Date
May 29 - 30, 2010 - 2pm Saturday until 2pm Sunday

Fee
$45.00 - Covers costs of t-shirt, food & beverages, music, awards, etc.

Maximum # of Riders
300

Fundraising Requirement
$60.00 to be divided equally between the NCAC council of the Boy Scouts of America, the three local trail building organizations (Fredericksburg Pathways Partners, Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail and the Spotsylvania Greenways Initiative ) and the Cycling the Loop - 2000 Mile Bike Ride.

Raffle
There will be a raffle held throughout the event with winners being selected at the completion of the event. A brand new Trek road bike and memberships to American Family Fitness are two of the prizes to be given away.

Age Requirement
Riders must be 11 years of age by May 29, 2010 to participate. Since we are a family friendly event, younger riders may participate as unregistered riders only if they are attached to their parent’s bike in some way (e.g. trailer or a tandem). No Exceptions. Parents/guardians must sign a release form for any rider under the age of 18. Parents/guardians should carefully assess each child’s ability to ride safely on the course to guarantee their child can ride without endangering themselves or other riders. All riders should enjoy a positive experience and not attempt to perform beyond their abilities. The staff of the bike-a-thon reserve the right to remove any rider from the course that they deem is creating an unsafe environment for the other riders.

Course Map
See attached

Location
Spotsylvania Courthouse Village - at the intersection of Brock Road. and the new Courthouse Road / Route 208 Bypass. The starting point is next to the gazebo.

Directions
From the south - take exit 118 (Thornburg exit) head west to your 2 nd light (+/- 4 miles). Turn right on rt 208 and follow through the Spotsylvania courthouse area to the site.

From the north - take exit 130 (Route 3 / Fredericksburg exit). Head east to Route 1. Turn right on Route 1 (South) and go to Lafayette Blvd./Courthouse Road light - Four Mile Fork area. (just beyond Hardies). Turn right and follow to site.

Food
Three meals will be served: 1) dinner Saturday, 2) breakfast and 3) lunch Sunday. Each meal time will last for only two hours. Snacks and beverages will be available during the entire 24 hour period. Food will be provided to riders wearing their bracelets only. We are not set up to collect money for food at the event so spectators must not expect to eat with the riders.

Camping
A campground area will be provided near the starting line to kick back and relax, enjoy your fellow riders or to just take a nap. The designated area will open at 10am Saturday. Riders will need their packet, rider # or bracelet to be allowed access. All campsites are on a first come first serve basis. There is no camping outside the designated area. No admittance to the campground Friday night. No promotions or solicitations in the campground. The campground is an alcohol free and smoking free environment. Please do not bring alcoholic beverages to the event. Be respectful of those around you. Please clean up your area before leaving. Open campfires, flames, generators, cars and trailers are not allowed in the campground.

Gear
All riders are required to furnish their own two wheel bike and a properly worn ANSI / Snell approved helmet. If riding after dusk, a rider must have a headlight and a tail light for their bike. Riders must also have any batteries necessary to maintain that lighting throughout the night. No rider will be allowed to ride after dusk without a lighting system. Optional equipment would include reflective tape and clothing, water bottles and sunscreen. All bikes must have a functional braking system. Absolutely no rollerblading, jogging or pushing strollers on the course.

Packet Pick Up
Begins at 9am Saturday at the registration table under the gazebo. Ridersmust pick up their packet in person and show a valid id to participate in the event. Each rider will be expected to wear a wrist band throughout the entire event and display a number on their bike. Riders will need to fulfill their fundraising minimum commitment before receiving their packet. Participants under 18 years of age must have a parent/guardian present to pick up their packet. All riders under the age of 18, must have adult supervision throughout the event.

Parking
Volunteers will be available to assist in steering you to available parking starting at 8am Saturday morning. There will be plenty of parking available for all riders and spectators but it never hurts to carpool if possible.

Spectators
Spectators will be allowed in designated areas. They will not be allowed on the course and must follow all rules and safety information.

