POSTED: 9:01 am MDT June 23, 2005

A 66-year-old Western Slope woman was arrested Wednesday after bicyclists on the Ride The Rockies tour accused her of road rage.

The Colorado State Patrol arrested Betty Lorimer as she drove along U.S. Highway 50 in her pickup truck.

Cyclists said the woman was swerving near them and honking her horn continuously as she passed them. She appeared to be upset they were using the highway, the cyclists said. They notified authorities on their cell phones and gave them a description and license plate of the vehicle.

State patrol Sgt. Tim Keeton arrested the Grand Junction, Colorado, woman because he said she was so upset that letting her go with just a ticket would have increased her rage and put the cyclists in more danger.

Keeton said a loaded handgun was found in her pickup when it was impounded. But Lorimer said she was carrying the handgun legally.

The 2005 Ride the Rockies tour involves 2,000 cyclists on a 7-day ride from Grand Junction to Breckenridge, Colorado.