First Time Rider Panel Recap

8/7/2019 First Time Rider Panel Recap

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First Time Rider Panel

The First Time Rider Panel, held Monday, April 18, 2011 consisted of about 1hour of presentations followed by a short Q&A session.

Introduction- Chandler SmithWelcome all first time and returning riders to the First Time Rider Panel. Thankyou to Wells Fargo, our presenting sponsor hosting tonight, along with attendingsponsors, Bolle Sunglasses, Bonk Breakers, Odell Brewing Company, OptimizeEndurance, Parlee Bicycles, USGS, Bicycle Colorado and B-Cycle.

Speaking tonight we have: Bill Moran of Wells Fargo who not so long ago was a first time rider

himself! He will give an inside view of the tour speaking from hisexperiences as a rider.

Brian Graves, a representative of Mavic and Parlee, who will touch on

veteran tips. Scott Christopher, Outreach Manager of Bicycle Colorado, here to talk

about riding skills. And Jessica Loring, a registered dietician who will speak about nutrition. Then I will speak about the route logistics, what will happen between now

and then and how the whole thing is going to come together. We will takequestions after the panel is finished speaking.

We are going to get started with a short video. Many of you may have seen thisvideo, which is posted on our website and paints a picture of what the tour is like.View the video

Bill Moran will now speak to his experience as a first time rider just afew yearsago.

Inside View Bill MoranI would like to remind you all to read the Pedal Points newsletter. This is anexcellent resource provided by the Denver Post Ride The Rockies staff thatprovides training and nutrition tips and valuable information about the tour.

This is my third year at the First Time Rider Panel. The number one thing I willtell you to make sure you do is have a blast! Get out there and meet some

people that you might not otherwise meet. Experience the towns. Make somegreat memories!

One tip I would like to give about camping is to get your bag, get to the site, setup your tent and FIND A SHOWER. There ARE mens and womens showersavailable! The longer you take getting to the showers, the longer you will wait toget into a shower.
http://ridetherockies.com/videohttp://ridetherockies.com/video


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After you do that, get out and enjoy the town! These are exciting places! Makesure to take lots of photos! Pictures are something that you can cherish andshare with your friends and family. Bring a net-book and upload them while youare in town or of course, you can all probably do this on your cell phones now.

The food! One guy you have to see is the pancake guy. He has a truck thatsabout 20 feet long and he flips pancakes all day long! He is very popular and theline will be long, but the pancakes are so worth it!

Clothing: make sure that you have a couple of pairs of socks, underwear, jerseysfor each day.

Training: Anything you can do! Consistency is key. Do a spin class, get outsideon your bike. Make cycling part of your everyday routine.

Finally, we finish the tour in Georgetown this year! So close to Denver Get your

family up there! The race is exciting, but having a bunch of supporters out theretakes the excitement to a new level. The finish, especially, is so much moreexciting when there are people there cheering you on.

Get out and have a blast! One thing you will repeatedly hearThis is not abicycle race this is a great ride!

Veteran Tips Brian GravesHopefully you are all excited about doing Ride The Rockies! This is my 10 th yearat Ride The Rockies, but its not so far back that I rode my first race. The firstthing I did on tour was Cottonwood Pass! Dont be afraid. You are going to havea great time.

A few things that Ive learned over the years are:1. Get a bike fit. You will spend a lot of time on a bicycle. If your shoulders,

back, neck are hurting you, you will be miserable all summer long!2. Get a training program The guys at Optimize Endurance can help you

get a personalized training program that fits your bodys needs. Have aplan!

3. One thing you will definitely be combating are saddle sores. To avoid theworst of this:

a. Do not wear underwear under your chami! You have built inpadding in your saddle shorts that will save you a lot of pain duringthe week! chamis are designed to not be worn with undergarments.

b. As soon as you get your camp set up, get out of your chami assoon as you can and get to a shower! Then get into somethingcomfortable.

c. Chami cream helps as well.


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4. Know how to change a flat tire! Ladies you too! There will be biketechnicians at aid stations, but riding as much as you will be, you will get aflat tire! You need to be self-sufficient.

5. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! If you dont need to pee at every rest stop, youare not drinking enough water! Especially when riding uphill, make sure to

remind yourself to hydrate your body.

