Colorado's Ride 2026

Colorado’s Ride puts 303 miles of the state’s most striking terrain between you and a week you’ll be talking about for years. The 2026 route is a full loop through central Colorado, cresting Cottonwood Pass and Monarch Pass — two genuine high-alpine climbs — before winding alongside the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and across miles of quiet, lightly-trafficked roads that remind you why people move here in the first place. The total climbing clocks in at 19,100 feet, which is enough to make it a real goal to train toward without veering into suffer-fest territory.

The tour caps at 350 riders, which keeps it from feeling like a cattle drive. Aid stations are stocked with food, gels, and electrolytes; Colorado State Patrol is on course; and the support-to-rider ratio runs about 1:25. Shorter route options are available on days two, four, and five, so you don’t need to be a dedicated climber to show up — just someone ready to spend a week riding bikes through the mountains. Registration is $675 (plus fees), which covers the riding infrastructure. Lodging, luggage transfer, and meals are available à la carte through their logistics partners.

Camping is back at every overnight stop for 2026 — bring a tent, camper van, or overland rig, and you’ll find showers and easy access to each host town waiting for you. The community here skews toward riders who come back year after year, which gives the whole thing a reunion-trip energy alongside the mountain scenery. If you’ve been looking for a week-long objective to hang your training on, this is one of the more well-organized ways to do it in Colorado.