what an a$$hole
http://www.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_15945631
DEER CREEK CANYON - I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me when someone throws tacks on a steep road just hours before a bike event that brings hundreds of riders descending through an area at a fairly high rate of speed, it ought to be construed as attempted murder.
And perhaps the person who threw those tacks on the High Grade Road in the foothills west of Chatfield Reservoir before Sunday's Deer Creek Challenge was disappointed because none of the 960 riders who took part in the event was killed or seriously injured. A couple of flat tires were the only damages he or she managed to inflict.
But despite the opposition of some canyon residents and the act of sabotage that managed to elude heightened vigilance by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, the controversial Deer Creek Challenge was a remarkable success for a first-time event - at least for those of us who rode in it.
It was touted as the toughest century ride in America with 12,751 feet of elevation gain. Riders also had options to do a metric century (7,053 feet of climbing) or a 33-mile ride (4,200 feet). I talked to several participants after the event, and every one gave it high marks.
"I thought it was a phenomenal ride," said Ken Bridges of Denver, 32, who opted for the century. "It takes a certain type of rider because of the climbs. I enjoyed it immensely."
Some canyon residents, already angry because the area attracts bicyclists by the hundreds on many weekends, made a fuss last year when event organizer Pat Downing applied for a county permit. The permit was denied, but it was approved this year.
"It was a difficult process to go through," Downing said, "because you had to listen to hours and hours of testimony from people who care passionately about their homes and the community and were extremely frustrated with any number of things - none of which had anything to do with a charitable cycling event that took nine hours of the road - not closing it, just utilizing it - for one day out of the year."
When the controversy began a year ago, there were rumors the Jefferson County commissioners might try to ban bicycles in the canyon year-round. I went to a Bike Jeffco meeting and heard Commissioner Kathy Hartman (whose district includes the canyon) attempt to calm the fears of the cycling community while offering her theory why so many motorists don't like us.
"Their perception of their right to drive the road as they always have feels threatened - and it is," Hartman said. "All of these users have a right to the road. All of these users help pay for the road, and all of these users have to learn to accommodate each other."
That doesn't include throwing tacks in a deliberate attempt to hurt cyclists. Lt. Bud Bumgarner said there's not much the Jeffco Sheriff's Department can do about the incident unless someone comes forward to identify the perpetrator. I hope someone does.
"We'll be taking a report in case any additional information comes in," Bumgarner said. "We will certainly follow that information up."
Unfortunately the charge wouldn't be attempted murder.
"Right now we basically have damage to property, which is a criminal mischief act, which is a misdemeanor," Bumgarner said. "If someone hit those things, their tire went and they wrecked, it depends on the severity of the injuries. If it's a minor injury, it's a minor assault. If it's a major injury, such as a broken bone, it would be a felony assault."
With lots of hard climbing, wonderful scenery and excellent organization, the Deer Creek Challenge seems destined to rank with the Triple Bypass and the Copper Triangle among Colorado's great rides - assuming the county approves a permit again next year. I believe Sunday proved it can be conducted safely, without excessive inconvenience to anybody.
"We have had numerous meetings with the bicycle community, motorists and homeowners," Bumgarner said. "We've pretty much educated everybody to how we'd like to see this event be successful. At first there was a lot of opposition, but it seemed like after a while, we got the majority of people on the same page. Of course you're not going to keep everybody happy, but we think what we did was successful and beneficial to the community, and we think you guys had a really nice event."
That we did.
Read more: Meyer: Deer Creek Challenge succeeds despite sabotage - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_15945631#ixzz0yDOi4lrV
http://www.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_15945631
DEER CREEK CANYON - I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me when someone throws tacks on a steep road just hours before a bike event that brings hundreds of riders descending through an area at a fairly high rate of speed, it ought to be construed as attempted murder.
And perhaps the person who threw those tacks on the High Grade Road in the foothills west of Chatfield Reservoir before Sunday's Deer Creek Challenge was disappointed because none of the 960 riders who took part in the event was killed or seriously injured. A couple of flat tires were the only damages he or she managed to inflict.
But despite the opposition of some canyon residents and the act of sabotage that managed to elude heightened vigilance by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, the controversial Deer Creek Challenge was a remarkable success for a first-time event - at least for those of us who rode in it.
It was touted as the toughest century ride in America with 12,751 feet of elevation gain. Riders also had options to do a metric century (7,053 feet of climbing) or a 33-mile ride (4,200 feet). I talked to several participants after the event, and every one gave it high marks.
"I thought it was a phenomenal ride," said Ken Bridges of Denver, 32, who opted for the century. "It takes a certain type of rider because of the climbs. I enjoyed it immensely."
Some canyon residents, already angry because the area attracts bicyclists by the hundreds on many weekends, made a fuss last year when event organizer Pat Downing applied for a county permit. The permit was denied, but it was approved this year.
"It was a difficult process to go through," Downing said, "because you had to listen to hours and hours of testimony from people who care passionately about their homes and the community and were extremely frustrated with any number of things - none of which had anything to do with a charitable cycling event that took nine hours of the road - not closing it, just utilizing it - for one day out of the year."
When the controversy began a year ago, there were rumors the Jefferson County commissioners might try to ban bicycles in the canyon year-round. I went to a Bike Jeffco meeting and heard Commissioner Kathy Hartman (whose district includes the canyon) attempt to calm the fears of the cycling community while offering her theory why so many motorists don't like us.
"Their perception of their right to drive the road as they always have feels threatened - and it is," Hartman said. "All of these users have a right to the road. All of these users help pay for the road, and all of these users have to learn to accommodate each other."
That doesn't include throwing tacks in a deliberate attempt to hurt cyclists. Lt. Bud Bumgarner said there's not much the Jeffco Sheriff's Department can do about the incident unless someone comes forward to identify the perpetrator. I hope someone does.
"We'll be taking a report in case any additional information comes in," Bumgarner said. "We will certainly follow that information up."
Unfortunately the charge wouldn't be attempted murder.
"Right now we basically have damage to property, which is a criminal mischief act, which is a misdemeanor," Bumgarner said. "If someone hit those things, their tire went and they wrecked, it depends on the severity of the injuries. If it's a minor injury, it's a minor assault. If it's a major injury, such as a broken bone, it would be a felony assault."
With lots of hard climbing, wonderful scenery and excellent organization, the Deer Creek Challenge seems destined to rank with the Triple Bypass and the Copper Triangle among Colorado's great rides - assuming the county approves a permit again next year. I believe Sunday proved it can be conducted safely, without excessive inconvenience to anybody.
"We have had numerous meetings with the bicycle community, motorists and homeowners," Bumgarner said. "We've pretty much educated everybody to how we'd like to see this event be successful. At first there was a lot of opposition, but it seemed like after a while, we got the majority of people on the same page. Of course you're not going to keep everybody happy, but we think what we did was successful and beneficial to the community, and we think you guys had a really nice event."
That we did.
Read more: Meyer: Deer Creek Challenge succeeds despite sabotage - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_15945631#ixzz0yDOi4lrV