Great Falls Bicycle Club

Our next Great Falls Bicycle Club meeting is Tuesday, April 11th, 6:30 pm, TD&H Engineering, 1800 River Dr N.  LOTS happening to plug in to.  Please plan to join us.

Agenda

Montana & Regional Cycling Events in 2015

May

CycloFemme Missoula – 11:00 AM May 8, 2016 at the Griz Statue on UM’s Campus. CycloFemme is an annual ride that takes place on Mother’s Day in cities all over the world. It is a celebration of women and girls on bikes. This is our first year bringing the event to Missoula, and we want it to be Missoula largest women’s bike ride EVER. It’s totally free to participate. This will be a casual ride around town – all abilities, ages, body types and cycles are welcome! All girls, gals, females, ladies, lasses, misses & women wanted! Grab your girlfriends and come join in on the fun! CycloFemme Missoula

STOKR – May 14-15, 2016. The STOKR, ‘Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River’, bike ride is held each year on the second full weekend in May. The event is sponsored by the Kootenai Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity. Money raised goes to build Habitat for Humanity homes for those in need in Libby, Montana. To date, 10 homes have been built in our community with funds raised by STOKR. It takes 2 STOKR fundraisers to build one Habitat for Humanity Home.

June

The 45th Annual TOSRV West – Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5, 2016. Mark your calendars and sign-up now. We’ll be returning again to the original loop route. On Saturday we’ll ride up Highways 200 and 83 along the Blackfoot and Clearwater to Seeley Lake for lunch and then on to Bigfork for dinner and overnight. On Sunday we’ll ride alongside Flathead Lake and down next to the Mission Mountains on Highways 35 and 93 to return to Missoula – the classic, scenic TOSRV West.  New bus shuttle from Bigfork to Missoula on Saturday evening will provide a one day option.

2nd Annual Gears for Beers Mountain Bike Poker Run – Sunday, June ?, 2016.  This mountain bike poker run on trails and logging roads around Virginia City, Mt is a benefit for the Virginia City Rural Fire Department Auxiliary.  $25 entry includes a BBQ in addition to food and drinks at each aid station. Aarondavis888@hotmail.com. Gears for Beers.

Lemhi Valley Century Ride – Saturday, June 11, 2016. One hundred miles or one hundred kilometers, pick your poison. Either way your ride will follow the majestic Lemhi valley along Idaho Highway 28. Fully supported with rest stops and a barbecue celebration at the end. Shuttles will get you from Salmon to the start, you just have to get you to the finish! lemhivalleycenturyride.weebly.com

CHAFE 150 – Saturday, June 18, 2016. The ride starts and finishes in beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho, on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille after winding into Montana through lush river valleys of the Cabinet Mountains. CHAFE 150 treats riders to six fully stocked break stops, professional ride support, an epic after ride party and prizes for top fundraisers. This event is staged by the Sandpoint Rotary Club to assist students in the Lake Pend Orielle School District on the autism spectrum, a complex developmental disability that impacts 1 in 88 children. CHAFE 150

Cruise 4 Kids Charity Bike Ride – Saturday, June 18, 2016.   Cruise 4 Kids is an organization that was formed to be a part of a culture of wellness by sponsoring a noncompetitive yearly adult charity bike ride. Funding raised through our generous community support and the pledges raised from our ride participants will be used to inspire a generation of youth to be active by providing bikes for 3rd grade students in Great Falls.Cruise 4 Kids

Cascade 66 – Saturday, June 18, 2016.  Old U.S. Highway 91 (a.k.a. Cascade to Wolf Creek Frontage Road) offers stunning views of the Little Belt Mountains and Missouri River.  Join us for a Spirited Chip-Timed Ride that includes medals for all finishers, a technical shirt, and beverage tokens to Cascade’s local taverns. Cascade66.com

