Relief Rides

Relief Rides are 5-day adventure bike tours and are specifically designed to provide relief to veterans and first responders with PTSD and other invisible injuries.

Rides take place in Colorado during summer and early fall, and Arizona during the rest of the year.

Tours include a combination of on-road and moderate off-pavement riding. Participants get to ride on some of the most scenic, twisty two-lane roads in the country, as well as getting off the beaten path on forest roads. Participants must have significant experience riding motorcycles on the street, but no previous off-pavement experience is required.

Relief Rides are free to participants, thanks to our generous donors and corporate sponsors! Participants must cover their own travel expenses to get to and from the ride location.

VETERAN RIDES

Mar 3-9 (Tucson, AZ)

Apr 21-27 (Young, AZ)

Apr 28 - May 4 (Young, AZ)

Jul 14-20 (Colorado)

Jul 28 - Aug 3 (Colorado)

Sep 29 - Oct 5 (Young, AZ)

Oct 6-12 (Young, AZ)

Nov 3-9 (Tucson)

Nov 10-16 (Tucson, Az)

FIRST RESPONDER RIDES

Mar 10-16 (Tucson, AZ)

Sep 8-14 (Colorado)

 

WOMEN’S RIDE

Aug 18-24 (Colorado)

 
 

The Details of a Relief Ride

HOW WE RIDE

Our rides are about getting out in nature and enjoying scenery and camaraderie with other riders. They are not about showing off, being competitive, or pushing the limits. We call them relief rides because we want riders to relax and enjoy the experience, knowing how valuable wind therapy is!

A support vehicle follows the group and carries first aid supplies, water, food, tools, luggage, extra gear, etc.

YOUR STAY

We stay in a comfortable lodge the whole week, where participants can relax and unwind from the day’s adventures. Breakfast and dinner are family style meals, giving participants time to connect and decompress.

BIKES

Riders will be provided one of our BMW GSs motorcycles to ride for the week. Riders who already own a dual-sport or adventure bike are encouraged to bring their own, if desired.

We also have appropriate riding gear to loan participants, if needed.

RECOVERY WORK

Participants will learn simple techniques for relaxing and dealing with trauma that can help them better manage their internal stress and move toward recovery.

We DO NOT offer counseling or therapy! There are no shrinks on the ride. Just like-minded folks who may have had similar experiences and feelings.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

SUNDAY

  • Out-of-town participants arrive in Denver and are picked up at the airport

  • Welcome Dinner & Introductions

MONDAY

  • Orientation & safety briefing at MRP shop

  • Ride twisty canyon roads to Evergreen

  • Lunch in Evergreen

  • Ride twisty paved roads from Conifer to Foxton

  • Scenic road along South Platte River between Two Forks and Deckers

  • Snack in Deckers

  • More twisty pavement from Deckers to Woodland Park

  • Arrive at Tihsreed Lodge in Florissant (just for fun, spell Tihsreed backward)

  • Dinner

  • Highs and Lows: Group members share high point and low point of the day’s ride

  • Evening workshop – Getting Unstuck: Overcoming Resistance and Moving Forward

TUESDAY

  • Breakfast

  • Ride to historic mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor

  • Dirt training session outside of Victor

  • Ride Phantom Cayon to Cañon City

  • Lunch in Cañon City Ride Skyline Drive on outskirts of Cañon City

  • Ride Shelf Road back to Cripple Creek

  • Arrive back at lodge

  • Dinner

  • Highs and Lows

  • Evening workshop - Lighten Up, Francis: Introduction to Mindfulness

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast

  • (Weather permitting) Ride the 156 turns in 19 miles to the top of Pikes Peak, 14,115 feet above sea level

  • Lunch in Woodland Park

  • Afternoon ride through Eleven Mile Canyon Return to Tihsreed Lodge for rest

  • Dinner

  • Highs and Lows

  • Evening workshop – What the F is Wrong with Me? - Living with PTSD and Why It Seems So Hard to Move On

THURSDAY

  • Breakfast

  • Ride Tarryall Road through South Park (setting of animated TV show) from Lake George to Jefferson

  • Ride Boreas Pass (unpaved) across the Continental Divide (elevation 11,481) from Como to Breckenridge