6. Eat! You might not feel that you are hungry when you get off your bike butyou need to eat!

7. Have a bike pump and a spare tire. There are many options for small bikepumps that can easily be carried while riding.

8. Packing: Be sure to pack for all kinds of contingencies, but keep in mindthat you do have to lug all of your things back and forth from the luggagetrucks to your camp. One secret that a lot of people use is to pack one dayworth of items into a gallon-sized zip lock bag. Put your clothes in the bagand roll out the air to save space.

9. This is RIDE The Rockies, not RACE The Rockies. Take your time and

enjoy each day!

Riding Skills Scott ChristopherI work for bicycle Colorado, a statewide non profit to improve road safety, both forbikers and drivers.Who here is a bicycle Colorado member? Everyone, please thank these peoplefor major improvements that have been made recently for Colorado road biking.

What are improvements that you (audience members) have noticed, related toroad biking in Colorado?Bicycle lanes, new laws bicycle Colorado responsible for six new laws, signageincluding, Share the road and Bicycle has full use of lane, Share the Roadlicense plates - a 2007 law, Denver bike sharing; an extended thank you to theguys at B-Cycle for all of the work that they are doing to encourage biking andbike sharing.

Now, I want to talk about group riding skills, descending, passing and rumblestrips. Also, as Bill mentioned, please read the Pedal Points information will beincluded about safety signs that will be posted on the route.

My tips for you are:1. Be self-sufficient!2. Dont do anything new on the tour. Whether its eating or drinking or riding

technique. If you havent done it in practice, dont try it during tour week.3. Another thing to emphasize: Leading up to the tour, there are a lot of days

that you are too busy for a training ride. Incorporate your bike fortransportation. That is a true secret of getting more time on your bicycle.Make bicycling a part of your every day life!

(To the audience) What concerns do you have?


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Safety traffic, road hazards, wind

Raise your hand if you do not have a drivers license... There are two hands.

A bicycle is a vehicle. Drive your bike like you drive your car. Please remember

that we are all, always sharing the roads. Take time to thank people on the ridewho are being courteous and responsible riders. Dont be consumed with yourday, your riding, and your friends. The first step to a safe ride is paying attention.

Last, I will talk about descending. Practice, practice, practice! Go out and findappropriate foothill rides. While braking on your bike, use the same technique asyou would in your car. Whether driving or biking, you do your braking in a straightline. Brake gradually and then release. Do all breaking before you enter a turn!

Always remember to: Ride as far right as is safe leaving room for cars and faster riders to pass.

Ride single file or only two abreast when passing or in turns. Do not be afraid of rumble strips! The only time you are likely to run into a

problem is when you are not paying attention and you do not see a rumblestrip. In most areas, there will be 10 foot strips separated by a short break.Look for entry and exit points between strips and weave in and out. Thisshould not be problematic if you are keeping your eyes open for rumblestrips.

Nutrition Jessica LoringI am a dietician and have had the pleasure of doing the ride for 18 years. Youmay be looking at me wondering how that is possible I was two when I started.

Just as important as training, is eating right. Please, also attend the Wheat RidgeCyclery clinic. I will also be there talking more about nutrition.The biggest thing for nutrition is not to try anything new during the tour! If youarent used to power bars and protein snacks, start eating them now to allow yourbody to get used to them.

If you are a 150-pound rider, you need about 75 grams of carbohydrates to startoff your morning. Thats not a whole lot! I know its really tempting to eat a largebreakfast the pancakes, sausage, biscuits; you think you need a big breakfastbecause you need lots of energy to burn. It is better to eat small mealsthroughout the day. A bowl of cheerios, a banana, pretzels, animal crackers,

grapes; These are all things that will fuel your body. Bananas and grapes aregreat to help fuel your body, because they are high in potassium.

Hydration: You need about 20 oz. or one water bottle per hour, while on the bike.Remind yourself to drink, especially when going up hill! Practice drinking whileyou are riding. I see people go down all the time while drinking.


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Be thinking of other types of carbs that you can carry along with you to havethroughout the day fruit leather, raisins, granola bars. While riding, you want totry to have about 60 carbs every hour. There will be food vendors along the way,but try to avoid heavy greasy meals at the aid stations. Eat fresher foods.

