Links of Interest
Excursions - Looking for some relaxation before or after the event?
... or maybe en route?
Recommended Stages (coinciding with bagdrops):
The recommended stages are oriented towards riding the course unsupported, finishing in the 80+ hour time range, and taking into account the sparse services and accommodations along much of the route, especially at night (between 9pm and 6am).
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Day 1: 251 miles to Atwood KS (trending downhill)
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Day 2: 219 miles back to Atwood (turning around at Kensington)
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Day 3: 180 miles to Byers (roughest stretch of the ride - uphill and exposed)
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Day 4: 103 miles to the finish
As you can infer from the Services section, most restaurants, stores, and service stations tend to open early ... and close early, as you'd expect of a ranching and farming region. (On top of this, remember that you enter the Central Time Zone not far into Kansas, and so lose an hour on the clock, in terms of opening/closing times.)
If you reach a place to eat or buy supplies towards late afternoon or early evening, consider stopping there and stocking up. For example, the first recommended stage passes through St. Francis, KS, 215 miles into the day - there are plenty of stores, cafes, and restaurants to choose from. By contrast, you may be reaching the first bagdrop point, Atwood KS, at or after closing time of such establishments. Riders in the past have also started early each day, with 3-5 predawn hours of riding, stopping for a hearty breakfast between 5am-7am when rancher cafes open. We would like to EMPHASIZE that riders should think ahead and plan ahead for food and water, and overnight accommodations.
Boulder to Atwood (251 miles) - The first recommended stage is the longest, as you're fresh, the course trends downhill, and you will typically not encounter onerous headwinds - this puts you in a good position for the rest of the ride, when you are tireder, going uphill and possibly upwind, or some combination of these.
Atwood - Kensington - Atwood (219 miles) - The second section is at lower elevation (more oxygen! more humidity!), may be warmer, with more trees, and to some extent more services. If things go well, you could consider going beyond Atwood to St. Francis (45 miles further, but uphill).
Atwood - Byers (180 miles)) - This section could feel like the toughest, with elevation gain over rollers, sparser trees and services (especially between Idalia and Byers), and likely a good breeze from some direction - at this stage you may start to pick up westerly winds, whereas to the east, the winds are more northerly or southerly. If things go well and you reach Byers early, you could consider going on, but there are few motel accommodations along the route. NOTE: There are no services between Anton and Byers (50 hilly miles). In addition, the Anton store closes at 5pm. If you miss this store, that makes for 75 miles without services, from Cope to Byers.
Byers - Finish (103 miles) - With the Rocky Mountains in sight, this is a more populated area with a few more trees. It should be relatively easy to find services.
Bagdrops
There are two bagdrop sites - Atwood KS and Byers CO - providing you three opportunities to access your drop bags.
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Bagdrops 1 & 2 (mile 251 & 470): Atwood KS - IT'LL DO MOTEL Tel # 785-626-9615, Atwood KS 67730 -
Look for signage pointing to the checkpoint room.
- Located on the north side of US-36 midway through town (base of descent). Sleeping places provided, in some cases two riders per room (queen-sized bed), included in fee. The event has booked the entire motel.
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Bagdrop 3 (mile 650): Byers CO - LONGHORN MOTEL (Budget Host Inn) Tel # 303-822-5205, 456 N, Main St. Byers, CO 80103 - Look for signage pointing to the checkpoint room. Make your own reservations if you intend to sleep here.
Drop Bag Guidelines:
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You are allowed one small duffel bag for Byers and one larger duffel bag for Atwood.
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Please label each bag with the destination (ATWOOD or BYERS) and your name. We plan to hand out labels with the destination name at the bike inspection.
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You may hand off your drop bags at the inspection/orientation or at the ride start.
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You may retrieve your drop bags from the Quality Inn beginning Saturday afternoon, September 14.
Transport from DIA
If you are flying in, you will probably arrive at Denver International Airport. Available transportation:
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RTD-Denver (Regional Transportation District) Bus Service - RTD-Denver offers dependable, comfortable service, $13 fare (no charge for bikes), and stops at the Louisville-Superior Park-and-Ride near the Last Chance start/finish (it will stop on the north side of US-36; the Quality Inn host motel is north across the parking lot, beyond the cinema) as well as Boulder, etc. This is the "AB" route.
RTD info - click on "skyRide". Note: returning to the airport, the bus will stop on the south side of US-36. There is a covered pedestrian walkway, with elevator, crossing US-36.
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There are also airport van shuttles, which will drop you at your motel, in the $25 range (plus possible charge for bikes), reservations not required. Inquire in the arrival area.
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Cycling from DIA is legal, signposted, and there are broad shoulders to ride leaving the airport. It is about 40 miles cycling from DIA to Louisville/Superior.
Ride Start Accommodations
There are several motels within ½ mile of the ride start (same side of US-36, some on the east side of McCaslin Blvd.).
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Quality Inn - 303-604-0181 - This is our host / ride start motel. West of McCaslin. Ask for the RMCC event discount rate.
