The streets of Paonia were packed with bicycles this past Tuesday, as riders in the 19th Annual Bicycle Tour of Colorado stopped into town on Day 3 of their 438-mile loop across the state.
Known as the Crested Butte Loop, the route begins and ends in Cañon City, and takes riders through the towns of Buena Vista, Carbondale, Paonia, Crested Butte and Salida. Traveling through the heart of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, riders climb from a low of around 5,000 feet in Cañon City to a peak elevation of 12,126 feet on Cottonwood Pass.
The Paonia Chamber of Commerce organized a welcoming festival for the tour, complete with live music, drinks and crafts from local vendors. KVNF’s Joanna Calabrese was on hand for the event, talking with cyclists from around the state, country, and even the world, about the ride and their impressions of Paonia.