Safety Information
Riders must assist in the effort to keep the 24 Hour Bike-a-thon a safe and enjoyable event. Entering and exiting the course will only be allowed near the start/finish line. There will be a right side exit to go directly into the campground and a left side exit to take you to the gazebo area for food, drink, repairs, first aid or entertainment. The course will be well marked, barricaded and coned-off to local traffic. Riders are asked to report any incidents involving unsafe bicycle riding or automobile operation. Course volunteers will have volunteer shirts and orange safety vests so they can be easily located. Cyclists are required to ride under control, at a safe speed and at a safe distance from other riders. Helmets must be worn properly at all times. Riders must obey all traffic laws. Be aware of other riders, vehicles and pedestrians while on the course. Pass carefully. Ride on the right, pass on the left. Verbally communicate with other riders with indicators such as “on your left”, “slowing”, “stopping”. Signal right or left if you are exiting the course. Make sure your bicycle is in safe, riding condition. Tires should be properly inflated and wheels and seats should be tight and secure. Only experienced riders should ride in pace lines. Cyclists choosing to ride at night must have effective lighting systems on both the front and the back of the bike. The use of head phones or cell phones while on the course is prohibited. Riding after consuming drugs or alcoholic beverages is expressly forbidden. Dangerous riders will be removed from the course. Careless, reckless or inconsiderate riding will result in a warning after first incident and removal from the course for second offense.

Parade Lap
The Parade Lap is the first and last lap of the event. The first lap will start right at 2pm Saturday and the last lap will start at 1:50pm Sunday. This lap is to celebrate our top fundraisers and special guests and serve as an inspiration and sense of pride among the entire group.

FAQ’s (frequently asked questions):

1) How on earth does someone ride for 24 straight hours?
Believe it or not, a few riders do ride the entire 24 hours solo with some completing as many as 250-325 miles. The feeling of accomplishment is amazing. Most riders, however, take breaks as they need them. Setting a goal for total mileage is a smart approach. Rest, fluids, nutrition and setting a smart pace are all essential to reaching a rider’s goal.

2) Do I have to ride the whole time?
Absolutely not. Take breaks as frequently as you need but remember to enter and exit the course in the proper manner near the start/finish line.

3) How should I train to prepare for the ride?
Your riding preparation will depend on your goals for the event. If you are hoping to do 20 miles, you should be able to do that by just dusting off your old Schwinn and coming to the event. If you are setting higher goals of 50, 100, 150, 200 or more, start training as soon as possible. Indoor cycling classes at local clubs along with many types of cross training could be accomplished now, while we are waiting for Mother Nature to give us a chance to get outside on the roads.

4) How long is one loop?
Almost exactly one mile.

5) Do I have to camp to enjoy the event?
No, if you are from out of town, there are several hotels within a few miles of the event. We can assist you if this is important to you. If you are local, you may go home and sleep in your own bed if you wish. Just remember to bring your wristband and number along with all the essential gear, when you return.

6) I want to do this 24 hour bike-a-thon thing. How do i sign up?
There is a registration form on our website: www.cyclingtheloop.org under the 24 Hour-Bike-a-Thon link. Just fill out and mail to the address provided. There is no on line registration this year.

7) Can we register the day of the event?
We have a ride capacity of 300 riders. If we reach that limit, only the waiting list is available. If someone cancels, then their position will become available to the first name on the waiting list - and so on. If we do not reach our limit, we will accept registration on the day of the event.

8) Will the event be cancelled if the weather is bad?
In the event of catastrophic weather, the event may be cancelled. It will go on as long as the weather conditions do not jeopardize the safety of the participants. In the event of a cancellation, refunds will not be offered. Any money collected but not spent will be donated to the organizations listed above.

9) What do i get for participating?
Besides a warm fuzzy for supporting such a great cause, you will receive a 1 st annual Bike-a-Thon T-shirt and a goody bag at registration. Each rider will be given a free raffle ticket for reaching the minimum fundraising goal plus an extra raffle ticket for each additional $20.00 raised. Since there are some great prizes in the raffle, this could be an awesome incentive.

10) Who should participants and donators write their checks to?
Troop 165. They are the host of the cycling the loop event and they will serve as the treasurer for the Bike-a-Thon event. Once the event is complete, troop 165 will issue checks to each of the participating non-profit organizations.

11) Why did you choose to donate to the organizations you chose?
The local trails groups are working very hard to offer our community a trail system that will exceed 100 miles. That will connect our citizens in a way that will open our area up to a healthy alternative to seeing the battlefields, schools and downtown Fredericksburg. The boy scouts are celebrating their 100 th anniversary in 2010 and the group of eagle scouts that are preparing to ride 2000 miles to help celebrate that birthday are the driving force behind the creation of this event. Please read more about the cycling the loop event on our website: www.cyclingtheloop.org

12) Can donations be mailed directly to you or do I need to send them?
Either way is acceptable. If the donations are mailed directly, please make sure they make a note that tells us what rider they are supporting so your account can be credited properly.