Members on the Move - 2022
Bike-n-Barge: Bruge, Belgium to Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tom Tulk and wife Sally enjoyed a 200-mile bike excursion through Belgium and the Netherlands. They found it a great way to visit the countries and meet other bikers from around the world.
Village Idiots Conquer the Copper Triangle
This August, six Village Idiots completed one of Colorado’s classic supported rides – the Copper Triangle. Bonnie Piper, Sue Waltermire, Greg Ordonez, Mike Finger, Adrian Kearney and Mike Donaldson started at Copper Mountain, and then rode to Leadville, Minturn, Vail and back to Copper Mountain. The 79-mile road route featured fantastic roads, breathtaking scenery and took the Idiots over three mountain passes (6,300’ of climbing) – Fremont Pass, Tennessee Pass, and Vail Pass.
RAGBRAI
In July, Doug Waltermire, Howdy Fry and John Rehl took on the traveling cycling circus they call RAGRAI (Register’s Annual Great Ride Across Iowa). This year’s seven day route saw 18,000 riders (yes, you read that right) covering 454 miles and 12,000’ of climbing, including a 105 mile day partly fueled by a stop at Mr. Pork Chop early in the ride. Other culinary delights along the ride included multiple fundraising pie offerings per day, Beekman’s ice cream, and grilled cheese with bacon sandwiches. Every evening included socializing, host town parties, and music entertainment. The boys survived tent living for a week, and even managed to bring home a few extra pounds!
Bike MS
The 2 day Bike MS ride started in Westminster with an overnight stay on the CSU campus in Ft Collins. Day 1 consisted of a 103 mile century with a number of challenging hills to finish the day around Horsetooth reservoir. Day 2 was an 83 mile ride back to Westminster. The 2022 ride was hit with uncharacteristic cool weather for mid-June, but everyone made the best of it raising money for a great cause. Kevin Mihok completed the ride with his father and in total they raised over $5000 in support of the MS society. Faye McGuar also completed the ride (this makes over 20 of them)!
The Last Elephant Rock Ride
The Elephant Rock, one of Colorado’s longest running cycling events, sadly came to an end, after 35 years, in June 2022. Judy Matarese and Bill Pieseski both participated in this final event. Bill’s thoughts on the ride…
“The Elephant Rock was my first century ride back in 2012, and I have had the pleasure of riding several times since. With the ride so close to home, it was always a convenient location and a fun, but sometimes grueling day. Although it has experienced a few tweaks here and there along the way, the route has remained largely unchanged from year to year. Over the years, the ride has transformed from a mostly rural route to one through new communities now lined with busy streets, houses, and businesses. From the starting line at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, the route headed south to Monument, and then circled back along SH 105 to where it all began. With upwards of 5,000 participants across the various routes, which ranged from 12, 45, 62 and 100 miles, ample spectator support and friendly riders ensured there was always someone to chat with along the way. The weather this year couldn’t have been better for one last ride along the ‘mostly’ gently rolling route. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful mountains towering above the remaining farms still nestled in amongst the countryside. I will definitely miss this ride and the jubilant atmosphere at the fairgrounds afterward.”
Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming & Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
As part of a post Labor Day vacation, Tom & Connie Keitel stopped in Moose, WY to take in the splendor of the Grand Tetons along the bike trail from Moose to Jenny Lake and back. The 16 miles ride was ideal for taking in the stark views, and breathtaking scenery.
Continuing on their vacation up into the Idaho panhandle, Tom and Connie used Kellogg, ID as their launching point to check off a bucket list item. They rode 3 days on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s paved trail. Riding out and back legs from various starting points, they managed to enjoy about 60 miles of the 73 mile scenic trail, despite the smoke from many fires from the southern part of the state.
The Trail of the Coeur d'Alene was everything they had hoped.
Girona, Spain
John and Lesia Rehl, Bonnie Piper and Greg Ordonez, Sue and Doug Waltermire, and Marcy Blair and Adrian Kearney all joined a group of avid cyclists in October for 4 -7 days of riding in Girona, Spain. The “Ride Camp” managed by Trek Travel is one of several the company hosts in Europe and the United States. Rides are tailored to a range of cyclists from easy-going to intense, and riders can choose between a 4 or 7-day camp. For the avid rider, pedaling the full week with all ride options was over 400 miles and 34,000’ of climbing.
Pro cyclists can live anywhere in the world. So why do so many of them choose Girona? The region is well-known and loved for its excellent riding in the lush surrounding hills between the Mediterranean coast and the Pyrenees Mountains. The roads were generally in great condition and for the descenders in the bunch, it was heaven.
After a hard day’s effort, the riders could refuel for the next day's ride with excellent local cuisine, tapas, and cycling-themed cafes. The hotel was conveniently located in the city center, perfect for exploring the old castles and architecture of Girona. Rides were supported on most days with both vans and guides on bikes. The team did a great job of keeping the ride fleet in top condition and keeping riders going in the right direction.
