By Bill Plock
2022 will be the last Elephant Rock bike ride, an iconic Colorado event dating back to 1987. For many, like me, it was one of my first long bike events. We caught up with long time event director Scott Olmstead of Outside Events (formerly Roll Massif) to ask a few questions followed by the official news release
Scott Olmstead (red) offering some assistance
““Due to rapid growth in the area and challenges with increased traffic and construction, we’ve decided to sunset the Front Range classic after this year. We have a couple concepts we’re testing this summer in hopes of introducing to the public in 2023,” said Scott Olmsted, Event Director.
Elephant Rock has had a tremendous “ride” dating back 35 years and remaining one of Colorado’s longest-standing cycling traditions. When Scot Haris first began the ride, Castle Rock was a small country town of 10,000 residents. Today it’s a bustling community with 80,000+ residents and growing. From its humble beginnings in 1987 at Lewis Palmer High School with just 1200 riders to Douglas High School and the Douglas County Fairgrounds with upwards of 7,800 riders—Elephant Rock has raised over one million dollars for local charities over its thirty-year history.
When was the first e-rock? The first Elephant Rock was in 1987, held at Lewis Palmer High School in Monument, Colorado. I believe there were over 1200 people that came out for the inaugural ride.Can you briefly describe the evolution of the event, like maybe the distance it started as, how it added routes, maybe major route changes and ownership changes? Scot Harris started the ride back in 1987 and at the time it was owned and operated by Rocky Mountain Sports Magazine, based out of Boulder, Colorado. It was created as a great avenue for the magazine partners to activate and be involved as well as to reach an ever growing cycling community. The main draw was not only because of its position as one of the first early season rides but also for the pristine roads and scenery in and around the Palmer Divide in Monument. The century and metric century have always been a part of the event but over the years additional courses ranging from 10 – 40 miles were added to accommodate just about all ages and abilities. In the last few years, we were forced to push the course more east into the Town of Elizabeth and Elbert County because of the I-25 Gap Project. However, for the final year, we’re excited to bring back the original routes off HWY 105 and Tomah Rd for our swan song.
It was always seen as the unofficial kickoff to the road cycling season, do you have an event to replace it maybe somewhere else? We are always looking for ways to get more people outside riding bikes, be it new events or enhancing the overall experience of our existing rides. We have a couple concepts we’re testing this summer in hopes of introducing to the public in 2023.
What are the reasons for this event going away? There are several reasons. The major reason is safety. The event started in Castle Rock with a population of 10,000 people and now there are upwards of 80,000. It’s forecasted that the population will double in the next 5-10 years. For the last five years we have done our best to mitigate course challenges as a result of the town’s growth, to include significant road construction. Obviously a lot has changed in and around Castle Rock, in three decades. The roads are busier than ever and Elephant Rock has always prided itself in offering an excellent ride with great support and it’s been harder and harder to deliver on that promise.
What has erock meant to you over the years and what do you love about it? Elephant Rock was the first event I ever worked on back in 1996. It’s where I started my career as you would say, so yeah there are a lot of memories. Elephant Rock for the cycling community as a whole has been huge. So many people have gotten into the sport because of Elephant Rock or used it as a training ride for the likes of Ride The Rockies. Not to mention what it’s done for the community in and around Castle Rock and Douglas County. Over the 34 years, Elephant Rock has donated around 1M to local charities.
What will you miss the most? The thing I will miss the most is working with such great people in Castle Rock and Douglas County. They all have been wonderful to us and will miss working with them.
What will you miss the least? The thing I will miss the least is the wind. Some days it can be super windy down in Castle Rock, and other times it will be nice and sunny. But the wind comes to mind.
While we have you, any new Outside Events you would like to highlight? We are looking forward to the 2022 event season. We are introducing two new courses at Crooked Gravel on Saturday, July 23. Athletes racing the long course will be competing for a cash purse of $5,000, split evenly between women and men. The two courses combined cater to those looking for a challenge and want to race their buddies as well as those who may just be looking for their first organized gravel experience. Also, we are excited about our new membership package with Outside+. If you become a member today, you are able to choose 1 free event and receive 20% off any of our other rides here in Colorado and New Mexico. Check us out at events.outsideonline.com for our full event calendar and to register.
Thanks 303 for giving us a chance to talk about Elephant Rock. We hope you will join us for the ride and relish in the memories on June 5, 2022. It’s going to be a big party!
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Boulder, Colorado — February 1, 2022 — Outside Events Cycling Series, formerly Roll Massif, a part of Outside Inc., and a collection of Colorado-based cycling events, will host the final Elephant Rock ride in Castle Rock, Colorado on Saturday, June 5, 2022.