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La Quinta - 303-664-0100 - East of McCaslin.
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Marriott Courtyard - 303-604-0007 - East of McCaslin.
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Hampton Inn - 303-666-7700 - East of McCaslin.
There are also motels in Boulder (5-7 miles further up US-36), and one or more in the Interlocken/Broomfield area (3-5 miles before the Louisville/Superior exit).
Around the Louisville motels are also numerous places to eat, hardware stores, and a cinema.
Bike Shops
There are several bike shops in the area:
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Louisville Cyclery - 303-665-6343 - in Louisville, 3 miles away, on South Boulder Rd.
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In Boulder, numerous shops including:
Checkpoints
Checkpoints are of the following types:
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Bagdrop Checkpoints (Atwood and Byers) will be staffed by Last Chance officials. Sign in when arriving and sign out when departing on the rider log sheets provided.
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Establishment checkpoints such as stores - not staffed by Last Chance officials. If you transit them during their opening times, have someone working at the establishment register your card.
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Secret Checkpoints - There may be one or more Event Staffed secret checkpoints along the route.
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Kensington Turnaround - annotate the postcard provided, with your time of passage, and mail it at the Kensington post office.
Rules and Procedures
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Riders are to follow the standard rules for brevets - see the Randonneurs USA "Rules for Riders" .
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Personal Support may travel the Last Chance route between checkpoints, but are only allowed to assist their rider (or others) at the checkpoints or en route in an emergency situation, and are not to "leap-frog" their rider. You must register your personal support (vehicle and contact info) before the ride start.
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If you must abandon or have other difficulties which delay you, you may leave a message on the Field Operations line (303-604-1163 or 303-579-5866) or at other numbers which may be provided. Please also mail your card to the address listed thereon.
Services en Route
- Keenesburg - on return route:
- Keene Motel, 190 N Market St, (303) 732-4465 (just south of I-76).
- Also: a restaurant across the street.
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Byers:
- Restaurant: Longhorn Restaurant, open 5:30am to 9:00pm.
- Motel, Budget Host Inn (Longhorn Motel) rate, $51-$56 / night + tax,
- Sinclair Station with small convenience store across the street open 6:00am to 10:00pm.
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Anton: Store open 7:30am to 5:00pm
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Cope:
- Café (Western Café) located on the west side of town open 6am to 8pm.
- Water hydrant in the park just east of Sinclair sta.
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Idalia:
- Motel - Prairie Vista Restaurant & Motel - 970-354-7237 - 26995 US Highway 36, Idalia, CO 80735
- Café (east side of town) open 7am to 2pm
- Grocery store(west side of town) open 7am to 8pm.
- Motel next to the café.
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St Francis, KS (CDT)
- Sinclair station and convenience store north side of US-36 50 yards east of the Empire Motel. Has pizzas and sandwiches. Open 0500 to 2400 hours.
- Dusty Farmer Restaurant located in Empire Motel complex, west side and down one level. Open 0600 to 2100 hours.
- Park Hill Restaurant located north side of US-36 200 yards east of Empire Motel. Open 1100 to 2130 hours.
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Bird City: nothing
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McDonald: Hydrant in rest area and park on north side of US-36.
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Atwood:
- Café (at base of descent on US-36) open 6am to 8pm.
- Atwood Bowl & Fun Center (pizza)
- Williams Bros. Supermarket & Deli
- Crest Motel Tel # 785-626-3213, 601 Grant St., Atwood KS 67730 - east side of town, up hill, on north side of US-36.
- It'll Do Motel (bagdrop motel -- see above).
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Oberlin:
- Motels, Oberlin Inn(jct hwy 36 &83), Frontier motel in back of Frontier Café.
- Café open 6am to 9pm(located east side of town & south side of 36).
- Pizza Hut open 11am to 9pm, Phillips sta and store open 6am to 10pm at jct 36&83.
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Norton
- County Kitchen café on east side of town and north side of US-36.
- Texaco service station & deli south side of US-36 across from the Brooks Motel. Open 0500 to 2400 hours.
- Pizza Hut and Taco Bell north side of US-36 on the West side of town. Open 1100 to 2300 hours.
- McDonalds north side of US-36 just east of Taco Bell a few blocks. Open 0600 to 2300 hours.
- Norton Cafe – east side of town, north side of US-36 (before going down the hill westbound).
- Hillcrest Motel (west side of town, on south side of road, across street from Pizza Hut
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Phillipsburg
Places to eat:
- Subway on US-36 just east of traffic light on south side
- Pizza Hut further east on south side of US-36.
Motels:
- Cottonwood Motel - a nice place - at east end of town.
- Motel: Mark V Motel, 320 W State St, (785) 543-5223 - west end of town.
- Kensington
Motels:
- Ferguson Lodge - RR 1 Box 152 - (785) 476-2416
- Great Plains Motel - 113 E Highway 36 - (785) 476-2850
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