RAINSTORM 2019 Host hotel Hampton Inn Richmond, 455 Commerce Road, Richmond, Indiana, 47374. Phone: 765-966-5200. The option to reserve a room at the host hotel was available when you registered. You may wish to reserve a room for the Saturday evening after RAIN. Indiana State Park Inns Check in: 4PM (rooms are likely to be ready earlier) Check out: Turn your key in at the front desk. Plan to be on the route by 8AM at the latest. Note: Indiana is on Eastern Daylight Time. Laundry service The Indiana State Park Inns do not have laundromats. The first opportunity to do laundry will be Thursday, at the Courtyard Marriott in Bloomington. Welcome to our 12th year! RAINSTORM is a challenging, high-mileage event that travels through scenic, hilly southern Indiana. Participants have completed it in preparation for cross-country cycling trips, long course triathlons, or as personal a fitness challenge. Starting from Earlham College in Richmond, you ll ride to Brown County State Park on Monday, then to Clifty Falls and Spring Mill State Parks on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday evening will be spent in the heart of Bloomington, home to Indiana University s flagship campus. On Friday you ll gradually leave hilly RAINSTORM 2018 1
Ride Across Indiana: Same Thing, Only Ride More July 2019 terrain behind as you continue west to Terre Haute. On Saturday, you ll be up early to join more than 1,000 other cyclists as part of the annual RAIN (Ride Across Indiana) event from Terre Haute to Richmond--One Day, One Way, 160 miles. Pre-Ride Activities Sunday evening in Richmond Destinations & meals Sunday, 7/14: Hampton Inn Richmond, 765-966-5200 Monday, 7/15: Abe Martin Lodge, Brown County State Park, 812-988-4418 Tuesday, 7/16: Clifty Inn, Clifty Falls State Park, 812-265-4135 Wednesday, 7/17: Spring Mill Inn, Spring Mill State Park, 812-849-4081 Thursday, 7/18: Courtyard Marriott Bloomington, 812-335-8000 Friday, 7/19: Drury Inn Terre Haute, 812-238-1206 Monday evening through Thursday morning, breakfasts & dinners will be served at our overnight destinations. Breakfast will begin at 6AM; most riders will be on the route by 7AM. Dinner runs from 5-8PM. Thursday & Friday evenings, dinner is on your own. There are restaurants within walking distance of our accommodations. Breakfast the morning of RAIN will open around 4AM at the Drury. RAINSTORM 2018 6-7:45PM: Informal group dinner at Galo s Restaurant. Dinner is optional and not included in your event registration, but all participants are encouraged to attend. This is our first opportunity to get together as a group. Galo s is just a few miles west of the Hampton at 107 Garwood Road. Visit their website at galositalian.com for the menu. 8-9PM: Packet pick-up and rider meeting at the Hampton Inn. Our first rider meeting will be in the conference room at the Hampton Inn. Packets containing your maps, luggage tags, parking pass, wristband, jersey and t-shirt will be distributed. Large items such as wheel sets may be packed on the baggage truck Sunday evening. All other bags will be loaded Monday morning at Earlham. Monday morning at Earlham College 6AM: Breakfast at the Hampton Inn 7AM: Baggage loading at Earlham in the Public Safety lot. Restrooms will be available in Public Safety (open 24 hours). 7:30-8:30AM: Riders depart from Public Safety as they are ready Parking for the week will be in the Public Safety lot. From the Hampton, drive west on Route 40, taking a left onto Earlham s main drive at the light. At the stop sign, turn left; turn left again into Public Safety. Please display your parking pass on your dashboard. More information about your baggage transport Bags will be brought into a conference room at each overnight location. The conference room will also be the place for post-ride massage therapy and chocolate milk. 2
Ride Across Indiana: Same Thing, Only Ride More July 2019 Laptops will go into plastic bins for transport. Ask for your laptop when you check into your room at the state park inns. In Bloomington and Terre Haute, laptops will be in the conference room with the rest of the luggage. They will not be left unattended or in an unlocked room. Rider support Mechanic Bill Hannah will be traveling with us again in 2019 as one of our SAG drivers. Additional mechanical services are available through bike shops in Bloomington & Terre Haute. Contact information will be in your rider packet. Be prepared to pay for parts & labor for all repairs. If you require nonstandard parts for your bicycle (for example, spokes, rims, tires & tubes), please bring them along for transport in the baggage truck. Schedule an overhaul for your bike 2-3 weeks prior to event. Our skilled massage therapist Valerie Roderick will be available to aid your recovery each evening for an additional fee. Her schedule fills quickly; we highly recommend booking in advance. Contact her at 812-240-0344 or vwimsett@yahoo.com. Please remember to tip Valerie for her services. RAINSTORM 2018 Out on the route: daily reminders Support vehicles (operating hours: 7AM-4PM) There will be two SAG vehicles on the route this year. The SAGs will carry a cell phone, water, Gatorade powder, snacks, a first aid kit, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and a floor pump. Each day s route will take you through several areas where water, food, snacks and ice may be purchased. Whenever possible, we provide individually wrapped snacks (and trash bags). Before replenishing your bottles and snacking at a SAG stop, we encourage you to use the hand