Cycle Montana – Missoula, June 18-25, 2016. What could be better than spending a week bicycling through the scenic valleys and over the mountain passes of Western Montana? Beginning in Adventure Cycling’s hometown of Missoula, we’ll follow the Bitterroot River upstream before climbing over Lost Trail and Chief Joseph passes. We’ll descend into the Big Hole Valley, a basin so broad and sparsely populated, you’ll feel as if you’ve ridden back in time a hundred years. Keep an eye out—you may catch sight of a bear scampering through the sagebrush, en route from one mountain range to another! From the Big Hole, we’ll climb Big Hole Pass and pedal north along the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway with its lush alpine meadows and lodgepole forests. After again crossing the Continental Divide, we’ll spin through the beautiful Flint Creek and Blackfoot valleys, tracing some of the same roads that professional cyclist and Montana native Levi Leipheimer trained on during his early days. You’ll also experience a number of delightful small towns and soak in hot springs along the way. You may not be able to beat Levi after completing this ride, but you’ll return home fit with a mother lode of memories from a glorious corner of Big Sky Country. Adventure Cycling Association

RATPOD -Saturday, June 24, 2016. Ride Around the Pioneers in One Day is a one-day bicycle ride to benefit Camp Mak-A-Dream, a cost-free, medical camp in Western Montana for children, teens & young adults with cancer. Riders are encouraged to raise donations for the camp and bring them to the event. The ride takes place in the remarkably scenic Big Hole Valley of southwestern Montana. ratpod.org

July

Gran Fondo Kootenai – July 2-3, 2016. A two-day, point-to-point, “stage” gran fondo featuring fully supported rides through the spectacular landscapes of Montana’s remote northwest corner.  Located on National Forest Scenic Byways, our routes take in the stately Cabinet Mountains, serene Lake Koocanusa, and the legendary Yaak Valley.  Participants will enjoy stellar climbs, thrilling descents, plenty of fantastic scenery and — best of all — nonexistent traffic.  Proceeds from the event benefit charities in Libby and Eureka, Montana.  gfkootenai.com

Boulder Ice Cream Ride – Saturday, July 4, 2015.  4th of July ride to Boulder and back: round trip is 60 miles and you get to climb Boulder Pass in both directions! Helena Bicycle Club

Glacier Ride 2015 – July 5-10, 2016.  Join Glacier National Park Conservancy and Climate Ride for a one of a kind event in Glacier National Park. We’re looking for 30 bicyclists to spend five days pedaling (and one day rafting) through the awe-inspiring Glacier National Park and Canada’s adjoining Waterton Lakes National Park while raising funds to support sustainable and renewable energy projects at the Logan Pass Visitor Center. This ride explores some of the wildest country in the lower 48 and an ecosystem threatened by environmental degradation and climate change. Your fundraising efforts and participation in Glacier Ride will help to raise awareness of the issues facing Glacier and give you a first hand view of the Crown of the Continent. GlacierConservancy.org

The Missouri River Scenic Century(Formerly the One Helena Hundred) – Saturday, July 23, 2015. The Helena Bicycle Club invites you to join us on our annual century ride, the Missouri River Scenic Century, on Saturday July 23, 2016. Riders have their choice of distances – the metric century (100 kilometers/62 miles), an 80 mile ride, or the standard century (100 miles). Come retrace the steps of Lewis and Clark (with a slightly faster mode of transportation!) as they approached the Gates of the Mountains over 200 years ago. Helena Bicycle Club.

Cycle Divide Montana – Saturday, July 9-15, 2016. Here’s your chance to sample our heralded Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, fully supported and load free! We’ll travel from the lively resort town of Whitefish, located near Glacier National Park, to the southern end of the spectacular Swan Range, one of Montana’s less-visited geologic gems. Not far away rests Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in the West. Riding mostly on abandoned logging roads and a bit of singletrack trail, we’ll experience the high country of one of the world’s great wildland complexes. Along the way, we’ll encounter a variety of flora and fauna — the sharp-eyed might even spot wild huckleberries ripe for the picking or the occasional bear on a distant hillside. We’ll layover for a day in Seeley Lake, where you might rent a canoe and paddle the gentle Clearwater Canoe Trail. Back on the bikes, we’ll skirt the southern boundaries of the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas and crest the Continental Divide on a loop near Lincoln, our ultimate destination. Adventure Cycling Association

Butte 100 – Saturday, July 30, 2016. The Butte 100 consists of a 50-mile and 100-mile mountain bike race taking place atop the continental divide just outside of Butte, Montana.

