Thank you for riding with us! The following questions and answers provide you with all of the information you need to know for participating in Bike Up Northumberland! If you have additional questions do not hesitate to contact Natasha Jacobs at 905.372.6811 x3065 or email njacobs@nhh.ca OR Catherine Holt at 705.653.1140 x2104 or email cholt@cmh.ca Q. What do I receive for participating in the ride? Riders are in for a treat. By participating in the 3 rd Annual Home Hardware Bike Up Northumberland! you will receive the following: A limited edition ride dry-wet t-shirt Access to refreshments along the route A voucher for a free burger and drink at the post-race BBQ hosted by the Campbellford and Cobourg Lions Clubs A feel good feeling for doing something healthy for yourself as well as for the health of others! Q. How much does it cost to register for the event? Registration fees are as follows: $50 early bird registration fee (Until July 31st) $60 registration fee from July 31st September 9th $75 registration fee on day of event Special Family Registration: $50 for up to 2 adults and 4 children under 16 for the 5 km and 10 km rides only Q. I understand that this is a charity cycling ride. Is fundraising optional? Yes. Collecting pledges is encouraged. If you choose not to fundraise or collect pledges, just register and ride.
Q. How do I register? Riders can choose their own distance: 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100km along the Waterfront Trail. Ride at your pace and take in our local cycling trails! Online Registration 1. Click here: www.bikeupnorthumberland.ca 2. You will have the option of registering as an individual or family. You can also create a team. 3. You will be asked to create a profile with your email and a password. 4. Fill out your contact information; choose your race distance and your t-shirt size. Don t forget to read the waiver! 5. Finally, if you are collecting pledges - create your personal fundraising message by naming your ride, uploading an image and writing a brief message as to why you re riding. 6. You re done! Now you have a link to post on social media or email to family and friends to ask them to pledge you in your ride. Q. Where does the event start? Donegan Park on D Arcy Street (south of King Street) in Cobourg is the host site for the 3 rd annual Home Hardware Bike Up Northumberland! The start/finish/registration areas are in the south part of the parking lot near the skateboarding park. Q. Where do the rides start and end? Each ride will start at a different time with the longest distance (100km) heading off first. The approximate finish times are based on average times and distances. Please ensure you allow enough time to register, drop off any donations and collect your ride t-shirt. Riders are asked to be in the start area 15 minutes before their ride begins. Distance Registration Time Start Time Approx. Finish Time 100km 7:00 a.m. 7:45 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 50km 9:00 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 25km 10:00 a.m. 10:45 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 10km 10:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 11:45 p.m. 5km 11:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Q. Is there parking available at the event site? Yes. There will be designated event parking in the north end of the parking lot. Donegan Park is open to the public; however, there is more than enough space for our riders. Bicycle racks will also be available for riders to park and lock up their bikes before and after their rides. Q. What do I do when I get to Donegan Park?
