New Ride the Rockies Director Announces Major Changes for 2018 Ride

Just six weeks into her new job, the new ride director for Ride the Rockies, Deirdre Moynihan (the second new ride director in as many years) announced major changes for the 2018 tour (June 9-15). In an email sent today to previous RTR participants, Moynihan dropped a couple of big bombshells:

First, the LOTTERY IS DEAD! Ride registration will be FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, beginning as soon as the route is announced on Saturday, February 3, at approximately 8:30 PM Mountain Time. The route will be announced live on Facebook for anyone who is unable to attend.

Second, registration FEES are going up. There will be three tiers of pricing: $525 for the first 500 registrants, $575 for the next 500, and $625 for the rest. That's a $25 increase for early registrants and $125 more than last year if you aren't in the first 1,000 people to sign up!

Third, reading between the lines, according to the email, the new director spent her first day on the job -- November 15 -- on the road planning the 2018 route. I have no idea when the previous director left or what has been going on with staff but planning a route in November for a ride in June seems like a potential problem.

That's a lot to absorb. We're being asked to sign up, on the spot, for a route that may not even be set at this point. I'm trying to keep an open mind but am thinking 2018 may be a good year to take a pass on Ride the Rockies and check out another ride.

Any suggestions? What do you think, Jonny Rocker?

Ride on,

Daren