Spokane Valley Cycle Celebration – Sunday, July 31, 2016.  Spend the day with family and friends enjoying the scenic beauty in and around Spokane Valley on your choice of 10-mile, 25-mile or 50-mile bike ride. All bike rides start at the North Centennial Trail Head across from Mirabeau Point Park Meadows in Spokane Valley, WA. http://cyclecelebration.com/

August

Le Tour de Koocanusa – Saturday, August 13, 2016. One of the best fully supported rides. The 83 mile bike ride tours the breathtaking shoreline of Lake Koocanusa, which is located in Libby, MT. Ride includes support vehicles; 3 food/beverage stops; 2 water/electrolyte stops; and an awesome post-ride BBQ with live music, prizes and raffles. Proceeds go to David Thompson Search and Rescue, an all volunteer non-profit organization. letourdekoocanusa.com

Cycle Greater Yellowstone – August 13-20, 2016. Cycle Greater Yellowstone (CGY) is a fully supported bicycle tour traveling through unique and charming western towns for seven days, all in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Cycle Greater Yellowstone supports the work of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem now and for future generations.. cyclegreateryellowstone.com/

Bike MS: Ride the Sky 2016 – Saturday, August 20, 2016. Bike MS takes cyclists along courses ranging 25 to 82 miles. Full meals, generous amenities, stunning landscapes, fully stocked rest stops and spirited festivities are all included. A $75 registration fee and a minimum of $250 in fundraising are required to participate. Funds support research, programs and services for nearly 15,000 people living with multiple sclerosis. Bike MS: Ride the Sky 2016

York 38 Special – Saturday, August 27, 2015.  The York 38 Special Mountain Bike Ride is a fundraiser for York Fire Rescue. A challenging and exciting mountain bike ride covering 38 or 76 miles of breathtaking scenery through the Big Belt Mountains. You will gain 3,000 vertical feet from lowest point (Nelson) of the ride traveling mainly on dirt roads thru the Helena National Forest, or choose the Lucky 13 Ride to Vigilante Campground and back along beautiful Trout Creek. The York 38 Special/Spirit of 76 has 6 aid stations with refreshments and EMTs. Register at the York Fire Station- staggered riding starts between 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. – Spirit of 76 starts at 6:30 a.m. – Lucky 13 starts between 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Registration fee for 38 Special and Spirit of 76 riders includes a T-shirt, tote and a York burger; Lucky 13 riders’ registration fee covers a York burger. Online registration is available at York 38 Special.

September

Cycle for the Symphony – Ovando Gran Fondo. Saturday, September 10, 2016. Bring your cross bike or mountain bike for this fully supported, epic 55-mile ride. Ride through some of Western Montana’s most scenic landscapes on dirt roads including numerous miles through private land not otherwise open to the public. The Ovando Gran Fondo benefits the Missoula Symphony Association missoulasymphony.org/ride

Tour de Cure Montana – Saturday, September 10, 2016. The American Diabetes Association hosts the inspiring Tour de Cure Montana bike ride at the Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks, MT. Choose from a 6 – mile family fun ride or 23, 56, and 100 – mile routes. Featuring full-service rest stops and a celebration at the finish line, support services for Montanans with diabetes and pedal for a cure. If you have diabetes, become a Red Rider! Enjoy a day of positive recognition for your fundraising and riding efforts. Learn more, form a team, or register at Tour de Cure Montana.

October

The 39th Annual Western Montana Hill Climb Championships – Sunday, October ?, 2016. You are invited to take part in what is Montana’s oldest annual competitive cycling event. The Hill Climb traditionally closes Montana’s bicycling racing season, but it is designed for the casual as well as the competitive rider. Riders of all abilities have participated in the Hill Climb and have ranged in age from 7 to 75. There are eight age categories each for men and women plus categories for tandem, recumbent, high wheel, tricycle, unicycle and handcycle. The four-mile climb rises 840 feet up Pattee Canyon Drive. Missoula Bicycle Club.