Welcome Packet

Welcome Packet Contents Four Things to Do Before Event Day (Must read!) Page 2 EVENT DAY: START Information (Schedule, What to Bring, Rider Support, etc.) Page 4



EVENT DAY: FINISH information (Schedule, Parking, etc.) Page 7 IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY Page 8 COURSE MAPS (Attached)

FOUR THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE EVENT

1. Come to Early Packet Pick Up at Sports Basement on Tuesday, May 10th Get an extra 10 minutes of sleep and pick up your registration packet early. Sports Basement will host our Early Packet Pick Up from 5:30-8:30 PM on Tuesday, May 10th. This is also your time to shop for any last minute ride gear you need as Sports Basement will offer 20% discount off your purchase that night only! (Exclusions apply.) Location: Sports Basement 2727 Milvia Street Berkeley, CA 94703 2. Make sure you and your bike are ready to roll Make sure your bike is in good working order and safe to ride before you start. Keep it tuned-up, tires properly inflated, chain clean and well lubricated, and brakes and derailleurs properly adjusted and in good working order. If you are not sure your bike is ready, please schedule a check and/or tune-up at your local bike shop ASAP, so you’ll be ready on May 14th. Our top sponsor, Tip Top Bike Shop is offering registered riders a 10% discount from now until May 14th and will donate a portion of sales to R4R! A lightweight road bike is highly recommended to complete the 109-mile ride. All bikes, regardless of type, should be fitted with slicks (tires with smooth, not knobby, treads) to reduce rolling resistance to improve your efficiency and enjoyment of the ride. If you have not ridden at least one 60-mile ride in the past few weeks we highly recommend you do not ride the 109-mile ride. The 45-mile ride may be the right distance for you. In past years we have had a number of riders who either have had bicycles that broke down and were not repairable within in the first 30 miles or riders who were not physically prepared and had to be pulled from the course due to exhaustion. For additional tips, go to: http://bikeleague.org/content/smart-cyclingtips-0. 3. Arrange your Transportation To Vacaville And From Sacramento We have chartered two buses that can transport 100 people from Sacramento back to Oakland. Also, these same buses will provide transportation in the morning from Oakland to the starting line for the 45-mile ride in Vacaville. The buses will depart in the morning from Oakland Tech by 7:30 AM. In the afternoon, buses will depart from Sacramento around 5:30 PM. Please purchase your ticket ahead of time as seats are limited. Buy your bus ticket(s) here. (Click on “Buy Bus Ticket & Clothing” in the side bar.) The bikes of the riders taking the buses will be transported by U-Haul trucks, very carefully loaded, and unloaded by trained volunteers; we are using moving blankets and bungee cords to secure and protect bikes during transport.



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Start for the 45 mile ride in Vacaville is Alamo Creek Park, located at Alamo Drive and Buck Avenue. From Interstate 80 (eastbound), take exit 53 for Alamo Dr. toward Merchant St. Go back over the freeway and drive about one mile to the park. For those taking the Amtrak Capitol Corridor home from Sacramento, it is a short bike ride away (< 10 minutes) at 4th and I Streets. Train fare to Emeryville or Oakland (Jack London Square) is $29, or $27 to Richmond, where you can transfer to BART. You must present a picture ID in order to purchase a train ticket. Amtrak has trains leaving Sacramento at 3:55 PM, 4:40 PM, 5:40 PM, and 7:10 PM. The 5:40 PM train should have extra bike rack space for us, typically in the last car. Remember, though, that we’re R4R, not Amtrak – conditions may change. 4. Read this! Ride Safety Reminders Bicycles must legally follow the same rules of the road as motor vehicles! • Be safe, be courteous. This is a ride, not a race.





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Helmets are required on our ride. Legally required for riders under age 18.

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No headphones, ear buds, or other listening devices on our ride.

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Obey all "Rules of the Road' as printed in the California Vehicle Code. A bicycle is a vehicle and subject to vehicle law.

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Obey all signal lights and stop signs.

