About RMCC
Who Are We?
The Rocky Mountain Cycling Club (RMCC), formed in the Fall of 1993 and currently with over 400 members, was created to cater to active, enthusiastic cyclists of intermediate and advanced levels and interests. This is accomplished in two ways: first, by scheduling and conducting an annual slate of rides which challenge riders to plan and develop their conditioning levels and cycling ability, and, second, by aggressively working to return benefits to members such as promotions and valuable discounts. We are focused on helping you develop as a rider and to gain as much enjoyment as possible from cycling. Finally, the RMCC is an official supporter of Bicycle Colorado, and works to safeguard the rights and safety of cyclists in Colorado. What sets our club apart is the full range of pedaling experiences we offer, whether you ride for fitness, for fun, or for endurance. These include flat rides, climbing rides, shorter rides, and longer rides We strive to offer the greatest variety and scope of riding experiences possible!
Our program calendar goes year round and offers rides every Saturday and Sunday, weeknight rides when we are on daylight savings time, and special events like Brevets and Challenge Series rides. In total, our schedule contains over 150 rides each year! Weekend rides begin with mileage options from 20 miles early in the year working up to 60 miles for recreational cyclists. For riders aiming at longer distances, routes begin at 35 miles and work up to centuries and above.
The RMCC also counts as members riders with ultra experience, including premier events like RAAM (Race Across America), PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris ), and the Furnace Creek 508, and is the official ultra-marathon, super-randonneur club of the region.
All the starting locations are strategically located along the Front Range from Loveland to Monument and from Aurora to Copper Mountain. This allows an optimal mix of climbing (Saturdays) and flat (Sundays) riding as well as a great variety of local scenery. Riding within traffic-congested areas is minimized.
The RMCC uses modern, high-quality, GIS-based maps and route narratives to take advantage of the decades of local cycling experience represented by club ride coordinators, and provide easy-to-read and meaningful ride instructions to all participants.
What Riding Interest Do You Have?
Recreational (R): For the intermediate cyclists, this series will add to your riding pleasure and help
you get ready for summer tours/events such as Ride the Rockies or the Copper Triangle.
Endurance Riding (E):
These training rides continually progress in distance and difficulty to
prepare cyclists for longer rides such as the
Triple Bypass and the Joe Lookingbill Denver-Aspen Classic.
Brevets:
Sponsored by RMCC and sanctioned by Randonneurs USA (RUSA), brevets are
challenging endurance events which can be ridden as events in their own right or to qualify for
super-randonnée events and awards. See the
Brevets page
for further information.
Challenge Series Rides: These are timed events run by RMCC that are focused on climbing, ranging in distance from 80 to 200 miles. Read more about this series on our Challenge Series page.
FAQ
1) I'm not yet a member. Can I still ride with you? Yes! Non-members and visitors are cordially invited to join us on any scheduled ride; however, after three rides, we expect that you will join the club. Membership is required on tours and special events, including Brevets and Challenge Series rides.
2) Do I need to register to do the ride? No, with the except of longer brevets and Challenge Series rides, you can just show up at the start of the ride.
3) What other requirements are there? To ride with us you MUST wear a helmet and agree to follow the rules of the road. Also, you must sign a liability waiver.
4) Will there be anybody there who is slow like me? The RMCC has riders who ride a wide range of speeds. That stated, a few things to keep in mind: a) Different people show up each time, so each ride can take on a slightly different character. Sometimes you may find yourself to be among the faster riders; other times you will be relatively slower. b) We do tend to have a lot of challenging rides and thus RMCC may not be the best club for people just getting into riding for the first time. If you are able to ride a consistent 14 mph on a flat road, you should definitely have other people to ride with.
5) Will there be anybody there who is fast enough to keep up with me? See number 4 above. While the RMCC does not have any members named Cancellara or Schleck, we do have many men and women who are experienced and well-trained riders!
6) Is the RMCC a no-drop club? With the exception of our weeknight rides, the answer is "no". Because of the variety of riders we have, we want everyone to be able to ride as suits their desires and abilities. In actual practice, this means that the rides break up into several smaller groups on the road. We do have designated regroup points on each ride (at stores or other places with services) to help people get back together if they end up on their own. If you find yourself alone on a ride, chances are there are actually other riders not too far behind you!
7) I'm worried about getting lost. Maps and cue sheets are provided at all of our weekend rides. The maps are produced using GIS software--the type of tools that map professionals use! Cue sheets are generally available on the website before the ride to allow you to program it into your GPS unit (if you use one) beforehand.
8) I'm still kind of intimidated. Should I just ride on my own? No! The RMCC (and cycling clubs in general) is composed mostly of people like you--we want to do a fun and challenging ride while spending time with friends. For us, much of the appeal of club riding is making new friends--people like you! If you come out and do a few rides and determine the club is not for you, you will have lost nothing and you will have done a few good rides in the process!
9) Who do I contact if I have other questions? Please see our Contacts page.