  • Lunch at top of Boreas Pass

  • Ride into historic mining town and ski resort of Breckenridge Hwy 9 over Continental Divide at Hoosier Pass to Fairplay and then on to Hartsel Hwy 24 back to Florissant

  • Dinner

  • Highs and Lows

  • Evening workshop – Getting Out There: Recovery through Serving Others

  • Participants complete Exit Survey

FRIDAY

  • Breakfast

  • Depart Florissant and ride Tarryall Road to Hwy 285 Ride Guanella Pass from Grant to Georgetown

  • Lunch in Georgetown Ride through Idaho Springs and up to Echo Lake

  • (Weather permitting) Ride to top of Mount Evans, the highest paved road in North America (elevation 14,240 feet)

  • Dinner celebration Presentation of awards, schwag & event wrap-up

  • Meet MRP board members, advisory board & volunteers who helped make all of this possible

SATURDAY

  • Breakfast

  • Participants depart for home

Relief Ride FAQ

 

DO I HAVE TO HAVE A MOTORCYCLE LICENSE TO PARTICIPATE?

Yes. You need to have a current motorcycle endorsement that you've had for at least a year. Although we ride safely and plan our off-road rides to be ones that people with no off-road experience can handle, we do need riders who at least have significant experience riding street bikes. Applicants must have a year of CURRENT riding experience. A crash impacts the ride for everyone, so we can't accommodate total newbies who are just learning to ride. Sorry.

ARE YOU GOING TO TRY AND GET INSIDE MY HEAD?

No, you can relax. Literally. Learning to bring your body into a relaxed physical state is key to being able to manage internal stress, so during the first couple days of the ride you'll learn some simple relaxation techniques that are helpful to everyone, whether you have PTSD or not. Just being able to talk to other veterans is another extremely helpful tool for getting unstuck, so we hope that you'll take advantage of that opportunity while you're with us. That said, you won't be forced to share if you're not comfortable doing so. We want to reduce your stress, not create even more.

ARE WOMEN INVITED TO PARTICIPATE?

We do segregated rides in order to enable participants to feel comfortable sharing things that they might not be inclined to share in a co-ed setting. We currently schedule one women’s Relief Ride each year for female veterans and first responders.

DO I HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING TO PARTICIPATE?

If you're approved as a participant on a Relief Ride, the only expense to you is to get to/from the ride location. We’ve got the rest from there. You will be asked to submit a $100 deposit to guarantee your spot in the group. The rest of the cost of your ride (approximately $3,000 total) is covered by donors who want to bless you with this adventure as a token of their gratitude for your service. We need the deposit because we have to arrange motorcycle rentals, gear, meals and accommodations. No-shows really mess things up for us. The $100 deposit is your commitment to show up and not blow it off. The deposit is fully refundable if you complete the ride successfully, but if you bail and don't show up you will forfeit your deposit.

DO YOU WELCOME VETERANS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES?

As long as you're able to ride a motorcycle both on and off road without adaptive equipment, and have already ridden one a fair amount since becoming disabled, you are welcome to apply for one of our Relief Rides. If you require adaptive equipment and already have a motorcycle with the necessary equipment and are able to get to the starting point of the ride with it, you're welcome to apply to participate. We are unable to provide motorcycles with adaptive equipment at this time. We also have a BMW R1200GS equipped with a DMC sidecar that on a case-by-case basis we may be able to accommodate someone who used to ride but no longer can. Participant WILL NOT operate the sidecar; but we promise, while it isn’t quite as good as riding yourself, being back in the wind will leave a smile on your face!

ARE YOU GOING TO EXPLOIT MY TRAUMA FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES?

Don't worry. We're not going to force you to talk on camera so we can create some cheesy video with violins playing in the background. That's not us. We do take pictures and shoot video on each ride to document the trip, so there will definitely be someone capturing footage and snapping photos at various times. If you're willing to say a few words on camera at the end of the ride about your experience we would be honored to have you do so, but we don't pressure anyone into doing it.

what do i need to bring if accepted?

A list of suggested packing items will be sent once you’re accepted for the ride. As part of the application process, you’ll be asked about what riding gear you own. If you want to bring your own gear, you’re welcome to. If you’d like us to loan you gear, the only thing you’re required to bring are your own gloves. We can loan you everything else for the duration of the ride.