Sign in at the registration table, which is located at the south end of the parking lot near the skateboarding park. You will need to collect your bib number and sign the event waiver. You can also submit your pledges and donations upon registration. Once you are registered you will receive a t-shirt ticket which you can take to the t-shirt table, which is also in the registration tent. You will receive your BBQ voucher after you dismount your bike at the finish line. If you haven t pre-registered no worries! You can register for the route on the day of. Just bring your pledges to the registration tent when you arrive! We just ask that you be in the start area at least 15 minutes before the start time! Q. What should I bring with me? A good cyclist is always prepared! Here is a checklist of things to bring with you: A helmet (all riders are required to wear a helmet for the ride) A bike pouch that fits your cell phone, driver s license and health care Basic tools: Allen key multi-tool, flathead & Phillips screwdrivers, electrical tape Spare tube, tire levers & CO2 A bottle of water or water belt for the 50km or 100km Race food for your bike pouch (there a refreshment stations at each turnaround point) Sunglasses And don t forget to wear appropriate shoes, socks, and shorts (you will receive a ride t-shirt when you check-in) Winter/rain clothes (being caught off-guard can make for a miserable race) including base layer, arm/leg warmers, etc. Post-race, warm change of clothes (change out of chamois as soon as you can) Cycle Transitions will be onsite at Donegan Park to provide complimentary bike mechanic service before and after your ride. We will also have sweepers riding the route just in case you need on road assistance! Q. How do I fundraise? Bike Up Northumberland! is a joint-event benefiting Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation and Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation. Funds raised will be equally distributed to both Foundations to support the purchase of life saving medical equipment. Fundraise online! If you registered online then you ve also created a personal fundraising page. You can share your page link on social media or email it to your friends and family asking them to pledge your ride. To get the link to your personal page follow these steps:
1. On your registration acknowledgement e-mail from CCN (Subject line: Bike Up Northumberland! Registration Confirmation!) Click on Start Fundraising link: 2. Follow the instructions to start asking your friends and family to support your ride. Fundraise offline by collecting cash and cheques! There is a pledge form available for download and/or printing on the Bike Up Northumberland Registration Page. As you collect cash and cheques from your family and friends please record their name and address so that we can thank them on your behalf and issue them a donation receipt. You can bring your pledges and donations to Donegan Park with you when you register. Please make cheques payable to Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation or NHHF. Cheques also be made payable to Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation or CMHF. Q. What do I do with the donations that I collect? There will be donations tables at the registration booth when you arrive at Donegan Park. All cash and cheques can be submitted with your pledge form when you register/check-in for your ride. Q. I created a personal fundraising page when registering online. How do I access my page to fundraise and to see who has donated to my ride? If you click on the link below you will be taken to the event page:
www.bikeupnorthumberland.ca To sign in please follow these steps: 1. Click on Login located on the top right corner of the page 2. Enter your email address you used to register 3. Enter your password 4. You are now signed in to access your personal page click on the grey box in the top right corner of the page where you see your email a drop menu will appear, click on My Pledge Pages 5. Click on Details Update next to your fundraising page name. 6. Click on Edit Pledge Page to make any changes you wish, such as your fundraising goal and your personal story. You can edit this at any time. Don t forget to click the blue Save button at the bottom when you re done and before switching tabs! 7. You can choose a different image by uploading a new one from your files. If you want to share your page publicly or in an email use the URL link in your browser field select the entire URL link, copy and paste! Q. What route will I be cycling? Bike Up Northumberland! follows the scenic Waterfront Trail from Cobourg to Presqu'ile Park in Brighton. Each distance has its own turnaround point: 5km: Turn around point is Hawthorne Ave., Cobourg 10km: Loops the Industrial Park between Normar Rd and Willmott St., Cobourg and back to Donegan Park 25km: Turn around point is the Nauwatin Nature Sanctuary at Keewatin Drive in Grafton 50km: Turn around point Is the Keeler Centre in Colborne 100km: Turn around point is the Brighton Lighthouse in Presqu ile Park All routes will be following Zone 4 of the Waterfront Trail. For a detailed map of the Trail visit: http://www.waterfronttrail.org/images/pdf_downloads/wt-zone4.pdf Q. Are there time limits to complete the ride? Yes. We are allowing 5 hours for the completion of the ride (time based on 100km route). We will have riders sweeping the route to ensure no one is left behind. If you would like to finish the ride at your own leisure you may; however, please note that you are only covered by our event insurance within the designated time of the event, which is from 7:45a.m. to 1p.m.. Our course marshals and sweepers will leave their posts at this time. Q. Are the roads closed for this event? No. All roads will be open to local traffic. Riders must obey the Ontario Highway Traffic Act at all times. Cobourg Police and OPP officers and auxiliary members will be posted at busy intersection to help direct traffic where right hand turns are required. Only police offers and auxiliary members have the authority to stop traffic. All riders must follow the rules of the road at all times.
