Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

OFF·ROAD 16th AnnualColorado 500 Many points alo ng the trail offered spectacular views of the colorful scenery. will Rocky Mountain high By Ben Cheatwood B ASALT, CO, SEPT. 3·7 nce a year' former Indy car racer Wally Dall enbach hosts the most pr estig ious din bik e event in North Am eri ca , th e Co lo rado 500 In vitati onal Din Bike Ride. For th e few ride rs who ge t th e invi tation, it 's a dream that comes tru e to bea part of the " Ride of Champions." T he Colorado 500 is not a race but a well or ga n ized off-road ride through o ne of the most beau tifu l pl aces on th e p lane t, the Co lor ado Rockies. Organized to perfection for the, ride are ho tel acco m mo da tio ns; chase trucks, meals and trail routes that allow th e '500' rider every o pport u n ity to enjoy th e sp lendor of the Rock y Mountains. A special pan of th e event is the Co lorado 500 Charity Fund which has raised nearly $200,000 in 11 years, with O pr esentations made to 32 different 'agencies. " T he Co lorado 500 is a 'g rass roo ts' vent ure, because wh at we take from Co lorado, wegive back to Col or ado ," Dall enbach sai d. "T he fund is ou r way to lend a su pport ing hand to th e school ch ildren and civic or gani zatio ns in the com mu nities we visi t o n the rid es." Presentations are made throughout' the ride. On day two, a presentation was made at the school in Silverton, Colorado, wh ere days earl ier news of more layoffs at th e silver min e were announced. Dave Mungenast, a SI. Louis mo torcycle dealer and former ISDE rid er, said, " Wa lly's donati ons reall y make a di££erence to thes e people and you can see it o n th eir faces. It 's m y l l th Colorado 500 and I not miss an y of Wally's donation pres entations. " - The source of the charity fund are the sponsors, incl uding Bud weiser, ' and the Colorado 500 riders who reach do wn in their pockets a little deeper du r in g regis trat io n . I n additio n , H onda, Kawasaki and ATK pro vided support trucks with technicians wh o worked on all brands of motorcy cles at no charge except for 'dona tions ' to the Colorado 500 charities. The term ' Ri de of Champions' is appropriat e with a quick glance at the entry list; Auto racing heroes Dallenbach and his son Wally Dall enb ach , jr., j erry Grant, Price Cobb, Elliot Forbes R o b i n so n , Den n is Firestone and Danny Thompson, and motorcycling notables Malcolm Smith, Larry RoeseIer, Max Switzer, Dick Bet ten court, Da ve Mungenast, Ra y Mu ngenast, Arlo England, Dr. David Kieffer, Ron Ri bo l izi a n d G u n nar Lindstrom . Also taking part in th e ride was Franklin Graham (Billy Graham 's so n). "The Col orado 500 riders are from every walk of life," Graham said, adding that the ri ders and th e lasting fri endsh ips made during the 500 makes th e event specia l to severa l of the riders year after year. Day one of this year's Co lo rado 500 sta r ted wi th ' a p ol ice escort from Dall enba ch 's ranch to th e Basa lt school's athlet ic -field. Th e entire stu de nt bod y greeted th e 250-p lus participants for the first of numerous charity donations. The official " Gen tlemen, start yo ur engi nes" was annou nced by schoo l dignitaries a nd the Co lorado 500 was officia lly underway. From Ba salt , rider s h eaded fo r T ay lor pass . At the top of th e pass, vari ous groups of rid ers sp lit o££ o n different ro u tes wi th the final destination being Ouray. Alo ng the route, names lik e Taylor Reservoir, Tin Cup, Po wderhorn Lak e City and Engineer Pass that prior to taking part in the ri de were j ust names on a map, turn into color fu l rea lity . R iders stopped not o nly to regroup, rest, an d snap a few photos, bu t also to reflect o n th e hi gh mountain rid ing experience. After a 200-mi le da y on th e trail , the town of Ouray gre eted th e riders with breathtaking views of th e mountain s that su rro und the to wn on all sides. Ouray o££ers a mix of sma ll mo tels , bed and breakfast inns and gr eat eating establishments like th e Outlaw and the Elks Lodge, and they all ro ll o u t th e red carpe t for the Col orado 500 riders. Day two for the riders is in and ou t of Ouray, with riders taking severa l routes to visit silver mines and o ther historic sites . One ro ute dr op s the riders off Black Bear Pass into the most recent millionaire hav en in th e Colorado roc kies, T elluride. Black Bear is a one-way downhill trail with a fantastic view of 'T ell u ride. At o ne point th e trail narrows and gets steep with rocky stair step s. O n one side of the trail is a rock y mountain side, o n the o ther a sheer cliff with a drop so deep yo u would no doubt starve to death befor e you hit bottom. ' Day three the ro u tes led to Crested Bu tte. The hero trail of the day is the Alpine Trail. The Alpine snakes its way up and down a mountain with 107 swi tchback turns on th e steep hillside. Many tim es rid ers must get off and wrestl e th ei r motorcycl es aro und the tight - up to 300-degree - turns. Rumor has it the trail was laid ou t with a m u le th a t was later barb ecued by the layout crew. T he top of the Alpine Trail offers what many riders consider the most scen ic view of the Colorado 500. Day four, the fina l day, the route ra n from Crested Butt e back. to Basa lt. Man y of the East Coast riders enjoyed the tight blockand tackle tra il. On top of o ne of the scen ic overviews alo ng the trail, Kawasaki off-road star Larry Roeseler was overh ead saying, " O f all the events I ride every year, thi s event is th e most fun. " One of the spec ia l treats of every Col orado 500 is the a nnua l lunch stop at Steve and Lindy Widener's cabi n. T he Widen ers host a dr op-in lunch and this year it rai sed $500 for th e Co lo rado 500 cha rities. T he fina l event of the Colorado 500 is th e an nual awards banquet. Lege ndary Dick Bett encourt was presented th e Co lo rado 500 Rid er of the Year award, no t o nly for hi s contin uing contributions to the Co lorad o 500, but a lso for the sp irit of the Colorad o 500 he carries to a ll the o ther events in whi ch he participates. Other award recipients included Ken H ayes of j ohnson City, Te n nessee, as Most H elpful : j on Stillman of La kewood, Ca li fornia , for R ooki e o f th e Yea r ; a nd Bri an ' Ma i nj er ' Manl ey, of Sa n ta Rosa , Ca liforn ia, wh o was named the " Best Dressed" rider. 0 25

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