As the Director of Marketing for SBT GRVL®, I’m convinced I have the best job in the entire world. My job entails promoting not only the event, but the stunning riding on Routt County’s rural roads. In essence, I’m in the business of FOMO – and if you receive an email, video, or social post that doesn’t make you want to come join us in June, then I’m not doing my job properly!
In my fifth year of working with SBT GRVL®, I’ve watched as the event has grown into both a staple on the international gravel calendar, and a weekend long community celebration of cycling in the most spectacular corner of the planet. 2025 will be no different. This year we have the costume Canyon HLL CLMB returning on Friday night (benefiting The Cycle Effect), a Friday morning trail run for both visitors and locals, and familiar staples like free yoga in the park with Old Town Hot Springs, a FLM FST presented by Protect Our Winters, and family friendly activities like the Alpine Bank Toddler Race. Even if you aren’t racing or riding, you can still come and enjoy the festival and meet a like-minded international cycling community.
There’s no better location to ride gravel in the country than Routt County. Trust us, we’ve been to dozens of world class destinations to ride, scout and plot events, but there’s no place like home. We have the magical formula: a bustling town, majestic scenery, and rich cultural heritage (combined with 600+ miles of pristine Routt County gravel roads). However, more cyclists on the rural roads means more visibility, and potential for tension and inconveniences for vehicles and rural residents. Education is power – and rider messaging and communication have become an increasingly important component of our event over the past two years. On that note, I want to share a few key points our event has picked up along the way. While they may sound simple, these tips can pave a positive path forward not only here locally, but everywhere else you might ride.
- Be kind and share. We all learned it in kindergarten, but that was a long time ago. Wave, smile, and acknowledge passing vehicles. Can’t take your hands off the bar? A head nod and eye contact will do. Did a car slow down and give you the full lane to pass? That calls for a big exaggerated wave.
- Stay to the right, even if it means sacrificing speed or a smoother line. This time of year the washboards turn the bike into a buckin’ bronco, and it’s easy to drift left and take the smoothest route – but blind turns can easily hide an oncoming truck or tractor.
- Ride single file (max of 2). No one wants to be Captain Bossy Bibs, but please, be “that person.” When you’re riding with a group it’s easy to strike up conversations, and before long riders are three abreast. A simple “hey, let’s keep it two across,” can be all the reminder we need to get back in line. A driver may be neutral on cyclists, but all it takes is getting stuck behind (or driving toward) a pack of riders spread out across the road to quickly make them anti-bike.
- Respect private property. It may look like you’re riding through an open field, but most likely, it belongs to someone – and even if the owner is fond of watching riders roll past on a Sunday, if their brunch is punctuated by watching passersby relieving themselves, they’ll think twice before offering a friendly wave next time they pass a cyclist on their way to town.
- Don’t litter. Chucking a Honey Stinger wrapper off the bike is unfathomable to any of us, but it’s easy to have an errant bottle launch out of the cage or a piece of packaging drop to the road when we gnaw into a bar. Stop and pick it up. It takes five seconds, and discarded nutrition products are just one more negative visual strike against cyclists. After SBT GRVL®, we sweep every course and pick up dozens of bags of discarded trash. While some of it is gel wrappers, a large portion is discarded hard seltzer and beer cans (probably from drivers).
Over the past two years, our team has also watched as tensions have ebbed and flowed amongst members of the rural community; recreation and agriculture have come to an intersection on our gravel roads. As a cyclist, it’s important to remember that every time we kit up and turn the pedals, we’re ambassadors to the sport we love so much. Passing cars don’t care where you’re from, your age, or your experience level. Whether you’re local or visiting, it’s essential that we treat the roads and relationships with landowners, vehicles, and community with the respect we’d give to a close friend. Give them space, wave, and slow down.
Ryan Steers
Director of Marketing, SBT GRVL®
Content and photos contributed by Routt County Riders
