Ride De Rist - Fort Collins Cycling Event this Weekend!!!

Fort Collins Cycling Festival 8/28-29
Hosts Friday Old Town Cruise/Concert
and Saturday the ACA Rist Canyon Ride/Race

Free Friday events and a great Saturday course
promise lots of cycling fun and entertainment

Fort Collins, Colo. – The Fort Collins Cycling Festival hosts the free Oskar Blues Cruise Ride/Concert Friday night, August 28 in Old Town Fort Collins; and a race and citizens road ride from Masonville up Rist Canyon Saturday, August 29, including an event for hand cyclists and a race category for members of the military. For details or to register, visit http://www.fccyclingfest.com/.

The event will combine entertainment, advocacy, education, recreational riding, as well as racing to wrap up a great summer in northern Colorado, and will include support from Bicycle Colorado and its Share the Road efforts, as well as the City of Fort Collins, the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Fort Collins Downtown Business Association.

Free Oskar Blues Cruise Ride & Concert
Friday night's fun begins at 5:00 p.m. with the official opening of the festival events. At 5:35, the Citizens Old Town Oskar Blues Nostalgia Cruiser Ride begins. Participation is free. Any bicycle will do, just enjoy riding in style around historic Old Town. Don’t have a bike? The Bike Library in Old Town Square will be open for you to get a bike for FREE. Signup Here: HTTP://www.fcbikelibrary.org/signup.asp Cruiser bike tour prizes from local shops Peloton, Lee’s Cycles, Full Cycle, and the Cycologist will be raffled off at the concert so pickup your ticket at each location during your tour. (See http://www.fccyclingfest.com/wp-includes/pdf/oskar-blues-cruiser-ride.pdf for the official course map.)

The Oskar Blues Old Town Concert goes from 6 to 9 p.m.
Those who have already registered or wish to ride or race the Saturday Rist Canyon event can also pick up their event packets/numbers or register Friday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Old Town Square.

Those who wish to stay the night in Fort Collins Friday will get a great rate at the local Hilton, with breakfast included. Room rates are $109/night for four people or $99/night for two people. Book rooms at http://www.fccyclingfest.com/hilton-accommodations.

Saturday Rist Canyon Ride & Race, Expo, BBQ & Live Music
Masonville will host this year's Saturday festivities, including the start for the race, the start/finish for the citizens' ride, parking and an expo and BBQ with live bluegrass music by Blue Grama. The expo, including demo rides, will be open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with music, BBQ and beverages, including Oskar Blues beer, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Race-day registration in Masonville for Saturday's race and ride events runs from 5:30 to 7:15 a.m. for citizen riders and from 5:30 to 8:00 a.m. for racers. Pre-registered participants can pick up their packets and numbers 30 minutes before their event starts.

Rist Canyon will be closed to all but Rist Canyon residents from 8 to 12:30 p.m., anyone interested in seeing the race finish at the top of Rist Canyon after 8:00 a.m’s canyon closure will need to go west from Masonville to Old Flowers Road, where a shuttle will operate from the school. Spectators are encouraged to arrive early, and bring chalk to mark the road and cowbells to help cheer on and motivate the climbers.

Hand Cycling Race
U.S. Hand Cycling racers will leave Bellvue at 7 a.m. for the Inaugural 13 Miles of Rist Canyon Hand Cycling Hill Climb Race.

Rist Canyon Road Ride
Riders will cover a loop just over 42 miles long, going east from Masonville, past Horsetooth Mountain Park, north along Horsetooth Reservoir, through Bellvue, west up Rist Canyon, down the backside, and south through the Buckhorn Canyon area, returning to Masonville. Riders can start at 7:30 a.m.

Riders will test their mettle on the same course the professional racers will face, a climb up Rist Canyon, and then will complete the loop, finishing in Masonville. Riders will be timed, like the pros, to the top of Rist Canyon, and fastest riders are eligible for prizes.

ACA Rist Canyon Hill Climb Race/Ride
Racers will follow the same route as citizen riders, but will race to the finish at the top of Rist Canyon, a course of just under 27 miles. Riders then have the option to finish the loop back to Masonville. Ride category start times begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue until 9:50 a.m. Local clubs Team Specialized Peloton, Team Rio Grande and Velo One Cycling will all participate, along with racers from around Colorado and beyond. A military race category will count the top five riders from each military branch toward overall team placement.

Details on this and other upcoming Fort Collins Cycling Festival events are detailed at http://www.fccyclingfest.com/.

Event sponsors include Peloton Cycles, Oskar Blues Brewery, Specialized, REI, Go Fast!, Liquid Infused Energy Gum, Clif Bar, Neenan archistruction, Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau, Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, Pactimo, Hilton Fort Collins, Best Western University Inn, Ed Carroll Motors, Zero Hero, Shannon Marketing Communications, GreenRide, The Point 99.9FM, e-evntr, Shimano, El Monte Bar & Grill, Become Fit spinning & sports yoga, VeloOne Cycling and Peloton Specialized Cycling Team.