Letter: Speak for yourself

As a 25-year full-time Aspen resident and a four-consecutive-year participant in Ride the Rockies, I really question Gail Stanger’s hostile letter regarding the event (“Not a fan,” The Aspen Times, Jan. 20). First of all, Gail, are you sure it is Ride the Rockies you are referring to, not the USA Pro Challenge? Ride the Rockies comes through here briefly every few years in early to mid-June (this year’s event is June 11 through 17), when most shops and restaurants are happy to see any business after the long “mud season.” With about 2,000 riders, you can guarantee that food and drinks are consumed, bicycle shops (among others) are visited and the community has an opportunity to host many fellow Coloradans as well as others from around the country. It may not be her crowd, the highbrow designer shop crowd that fills up our town many other times of the year, but it is quite a generalization to call the entire field of cyclists and support staff “cheap.” Anyway, most communities throughout Colorado are proud to host the event, which has a 30-year history in our state. So, Gail, instead of declaring that “we don’t want you,” get off of your duff and join the ride.

Melinda Goldrich

Aspen