Read the Super Foods Super for Cycling article in the Rider Manual (page 21)and begin eating those foods now. Now is the time to try new things!

Recovery: When you get off the bike, a lot of the time you dont want to eat.Force yourself. Follow a four to one ratio. For every 25 grams of carbs, youshould have 100 grams of protein.

Remember to enjoy yourself. This is the ride of your life!

Route Review Chandler SmithI will now touch on the lay of the land and what you should expect while out on

the road.

Registration: usually there are a lot of nerves on day one. After that, you will startto recognize the setup of each town.

Saturday 6/11: Registration will be from 12 p.m. 6:30 p.m. If you missthat, you can pick up your materials on Sunday morning. If you aremissing a day, you can register at the Information tent in the town whereyou join the ride. At registration, you will receive an ID wristband, jersey,water bottle, luggage tag, bike tag, map book and safety tag. All have acorresponding number and are coordinated by color. Luggage tags arevery important for finding your bag in the afternoon.

If you ordered the wrong jersey size, it is too late to change your order at thispoint. We will hold a jersey swap at 5 p.m. each day at the Information tent ineach town where you can go, meet some other riders and see if you can swapout your jersey with someone who has the size you want.

Bike corral: As soon as you get into each town, an area will be set up for you toleave your bike. The area is secured 24 hours each day with law enforcementand Ride The Rockies staff. A quick tip: it is nice to bring a plastic bag to coveryour seat in case there is weather overnight.

Luggage: You are allowed one bag up to 70 pounds. There will be three trucksthat will take your bag from town to town: Early, middle and late. The latest youcan drop your bag off is 9 a.m. Remember which truck you put your bag on!Once the trucks arrive in each town, the bags will be sorted by truck and then bycolor of luggage tag and then in numerical order. Find the truck you put your bagon, then locate the row of bags that corresponds to your wristband color.


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Headquarter sites this year will be located within walking distance of eachentertainment site. Headquarters is where breakfast and lunch will be served,where the information tent and host community tent will be located along with amedical mobile available for basic treatments. You will also find merchandisetents, shower trucks, demo tents, massage and chiropractor visit these groups

(demo, massage, chiropractor) on Saturday, as they will be taking advancereservations for the week.

Entertainment sites will host music and beer from Odells brewing this is alsowhere dinner will be served. Each entertainment site will have a greensustainability tent please help us out by sorting your garbage and recyclingappropriately at these stations. The ZeroHero Green Team will be out each day,on the tour and at entertainment sites, looking for riders supporting the greenprogram. Each evening, we will be giving out a limited edition green jersey to arider who is caught being green.

Cycling seminars will be held at 4:30 every afternoon and will be hosted by RonKiefel, a former Olympian and professional cyclist. Scott Christopher will also doa quick safety tip each day, we will present a check to the community grantrecipient and have trivia and a prize drawing.

Route support: this is not possible without our volunteers. On the route there willbe 8 SAG Support And Gear vehicles. These are Dodge Caravans that willbe clearly marked on the side. More or less, they are there to help you getthrough the route. If you have a flat tire or need minor medical attention, you canhop on a SAG and they will transport you to the nearest aid station. One vehicle

the Meat Wagon will be used to pick up riders who are done for the day andtransport them and their bike to the destination town. Please dont abuse theSAG wagons! They are there to support you. They are equipped with medicalsupplies and all drivers are CPR and First Aid certified. The SAG vehicles willmake their final sweep at 4:30 p.m. each day.

We also have riding medics who are along for the ride to support riders, shouldthey go down. In the event of a significant injury, they will provide support at thescene and call for a support vehicle to transport the injured rider to the nearestaid station. Of course, if there is a significant injury, an ambulance will be calledand the rider will be taken to the nearest hospital or medical clinic. Each ridingmedic will have a red band as well as a red and white helmet and red fanny packfor easy identification.

There also will be four radio support vehicles that are out observing the road andhelping to provide constant communication during the route.

Ride officials will be out on the route to serve as tour ambassadors and preachsafe riding.


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Eight Colorado State Patrol motorists will also be along throughout the week tohelp ensure safety of the riders. They will be stationed at any intersections intowns, or turns or stops that could be potentially dangerous due to vehicles orvisibility issues.

