CHAFE 150 gets ready to ride

SANDPOINT — Are you ready?

Registration for the 15th annual CHAFE 150 Gran Fondo bicycle, which features five ride options, opens at midnight Wednesday at CHAFE150.org.

As an extra incentive for early birds, cyclists who sign up before Feb. 18 will save $10 on their registration. Registration for the Family Fun Ride will be announced later.

The CHAFE 150 is presented by the Sandpoint Rotary Club and sponsored by over 100 other local businesses and organizations. The ride has been touted as one of the nation’s top charity bike rides by Bicycling Magazine, a top-10 scenic ride, and one of the best-supported rides in the country.

The signature 150-mile ride remains in a class of its own. The CHAFE 150’s course circumnavigates an entire mountain range while gaining a total elevation of approximately 6,600 feet. New this year will be a 60+ mile gravel route for those seeking off-the-beaten-path riding.

Beyond the 150-mile route, the ride features several other options which allow riders to choose the right ride for them, all while experiencing the beauty of Northern Idaho and Western Montana.

Here’s a look at all the routes for the 2023 CHAFE 150:

CHAFE 150: The 150-mile ride starts with a hearty breakfast by Trinity and finishes at City Beach in Sandpoint.

CHAFE 80: Riders eat breakfast in Sandpoint and are bused to Troy, Mont., with their bikes; they start at approximately the halfway point of the CHAFE 150. The CHAFE 80 is the second half of the CHAFE 150 route.

CHAFE 40: Starts and finishes at City Beach. The CHAFE 40 incorporates the backroads of beautiful Selle Valley and is an extension of the CHAFE 25 route.

CHAFE 25: Starts and finishes at City Beach.

Gravel Route: Riders eat breakfast in Sandpoint and are bused to Clark Fork with their bikes. From there they will return to Sandpoint after traversing Forest Service gravel roads, a section of single-track, and the backroads of Selle Valley.

Family Fun Ride: The ride starts at City Beach Park and follows the Sand Creek bike path to Ponderay and returns to City Beach for family activities and games.

The 150- and 80-mile routes incorporate a recently paved route through Montana, alleviating traffic congestion on the customary routes leading into Clark Fork Idaho. All the CHAFE routes are timed except for the Family Fun Ride.

This year’s CHAFE 150 continues Sandpoint Rotary’s legacy of support for education and youth in the greater Sandpoint community, contributing more than $525,000 to the Lake Pend Oreille School District in the past nine years. Previously, funding has helped with autism programs, early childhood readiness, scholarships, LPOSD’s Literacy Initiative and After-School reading programs. Like the 2022 ride, this year’s ride will help fund the Book Trust Program for K-3 students of LPOSD, scholarships and other Rotary Youth Service projects.

Riders are encouraged to raise funds for the cause through pledge donations; find more information at CHAFE150.org. The CHAFE 150 Ride Committee is putting together an assortment of prizes for riders who raise the most funds; stay updated at CHAFE150.org for more details or follow CHAFE 150 on Facebook.