Colorado’s three largest bike rides generate valuable funding for many charities. (http://bicyclecolo.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=660)

The MS 150 ride last summer generated over $2 million to find a cure for multiple sclerosis and serve people with MS.



The Elephant Rock and Triple Bypass donated to 72 charities last year including the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, Colorado schools and the Dumb Friends League.



Check out the full list below



Special Olympics Colorado

Philanthropic Education Organization

Border to Border USA - Pediatric Aids

Alpine Rescue Team

Blue Spruce Kiwanis

Friendship Bridge

Women’s Wilderness Institute

Evergreen Drive Smart

Evergreen Players

Evergreen Children's Chorale

Evergreen-Civil Air Patrol

Kenyan Children’s Foundation

Lakewood High School Performing Arts Council

Mt. Evans Hospice

Evergreen Kiwanis

Mountain Hope Cancer Center

Summit County Open Space and Trails

The Summit Foundation

Friends of Beaver Brook

International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)

Town of Avon - Avon Recreation Center

Bergen Park Elementary School

Bicycle Colorado

Clear Creek County

Front Rangers Cycling Club

Mountain Area Land Trust (MALT)

National Charity League

Dingers Park Project (Town of Silver Plume)

The Clear Creek Rock House (Idaho Springs)

Youth Empowerment Program (Idaho Springs)

Clear Creek County New Animal Shelter

Georgetown Library

Jefferson County Open Space

Trail Conservation Services

The Hang Out

Boulder County Partners

Echo Hill Homeowners Association

Evergreen Animal Protection League

Evergreen Scholarship/Bootstraps Inc

Gore Range Natural Science School

Lance Armstrong Foundation

Mountain Bike Little League

Summit County High School

The Literacy Project (Town of Avon)

Bike Jeffco

Steamboat Youth Cycling Team

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado

DU-Bologna International Center for Civic Engagement

Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver

Evergreen Fire Department

American Red Cross - Disaster Relief Fund

Denver Dumb Friends League

The Rise School
The Colorado Neurological Institute
Douglas County DARE Program
Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce
Zonta Club
Side Kicks for Sight
Rotary Club of Castle Rock
Rotary Club of Parker
Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department
Kiwanis Club
Senior Old Boys RFC
Civitan Club
Castle Rock VFW Auxiliary 105
Castle Rock Eagles
Boy Scout Troop #637
Boy Scout Troop #261
Bicycle Douglas County

Aurora Repeaters
Christ Episcopal Church Youth Group
Mountain Community Mennonite Church
Project Redirect

What are they gonna do if 10,000 cyclists decide to go on a bike ride one Monday morning during rush hour?


Why you would call it Critical Mass.

well.. I sent an e-mail to the state patrol expressing my opposition to this and got a reply from a sargeant that basically told me tough s**t it was a safety issue (no stats cited or other explanation given) and the state patrol wasn't going to reconsider the decision.

Dear concerned citizen:

We have recently received your email/letter regarding our new policy to cap the number of participants to 2,500 per timed special events on State highways.

The principal reason for this action is to ensure the safety of cyclists and motorists as they continue to share more time on Colorado's roadways. We must also have a span of control that is beneficial to the participants, members of the motoring public, and our agency. After numerous consultations with civic leaders and cyclists (racing and tourists) in and around the metro area, and knowing what our own limitations are concerning safe escorts for special events, we have concluded a cap of 2,500 participants meets the needs of those who regulate and promote most cycling tours and races. As our resources are based on the number of registered participants, and as the number of unregistered riders continues to increase, a breakdown in safety occurs, which we will not compromise.

Please note that this policy does not pertain to events in incorporated cities. This policy punishes no entity, as promoters are not limited in the number of events they wish to sponsor. With the exception of two events in Colorado that are run on Colorado highways, the rest of the races and tours have a cap limit or number of registered participants that is below the threshold of 2,500.

Thank you for your correspondence. We look forward to continuing our support of cycling and other outdoor recreation activities in Colorado, and hope you will do your part to promote safe riding.

Should you have any further questions/comments, please contact the Colorado State Patrol Public Affairs Office at: csppublicaffairs@cdps.state.co.us.


Sergeant Jeff Goodwin
Public Affairs Section
Denver Headquarters
700 Kipling Street, Suite 1100
Denver, CO 80215-5865
Office - 303-239-4574
Cell - 303-961-2935


yep.. this is the same response I received....

Writing to the state patrol probably won’t do any good – but your elected representatives in the state legislature (who are running for re-election) will be responsive if enough of their constituents let them know that this is important to them. And the legislature can overrule the state patrol.

It’s also more effective to mail a hard-copy letter (as opposed to an e-mail) to the rep’s office – and follow up with a phone call.

IMHO, it’s also more effective if you come across as a reasonable person – as opposed to a crazed zealot. Acknowledge that there are safety and crowd-control issues – but that these can be worked out without an inflexible limit of 2500 riders.

