Specialized Bicycle Components partners with Adventure Fit to launch the Gold Rush Bike Rally, a “gravel bike hootenanny” in Colorado this September.

March 11, 2020

Limited spots are available for this unique format cycling festival, set in the historic town of Gold Hill, CO.

Boulder, CO. (March 11th, 2020) – Specialized Bicycle Components and Adventure Fit announce the revival of Gold Rush Bike Rally, a gravel bike race in historic gold mining country west of Boulder, Colorado. It is the sister event to the popular Old Man Winter Rally, an event known for its laid back vibe, adventurous courses, and great prizes. Similar to the Old Man Winter Rally, the Gold Rush Bike Rally is aiming to create a world-class gravel adventure for all levels of riders, not just the elites. As a fundraiser for the Town of Gold Hill and the Gold Hill School, the Gold Rush Bike Rally will allow the gravel bike community to give back to Boulder County’s top cycling destination.

The race is staged on Main St in Gold Hill, one of Colorado’s oldest and quaintest towns, with a population just over 200. Despite its small size, Gold Hill is famous for its amazing gravel riding including the Switzerland Trail, which was a narrow railroad line that transported mining equipment throughout the Front Range of Colorado at the turn of the century, as well as Lickskillet Rd – the steepest road in the state with grades as steep as 22%.

Aside from the unique venue, what sets the Gold Rush Bike Rally apart from other gravel events is the “cloverleaf format”. There are 3 different loops which all start and finish in town. All riders start on the Evergreen Loop (28.3 miles / 3289’ elevation), which follows the Switzerland Trail to the Peak to Peak highway. For those looking for more, the Lickskillet Loop adds 23.9 miles / 3243’ elevation and starts with rolling gravel, great views of the Indian Peaks range, and finishes up the infamous climb. Riders eager to add more miles  can add the 3^rd and final loop, the Diverge loop (20.2 miles / 2684’ elevation), which includes 2 miles of single track along the Rowena trail, before the gravel switchbacks on Sunshine Canyon take them back into Gold Hill. In-between loops, riders can recover with live music , cold beer, great food, and fun vendor contests at the block party on Main Street in Gold Hill.

Wrapping up the day is the “Tour de Rump”, a Gold Hill tradition that dates back to 1989,  a free  3 mile bike loop for kids and fun-seekers including obstacles around town.

Choosing the right two wheeled weapon for taking on the Gold Rush Bike Rally is a big part of the fun, and there will likely be a wide spectrum of bikes. Leading up to race day, Specialized will sponsor free group training rides from its Boulder Experience Center, where demos are available of the Diverge, Epic Hardtail, and Turbo E-bikes. Proving that e-bikes have a variety of great uses, the new Turbo Levo SL e-mountain bike and Turbo Creo SL evo e-gravel bike will lead out riders on each loop and also be used by media teams to get quick access to remote parts of the course.

As with all events in Boulder County, CO the field of riders is expected to be stacked with Olympians, National Champs, and Pro Tour cyclists all racing to take home their share of the $3000 cash purse.  Riders should also keep their eyes peeled for “gold nuggets” on the course. These gold-painted rocks can be brought back to Gold Hill and exchanged for prizes including WTB tires, Retul pro bike fits, and gift cards from sponsors.

In addition to being an incredibly fun gravel adventure, the Gold Rush Bike Rally will be a major annual fundraiser for the Gold Hill community. The Town of Gold Hill and the Gold Hill School, Colorado’s longest continually operating school will receive funds raised from the event. These funds will be used to mitigate potential fires and support school programs like beekeeping.

Registration will be capped at 1000 riders and will open to the public on March 15^th, 2020. To be kept up on Gold Rush Bike Rally news and announcements, please join the newsletter at www.goldrushbikerally.com and follow the social accounts @goldrushbikerally on Instagram and Facebook.

About Adventure Fit: Adventure Fit is an Experiential Event Marketing and Production company that specializes in Active Entertainment productions. Our deep understanding of the active marketplace allows us to develop creative events and results-driven solution for our clients. Adventure Fit has produced some of the countries most popular sporting events, such as the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride, Burning Can Fest at the Lyons Outdoor Games, Old Man Winter Rally and the Shape Diva Dash.