Thanks for the info Jason. While I personally am not a huge fan of the big rides affected by this ban, I can see how helping to overturn decisions like this benefits the cycling community as a whole - regardless of what a person rides. Hopefully other mtbr's will see this in the same light.
Action Alert: State Patrol Bans Large Bicycle Events
This just showed up in my mailbox...
We need your help to overturn the State Patrol's decision to ban popular bike rides in Colorado. Please take a minute and follow the steps below. Together we can overturn this decision and improve safety for bike events. Thanks!!
BIG BIKE EVENTS BANNED!!
The Colorado State Patrol has just added a policy banning the biggest bicycle events in Colorado!! Their new policy:
Limits bicycle and triathlon events to 2,500 riders
The limit can be lowered at any time putting every event at risk
Bicycle tours, races, charity rides, group rides, and triathlons are affected
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Follow these four steps at: www.BicycleColorado.org/to/petition
ADD YOUR NAME: Sign the petition to overturn this damaging policy.
GET OUT THE WORD: Please send this email to other bicyclists. We can only win this issue with a huge outcry.
USE YOUR VOICE: Send an email/fax/call State Patrol Chief Mark Trostel asking him to reverse this policy and include bicyclists in discussions regarding bike events.
STRENGTHEN THE EFFORT: Bicycle Colorado is here to lead this campaign and protect bicyclists' rights but this campaign is going to require long hours and extra resources. We need your financial support to overturn this bike ban.
Take Action Now...
SAFETY HAS NO LIMITS
The State Patrol says that they are using this ban to "ensure safety." But a random cap does not address safety of bicyclists. Safety is based on good event planning, educated bicyclists, traffic management plans, safe roads, and law-abiding motorists. A well-run event can be safe for 10,000 bicyclists and a poorly-run event can be unsafe for 100 riders.
The 2,500 cap is subjective and may be changed at any time by the State Patrol. If tomorrow they decide that 500 is a "safer" number, amazing rides are at risk like Elephant Rock, Triple Bypass, Ride the Rockies, MS 150, Iron Horse Classic, Courage Classic, Bicycle Tour of Colorado, Tour de Cure, Mount Evans Hill Climb, and on and on.
Colorado's largest bicycle event, The Elephant Rock, reports having only one car-bike crash in nineteen years. This fact strongly questions bicyclist safety as the reason for this ban. Is this the bicycle-friendly Colorado you want?
Take Action Now...
BAD POLICY DECISION
Keep in mind that the State Patrol officers are heroes to bicyclists. They cite unsafe drivers and provide emergency assistance. But this is a bad policy decision which they need to reverse. Bicyclists, event promoters, state bicycle planners, businesses, and event sponsors were excluded from behind-the- scenes meetings on this policy.
TAKE ACTION NOW
We formally asked the State Patrol to reverse their decision and they declined. Now is the time to act. With the holiday season here, we may be strapped by a small outcry because people are too busy to act. Apathy could let this ban stay in place. Take action today and protect your right to bicycle. Together we can end bike bans and build a bicycle- friendly Colorado.
We need your help to overturn the State Patrol's decision to ban popular bike rides in Colorado. Please take a minute and follow the steps below. Together we can overturn this decision and improve safety for bike events. Thanks!!
BIG BIKE EVENTS BANNED!!
The Colorado State Patrol has just added a policy banning the biggest bicycle events in Colorado!! Their new policy:
Limits bicycle and triathlon events to 2,500 riders
The limit can be lowered at any time putting every event at risk
Bicycle tours, races, charity rides, group rides, and triathlons are affected
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Follow these four steps at: www.BicycleColorado.org/to/petition
ADD YOUR NAME: Sign the petition to overturn this damaging policy.
GET OUT THE WORD: Please send this email to other bicyclists. We can only win this issue with a huge outcry.
USE YOUR VOICE: Send an email/fax/call State Patrol Chief Mark Trostel asking him to reverse this policy and include bicyclists in discussions regarding bike events.
STRENGTHEN THE EFFORT: Bicycle Colorado is here to lead this campaign and protect bicyclists' rights but this campaign is going to require long hours and extra resources. We need your financial support to overturn this bike ban.
Take Action Now...
SAFETY HAS NO LIMITS
The State Patrol says that they are using this ban to "ensure safety." But a random cap does not address safety of bicyclists. Safety is based on good event planning, educated bicyclists, traffic management plans, safe roads, and law-abiding motorists. A well-run event can be safe for 10,000 bicyclists and a poorly-run event can be unsafe for 100 riders.
