Circle the Summit / 5th Annual Bob Guthrie Memorial Ride
August 18, 2012

General Information About the Ride

There are very good reasons the USA Pro Cycle Challenge chose to come through Summit County for its inaugural ride and why they’re coming back this summer. Our riding is challenging enough for professionals, beautiful enough to broadcast worldwide and the local population supports cycling with a passion. Circle the Summit allows you the opportunity to experience some of the same riding that the world’s best cyclists have raced on. Who knows, you may even see them out training while you’re out there.

We may not be the longest or toughest ride Colorado has to offer but we are the best small ride and our scenery is hard to beat. With only 750 riders you won’t be jockeying for position to keep your line on climbs or descents. And that’s a good thing because you are definitely going to want to check out the views. You’ve never seen Gore Range like you do coming down Ute Pass. Lake Dillon sparkles like the jewel she is when you hit the high spots on the Sapphire section of the rec path our funds helped complete. (BTW, be sure to stop and add a stone to the cairn honoring our co-founder Bob Guthrie as you reach the top of the Lowery section of said path.)

We don’t stop at jaw dropping views. Our aid stations will have you singing a happy tune. Our riders rave about our aid stations and you will too. But they can’t hold a candle to our after ride lunch. The Historic Mint Steakhouse has hit it out of the park every year since we started.

Circle the Summit is back for its 5th year. With each passing summer our ride has grown in size and seen improvements based on comments or suggestions from our riders and volunteers. This year will be no exception. Register early to ensure you get one of the coveted spots.

Routes

We offer four distances ranging from 21 to 100 miles. All of the routes take advantage of the new bike path that circles Lake Dillon.

Where the Proceeds Go

Over the past several years, our key mission has been to raise funds to complete a bike/recreation path over the Swan Mountain Road section of the popular "Around the Lake" ride. Private fundraising was critical in leveraging private foundation and government matching grants for the project.

Our Circle the Summit Ride has raised over $95,000 which was used for the efforts to complete the three sections on the east side of Swan Mountain Road. The third section was completed just as the snow began in 2010 and we now have a pristine Recpath from the corner of Hwy 6 and Swan Mountain Road to the top at Sapphire Point parking area.

Instead of a complete Recpath down the west side of Swan Mountain, Summit County decided to repave the road and add an up-hill separate bike lane, which gives ascending riders a safe path. As of July 15, 2011, this effort was officially completed with the dedication of the Recpath around the lake. Summit biking will now turn its attention to other Recpath enhancements.

With a little money left over from the 2010 Circle the Summit Ride, Summit Biking, Inc. has installed solar lights in the Vail Pass tunnel (Spring of 2011), to the tune of $8,000.

Summit Biking is also expanding its efforts beyond the Swan Mountain Recpath Project to enhance the cycling experience in Summit County in several ways. We plan to use future fundraising proceeds for improvements such as future recpath expansions, better Recpath signage, safer crossings at road intersections, and rest stop picnic tables and shelters, and to sponsor local youth cycling programs.

All profits will continue to go to enhancing bicycling opportunities in Summit County.