Bluegrass By Bike

Dot ORG!!

2007-07-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

That's right! Our good friend Joel has set up a great looking, and more user-friendly website at www.bluegrassbybike.org!! All new postings and information can be found on the .org site. Thanks for checking in, and please feel free to email any comments on the new website to BluegrassByBike@gmail.com.

Festivaaallll!!

2007-06-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

The 34th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival has come and gone leaving many memorable moments, brought new friendships, and has secured the return of the Bluegrass By Bike team to the Festival in 2008! Stunning sets from Sam Bush, Los Lobos, the Sparrow Quartet, and a reunited Leftover Salmon are just a few of the highlights. To recap the entire festival here would be lengthy and nearly impossible, but check out Planet Bluegrass's website for some of the other highlights from the weekend.

There were many other Festivarians that made there way to Telluride by bicycle. Throughout the Festival we had great opportunities to meet up, share stories, and talk about plans for next year's tour. Ty, Brett, Bryan, Holland, and others kept Telluride a little bit greener this year by ditching the cars and peddling to the Festival. Thank you all for doing your part to be carbon free for Bluegrass!

All in all, the Festival was a huge success in diverting waste via composting and recycling. We all look forward to hearing Planet Bluegrass's official numbers on how many pounds of waste were actually saved, but it was clear that compost bins were filling faster than trash receptacles. The Sustainability Village was also a highlight for Sustainable Festivation. New Belgium Brewing Co., Clif Bar, and Renewable Choice Energy were all there helping to raise awareness about environmental impact and ways of reducing your carbon footprint in your everyday life.

It has been a joy and an honor to be a part of this Festival. Planet Bluegrass, New Belgium Brewing Co, and a wealth of other sponsors are helping to raise the bar and bring these types of events into a greener state that will allow for cleaner and more sustainable festivals for years to come! Great Job everyone, and we'll have more for you from the road!

Tell-U-Ride!

2007-06-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

There have been many miles with many adventures since our last update. In the time between we have made it to the grand town of Telluride, CO! We have added many new pictures to our photo album - do yourself a favor and check them out!

Our decision to wait out the storm in Buena Vista was a good one - instead of climbing Cottonwood Pass in the cold rain & snow, we had a cloudless bluebird day for our 10 mi./4 hr. ride up to the Continental Divide! The views from the top of the pass were truly spectacular and we took a good hour to soak it all in. It was interesting to watch to cars summit the pass, take a quick picture, and then be off on their way. Needless to say, there was a huge sense of satisfaction as we sat atop the 12,100+ ft. pass after peddling ourselves up the mountain, and we all enjoyed our moment of glory!

The downhill from the Continental Divide was a thrill! We road all the way down to the Taylor Park Reservoir where we faced our coldest night of the trip - 25 deg. F - another chance to test our gear. Let's hope it doesn't get much colder than that, but thankfully we had some hot coffee to warm us up that morning! The life on the road most certainly takes its toll - good thing Clif Bar is making the most tasty products on the market (breakfast usually consists of a Clif Nectar Bar and a Banana Nut flavored Clif Bar - delicious!). And there's nothing like relaxing at the end of a long day's ride with good meal and a frosty New Belgium Beer.

Riding down further into Colorado's interior, we made our way through Gunnison, around the Blue Mesa Reservoir, and on into Montrose. We enjoyed a leisurely day off in Montrose before climbing into the rugged San Juan Mountains. We had a quick stop in Ridgeway before setting off to tackle the Last Dollar Rd., which has taken us into this beautiful town known as Telluride, CO!

The Last Dollar Rd. was a great chance to get off of the highways and away from the cars and big rig trucks. It was also a chance to test our water filters, iodine tablets, and bike racks. Water purification checks out, but Elliot had to MacGyver his rack back on with a bandanna, a brake cable, and a piece of hemp string (pretty green)! We had an exhilarating encounter with a black bear on our last riding day into Telluride - make no mistake, we are IN the wild Rocky Mountains! Luckily, Roy (our tour troubadour) sent the bear off with a few rings of his bike-mounted bells and we emerged unscathed.

The ride into Telluride was glorious, and we are resting up and getting ready for the grand festival! People are flooding into this tiny mountain town and the Festivarian buzz is stirring things up here. Next Thursday will bring the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, and kick off what is sure to be another epic and memorable Bluegrass Festival here in magical Telluride, CO!

Una Buena Vista Indeed!

2007-06-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hello from the road! The BBB team has arrived in Buena Vista, CO. Since our departure on Jun. 2nd, we made it out of the Front Range and into the beautiful Colorado interior. The bicycle pace allows for a great opportunity to take in the scenery along the ride, and it is most certainly a scenic tour! Heading out of Denver, the downhill into Morrison allowed for some great views of Red Rocks and a chance to cruise while gaining some miles. We linked up with US285 out of Morrison and stayed the course all the way into Buena Vista. Check out some of our photos from along the way at our Online Photo Album.

