Colorado Fruita Loops 1200

The Ride

The Colorado Fruita Loops 1200 showcases Colorado's Western Slope with its red rock canyons and mesas, and the western flank of the Rocky Mountains.

The event starts and finishes in Fruita, outside of Grand Junction in Western Colorado. Fruita is a "biking mecca" roughly a dozen miles from Grand Junction Regional Airport, four hours from Denver, and 4½ hours from Denver International Airport.

The route is in four stages, each starting and ending in Fruita, comprising three loops and two out-and-backs. The terrain is a mix of canyons, red rocks, and mountains. The total volume of climbing is moderate, but you may feel it's a bit more effort because of the altitude.

Stages - The recommended stages are to/from Fruita, CO, the common overnight checkpoint. Distances would be:

Distance	Climbing	Summits	Route
234.6 miles	11,634 ft.	7,050 ft.	Naturita Out-and-Back
208.8 miles	10,388 ft.	8,300 ft.	La Sal Mountains - Moab Lollipop
159.9 miles	9,180 ft.	10,800 ft.	Grand Mesa
149.3 miles	8,773 ft.	8,217 ft.	Douglas Pass - Colorado National Monument

The overnight venue at Fruita provides lodging and a strategy for organizing your nutrition, equipment, etc., in one spot. More details as to bike shops, restaurants, and supermarkets will be found on the Rider Info page. Riding the suggested stages means most of your riding should be in daylight, when stores are open and you can appreciate the scenery and wildlife. The suggested stages also allow riders to regroup as they desire in the morning, for added camaraderie.

Climate - May is usually a comfortable, pleasant time to ride on the Colorado Western Slope, with chilly nights and balmy days, mainly sunny and dry. You should be prepared for the chilly mornings and the chance of a brisk shower for the mountain segments.

Averages in May
	Min	Max	Precip
Fruita	44°F	77°F	3 days
Moab	50°F	83°F	3 days
Grand Mesa	25°F	53°F	9 days

Registration

Sending an application and entry fee gains you a spot on the Confirmed Rider List or - if the Confirmed List is full - on the Waiting List. This lets riders plan ahead before they've finished qualifying, while encouraging folks to free up their spots should their plans change.

Priority - Registration is first-come, first-served (based on when application and payment were received), except for first-day registrants (below).

First Day Registrants - If more than 50 riders register (confirmed by payment) on the first day - which ends midnight Colorado Mountain Time (UTC -7 hours) of the day registration opens - we will use a lottery process to place those riders on Confirmed vs. Waiting lists. This is to alleviate stress about feeling you have to submit your application the moment registration opens. If you plan to register by paper and/or pay by check on the first day (not recommended), you must notify me by e-mail on that day (available to US residents only).

Payment - You may pay online using PayPal (using your credit card or PayPal account). US registrants may alternatively pay by check (in US$) ... but online is strongly preferred; if you do plan to pay by check, you must send us an e-mail to that effect when registering.

RUSA and RMCC Membership - You must be a member of Randonneurs USA and Rocky Mountain Cycling Club at the time of the event. Consult the RUSA join/renew webpage and RMCC join/renew webpage for details.

Qualification - You may apply before qualifying. If you have not yet qualified, note this on your application, and give us the details when you do complete qualifying. (Just send an e-mail with the details.) If you have not qualified by the qualification deadline and haven't made special arrangements with us, your spot will be freed. If the qualification deadline poses difficulties for you, contact us.

Rider Cancellation - You may cancel by notifying us and receive a full refund if you are on the Waiting List, or a partial refund if you are on the Confirmed list. Policy for confirmed riders:

	Before April 1	full refund minus $25
	April 1- May 1	full refund minus $50
	May 1 and after	full refund minus $75 if your spot is filled (from waitlist); otherwise, no refund.

Event Cancellation - If we have to cancel the event, riders will get a full refund minus a pro rata share of expenses we can't recover - for example, lodging we can't cancel, supplies we can't return, etc. Some reasons we might be forced to cancel include wildfires or flooding, or road construction or road outages that create a safety issue, or make the route impassable and that we can't reroute around, or other safety issues posed to riders or volunteers.

Qualifying

Qualifying Events - Riders must complete, between June 1, 2024 and May 1, 2026, a Super-Randonneur series (200km, 300km, 400km, 600km brevets), or a 1000km or longer randonn�e. Brevets do not need to be ridden in order of increasing distance. ACP or RUSA-sanctioned non-ACP brevets can be used.

Substitutions - A longer-distance brevet can be substituted for a given distance requirement - for example, an ACP 300km brevet or a RUSA 250km brevet for the 200km requirement. A RUSA Permanent can be substituted for the 200km, 300km, or 400km requirement, with approval of the organizer (based on individual circumstances, such as whether a local qualifying series is available). You may apply to the organizer for other substitutions.