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Event Details

The Bike MS: Round Up Ride 2008 presented by Discount Tire, will take place on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30, 2008 in Florence, Arizona. As always, Bike MS is fully supported with rest stops, medical personnel, and SAG (support and gear) vehicles to help along the way, and also includes an overnight party with food and entertainment.

Start, Overnight and Finish Area:
Heritage Park
600 North Main Street
Florence, AZ

Directions

Directions from Phoenix Area & West Valley From I-10 E towards Tucson Take the AZ-187/ AZ-387 exit, EXIT 185, toward COOLIDGE/ FLORENCE Take the AZ-387 N ramp toward AZ-187 N
Turn LEFT onto AZ-187/ AZ-387
Turn RIGHT onto AZ-387
Turn RIGHT on 87
87 turns into AZ-287 (do not turn right towards Coolidge)
Turn LEFT towards Florence on AZ-287 N and it will become

Main Street

Proceed to your parking lot of choice in Downtown Florence  

There is a lesser known route from 202 Santan Freeway

Take the 202 Santan Freeway E and

EXIT Arizona Avenue

Take

Arizona Avenue S

and turn LEFT at

E. Hunt Highway

(about 5 miles)

Bear RIGHT on AZ-87 S (about 240 feet)

Continue on AZ-87 S and it will become AZ-287,

Florence-Coolidge Highway

Stay on AZ-287, turn LEFT onto AZ-287 N and it will become

Main Street

Proceed to your parking lot of choice in Downtown Florence

Directions from Tucson Area
Take

N Oracle Rd

/AZ-77 N towards AZ-79 N
Turn LEFT onto AZ-79/ PINAL

PIONEER PKWY.

Continue to follow AZ-79 N
Turn LEFT onto

E 1ST ST

Proceed to your parking lot of choice in Downtown Florence 

Parking

• Download Parking Map

Please do not unload items at Heritage Park before parking.

At each color coded parking lot there will be a designated area where riders may place their labeled overnight items (sleeping bag, tent, personal luggage). All items MUST be labeled with your name, address, and phone number. All parking lots are close enough to Heritage Park so that cyclists can ride their bikes over from their parking lot.

Once you leave your luggage at your parking lot, it will be transported back to Heritage Park for you. Your luggage will be placed in a designated luggage drop area near the start and finish line, in color coded piles correlating with your color parking lot. Once you return from the ride you will find yours items and can set up camp.

Round Up Ride Amenities

 

Thinking about coming early? No problem! You can park your RV, pitch your tent, or sleep in the large circus-sized tent provided by the National MS Society on Friday night to get a jumpstart on Saturday morning.

The Posse is also hosting a steak dinner at Heritage Park on Friday evening from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., open to the public. The cost is $12.50 per person. (This meal is not included as part of the Round Up Ride participation)

Cyclists will be responsible for their own bikes on Friday. There is a fenced area where you can lock your bike for security. If you are camping out Friday night, please bring a bike lock. 

Saturday, March 29
Check-in will begin at 6:00 a.m. The ride starts at 7:00 a.m. on both days. Plan on arriving early!

To save time at check-in, please plan on attending one of the packet pick-ups before the ride.

What to Bring- REQUIRED

• Bib number, bike number
• Photo identification
• Helmet
• WMRC/Landis/Trek Uniforms – The Green Angels will be introduced at the start of the ride)

What to Bring- Recommended

• Water bottles and hydration packs
• Cash or checks
• Tire patch kit, spare tubes and tire pump (Paco will bring some extras, please have a camelback or seat pack to carry some extra’s with you)
• Sunglasses, lip balm and sunscreen
• Padded bike shorts and jersey
• Cycling gloves and shoes
• Medications
• Rain poncho
• Camera
• Cell phones, MP3 players, and other digital devices WILL NOT be allowed on the route due to safety reasons.

Route
Cyclists can choose from three route options on the first day: 36, 75 or 103 miles. Participants who ride the short route will be bussed to the finish line once they have reached the 36-mile marker. After the ride, bikes will be secured for riders until Sunday morning.

The route will close at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Visit the Route page for maps, turn by turns, support and safety information, and more.

Lunch
Lunch is provided by Subway and offered at Rest Stop 3 (the last stop for the 36-mile route option). Please note that lunch on Day 1 is for participant’s only. Non-participants will be responsible for their own lunch.

Activities and Overnight Celebration
After the ride on Day 1, hang out with other cyclists and celebrate each other’s accomplishments in moving toward a world free of MS. The evening includes a catered dinner, live music, dancing, a live auction, program, and New Belgium beer and more!

Visit the Saturday Activities Page for details on Dinner, the Overnight Celebration and Sleeping Arrangements.

Sunday, March 30
The ride starts at 7:00 a.m.. Riders may retrieve bikes starting at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

Breakfast
5:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.
The morning will start with a pancake breakfast provided by the Association of Florence Firefighters, IAFF Local 4512 and East Valley Firefighter Charities. Coffee and juice will also be provided. Breakfast is available to non-participant family and friends for $6 per person (Payment is check or cash only).

