your shoulder to avoid drifting out into traffic. You can more easily maintain your position on the roadway by sitting up and putting your left hand behind your back or on your hip before looking behind.

When you began driving a car, you had to practice looking over your shoulder, the same applies to bicycling. Simply put, drive your bicycle like you drive your car. See you on the road!

Cocona
Cocona® FlashDry™ is the Official Technical Fabric of the 2009 Ride the Rockies. The entire RTR Staff will be wearing garments using Cocona® fabrics. Also, the pre-race, technical t-shirt for this year’s tour is made using Cocona® fabric. Cocona is one of the four sponsors of RTR’s Tread Lightly Initiative, helping to minimize the tour’s footprint as we cycle through Colorado's high country.

Cocona® FlashDry™ fabrics use natural technology to provide the fastest drying performance fabrics available, UV protection, and odor management. Cocona® natural technology is derived from recycled coconut shells that are converted into activated carbon and embedded inside polyester fibers. Because it is not a topical, chemical treatment, Cocona® natural technology will not wash off or wear out! Nothing dries like Cocona!

Cocona, Inc. is based in Boulder, Colorado. For more details, visit www.coconafabrics.com

Mark Your Calendar!
June 7: Denver Post RTR Special Section
June 13: Registration/Packet Pick-up at Glenwood Springs High School
June 14-19: 24th Annual RTR Bicycle Tour

Thanking Our Volunteers
Ride The Rockies is staffed by an incredible group of 80 volunteers, many have been volunteering for over ten and even fifteen years. We are honoring their contribution to RTR by featuring their personal bios on our website.

2009 Volunteers

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!

2009 Partners