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Share the road with cars and leave their share clear for safe driving.

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Ride as close as is safe to the right edge of the lane you need in the road. Don’t ride in gutter glass.

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Ride single file, particularly when traffic is present.

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Cyclists call out “CAR BACK” when there’s a car behind them. Let ‘em pass.

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Signal your turns and point out hazards to other cyclists.

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Pass other cyclists on the left only and call out "PASSING LEFT"

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All riders should carry an extra tube, patch kit, tools, and identification.

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Detach from angry drivers. You are wonderful, they are not.

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EVENT DAY: START INFORMATION

Location Oakland Technical High School 4351 Broadway Oakland, CA 94609 Schedule 5:30 - 7:15 AM ALL Riders check-in; remaining registration packets are picked up; rolling start 7:00 AM 45-mile Riders check bikes into Vacaville-bound trucks 7:15 AM 45-mile Riders board charter buses for Vacaville 7:30 AM Official 109-mile Rider Start 7:30 AM Charter buses and bike trucks depart for Vacaville Parking If you plan to drive to Oakland Tech: Street parking on Saturday morning is usually not a problem around the school. However, we encourage you to get dropped off, ride your bike, or carpool. If you do drive, please arrive early enough to have a few minutes to find a street spot within a couple blocks of school. There is no parking on school grounds. Check-In (5:30 to 7:30 AM) All riders, even those who attended Early Packet Pick Up on May 10th at Sports Basement in Berkeley, are asked to check-in at registration so that: a) We have an accurate list of who will be on the course; b) You receive the final route sheet in case of any changes; and c) We can confirm you are/will be wearing a helmet (required, NO EXCEPTIONS). Those who did not attend Early Packet Pick Up, your packet will be waiting for you. At check-in, you’ll also receive a 22 oz. Ride for a Reason water bottle; t-shirts will be distributed after the ride at the Finish Line in Sacramento. SELF-SERVICE BAG CHECK will be available! Breakfast and Coffee A light breakfast and coffee also will be available at check-in.

PLEASE WEAR BIBS ON BACK!



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Note: Early Packet Pick Up will take place Tuesday, May 10th from 5:30 – 8:30 PM at Sports Basement, 2727 Milvia St, Berkeley. What to Bring Please be sure to bring these items to check-in. They are required to participate and you will be asked if you have them! ü Helmet ü Photo ID Card ü Medical Card ü Spare tube ü Any specific snacks you just can’t live without (e.g. gluten-free) ü Water bottle We also strongly recommend that you bring a cell phone and some cash. We’ll provide one lunch (in Vacaville for 109-milers and in Davis for 45-milers), snacks, energy products, and beverages at all rest stops (see below). What to Wear Please pin your bib number on the back of your clothing – it’s easier for support people to see. Put it on the clothing that will be visible when you’re riding. Dress in layers so you can adjust to changes in weather! We can almost guarantee weather will be much warmer in Sacramento than when you started the ride! On a typical spring day, it will be 50 degrees and foggy in Oakland at 6:00 AM, and 90 degrees and clear by 3:00 PM in the Central Valley. Layers and clean clothes can be dropped off in the morning at Tech for transport to Sacramento. Bag Check At Oakland Tech High School, we will have a self-service bag check system where you bag your items that you’d like to have at the finish line in Sacramento. This will be run by honor system so we do not recommend placing any items of value in these bags. Please note that we do not have support for clothing to be dropped off with SAGs or at any of the rest or lunch stops, or left in the buses. Rider Support You will be supported throughout the day to help you make your ride great! We will provide breakfast, lunch, fluids, and snacks during the day. Rest Stops There are four rest stops and one lunch stop on the 109-mile course. Rest stops will be equipped with water, electrolyte drinks, snacks, first aid kit, bathrooms or portapotties, and rider enthusiasm to keep your energy up to get to the finish. Please see