The 2nd day on the road brought a good chance to test our rain gear - it works! Biking through hail teaches the importance of helmets and waterproof layers, and while it may be summer the nights are still cold in Colorado. This tour pits humans against nature via the mechanical bicycle. We are constantly striving to strike the balance with the elements to make for a safe and spectacular bike tour. Undoubtedly we must encounter the full force of Colorado - both in beauty and in fury - but these challenges make the reward all the more enjoyable.

Our team has been enjoying the benefits of hammock camping because it not only allows for easy camp set up, but it is also an extremely low-impact means of camping. Hammocks rejuvenate the muscles and embodies the minimalist camping style of our bike tour. This tour would be nearly impossible without the freedom that comes with hammock camping.

We rode into Buena Vista to meet up with our friend Ryan, a raft guide and skilled photographer. We camped outed in Cogan's Campground - the raft guide haven - outside of Johnson's Village, yet we have encountered a late season snow storm. Our departure from Buena Vista will be delayed a day, for none of us wish to cross the Continental Divide in a snow storm. 4,000 ft. elevation gain from Buena Vista to Cottonwood Pass is daunting enough - we'll wait for the "winter" storm to pass. With our extra day off we will recharge our minds, bodies, and souls at the Cottonwood Hot Springs and then press on towards beautiful Telluride for the grand Solstice celebration!

Thanks for checking in on us. We'll update when we get another chance at the internet. In the meantime keep it green, and keep sending us the good vibes.

Riders coming from coast-to-coast!

2007-06-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

With the help of Planet Bluegrass, we have gotten our message out to the masses in the Festivarian community! In a matter of days since being mentioned in their newsletter we have heard back from other like minded Festivarians who are biking into Telluride. Riders will be riding in from as far west as San Francisco, and there are even commuters coming in from the New England area - the real question is, "Why not bike it?!"

Great job and congratulations to everyone who will be biking into the festival, and effectivly reducing your carbon footprint! Good ridin in the meantime, and see you all in Telluride!

Hittin' The Road

2007-06-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Sunrise on Saturday - the time has come for our departure for Telluride! Months of planning and preparations have come to this. We will be riding across the Rockies for the next 2 and a half weeks, meeting new challenges and adventures. The first leg of our trip will take us to Buena Vista, CO via Conifer and Fairplay. From there, over the Continental Divide and onward!

We gotta hit the road, but keep checkin' in. We'll try and get some updates out from Buena Vista, and have an online photo album for your viewing pleasure. Once again, thanks to all our sponsors! Clif Bar to feed us, New Belgium to quench us - what more do you need!? Thank you Planet Bluegrass for keeping the Festivarian community up to speed on everything, and thank you Cateye for shedding a little light on our path - safty first!

In media news - BBB is in the process of developing a website, so look for that as it comes together. We encourage you all to post comments on our site, or feel free to email us at BluegrassByBike@gmail.com

Good things, and great stuff!

2007-05-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

We at Bluegrass By Bike are proud to announce that we will be partnering with New Belgium Brewing Co. to help spread the word about carbon-free transportation while enjoying great music in beautiful settings! Embodying the New Belgium Team Wonderbike Pledge, our bike team will be heading out at the beginning of June for beautiful Telluride, CO. Good things are abound as we make our preparations for what is sure to be an epic journey to THE Bluegrass Festival of the summer!

In addition to New Belgium's support, Clif Bar is helping to fuel our journey with their oh-so-delicious SHOT BLOKs! Thank you Clif Bar! The folks at Planet Bluegrass have heard our story and they are helping us get the word out with the Festivarian community, so look for BBB in upcoming Planet Bluegrass e-newsletters. We have got a great team together for this project - not only the bikers, but the support of companies like New Belgium, Planet Bluegrass, and Clif Bar are sure to make the BBB experience a huge success!

What is Bluegrass By Bike (BBB) all about?

2007-04-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Bluegrass By Bike is a way to attend Planet Bluegrass festivals by a completely carbon-neutral mode of transportation. Our team of bikers can avoid all carbon emissions by peddling ourselves through the Rocky Mountains. Our plan is to leave from Boulder in late May, allowing three weeks to get to Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and then make our way back to Lyons in time for Rockygrass.

First and foremost, BBB is about experiencing the beauty of the Rockies by mountain biking to the best folk and bluegrass festivals in the western United States! But this is also about embodying the Planet Bluegrass philosophy of a “Greener Bluegrass Festival.” Instead of buying renewable energy credits, we will be our own source of renewable energy!

We encourage anyone that is interested in BBB to get involved! Are you going to any of these festivals? How will you be traveling to the festivals? Have you thought about ways to reduce your automobile miles in your commute to the festivals?

Let us know if you have any questions, thoughts, or comments about BBB. You can post on our Blog, or feel free to email us at BluegrassByBike@gmail.com.