# 2013 Bicycle Tour of Colorado - BTC - Unsafe - Dangerous - Death



## 303dj

The Bicycle Tour of Colorado is the most chaotic bike event in CO. For the last 4-5 years they went through floods, fires, people stranded in a snow storm, closed routes, moved cyclists by buses, and on last year 2013 tour; one person died and another severed injured with a broken spine. The BTC is considered by local cyclists an unsafe and dangerous ride.


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## rcharrette

While I have no reason to doubt your comments, when someone joins a forum just to bash a ride I take it with a grain of salt!


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## SBard1985

I live in Breckenridge, CO and my house is close to 10,000 ft although the base of town is at 9,600 ft. I've been caught in snowstorms around 10,000-14,000 ft in July and August. Snow in June isn't even uncommon at that elevation. It doesn't happen every day, but don't be alarmed to see it. Usually get caught in a handful of hail storms every summer, got caught in a hail storm while going down Vail Pass and had welts all over my thighs.
If it's too tough for you, don't do it. Simple as that. Less people on the roads for locals or the people that actually want to be here. HTFU.


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## mmoose

meh.

I don't know about other events. But I did ride in 2011 (snow at the top of Trail Ridge Road in RMNP), 2012 (Poudre Fire and a couple WINDY days) and 2013 (with the unfortunate event where a cyclist lost her life). 

It's Colorado. Weather changes. You'll need a wide range of clothes...lots for the 6am rollout, much less for a noon finish. It's good training in HTFU. 

I have seen some folks that didn't understand it. 2007, there was someone who had just started cycling and had maybe 300 training miles when they showed up. They thought that the outdoor camping was a great idea...until the first night when they had to move inside. Just weren't prepared (in so many different ways).

I don't remember any floods. 2011, the bike trail to Glenwood canyon was flooded/destroyed and we had to take buses. (while I didn't like the bus thing, I cannot blame the organizers)

Snow storm over TRR. I'd ridden in worse that year already. It was a tough situation all around. The internal politics between the ride folks and the Park folks was interesting. But, anytime any ride plans to go over 12000', there is going to be some uncertainty. Without other ways around, I chose to go over on the bike instead of wait at the bottom for a long bus ride. (and the snow wasn't that bad. Doing the decent and hitting a hard rain, getting soaking wet, that's a different story!) 

I don't remember going down any closed routes either.

(I will put a gripe out there...going down the crappy ASSpen bike path instead of a road...not a fan. I won't do that again)

Accidents happen. Medical events will take place. Riders will do stupid things (especially when they have the numbers and think they own the road). 2011, someone did a u turn in front of a car and got hit. The cyclist had "enough" time. But the driver didn't hold the lane and in trying to avoid a crash, caused one. The ride has gotten smaller the last couple years, but I kinda like that. I don't need 2500 people around. 1000 is more than enough for me.

From what I heard about the 'big crash' in 2013 (all second hand), someone was descending Cottonwood. A faster rider attempted a pass and the two collided. Without cameras or other eye witnesses, we may never know what happened. But, it does remind me that descents are dangerous (like all of cycling). And if I'm going to change my line, check my six. And going down that same descent, I was checking the riders behind me as much as the riders in front.

So, besides venting, what's the beef? Did the law suit get thrown out of court and you're making a statement here? (really, I am interested in what you've got to say)


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## Harley-Dale

303dj said:


> The Bicycle Tour of Colorado is the most chaotic bike event in CO. For the last 4-5 years they went through floods, fires, people stranded in a snow storm, closed routes, moved cyclists by buses, and on last year 2013 tour; one person died and another severed injured with a broken spine. The BTC is considered by local cyclists an unsafe and dangerous ride.


What is your point? Its bicycle racing, not knitting. There is risk in the sport, whether you are a participant or spectator. Anyone who fails to recognize and accept this should stay home. 

Even those who live along the race courses knew what was coming and when, and knew to plan accordingly. If they were inconvenienced, that comes with the territory. It a short inconvenience to them, no different than if the road was closed due to bad weather or such. Both scenarios can be planned for so not much empathy for anyone inconvenienced.

As for your final sentence, please prove it. I would venture to say you have made that up based on a narrow personal view, and not on facts. Lacking a definitive, thorough study and survey, your statement is hyperbole at best. BS at worst. Again, prove it.


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## bikerjulio

Personally I cannot get enough of this vid. 

Oldie but a goodie


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## MerlinAma

Harley-Dale said:


> .....Its bicycle racing, not knitting. .....


No, it's not "racing". It's a supported tour.

I've got other issues with BTC but there are things organizers can't control. Weather, of course, but friends from Colorado who were on the 2011 ride said they should have never been sent over TRR. Back in 2004, Ride the Rockies bussed everyone around because of a last minute snowstorm.

Also there is always the risk of crashes and a fatality. Sometimes it's the rider's fault, sometimes not.

The fact is that many people come to Colorado bike tours totally unprepared. It's not an amusement park ride. You need some riding experience and certainly some training if you are going to enjoy the ride at all.