sanitizer we provide. Even then, please avoid reaching into any food containers or coolers containing water or ice. Your SAG vehicle driver will have clean hands, and will assist you when asked. Lunch Lunch is on your own each day. Possible lunch locations are identified on your maps (paper and GPS), and will be discussed at rider meetings during breakfast (about 6:15AM). Be aware that some small, rural stores accept cash only. Getting help while riding If you need assistance, call a director s cell phone at 812-333-8176 (Kathy Smith) or 812-325-7818 (Mark Napier). If you are hospitalized, notify the organizers or the destination hotel as soon as possible. We recommend that you carry personal identification on your person (as opposed to on your bike--paramedics can t rely on identification attached to a bicycle because the bike may belong to someone else). A card with the daily emergency phone numbers will be provided in your packet. 3
Finding your way: signs, markings & maps We request that you follow the normal rules of the road that cars are expected follow. We provides markings to supplement state and local road signs. These directional markers consist of an R and a line pointing in the direction of travel--straight, right, or left. Packing list Cycling clothing: shorts, jerseys, socks, vest, jacket, arm warmers/coolers, tights, knickers, gloves, shoes, shoe covers, headband, rain gear Post-ride clothing: shorts, t- shirt, jacket, jeans, sandals or shoes Personal items: toilet kit, money, ID, insurance card, medication, glasses, contact lenses, sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm, chamois cream Electronics: laptop or tablet, Garmin, heart rate monitor, bike lights, cell phone, charging cables for each item Bicycle gear: tubes, extra tire, patch kit, frame pump or cartridges, wheel set, helmet, multi-tool, chain lube, water bottles or CamelBack Drop bag for SAG vehicles: nutrition (gels, bars and/or powder), electrolyte tablets or powder, any clothing you might want for the day On the route, look for three R marks at every major intersection: one well before, one at, and one after. You may see a single R at minor intersections and near stop signs, designed to reassure you that you re on the correct route. Intersections where you continue straight on a main road have not always been marked. Attend the morning rider briefings at breakfast (6:15AM) for specifics on the each day s route. The paper map is the official route; remember that road markings may have been altered, paved over, or otherwise obscured. Most, if not all, participants will have a GPS unit. Electronic maps and cue sheets are available through Ride With GPS. Links will be provided after routes are finalized. The final day: Ride Across Indiana Joining RAIN Our participants join the RAIN route directly from the Drury Hotel instead of riding or being transported to the official start line at St. Mary of the Woods College. Joining the route from the Drury is easy; we provide you with a map and directions. Your mileage for Saturday s route will be the same as if you d ridden from the official start. On Saturday morning, breakfast at the Drury Inn will begin at 4AM. Riders will form small groups and decide when to meet, and when to depart. Remember to wear your RAINSTORM jersey to receive kudos from other riders along the route. If you plan to leave before sunrise, use lights on your bike. Pack in a duffel bag or suitcase (wheels preferred) of no more than 40 lbs. RAINSTORM 2018 4
SAG support on RAIN Cycling safety tips Make sure your bike is in good condition. Carry items for basic repairs. Wear a helmet and bright clothing. Use lights if cycling before sunrise or after sunset. Carry at least two water bottles. Ride 2-3 feet from the right side of the road. Don t draft unless invited; always announce your presence when sitting on someone s wheel or passing. Call out road hazards and alert others to traffic. Move off the road when stopping for repairs or to eat & drink. The Ride Across Indiana has several well-stocked rest stops, and additional support is unnecessary unless a rider is unable to complete the course. Therefore, SAG service for RAINSTORM riders will consist of a single support vehicle traveling the route, checking in on riders at the official rest stops. If you cannot finish due to a physical or mechanical issue, call the driver for assistance. The finish line We ve made it a tradition to sit in the shade at the finish line and cheer on fellow RAINSTORM riders as they arrive. Chairs and chocolate milk will be provided for you. We also attempt to photograph as many finishers as possible. Collecting your gear After you cross the RAIN finish line, you ll shower at the college fitness center and collect your gear from the baggage truck. Bags will be unloaded around the truck, fairly close to the finish line. Laptops and wheel sets will be left inside the truck, which will be locked. You must request the key from Kathy or Mark to retrieve these items; then, lock the truck and return the key. Forgotten items will be mailed to you at your expense. In conclusion Thank you for joining us on this adventure. We look forward to guiding you through some our favorite areas in southern Indiana on beautiful, challenging routes. Obey all traffic laws. Riding two abreast is legal in Indiana. Train sufficiently and pace yourself for a week of hilly centuries. Know that if you leave the route on a shortcut, you ll be riding unsupported. Be prepared to ride in all weather conditions. RAINSTORM 2018 5