Please post any updates to this story – I’m interested in how this plays out.

Writing to the state patrol probably won’t do any good – but your elected representatives in the state legislature (who are running for re-election) will be responsive if enough of their constituents let them know that this is important to them. And the legislature can overrule the state patrol.

It’s also more effective to mail a hard-copy letter (as opposed to an e-mail) to the rep’s office – and follow up with a phone call.

IMHO, it’s also more effective if you come across as a reasonable person – as opposed to a crazed zealot. Acknowledge that there are safety and crowd-control issues – but that these can be worked out without an inflexible limit of 2500 riders.

Please post any updates to this story – I’m interested in how this plays out.

Well, actually, this is now in the hands of a number of the pro-biker legislators in the state.

It has made all the TV channels, all the newspapers, an opposing editorial in the Denver Post - in other words, it has now moved beyond the letter writing into a full-fledged political issue.

I believe more than 10,000 folks have signed the petition.

I have no doubt the CSP head is sorry he ever mentioned the subject, and have no doubt that he knows the legislature will overrule him if he persists. He is between a rock and a hard place. He absolutely lost it when he failed to consult with vested interests prior to making his announcement.

Colorado IS a very pro-bicycling state.

You're exactly right. You can see the letter that two pro-cycling legislators have sent to the state patrol here:

http://www.5280.com/blog/?p=1409

I have a feeling they won't take no for an answer.

State Patrol's cap sends Lance's group packing
By Jason Blevins
Denver Post Staff Writer



Denver will lose a Lance Armstrong Foundation cycling fundraiser unless the Colorado State Patrol scraps its 2,500-person cap for organized rides, a foundation official said Thursday.

"If that directive stands, we will absolutely have to consider another location and that would be a real shame," foundation spokeswoman Stephanie Elsea said.

Next month the foundation will release dates and routes of the inaugural Livestrong Ride Tour in Denver, Austin, Texas, Portland, Ore., New England and Southern California. The rides, which are held to raise money for cancer survivors, require a minimum of 3,500 cyclists. The first Livestrong ride in Portland, Ore., in September raised $1.3 million with 3,500 riders.

The State Patrol's limit would leave too few riders to meet fundraising goals, Elsea said.

The cap also threatens the 6,800-rider Elephant Rock and the 3,500-rider Triple Bypass. More than 12,000 Colorado cyclists have signed a petition urging the State Patrol to suspend the decision.
A spokesman for the patrol said this week the decision was "written in stone."

But Thursday evening, it looked as though the State Patrol was backpedaling. Several calls to the State Patrol were not returned.

State Sen. Greg Brophy, a Republican from Wray who opposes the cap, said the State Patrol could make an announcement today with "good news" for cyclists.

I don't live in Colorado, but I sure hope that stupid ban is removed.
This ban just demostrates that common sense is not really common after all, what are 3000 or 6000 rider compared to all the benefits. Maybe is just that some car drivers are too lazy to get early to avoid being delayed by bicyclists, who nows!

The State Police are making some sort of power play here because they must know (surely they know) that the State Legislature can overrule them on ANYTHING by just passing a law. They could show up Monday morning and make the speed limit 30MPH on all highways or 100MPH. The could ban yellow cars on Tuesdays, etc. . .you get my point.

The Legislature may have granted the State Police the right to limit certain activities but they can rescind that right ANYTIME. It is amusing to see the SP say it is done and won't change. . .the legislature also provides funding to the SP via the state budget (which they could reduce if they chose to. . .).

All that has to happen is for the State Legislature (or the Governor thru exec order) to write a law or order that REMOVES the limit, grants another authority the right to set one (ie, local government), or simply removes the SPs authority to set a limit on cyling activities.

This could be done in a day by the Gov or Legislature and there is NOTHING the State Police could do about it. . .jeez, we didn't wake up in communist Russia where the police make laws. . .amazing power play.

Adam

This could be done in a day by the Gov or Legislature and there is NOTHING the State Police could do about it. . .jeez, we didn't wake up in communist Russia where the police make laws. . .amazing power play.

Adam
You were doing so well, untill the last paragraph. :rolleyes:

.jeez, we didn't wake up in communist Russia where the police make laws. . .amazing power play.

Hyperboyle.

Good News - see this update from bicyclecolorado.org:




State Patrol Delays Cap Until 2007



Days after banning all bicycling events in Colorado with greater than 2500 participants, the Colorado State Patrol has announced a one year “delay in implementing” this cap.



We are disappointed that the State Patrol is continuing to move forward with this damaging policy, with or without a delay. The future of Colorado's current and potential bicycling events remain at risk – along with the valuable tourism dollars these events generate.



Colorado needs to send a message that bicyclists are welcome not just next year but every year. Citizens who want to participate in these safe, healthy events should have the opportunity to do so.



This State Patrol policy must be overturned quickly and permanently to avoid further damage to the state’s economy, charities, and reputation.

