It is with a heavy heart that I come to the determination that this will be my last year as director of this fabulous event. Cino will live on, likely as it started: a bunch of people supporting themselves. But the big shindig will be no longer. At the risk of sounding like a snake oil salesman, this is the time to attend if you can.

I love seeing you all (and your bikes!). I am both honored and humbled by everyone’s support of this fundraiser, but I only have so much I can give at this stage of my life. Thanks to the godfathers for creating Cino. Thanks to all of you for making Cino such an amazing event over the years – it is truly the attendees that make Cino so great.

Thanks to all my friends and family (especially my lovely wife above) who have supported me in this enchanting endeavor!

Allez!

We have a few changes to food this year, mostly because of the pandemic. Here’s what to expect:

• Saturday pre-ride breakfast will be an assortment of individually bagged pastries from Ceres Bakery – coffee, juice, and water will also be served.
• Saturday mid-ride lunch will be meat/cheese pastries in individual servings, kind of like a musette (just meat/cheese options will be available for non-gluten people). All available hydration (and dehydration) fluids will be served. It is at the traditional, jaw-dropping location.
• Saturday dinner will be plated for you in the dome at Alamedas and consist of the following options: pulled pork, smoked veggie beans, deluxe mac’n’cheese, coleslaw, sinful dessert. Sinful and sin-less drinks will be available.
• Sunday breakfast will be available for purchase from Foxhole Eatery
• Sunday pranza will consist of meat, cheese, starches and drinks.
• Sunday after-party remains to be seen (Covid may have killed the Kila Pub).

We had a generous donation from Wheaton’s Cycles and are printing up T-shirts.  It’s last minute so if you registered after the 16th, we’ll have to take your order to pick up later at Wheaton’s.  If you’re out of town, drop us $10 and we’ll ship it. (The back is going to be a surprise!)

Also, please patronize our sponsors!

Wheaton’s Cycles 214 1st Ave West in Kalispell

Ceres Bakery 318 South Main in Kalispell

Tamarack Brewery/Brewpub in Lakeside or Missoula

Lower Valley Meats 2115 Lower Valley Rd in Kalispell

Culligan Water Conditioning 2243 US 93 S in Kalispell

Ice Chest Express 449 Ash Rd #A in Kalispell

Intermountain Distributing 1380 US2 in Kalispell

Time is running out! Register now at Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/cino-2021-registration-158682578865

Registration ends on August 20th.

For more info on Kalspell Montessori Elementary, follow the link below. Funds raised by Cino 2021 are going toward a new roof for the school; you can donate even if you can’t attend Cino this year! www.kalispellmontessori.com

It is finally here! We are doing Cino this year and it continues to support Kalispell Montessori Elementary. It will be a little bit different this year (we all know why): lunch will be scaled back and more like a musette than a buffet and we are forgoing the Concours d’Elegance.

Fortunately nothing has changed about the location, the scenery, the camaraderie, or the experience (what I like to call exquisite suffering) – join us!!

We are offering early-bird pricing until July 16 – order now! $105 for the first 50 tickets, $120 thereafter.

For more info on Kalspell Montessori Elementary, go to kalispellmontessori.com – we are putting funds toward a new roof for the school and you can donate even if you can’t attend Cino this year!

Follow this link to register for Cino now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cino-2021-registration-158682578865

August 28th and 29th, 2021.

Pencil it into your calendar.  That’s the date we have settled on this year for the Cino.  If you are a Cino-phile, you will note that it is the weekend before Labor Day, two weeks earlier than usual.  There are a couple of reasons why: conflicts with other unnamed events, August is still vacation time for many, but the big one is my sanity.  As a teacher, it was very challenging to spend the first, exhausting week of school also prepping for the Cino back in 2019.

What will the Cino look like? It will be different.  How different? Not sure yet, but your safety will be paramount (like a Nervex Pro-lugged, fully chromed Schwinn).  And the spirit will be 110% Cino.

A big question for some (like me): will the food be the same? Again, it will be different. But I promise you the protein bars will be bread with cheese and meat and any hydration fluids we offer will be sparkling, or derived from barley or grapes.

My sincerest hope is that we will all be offered the vaccine and we will be finally getting a handle on this dreaded disease by the time Cino rolls around.  We are a gregarious group and we want everyone to have a spectacular and safe time.

Warmly,

David – Cino Director

Cino MMXX