The 2,500 cap is subjective and may be changed at any time by the State Patrol. If tomorrow they decide that 500 is a "safer" number, amazing rides are at risk like Elephant Rock, Triple Bypass, Ride the Rockies, MS 150, Iron Horse Classic, Courage Classic, Bicycle Tour of Colorado, Tour de Cure, Mount Evans Hill Climb, and on and on.
Colorado's largest bicycle event, The Elephant Rock, reports having only one car-bike crash in nineteen years. This fact strongly questions bicyclist safety as the reason for this ban. Is this the bicycle-friendly Colorado you want?
Take Action Now...
BAD POLICY DECISION
Keep in mind that the State Patrol officers are heroes to bicyclists. They cite unsafe drivers and provide emergency assistance. But this is a bad policy decision which they need to reverse. Bicyclists, event promoters, state bicycle planners, businesses, and event sponsors were excluded from behind-the- scenes meetings on this policy.
TAKE ACTION NOW
We formally asked the State Patrol to reverse their decision and they declined. Now is the time to act. With the holiday season here, we may be strapped by a small outcry because people are too busy to act. Apathy could let this ban stay in place. Take action today and protect your right to bicycle. Together we can end bike bans and build a bicycle- friendly Colorado.
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
Interesting that they dont have Ride the Rockies on that list...it always has over 3000 people but the CSP loves that ride because that gives them exposure and they get to ride in the mountains all day at a easy pace with great scenery.....
Make sure that you all sign this petition
Rich
Make sure that you all sign this petition
Rich
Thanks for the heads up I'm going to post this info on some other bike boards that I'm on.
I'm also a roadie and this would effect alot of my big rides next year.
I'm also a roadie and this would effect alot of my big rides next year.
Does anybody have any more information about the actual CSP decision? It would be nice to get some information not filtered through an advocacy group.
Guess I witnessed the "one" crash when I did it a few years ago. I will never do that ride again, way too dangerous IMO. Very little to no traffic control and tons of cyclists including a lot of unexperienced cyclists who had no idea how to ride in a group, granted I got off late and was in the main group, but still it was dangerous in a few areas.jasonb said:The Elephant Rock, reports having only one car-bike crash in nineteen years. This fact strongly questions bicyclist safety as the reason for this ban.
In the first few miles they had us on a 2 lane hwy. and there were a handful of crashes including one where a lady took out 6-8 riders and one of them fell into the oncoming lane where a truck had to lock it up and swerve to miss one of the them, crazy! Halfway into the ride there was a cyclist layed out on the road with a car and a cop right there, guess that was the "one" accident. Going thru the Black Forest area there were a couple residents come out to their property line and yell at the cyclists to get off the road cause we were blocking traffic. They also put us on a section of the I-25 feeder rd. and there was plenty of traffic with zero shoulder and some construction, imagine following someone's wheel you don't know with someone on your wheel and cars whizzing by you within a few feet-and no shoulder!
That ride is unsafe IMO and I can see why the cops and residents of the area want it stopped, the organizers need to be able to close the route or have much better traffic control.
With that said, I agree with the petition and would like to do some of these rides in the future-just not the ER ride!!
Amazing Response
Imagine if 10,000 riders rode White Ranch one day. The carnage would be incredible.
This is a dangerous precedent. Once arbitrary limits of any number are applied, then the numbers will be ratcheted down. Even a 10 rider "organized" ride can have a bad situation occur. It is part of road riding. So the someone gets hit on a ride with 2500 riders, the numbers will be bumped down, bumped down, bumped down to what?
Typical knee jerk moronic reaction.
We should get the Harley people involved. I think there are a few rallies with over 2500 bikes.
Imagine if 10,000 riders rode White Ranch one day. The carnage would be incredible.
This is a dangerous precedent. Once arbitrary limits of any number are applied, then the numbers will be ratcheted down. Even a 10 rider "organized" ride can have a bad situation occur. It is part of road riding. So the someone gets hit on a ride with 2500 riders, the numbers will be bumped down, bumped down, bumped down to what?
Typical knee jerk moronic reaction.
We should get the Harley people involved. I think there are a few rallies with over 2500 bikes.