“Due to rapid growth in the area and challenges with increased traffic and construction, we’ve decided to sunset the Front Range classic after this year. We have a couple concepts we’re testing this summer in hopes of introducing to the public in 2023.” said Scott Olmsted, Event Director.
Elephant Rock has had a tremendous “ride” dating back 35 years and remaining one of Colorado’s longest-standing cycling traditions. When Scot Haris first began the ride, Castle Rock was a small country town of 10,000 residents. Today it’s a bustling community with 80,000+ residents and growing. From its humble beginnings in 1987 at Lewis Palmer High School with just 1200 riders to Douglas High School and the Douglas County Fairgrounds with upwards of 7,800 riders—Elephant Rock has raised over one million dollars for local charities over its thirty-year history.
“The Elephant Rock Ride has been a bedrock of the cycling community for more than three decades and has been a mainstay event in Douglas County and Castle Rock during that time. The ride is unique in that it has something for everyone — from elite athletes to kids just learning how to ride a bike. Of course, the time in the saddle is only part of the fun with vendors, music, beer, food, and other entertainment waiting for the riders at the end of their cycling adventure. This event has always been about the joy of cycling and while we will miss it, we know the ride has helped encourage people to get on their bikes and enjoy the scenery and beauty of our wonderful county and town. Thanks, Elephant Rock.” – KC Neal, Owner of Castle Rock Bike and Ski and President of the Castle Rock Downtown Merchants Association.
Elephant Rock has always prided itself in offering an excellent ride only to be matched by the post-ride celebration, including lunch, live music, expo area and beer garden. We are committed to the same experience as we bid farewell to an event where so many friendships have been forged and memories made.
What to expect from Elephant Rock:
- ● Cost to ride: $30 – $75
*Includes Elephant Rock commemorative t-shirt, refreshments, support on the course and a post ride lunch - ● Where to register: Online through Monday, May 30, 2022.
Walk-up at the Douglas County Fairgrounds:
Saturday, June 4th, 1p.m. – 7 p.m. – Registration and packet pick-up Sunday, June 5th, 5 a.m. – 9 a.m. – Walk on registration and packet pick-up - ● Event Date: June 5, 2022, 6:00AM – 5:30PM
- ● Location: Douglas County Fairgrounds, Castle Rock, CO
To celebrate the end of an era, participants who join us for this final swan song to the event can choose between four separate rides (100, 62, 45 miles) or a 12-mile family ride. There’s a route for everyone, beginner to expert. The scenic 100-mile route connects the country roads through the horse properties east of Franktown to the rolling hills of the Black Forest – it’s a perfect early season century. The 62-mile course traverses through the high plains between Denver and Colorado Springs. On a clear day, cyclists will enjoy views of the Front Range from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak. The 45-mile course tours famous Front Range horse country with a few gently rolling hills. If you’re making the weekend a family affair, sign the kids up for the free kid’s race, or challenge yourselves with the 12-mile family ride with a parade-style rollout that is fun for both kids and parents alike. Aid stations are available on every course to help keep participants hydrated and their energy up.
By participating as a team at Elephant Rock, riders will be able to support a charity or non-profit organization of their choice. Outside Events will donate 10% of the registration fees paid by team members back to the chosen organization. Additionally, the team with the most members will receive a $1,000 donation to the selected non-profit. To qualify, a team must have 50 or more members and must register by May 1, 2022, to participate.
Online registration for Elephant Rock is open until Monday, May 30. And walk-on registrations are welcome at the Douglas County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 4 and day-of on Sunday, June 5.
Outside Events is a part of Outside Inc. the world’s leading creator of active lifestyle content offers an all-access membership program, Outside+. Outside+ members receive one free event entry to any event in the series and get 20% off additional ride registrations. As part of the $99 annual membership, subscribers receive over $500 in additional benefits from annual magazine subscriptions to events, courses, training plans and more. Learn more about Outside+.
The Outside Events Cycling Series is made possible by Outside, Primal, BikeReg, Finisher Pix, Town of Castle Rock Colorado, and Douglas County Colorado.
Hello, I write for The Connection newspaper and am writing a story about the last Elephant Rock ride for the June 2022 issue. Would you happen to know any previous riders or any riders that have signed up for the 2022 ride that live in the 80108 area? The Connection has readership of approximately 10,000 and serves the 80108 zip code that does include a north end of Castle Rock. I’d like to connect with a rider or two to get their perspective of the ride itself and their feeling of this being the last one.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me, Patte Smith, The Castle Pines Connection.