Organized road rides across America
Question: I am 62 years old, feel like 50, and work out several times a week. Next year — preferably in the spring — I'd like to (road) bike for a week somewhere in the United States, preferably across hilly terrain like Colorado. I'd like to join a national/international biking group that has a support van, etc. Can you suggest any
such establishment groups? I'd prefer non-profit groups.
D.A. Thiemann
Juno Islands, FL
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Organized rides through the West offer a fun time for a good cause
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Adventure Adviser: Have you ever heard of Ride the Rockies?
Sponsored by The Denver Post, this annual event has such a following that the entrants have to join a lottery in order to be one of the 2,000 lucky riders. With a new route each year through the scenic Rocky Mountains, Ride the Rockies delivers a great mix of high plateaus, rolling prairies, and steep mountain passes.
The 1997 route began on June 21 and covered 418 miles over seven days, featuring a 5,000-foot altitude change on the first day! But rest assured that a really hard day will be followed by a somewhat relaxing day and every night is one big party, usually in a host town or ski resort that is so happy to see you it provides a free barbecue or inspirational guest speaker or at
least a great game of pickup Ultimate Frisbee.
Although this event isn't a fundraiser per se, it is connected to a few good causes. For details and a lottery entry form, call 303-820-1338 or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with a note requesting information and registration for this year's ride to Ride the Rockies, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver CO, 80202.
Another non-profit, fundraising event to consider is the Tanqueray American AIDS Ride, which takes place in various locations at various times across the country. Last year, 11,000 cyclists generated more than $25 million in the five-ride series.
Last year's rides went from Orlando to Miami, Florida; San Francisco to Los Angeles, California; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Chicago, Illinois; and Boston, Massachusetts, to New York, New York. For information on this year's rides call 800-825-1000.
The mother of all fundraising rides is the American Lung Association's Ride Across America. Last year it went from Seattle, Washington, to Washington, D.C., and took six and a half weeks. Last year's fundraising minimum was $6,000. For more information call 800-867-7666.
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