You were doing so well, untill the last paragraph. :rolleyes:

It was intended as a joke . . .

Links to VeloNews updates on this issue:

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/9233.0.html

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/9228.0.html

Rocky Mountain News Article updating the thinking of the CSP.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4285154,00.html

"If tour directors can persuade riders to take the rules of the road seriously and to be more courteous to motorists, Trostel said, there may be some flexibility in that 2,500 number when the final decision is made.

Trostel said he recently got a call from someone who said he was going to kill a bicyclist the next time one of them used his front yard as a bathroom. Often, hundreds of bicyclists at a time will ignore a red arrow and make left-hand turns onto state highways during tour rides, his officers say.

He said motorists are equally to blame, noting that a pickup driver last year dumped a box of tacks and nails in the middle of the Elephant Rock course, causing dozens of flat tires."


While he did say motorists are equally to blame, it still seems to me that bicycling is seen as an aberration to the use of roadways rather than an accepted part. The CSP is upset about 3000 cyclists but what if 3000 Camero drivers held a parade? I bet they'd be more lenient. It angers me that bicycling is not allowed to equally share the road with cars. It angers me that motorists believe they have a right to the roads. It angers me that large numbers of bicyclists are seen as a problem.

You limit my numbers because I'm not being courteous enough to the motorists? Why not limit the motorists because they aren't courteous to me? The worst that can happen to them is they sit and wait and listen to the radio, the worst that can happen to me is I get killed.

and while no one should urinate on another's front lawn, I'd rather that than 3000 Cameros or Harley's driving past my house. Maybe the homeowner should try being nice, how about a sign, "If you gotta pee, you can use my toilet" Might even make a friend or two.

Looks like everyones letters and pettition had some effect.
From DnvrFox's link.
The Elephant Rock Bicycling Festival and the Triple Bypass will take place as scheduled next summer, after Colorado's State Patrol chief announced Friday he'll delay implementation of a 2,500-rider limit for a year.
On the other hand the mega ride organizers better come up with a way to control the participants. The following sounds more like a critical mass ride, well actually a critical mass ride sounds more legal.

Trostel said he recently got a call from someone who said he was going to kill a bicyclist the next time one of them used his front yard as a bathroom. Often, hundreds of bicyclists at a time will ignore a red arrow and make left-hand turns onto state highways during tour rides, his officers say.

He said motorists are equally to blame, noting that a pickup driver last year dumped a box of tacks and nails in the middle of the Elephant Rock course, causing dozens of flat tires.

I live in PA, but I signed the petition. I recently rode in the MS150 City-to-Shore (Cherry Hill, NJ to Ocean City, NJ and back) with about 6000+ other riders. The NJ State Police and the event planners seemed to have things well in hand. How sad that the Colorado State Police are inferior to the NJ State Police. Perhaps they need training.

Trostel said he recently got a call from someone who said he was going to kill a bicyclist the next time one of them used his front yard as a bathroom. Often, hundreds of bicyclists at a time will ignore a red arrow and make left-hand turns onto state highways during tour rides, his officers say.

He said motorists are equally to blame, noting that a pickup driver last year dumped a box of tacks and nails in the middle of the Elephant Rock course, causing dozens of flat tires.

"Equally to blame" ? Public urination and running a red light are the equivalent of death threats and reckless endangerment?

Check out this link to Colorado Public Radio. There is recorded interview on December 16th with the chief of the CSP and the head of Bicycle Colorado:Colorado Public Radio (http://cpr.org/co_matters/)

Check out this link to Colorado Public Radio. There is recorded interview on December 16th with the chief of the CSP and the head of Bicycle Colorado:Colorado Public Radio (http://cpr.org/co_matters/)

Just as I thought.

This is a ploy for more state money for the State Patrol. Although denied, it comes across clearly. And, in fact, they do need more money. They have remained stagnant while the state has boomed in population growth.

This link takes you directly to the broadcast: (http://cpr.org/cgi-bin/comatters/comatters_play.asx?play=2344&type=comatters.asx)

Colorado has the so-called “taxpayer bill of rights” – one of the strictest limits on government spending – correct? Without getting too political, I like the idea of limiting the ability of the government to take money from taxpayers.

That’s a little off-topic -- but related if the state patrol doesn’t have the resources to handle these big bike events.

Colorado has the so-called “taxpayer bill of rights” – one of the strictest limits on government spending – correct? Without getting too political, I like the idea of limiting the ability of the government to take money from taxpayers.

That’s a little off-topic -- but related if the state patrol doesn’t have the resources to handle these big bike events.

It was so strict that the state could never recover from the recent recession in Colorado. The Act required the state to base its annual percentage increase in revenue growth on the very lowest income year and start all over again from there. The needs in the state, however, didn't do that and the gap got wider and wider.

The voters just passed Prop C which allowed for the state to recover from the recession.