The Colorado Peace Ride-Bike Tour

The Four Corners area of Southwest Colorado is buzzing with the news of an awesome new bicycle tour that is gearing up to be one of the country’s most desirable cycling events. This summer Durango will welcome 500 riders and countless supporters for the start of the first annual Colorado Peace Ride, taking place Aug. 9–12, 2009. This is a fully supported ride that covers the entire San Juan Skyway loop, one of the ten most breathtaking scenic routes in the country: http://www.thepeaceride.com/route.html. And it’s not just the route that has cyclists flocking to the Peace Ride website. People are inspired by the fact that this tour supports many favorite causes that have the common goal of bringing peace and positive change into their communities through the work that they do.

Million Dollar Highway/San Juan Scenic Byway
The sheer cliffs and scenic terrain of the San Juan Skyway boast some of the most dramatic scenery on the planet. Cyclists in particular have flocked to this mountain paradise, part of which has been dubbed The Million Dollar Highway for the priceless views. Historic mining towns, laidback recreation meccas, upscale resort areas, national forests, and the amazing Mesa Verde National Park all dot this route.
The ride breaks 10,000 feet a number of times during its loop, and offers spectacular views of the San Juan Mountains’14,000-foot peaks. The following 238-mile route has been set:


Aug. 9 Durango to Ouray 74 miles
Aug. 10 Ouray to Telluride 48 miles
Aug. 11 Telluride to Dolores 60 miles
Aug. 12 Dolores to Durango 56 miles

It’s CPR for Causes That Need New Life
The initials of the Colorado Peace Ride say it all – this is truly CPR that will give life to everyone’s favorite cause! Non-profit workers are already overworked and underpaid, and with today’s challenging economy, these causes are the first ones to be hit and now, more than ever, lack the funds to train staff or develop strategic plans. Too often non-profit workers get burned out despite all the good they’re doing.
Riders on the Peace Ride can allocate their optional fundraising dollars to the causes they care about most: the environment, education, human rights, social justice, health, arts or spirituality – all things that help make our world a more positive and peaceful place. These dollars will go directly to fund free or low cost retreats that offer instruction for strategic planning, project facilitation, team building, and rejuvenation. These services are provided through the Sophia Peace Center in Dolores, CO, a nonprofit retreat center which specializes in offering support to causes.
“We are happy to provide this opportunity for cyclists, not only to ride one of the most beautiful tour routes in the country, but also to help the causes they choose through their registration,” said Rev Isabelle Stone, Tour Director.


A Fully Supported Experience

The Colorado Peace Ride is a fully supported ride. Gear is picked up every morning, and riders can get lifts, repairs or encouragement anytime along the route. Regular aid stations staffed by local non-profit groups will offer help along the way, including optional peace contemplations to bring folks back to their center before gearing up for the next few miles. Among the many organizations signing on to help are Habitat for Humanity, Volunteers for America, and Peace Jam.
In addition to the challenge of riding through these famous mountains, the Colorado Peace Ride offers the kind of experience bikers want from a road tour – like-minded avid cyclists, nightly entertainment, historic western towns, a million-gallon natural hot springs pool to rejuvenate hard-worked muscles, and a commitment to the environment through sustainable policies.
And just in case cyclists are thinking they don’t know how to train for this kind of high altitude challenge, the Peace Ride site offers training tips by Olympic biker and trainer, Colby Pearce, a supporter of the ride: http://thepeaceride.com/training_schedule.html

Learn more about CPR
The Colorado Peace Ride is truly “CPR” in that it gives life to bike riders, the Four Corners and the causes that serve our communities and the world. Interested volunteers and cyclists can register online at www.thepeaceride.com. The website offers ride logistics, sponsorship information, route details, simple registration, travel and lodging options, and more. For further information, contact Christa Rathe, Media Director, at 720-381-8458; or Rev Isabelle Stone, Tour Director, at 720-308-9494.