Q. Are there signs on the roads for the ride? Yes. The route will be well marked with arrows and way finding signs. Course marshals will also be stationed along the route for assistance or to guide riders. Q. Are there rest stops with food, and water on the rides? Yes. Refreshment stations will be set up at each turnaround point for each distance. Water, bananas and oranges will be handed out to riders. Refreshment stations will also serve as rest stops. Q. What do I do if I need assistance? It is a good idea to ride with a small pouch that will hold your phone, driver s license and health card. If you are lost or need bike assistance call the Ride Coordinator at 289.251.3171. If you become injured, are in distress or for any EMERGENCY immediately call 911. Q. Do you need volunteers to help? Of course we do! We are looking for volunteers for the following: Registration (Start and Finish Line) Location: Donegan Park, Cobourg Time: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Responsibilities: registering riders, collecting donations, handing out race bibs, organizing riders at the start line, welcoming riders at the finish line, and distributing swag bags to riders after their ride. Course Marshals Location: Various positions along the Waterfront Trail (ride route); 2 volunteers at each marshal stop Time: 830 a.m. to 1 p.m. Responsibilities: Hand out oranges, apples and water to riders as they pass your refreshment station, work with police officers if stationed at major intersections, watch for any injuries or distressed riders, communicate by text/phone back to ride headquarters at Donegan Park, act as way finders ensuring riders are following the designated route, and most importantly, cheer on our riders as they pass you! If you are interested in volunteering please email Maria Siemiaszko at kaywilgar@hotmail.com. Q. Is Bike Up Northumberland! a cycling race? No, this is not a race. All riders must adhere to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act including stopping for stop signs and stoplights and riding not more than two abreast on all roads and in single file on busier
roads. The purpose of the event is to provide a safe enjoyable day of cycling along the Waterfront Trail for a wide range of cyclists, and raising funds for our two county Hospitals. Novice riders and small children with their families can ride on the friendly 5km and 10km routes and more experienced riders can try the 25km, 50km or 100km rides. You will receive a bib when you register so that we are able to identify you as an event participant. No time chips or devices will be provided. Q. Can I register for one ride and switch to another ride? Absolutely! Either let us know when you check-in at Donegan Park, or, if you re out on your ride and you feel like extending your distance just let the course marshal know at the turnaround point so that we are aware that you re rider further than your original start distance. Q. Will the event be canceled if it is raining? This event is rain or shine! If there is torrential rain we will delay the start of the ride until the weather clears. If there is severe lightning, the start will be delayed until the weather clears. Dress for the weather and reduce the speed of your cycling if required! Pedaling in the rain is fun anyway! Q. Are there any special rules of the road when riding the Waterfront Trail? All riders must obey the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. Under that legislation, bicycles are considered vehicles and so the Act applies. This means that riders must stop at stop signs and stoplights. A rolling stop is not permitted. Failure to do so could result in a fine. Because bicycles usually travel at a lower speed than a vehicle, there are two rules of the road to which cyclists must pay special attention to: 1. Slower traffic stays right 2. Slower traffic must give way to faster traffic when safe and practical In Ontario there is not a specific section which prohibits riding two abreast but the provision dealing with slower traffic giving way to faster traffic would require a cyclist in a situation with traffic in both directions on a two lane road, to move to the right, preferably in single file, so as to allow the faster traffic to pass safely. When passing other cyclists, always pass on the left and verbalizes your intentions (e.g. Passing on your left or On your left ). Inform other riders of potential road hazards such as potholes, gravel and debris. Bike bell all bicycles are required to have a bell or horn in good working order. Helmets in Ontario, every cyclist under age 18 must wear an approved bicycle helmet. Bike Up Northumberland! requires all cyclists, adults and children, to wear an approved helmet. For more information about the rules of the road visit the MTO s Bicycle Safety site: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/bicycle-safety.shtml
Q. Do you have a rider safety handbook? The MTO Bicycle Safety guidelines has an excellent guide to safe cycling and can be viewed here: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/pdfs/cycling-skills.pdf Q. Where can I get additional information? Questions about registration, fundraising or any other event specifics can be sent to our staff team at njacobs@nhh.ca or cholt@cmh.ca.