Adaptive Cycling

In 2010 Routt County Riders was approached by Craig and Andy Kennedy of Access Anything to consider adaptive cycling as part of Routt County Riders. As leaders in our community spearheading the effort to make Steamboat Springs more accessible to individuals with disabilities, the Kennedys' request was met with enthusiasm. A new committee for adaptive cycling was established.

The purpose of the adaptive cycling committee is to help facilitate inclusion in all of Routt County Riders’ and Steamboat’s cycling events.  Access Anything has seven years experience in facilitating adaptive sports camps in Steamboat Springs, marketing to people with disabilities, and consulting on accessibility and disability travel throughout the country.  By including athletes with special needs in Steamboat cycling events, we hope to help boost Steamboat’s summer tourism, as we have helped the ski area increase their adaptive revenue.

Access Anything has been hired by STARS (Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports) to expand their camp series into summer programming as of January 2010, and will be formulating 1-2 summer camps around cycling.  Therefore we have a vested interest in the free ride plan for Mt Werner and will also be helping to coordinate universally designed trails into the Trails Master Plan.

FACTS: Travelers with disabilities spend over $13.6 billion annually on travel in the US alone and would spend twice that if they were better marketed to (both stats per the 2005 Open Doors and Harris Poll).