A popular around-the-state bicycle tour in Colorado appears to be folding its tent after failing to pay nonprofits that provided services during this past summer’s ride.
The Bicycle Tour of Colorado celebrated its 24th anniversary in 2018 with a loop around the Rockies that started and ended in Leadville and had overnight stops in Carbondale, Delta, Palisade, Glenwood Springs, and Eagle.
The organizers had made arrangements with many nonprofits along the 425-mile route to provide breakfasts, dinners, and lunches for the 1,200 participants. Some of those nonprofits told the Denver Post that the checks to pay for those services bounced.
Among those left high and dry was the Delta High School Band Parents, which was owed $1,800 for a breakfast. The group’s treasurer noticed the check bounced when she check the books. What started as a fund-raiser to support the high school band’s activities, resulted in a big loss.
Others hit by bounced checks included the Kiwanis Club of Delta ($1,365) and Delta Area Chamber of Commerce ($1,320).
In a letter shared with the Denver Post, the organizers explained:
“We have sponsors that did not come through with money promised to the BTC. We have no funds to pay this at this time. We are working at obtaining funds… we are not sure when we will have funds.”
As for the Bicycle Tour of Colorado, there are no plans for a 25th anniversary tour. The ride’s website is no longer online, and its Facebook page has vanished as well.
A former participant shared an email he received from the organizers with the Grand Junction (CO) Daily Sentinel:
“We regret to inform our loyal supporters that the Bicycle Tour of Colorado will not be hosting a 2019 tour. We wish you all the best. Keep on cycling!”
If you’re looking for other Colorado rides, check out Across State Bicycle Tours: Colorado.
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I hope they can get it rolling for 2021
I rode the tour in 2007. Awesome.
I’ll miss the BTC. Participated in it on several occasions and thoroughly enjoyed myself everytime.
I was lucky enough to ride the first one with only 155 other participants. The organizers and support were wonderful. Fond memory
Coming from Kansas this was my first bike tour through the Colorado Rockies in 1997. After that we rode many more years and met many new friends and made many memories. I wish they had not folded, I miss the family and volunteers. My last tour was out of Leadville in 2018. I guess I saved the best for last❤️
I did 10 tours of Colorado from 2001 through 2017. They were all very well managed and I sure wish it was still around. I miss having a great sponsored event you could plan your year around
The BTC was my motivation to start cycling. I participated 7 years in a row and would plan my vacation week around it. I preferred it to Ride the Rockies because the BTC was always a loop. It was well run and I met people from all over the world and was a great way to experience Colorado. Bummed to see it is no longer running tours
I rode the BTC three times – 1999, 2003, 2004 – and enjoyed each one, immensely. The first of these rides is what sparked my love of Colorado. They were very well organized, had good routes selected and great volunteer support. I kicked myself for not participating in more before they ceased to exist.
I wish there was something to replace BTC as Ride the Rockies with it’s point-to-point routes, instead of a loop, is just not as convenient for out-of-staters.
Five co-workers and I rode in 2004 a loop from Ft Collins with overnights at Estes Park, Granby, Steamboat Springs and Walden.
I rode that year because the tour went on Trail Ridge Road (high point at 12,183 feet elevation) thru the Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park. We got caught in a hailstorm on the west side of the RMNP from the Colorado River Trailhead to the Park entrance at Grand Lake (approx 8 miles), to my surprise we were completely dry within 30 minutes afterward.
The town of Granby was interesting. We were there approx 3 weeks after a local resident, Marvin Heemeyer used a fortified bulldozer to wreck numerous buildings in the town on June 4, 2004 due to an ongoing dispute with some local residents and city officials. See the movie TREAD.
The route was great, always beautiful scenery, challenging climbs, and lengthy descents. Aways good food, hot showers every evening from a tractor trailer set-up. Having your camping gear hauled and unloaded at the overnight stop when you got there really made the ride enjoyable. I wish I had done more BTC rides.