Team 224, Inc. Gateway Woods Ride 2018 Information Friday Night Hotel: Comfort Suites North 3302 E. Dupont Rd Fort Wayne, IN 46825 We have reserved a block of rooms that riders will need to reserve on their own by Friday, July 6th. Call (260) 480-7030 and reserve a room under Team 224 block. We encourage riders to get together to reserve rooms together. CARS FROM RITTMAN TO GATEWAY: If you are driving out to the Rittman area for the ride, we encourage you to CARPOOL with others in the area, or meeting a group in Leo. We will have limited drivers to bring cars back to Leo. If you need your car driven back to Leo, please let Team East know ASAP. Contact east@team224.org. RETURN TRIP / TRANSPORTATION: Everyone will need to arrange his or her own transportation home. Team 224 East does not provide transportation back to the starting point for you to pick up your vehicles. The Team 224, Inc. Facebook page is a good place to network for transportation. WEATHER: BE PREPARED FOR HEAT AND RAIN: Midwest weather in August can be very hot and humid so please be prepared to carry enough water between rest stops. Everyone should have at least 2 water bottles on their bike and/or a camelbak or similar device. We will provide water and Gatorade at the rest stops but please plan on bringing your own sport drink mix if you have a different preference. BE PREPARED TO RIDE RAIN OR SHINE. WE HAVE LIMITED FOLLOW CAR VEHICLES AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SHUTTLE EVERYONE IF IT RAINS. RIDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN RAIN GEAR. IT CAN GET SURPRISINGLY COLD WHEN YOU ARE WET, EVEN IN AUGUST. IF THERE ARE STORMS, SEEK SHELTER, BUT YOU WILL NEED TO CONTINUE RIDING AFTER THEY PASS.
CLOTHING: The Gateway Woods ride is a TEAM 224, INC. event and is not sponsored or controlled by Gateway Woods. What you wear during the ride is up to each individual rider. However, once we arrive on Gateway Woods property we want to be respectful of their requests. In previous years, they have asked that we be dressed modestly when we arrive. We will be able to change and freshen up at the library before riding into Gateway Woods for supper. Baggy or loose fitting shorts, khaki shorts or pants, wind pants, jeans, etc. are acceptable - Please, no uncovered spandex shorts when we ride into Gateway Woods. Thanks in advance for your support in honoring their request. We would like everyone to be wearing his or her Team 224 Riding Jerseys when we arrive at Gateway Friday evening. Plan to wear your Team 224 T-Shirts if you are attending auction on Saturday. The donated items by Team 224 are usually sold with the specialty items in the main tent at noon. We would like as many of our Team 224 participants as possible present when our items are sold. ROUTE: We are planning on finalizing and marking the route in late July. We will be posting the Route on MapMyRide / MapMyFitness with instructions on access once it is finalized. We will be marking the roads this year. If you are not using MapMyRide be sure to watch for the markings. SAFETY: All participants are voluntarily participating in this event. While Team 224, Inc. does all it can to make this event as safe as possible each rider, support vehicle participant or volunteer is ultimately responsible for their own actions. All Riders and Support Vehicle Drivers are required to be familiar with and obey all traffic signs and signals and follow the Rules of the Road for Bicycles in every State they are in. Each participant should carefully review the safety information provided on the Safety Page at Team224.org. HELMETS ARE REQUIRED. IF YOU ARRIVE WITHOUT A HELMET YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE UNTIL YOU OBTAIN AND WEAR ONE. Please continue to pray for a safe trip for both Team 224 West and Team 224 East as well as the auction, the programs, the staff and the residents at Gateway Woods. "For I was an hungered, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me..." Matthew 25: 36-37 Thanks - The Team 224 East Planning committee
Team Ride Requirements 2018 Please read carefully below to prepare yourself for the ride. As mentioned on the website, the East ride is pretty advanced and will require significant training, group riding experience, and the proper equipment. Physical training on your bicycle is the best thing you can do to prepare for the ride. You MUST train on your bike between now and the start of the ride. If you do not think you will be able to train at least 400 miles, you will most likely be underprepared. Riding in a group is the greatest tool that you can use to make the ride easier and quicker. Group riding, however, is dangerous and takes great concentration. Please familiarize yourself with how to properly ride in a group and the benefit of drafting. In addition, if you are a male, you will be expected to pull (lead the group) for some amount of time, so focus on riding at a steady pace. Please practice riding together in a group, with those in your area. Finally, your equipment is imperative to your success on the ride. We are requiring that you have a true road bike (not a hybrid, unless previously cleared). A road bike has thin tires and is light in weight. If you have any questions on your bike, please email a photograph to east@team224.org. Also, make sure your bike is ready to go before the Wednesday predeparture meeting including changing any old tubes or purchasing new tires if they are worn out. We are looking forward to SAFE and enjoyable ride. Because of the high risk that is involved in this event, absolutely NO horseplay will be tolerated while riding on the road. Not only will you be a danger to yourself, you will also endanger those around you. We are so glad you decided to join a great group of riders this year, and pray that it can be a blessing to all involved! Please reach out to east@team224.org if you have any questions or concerns.
Team East Schedule 2018 Wednesday 8/1/18 Check-In starts at 6:30 pm (Prepare Equipment, take a test ride on the County Line Trail, ect...) Meeting starts at 7:00 pm During this meeting we will briefly go over safety, last minute updates, and answer any questions about the ride. DAY 1 Thursday 8/2/18 5:30 am: Meet at Swiss Woodcraft Blacktop Parking Lot between buildings Please bring your luggage and drop it by the trailer with your name on each bag (do not put it in the trailer). NOTE: You will not see your luggage until Findlay, so anything you might need for the day (light jacket, extra shirt, etc.) leave out of your luggage. Items can go in the follow cars, but YOU are responsible for knowing which car. We will have tags to place on any bags in the follow car with your name. 6:00 am: DEPART FOR THE DAY! Country Inn and Suites in Findlay, OH Address: 903 Interstate Drive, Findlay, OH 45840 A trailer with the luggage will be driven to Findlay and will be in the parking lot. Once you arrive to Country Inn & Suites, please put your bikes in the empty trailer until full and see the conference room for your room key and luggage. There will be a bag to drop off your laundry in the conference room we will only do your laundry if your clothes are clearly marked with your initials! Time TBA Chipotle dinner will be provided Time TBA Praise singing & short devotions
DAY 2 Friday 8/3/18 5:40 am: Breakfast opens at the hotel 6:10 am: Be outside with your bike ready to go 6:20 am: Leave Findlay, OH Leo, IN We will wait at the Grabill Library for everyone to arrive Once everyone arrives, we will coordinate with Team West (who will be meeting at Leo AC Church) and ride in together At Gateway, we will take a group picture upon arrival of both teams together (please stick around and wait for instruction for this) and then eat dinner at Gateway At this time, we will be loading up bikes to send back to Rittman area. Please take care of your bike at this time, so we can stay organized. If your bike is going home another way, you may store your bike in the Gateway garage for the weekend. After dinner, transportation will be provided to the hotel in Fort Wayne o If you are not staying at the hotel in Fort Wayne, please make arrangements to be picked up at Gateway (if your car is being driven from Rittman, OH, it will either arrive Friday night or Saturday morning directly to Gateway) Last year drivers from Gateway Woods shuttled us to the Comfort Suites after supper. There is no organized transportation back to Gateway Woods Saturday morning if you plan attending the auction. There are usually a lot of people staying at the Comfort Suites and other nearby hotels.