Nederland had a sudden 800 unexpected visitors on the morning of Tuesday, June 13, 2023. From about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., participants of Ride the Rockies, a six stage cycling tour through the Rocky Mountains, were diverted into Nederland due to Trail Ridge Road into Grand Lake being closed because of weather conditions and safety concerns.

The “Stage 3” route for the endurance event was meant to be a 50 mile ride with an elevation gain of 5,294 feet from Estes Park to Grand Lake. Instead an estimated 800 riders detoured into Nederland, to the Caribou Village Shopping Center where there were first-aid stations and shuttles waiting to bring cyclists and their bikes and gear to Grand Lake.

Lickskillet Catering out of Fort Collins brought their smoker up into the mountains and provided riblets with macaroni salad to the hungry and tired cyclists.

Though the deluge of cyclists coming through Nederland hindered traffic to some extent, many local businesses took advantage of the surprise influx of people and opened early. Jeff Green, owner and head brewer of Very Nice Brewing Company, assisted traffic controllers by waving his big sign that read “BREWERY” at all cyclists as they approached the intersection of Highway 119 and Lakeview Drive.

The Ride the Rockies tour will continue from Grand Lake to Winter Park on Wednesday, June 14, and then from Winter Park through Gilpin County on Thursday, June 15.