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your route sheet for specific locations. Please note that Rest Stop #1 will open by 7:15AM, so super-early riders beware! SAG Vehicles In addition, SAGs (Support And Gear vehicles) will patrol all parts of the course and are there to provide support in between rest stops. They will have a magnetic R4R sign on their car for easy identification. They will be equipped with extra water, snacks and first aid kit, as well as be able to help with fixing a flat. They are also there to pick up riders who are not able to make it to the finish line in time. Our first SAG car will be on the road by 6:30AM. Course Marshals Both 45- and 109-mile routes will have riders who will provide assistance of all kinds and encourage safe riding. They can be identified by a bit of orange flash on their numbered bibs. Each route will have a designated “sweep” who stays with the last person on course until they arrive at the finish or are picked up by a SAG car at the cutoff time. Bathrooms We’ll have access to bathrooms at Oakland Tech during check-in. Some bathroom locations en route are noted on the route sheet. They include: the Island Park picnic area and Inspiration Point in Tilden Park; Starbucks and a public restroom in downtown Martinez; Rest Stop #2 located along Lopes Road/Highway 680; Alamo Park in Vacaville; Davis Rest Stop in Mace Ranch Park; and at the State Capitol. You may be able to use restrooms at businesses located in Suisun Valley, Fairfield, and Winters, but that’s up to you. Cut-Off Time Riders who are on the course and haven’t reached the Davis Rest stop by 3:00 PM will be stopped by a SAG car and asked to either: a) accept transportation to Sacramento in the support vehicle; or b) sign a waiver acknowledging that from that point forward they are aware that they will be riding unsupported. All SAG support vehicles will be off the course and at the rally in Sacramento by 4:00 pm. There will be no SAG support after that time. Other things to keep in mind Don’t start off too fast, or you may find yourself running out of steam before you reach Sacramento. It’s much easier and more fun to ride with someone else who is riding at your pace, so buddy up. You have so much in common! Make sure your tires are properly inflated. This step alone will make you much more efficient. Don’t ride in too high a gear or you will fatigue your legs too early. If it feels like you are pushing hard, you probably are in too high a gear (or perhaps you are climbing Pig Farm hill). Ideally, you should be spinning at about 80 revolutions per minute. Make sure to eat simple snacks or energy products once about every 45

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minutes or so. Hydrate regularly throughout the ride, particularly if it’s a hot day. You’ll find plenty of water on the course.

EVENT DAY: FINISH INFORMATION

Location State Capitol (North Side on L Street) 1315 10th Street (Rally will take place on L Street and 10th) Sacramento Schedule 1PM – 4 PM Riders arrive and check-in; relax, lounge, eat, make rally signs, pick up t-shirt, load bikes onto trucks 4:00 PM Short rally on the steps 5:00 PM Riders board charter buses or depart on their own 5:30 – 6 PM Buses and trucks depart for Oakland (ETA: between 7:00-8:00 PM) Parking If you plan to have family meet you at the finish line in Sacramento, please note that parking meters are in effect on Saturday. While many may now take credit cards, please bring coins just in case!

PLEASE WEAR BIBS ON BACK!



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IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY In the event of any life-threatening emergency, please call 911.

If you need immediate assistance while on the course, please call Event Organizer, Jessica de Jesus at (415) 279-1457. Please remember, SAG cars will also be patrolling the entire route until 4:00 PM. They will have a magnetic R4R sign on their car for easy identification. However, if you do not find one, please call Jessica at the number above.

YOUR AWESOME SAG DRIVERS NAME

PHONE

Kenneth Simpson and Zac Unger (1, 4 - Medic)

510-326-4680 (KS) 510-333-7735 (ZU) David Gibbons and Jean Parker (1, 4, 6) 510-332-5372 (DG) 510-290-6061 (JP) Daniel Brekke and Bonnie Trinclisti (2 ,5 - Medic) 510-928-3787 (DB) 510-812-6816 (BT) Stephanie Ribillard and _______ (2, 5) 510-390-0316 (SR) Cindy Wilson and Michelle Bilensky (3, 6) 510-387-1004 (CW) 510-917-1780 (MB) Sandy Binder (45-mile, Medic) 310-773-6643



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