Ample support will be provided out on the tour! Sleep well knowing that only 2-3minutes will go by before you receive care. All official tour support vehicles will bemarked with yellow decals as identifiers.

Aid stations: Will provide fruit, Gatorade, pretzels, animal crackers and a numberof route vendors who will be serving everything from pancakes to burritos, wrapsand rice bowls. Aid stations will also have medical supplies and bike tools andtechnicians. If you have a mechanical problem, you will be taken to an aid stationfor a technician to help you with support. There will also be restrooms and handwashing stations.

Know that the route itself will be marked with yellow directional signs.Any hazards will be marked with environmental spray chalk we do our best tomark all of these. Be aware of your surroundings and what is on the road at alltimes.

Private support vehicles: While we welcome all family and friends, we want toencourage people to travel on alternate routes, in order to reduce the totalnumber of vehicles traveling on the roads. Alternate directions will be provided atregistration.

The Route: Please come to the Wheat Ridge Cyclery clinic on May 17 at 7 p.m.for a more detailed day-by-day review of the route. In short:Day 1 will be the toughest climb and the highest elevation that you reach, goingover Cottonwood Pass. Leaving Crested Butte will be very cold in the morning likely below freezing. There will be five aid stations on Day 1.Day 2 you will climb into Leadville with a nice cruise down into Edwards. Therewill be five aid stations along this portion of the ride.Day 3 will have six aid stations and will be a smooth ride from Edwards intoSteamboat where you will stay for two nights.Day 4: While this is a loop ride and you may be tempted to sleep in, please keepin mind that we want everyone out on the road by 9 a.m. and off the route by4:30 p.m. as the normal hours of support still apply. Day four will have two aidstations.Day 5 will have five aid stations between Steamboat and Granby, while travelingover Rabbit Ears Pass.Day 6 is the second highest climb, taking you over Berthoud Pass, but you will berewarded quickly with an easy descent into Empire and a fun celebration at theend in Georgetown. There will be three aid stations along the way.


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Accidents: They do happen! What I have seen are mostly rumble strips payattention, know where they are; Pace lines they are out there, we ask that theystay at 5 riders, no more than 5. Do not join a pace line! Typically, these aregroups of riders who have been together for many years! Please be aware andcareful of them; Pulling in and out of aid stations be sure to pay attention and

use signals! We provide a lot of support, but stay alert, stay aware, dont fail tocommunicate or to provide hand signals.

I encourage you to: Attend the opening ceremony and closing ceremony. There will be a lot

going on here, including prize drawings. Utilize your bike shop coupon in your rider manual. There is a $10 off

coupon good for a tune up or bike maintenance. Get a professional fit to be sure that you and your bike are agreeing with

each other. Read through our gear and equipment list outlined both online and in the

Rider Manual. Read the Rider Manual. Consider offsetting your carbon visit our Tread Lightly page and learn

more about how you could win yourself a Green Jersey Please become a fan/friend of ours on Facebook, where we send out a lot

of updates. Read pedal points!

Q&A

Any advice on trial rides?Each bike shop will host training rides look for the schedule in about twoweeks. These are designed and only available to Ride The Rockies participants.There are many books written, map my ride.com is a great website with routes,as well as strata.com

How many applicants are there for Ride the Rockies and how do youchoose?Depending on the popularity of the route, this dictates how many people apply.Average is usually between 3,000 and 4,000 applicants and then we select2,000. This year, 11 foreign countries and 48 of the 50 states will be represented.

How accessible are electrical outlets?Schools have plenty. We also designate a power charging station. Finding anoutlet will not be an issue.

When dressing for the weather, how do you carry everything?You will learn as you go what you really need and what you dont. If it is below 60degrees, wear leg warmers and arm warmers. You will probably start off with a


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jacket a good one is easily packable. Dress in layers: an undershirt, a jersey, ajacket on top of that. If you are not cold for the first ten minutes of your ride, youare overdressed. When reaching elevation, it will be cold. As much as you wantto stay and hang out, try to avoid it because you will get cold. Carry extra layersin the back pockets of your jersey or tuck it under your jersey.

How do you get your luggage from the truck to where you are staying?There will be buses that run loops throughout the towns and drop off and pick upriders at hotels in the area.