And experience tells me to watch out for the people who don't have a clue.


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## Harley-Dale

Merlin, yes you are correct. I should have been more precise in my statement.


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## Rokh On

Harley-Dale said:


> What is your point?
> 
> As for your final sentence, please prove it. I would venture to say you have made that up based on a narrow personal view, and not on facts. Lacking a definitive, thorough study and survey, your statement is hyperbole at best. BS at worst. Again, prove it.


Exactly. Since I have never done this ride I am not sure if he has a valid point or an ax to grind. As a "local cyclist" I'm curious.


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## rcharrette

And he was a forum member for a day as I suspected. 
You may have had a valid point but don't join this forum, post inflammatory comments then disappear. That's pure BS and basically make you an idiot. Get back here and defend your comments. I've heard negative and positive about many rides, actually any ride has both. When mother nature strikes is can throw any event into a tail spin and organizers have to balance there decision working with 2 extremes, the hard cores who don't mind getting wet and sleeted on and the fair weather riders who'd rather sit it out. In any event you have a lot of both. At the end of the day YOU are responsible for your safety regardless of any measures put in place by the organizer. 
Is it rain/snowing and they are riding anyway? It's YOUR decision to ride or sag it. As I've gotten older I've learned to leave my ego behind and do the smart thing. 
Descending at a high rate of speed? No need to "buzz" that slower rider, move over and give him/her some extra space. Maybe even scrub a bit of speed and say hi.
At the end of the day the rider is responsible in my mind.


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## LateSleeper

*Notes on the Colorado's "big three" cycling tours*

There's no indication that OP has enough direct experience to support the sweeping generalizations he is making about BTC. I have ridden nine tours in the last ten summers. Readers should understand that all three tours I discuss below follow a different route each year. Therefore it's important to distinguish one-time problems associated with a particular route from systemic problems characteristic of a particular tour. 

*Ride the Rockies*

Fair warning: I personally never ride RtR, so my "observations" are hearsay, based on discussions with other riders. 

RtR runs in June, first of the "big three". Weather is more likely to be an issue, though in Colorado snow can happen at any time.

This is the tour that is best-known to the general public, due to its association with a large Denver newspaper. This has made it a bit too popular, IMO. Because the rider count is capped at 2000, selection is now by lottery. The "average" rider is younger and less experienced than those on the other tours. If you do RtR, be careful about jumping into a paceline. Sit on the back for a while, and assess the skill level of the other riders. (Actually, this is good advice for any tour!)

RtR has good route marking and excellent traffic control. I have heard from other riders that the aid stations tend to be sparse on food, so plan accordingly.

The main reason I don't do RtR is that the routes are point-to-point, not loops. As a single rider, this is logistically impossible for me. 

*Bicycle Tour of Colorado*

I have ridden BTC four times. Most of the complaints I have had about these tours have been issues about the camping venues, not the tour itself. Some of the lay-over towns have been better than others, too.

I call BTC, "Ride the Rockies for grown-ups". It has by far the best aid stations, with great food and theme-costumed volunteers. BTC runs a week or two after RtR, and has had its share of weather issues. There is typically a mid-week rest day, so there are usually six days of riding.

Route marking is excellent, and the tour's size (~2500 riders) permits multiple motorcycle cops for traffic control. This allows them to "alternate" the car traffic on critical segments, leaving more room for the riders. Mechanical support is good: usually a well-equipped shop truck at every aid station.

One year, a bunch of us got caught in a sudden hailstorm at the aid station on top of Loveland Pass. Event staff handled this very well, stuffing riders into the luggage and water trucks, and handing out trash bags to help preserve body heat. Anyone who got two cold was rotated into the truck cab until they warmed up. 

The "average" BTC rider is about 45-year old with good riding skills. (But I have seen 13-year-olds and 75-year-olds.) One thing I like about this tour is that I can almost always find someone my speed to ride with. Rarely do riders get so spaced out that you can't find a quorum for a pace line. But due to the rider count, I seldom see the same people two days in a row. 

If it matters to you, BTC meal catering is "vegetarian friendly".

*Colorado Rocky Mountain Bicycle Tour*

CRMBT is the scrappy newcomer, proudly billing itself as the toughest ride of the big three. I have done this tour five times, and my advice is to be very rigorous in your preparation. It wouldn't be totally stupid to do another multi-day tour as training. The tour runs in August, so you'll have ample time. Every year there is something on the route that makes me wish I'd trained harder. Like BTC, there is typically a mid-week rest day. My advice is to actually use it, and stay off your bike. 

This is a small tour, officially capped at 500 riders, typically only half of that. For that reason, traffic control is a lot more limited -- typically only two motorcycle cops cover the whole day's route. Aid stations are usually ok, but they are not always optimally spaced and food can run short late in the day. Always carry an energy bar or two for backup, plus some money in case you need to stop at a store. Route marking is intentionally minimalist -- just a few small signs with arrows. (CRMBT never paints the pavement.) Tour staff try to leapfrog the riders and put flag-people at important turns, but this isn't totally foolproof. Check the tour booklet whenever in doubt. Mechanical support is done by a couple of smaller shops. They are competent, but lack deep parts and supplies inventory. 