Get the 'bikers' involved
Hate to respond twice in a row on the same thread, but getting the Harley people involved would be a great idea. They have 30,000(!) riders in Ignacio over Labor Day. They had six deaths in one year alone! Who the hell is CSP trying to protect? If you look at the gross numbers, they ought to be clamping down on 'biker' rallies.
I would guess the Harley riders would see where this is heading.
Hate to respond twice in a row on the same thread, but getting the Harley people involved would be a great idea. They have 30,000(!) riders in Ignacio over Labor Day. They had six deaths in one year alone! Who the hell is CSP trying to protect? If you look at the gross numbers, they ought to be clamping down on 'biker' rallies.
I would guess the Harley riders would see where this is heading.
Whyzat?
I've ridden E-rock once, the MS150 a few times, and the Triple once. Both E-rock and the MS rides have a lot of inexperienced cyclists on them - anytime there are that many people who don't know what they're doing, there're are going to be accidents. But heck, do they limit the number of new drivers they allow on the roads every year? Or for that matter, the number of cars each day?
I too would like to see the official wording of this policy.
You didn't enjoy your triple bypass run last year?Godzilla said:Thanks for the info Jason. While I personally am not a huge fan of the big rides affected by this ban, I can see how helping to overturn decisions like this benefits the cycling community as a whole - regardless of what a person rides. Hopefully other mtbr's will see this in the same light.
I've ridden E-rock once, the MS150 a few times, and the Triple once. Both E-rock and the MS rides have a lot of inexperienced cyclists on them - anytime there are that many people who don't know what they're doing, there're are going to be accidents. But heck, do they limit the number of new drivers they allow on the roads every year? Or for that matter, the number of cars each day?
I too would like to see the official wording of this policy.
Personally I think it's an excellent idea. Of course, the symmetric arguement applies that any urban area with more than 2500 cars should ban them.
Ha! Great idea. You gonna be in town tomorrow?
Ok here is the letter from the CSP (link provided by friendly roadbikereview folk)...
http://bicyclecolorado.org/dir/117/files/LetterFromStatePatrol.pdf
http://bicyclecolorado.org/dir/117/files/LetterFromStatePatrol.pdf
There are traffic laws for bicycles as well as any other vehicle, right? These days it seems to me like any gathering of stupid drivers no matter how big could kill a whole bunch of people, so why not keep trying to crack down on those guys rather than reducing the size of a bike event? Why the hell bike events? Shouldn't there be a bigger concern for other more important and serious things than bike events? WTF
I fail to see how the CSP can "ban" anything. The last time I checked, we hadn't officially declared a Police State, though Colorado feels like one at times (Nothing Without Providence).
Perhaps a call to your state Rep is in order. If you let them know that the CSP is making "laws" it'll surly tick them off.
Perhaps a call to your state Rep is in order. If you let them know that the CSP is making "laws" it'll surly tick them off.
I think in order to have an event you need to get a permit -- the new policy of the CSP will be to deny permits for events larger than 2500 participants.
2500 divided by 300 = ?
I say it's total bs. What, the population of the state (and subsequent # of riders) has gone up, but the state patrol's funding and employment numbers have stayed the same? And just who funds the State Patrol, anyway?
Guessing the chief isn't a math major. If each state patrol can handle 300 cyclists, then why a 2500 person limit? That would mean 8.3333 cops per event...jasonb said:I think in order to have an event you need to get a permit -- the new policy of the CSP will be to deny permits for events larger than 2500 participants.
I say it's total bs. What, the population of the state (and subsequent # of riders) has gone up, but the state patrol's funding and employment numbers have stayed the same? And just who funds the State Patrol, anyway?
Ride the Rockies
Ride the Rockies is included on the list of banned rides.
Ride the Rockies is included on the list of banned rides.
Yeah - I enjoyed it as far as road rides go. I guess I was just trying to make the point that, as bikers, we should all take the time to at least sign the petition - regardless of whether or not we've ever ridden on the road.dbabuser said:You didn't enjoy your triple bypass run last year?
I'll probably do the Triple again this year if my dad and sister do it like they said they were going to - an provided that it doesn't conflict w/ any races
I'm fairly certain our taxes and fines pay for state patrol funding. I'm guessing instead of saying the CSP passed the law we should say enforce. And what do you know, a whole lot of conservative people are the colorado legislature, and considering what they did to schools do you really expect them to care about biking.
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
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