How do you keep your tires pumped up in the morning?Pumps will be available at the luggage stations.

Is Cottonwood pass gravel?Yes! This is hard packed dirt. Know that this is only during 13 miles of the climb.The safety issue is on the descent, although it will be paved in this situation. The

county does a great job of keeping the pass hard packed and watered down toavoid dust. If the snowpack is such that the pass cannot open, we would have tore-route this would be our only problem.

Is there camping in crested butte?Yes

How many pair of bike shorts should I bring?Three or four. You have two options start in a clean shame each day. You canwash them in the showers. A dry, clean chami is a must every day. Get out ofthem as soon as you arrive, clean them, ring them out, hang it up to dry. Or,bring as many as you have room for.

Do we need to bring cash for food, etc?Yes! Vendors will all want to take cash. Cash is taken at aid stations as well.

Will ice be available?Ice will be available at aid stations

Will sunscreen be available?There will be sunscreen at aid stations, but please pack your own.

For veteran riders, what is one thing you didnt need that you brought andone thing you wish you had brought that you didnt?I wish I didnt bring a camelback after about 3 or 4 days, I realized that there isa rest area at least every hour with everything that you need.Baby wipes/alcohol wipes are nice to have to wipe your body, your bike, and yourhands.There have been a few days where I havent had my own food. It is good to beself sufficient. Your recovery begins before you end the day.


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Please leave your iPod at home as a safety precaution.

What are options for people who eat gluten free?Rice, protein bars, ask for a burrito bowl, fruit. No vendors specifically providegluten free items.

Any recommendations for protein?A lot of new research says that protein is key while riding. 90 grams of protein fora 150 lb rider. In the morning, balance your carbs with protein. Pre-ride and post-ride, milk is one of the best things that you can have. Avoid anything greasy andfatty. Practice your eating! Dont add protein during the ride that you havent beeneating. Protein makes you fill up faster - a balance is the best thing. Dont try tolose weight the week of the ride.

Is weeklong parking first-come-first-served?Parking for the week is available in Crested Butte and Georgetown. There will be

no transportation back to Crested Butte at the end of the tour.RV parking is first-come-first-served; there are not necessarily hook-ups for RVs.Weeklong parking is available in Georgetown and will open on Friday. There willbe shuttles to pick you up in town and bring you back to the parking lot.

How often does adverse weather happen?Rain, shine, hail, snow, sleet, we ride. It happens! We are often lucky to get 70%of the day sunshine. Getting to the top of mountain passes, you never know whatthe weather will be. Temperatures will range from below freezing to upwards of80 degrees.

Is boxing the bicycle a big deal?There are instructions in the rider manual and also an instructional video onFacebook. If you have never done it before, plan and practice for it. It is notoverly hard, it is not simple. If bussing from finish town to crested butte, bikeboxing is required.

What are suggestions for bedding during indoor camping?Thermarest rollout beds, yoga mats, small pop-up tents are good to getdarkness. Ear plugs and eyeshades. Get a wall spot in indoor camping. Savespace and dont bring sweatpants, cotton hoodies. Store your stuff underneathtrash bags so that it doesnt get wet.

Can we bring a grill to cook our own breakfast?This is allowed, but discouraged as we will have to transport it in the luggagetruck. Keep in mind that you will be in a town and there will be places like smallgrocery stores and cafes where you can go to get breakfast.

How available is indoor camping space?


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Typically there are two gyms, separated by early and late risers. You will findspace inside the schools either in a gym or in a hallway or stairwell.

Should we bring food?Bringing small compact foods are recommended. Many foods can be packed

without taking up much space. All meals are provided and must be paid for. Mealcosts range from $4 to $10

Brian Graves - DemosWe have at least 12 cycling vendors joining us. If you are interested in a newbike, take advantage. Sign up on Saturday. They will swap out your bike andtransport it to the next town. This is a great opportunity to compare differentbikes. The service is free for everyone. You can also try new wheels if you arenot looking to buy a new bike. These services fill up fast, so be sure to make anearly reservation.

Thank you to all of our panel speakers and to our vendors who have set up theirbooths, along with Wells Fargo for helping us to put on this event.

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First Time Rider Panel Recap