One other point is worth noting: CRMBT's "sag" capacity is very limited. If you have mechanical trouble, they will get you to the nearest mechanic's truck. If you're bonking or hypothermic, they will get you to the next aid station. But don't count on them to ferry you to the end of the ride just because its raining. Weather happens: deal with it.

Obviously, CRMBT comes with some compromises due to its smaller size. The attraction is that their tour routes are challenging enough to interest very serious riders. As a rider who doesn't arrive with a group, another attraction for me is that the tour is small enough that I see the same people every day. BTC, in comparison, can sometimes be a case of "the loneliness of the crowd".


I hope this write-up helps people better understand the excellent cycling opportunities we have here in Colorado. But please don't pick a tour just because of something you read in a forum -- do your own research! If a week-long tour seems like too much of a good thing, there are also some two- and three-day tours like the Courage Classic that cater to less-experienced riders.

David


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## Zurichman

I love riding in Colorado coming from Pa. Here are only a few complaints I had from experiences on these tours.

Ride the Rockies IMHO had way too many riders for the support they had. I really don't like standing in a line for 30 minutes to get lunch or stand in a long line to go to the bathroom at a portable bathroom. I still liked the ride though.

Not sure if BTC still does this but they use to nickel and dime you to death on options for the ride. So much to register, so much to park your car on and on. Just give me one price The one year people had their cars broken into and they were like we aren't responsible, really people paid to park there you should have had security. The year we did it quite a few years ago if my memory was right of the mt pass, it was really nasty on Independence Pass going into Telluride and they were charging $1 - $2 for garbage bags to make it off the pass. I did that thank goodness and they put some people in the back of Hertz rental box trucks and they got gassed. So yes I'm glad I rode it out.

All in all there are going to be things happen in Colorado that can't be planned for so yes I would come again. I have other state tours to do so it would have to be on a route I haven't done before which would be tough as my 3 tours have pretty much been through the whole state.

My best Colorado tour was when Cycle America use to do Pedal the Peaks there and only had 450 or so riders which was nice so yeah I would try the new comber with the smaller crowds and know what I'm signing up for coming to Colorado.


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## jondavid00

It was none of those things. I was a rider on the 2013 BTC. I am nearly 60 years old, and had the time of my life. I know the details of what occurred, and it was rider error. What she did would bring any rider to their end. Though I am sorry for the tragic loss, and indeed being in the world of aviation, I'm made to realize we are not indestructible. But what makes my blood boil is when people start pointing fingers at who's to blame. I was there! It was not the truck driver's fault at all. Nor was it BTC's. You can't police a person of their bad habits, or their presence of mind abilities. However, we all can learn from one person's mistakes, and try to not make that mistake. The other wreck is one I'm not familiar with, but I would think if one is to climb a mountain with their bike up and plus 10000 ft altitude, one person would think there would be risks associated with the ride. Especially, with the number of riders involved. That's why I am quickly becoming BTC's best fan!
I hope the person that started this thread finds something else to do with their time than raising false alarms with A WELL ORGANIZED RIDE. To all others, please be advised, if you don't use your head on this ride you can get hurt. For those of us that are younger at heart, 2014 is fast approaching!! woohoo!!!!


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## Zurichman

I really wasn't talking about the 2013 ride. It was many years ago I did the BTC. I still think for an organization to charge for garbage bags on top of a mountain when there is a hail storm going on is outrageous.

I then read about one of the other years they had peoples cars broken into when they charged them to park there and then said they weren't responsible again was wrong. All in all I don't have a beef against BTC, I just think sometimes rides get too big for them to handle everything and is exactly why I probably would go with the smaller ride someone mentioned before when I come back to Colorado to ride a week long tour again. If I lived in Colorado no big deal but coming from out of State I don't want to wait in line for everything.


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## luvtherays

I also did the ride in 2013. I had a fantastic time as i did when i did the ride in 2005. Both years there were tragic accidents. The rides i did are some of the best expeiences in my life - met lots of interesting people, great scenery, challenging riding, and enjoyed the towns on off days - Crested Butte and Telluride. 

I love cycling but over time - including these rides - i have come to realize it is a very dangerous sport. I enjoy it and will always ride regardless. I do not blame the tour for the accidents ( I do blame them for lack of good hot showers).

One thing i think would be helpful for this ride (and others) is to have a basic safety video or some basic safety education. Lots of the riders come from all parts of the country and are not used to descending. I am a rider of average experience and i am sure i could get some benefit on some safety tips. I think some basic signs along the ride about safety would make people ride safer. Something as simple as "Bike Safely". After that sign you may take that next descent a little more carefully and reduce the risk of an accident.

In summary, the ride is a great experience and it is generally well organized but could use some improvements in the showering facilities. It would be helpful to implement some safety education and safety signs so that riders think about it a little more.

Mike


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