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
The pancake breakfast opens up to the public for a small fee. Pricing will be available soon.

Route
Cyclists can choose from two route options on the second day: 27.5 or 51.7 miles. Participants who ride the short route will be bussed to the finish line once they have reached the 27.5-mile marker.

The route will close at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Visit the Route page for maps, turn by turns, support and safety information, and more.

Lunch
After crossing the finish line, participants will enjoy a catered BBQ lunch from 10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. at Heritage Park. Lunch is free for participants and volunteers. Lunch is available to non-participants for $6 per person (Payment is check or cash only).

Participants are responsible for their own transportation home.

 

• A large circus-sized sleeping tent will be available for participants to sleep in on both Friday night and Saturday night. Please bring your own sleeping bag and pillow.
• Shower trucks will be available all day Saturday and Sunday. Participants must provide their own soap and towel.
• Massages will be provided at the finish area on Saturday and Sunday and are available in 15 minute time slots. The massages are free but tips are appreciated.
• A VIP tent will be available Saturday and Sunday afternoon for our Round Up Ride VIPs. Inside will be free goodies for VIPs to enjoy. Access to the VIP tent is provided only to individuals who raise $1,500 or more by Wednesday, March 26. Check the Fundraising Page for details on VIP tent activities. 
• “Strip and Ship” is provided along the route. Riders may take off jackets and sweatshirts at rest stops. Items are bagged and marked with a rider number and get transported to the finish area for your convenience.

Friday, March 28

To all Friends of Trek,

On March 10^th we lost Dick Burke, Founder or Trek Bicycles, to complications from heart surgery. 

Dick was a man that has touched all of our lives, directly or indirectly, in so many positive ways it’s impossible to measure.   Dick raised a great family, built the best bike company in the world and found time to give back to the community. 

Dick’s son John’s words more aptly describe him:

At his 70th birthday party, “The Big Guy” gave a memorable speech about his life and how he had planned to do one more great thing. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he had a feeling. As the days passed in the hospital and the odds stacked up against him I knew that the great thing would be that he would dance with death and beat it. I was sure of it. I had the party planned.

I was wrong, he did not beat death, but he did do something great. He fought like a warrior, and he died with dignity, class and honor. He died on his terms on Monday March 10th, 2008. He said goodbye knowing that his wife loved him, his kids loved him, and that he had so many friends all over the world who followed his fight pulling for him all the way. There is a reason that a man five foot eight is called “The Big Guy.”

He was a small man with a very big heart. He leaves behind a great spirit and legacy. Come join us in celebration of his life.  He leaves behind a spirit and a legacy that to whom much is given much is required.

He had 73 GREAT years and in the final sentence of a note that he left behind he signed off with…. “Thanks, it was a great ride.”

While friends and family celebrate Dick’s life in Wisconsin this week I thought we should do the same in Arizona.  Dick would rather we celebrate his life while riding bikes than mourning it in a jacket and tie.  Turns out he had a no suit coat rule so let’s ride our bikes in his honor instead…

When:     Sunday March 16^th – 10:00 a.m.                    

Where:   South Mountain – Gate house – main entrance off of Central

What:     Ride to the summit of South Mountain – meet at Spokes on Central and Dobbins to celebrate with a cold beer afterwards.  Dick wouldn’t have it any other way.

In celebration of Dick Burke,

Greg DeCori – Territory Manager Arizona – Trek Bicycle Corporation

 

 

When Trek helped me implement the idea for a “Let Levi Ride” campaign, I immediately recognized its potential to create positive energy in response to my and my teammates’ exclusion from ASO events, as well as its ability to unify cycling fans into one voice. With the Tour of California set to kick off, the timing couldn’t have been better. Since then, the outpouring of support from “Let Levi Ride” has been absolutely phenomenal. I’m more hopeful than ever this campaign will reach a critical mass and compel the ASO to reverse its decision. But I’m also realistic about long odds I’m facing.

 

Since the start of the campaign, I’ve come to a greater understanding of just how important this campaign really is. It may have my name attached to it, but this campaign isn’t just about me or my teammates. The issues that “Let Levi Ride” draws attention to are issues that affect all of professional cycling. Without question the doping scandals of recent years, and particularly those at last year’s Tour de France, have rocked the foundation of the sport and of the Tour. It’s understandable for the ASO to want to preserve the image of their race. No one disputes their right or their responsibility to do so. I love the Tour. It’s my life’s ambition to someday win it. What’s in question are the ASO’s tactics. In barring Astana, the ASO cited the “damages that this team has done to the Tour de France and to cycling in general.” But this team is not the team of 2006 or the team of 2007. This team, the team the ASO has barred from its races, is a brand new team under entirely new management. Given that fact, at the end of the day, the ASO’s justification for their decision boils down to: “because we said so.”

For professional cyclists, teams, sponsors, the sport in general, and especially the fans, the implications of the ASO’s decision are staggering. Without clearly stated rules that are fairly enforced on all teams, the ASO single-handedly controls the fate of both the cyclists who have dreamed and trained their whole lives to participate in some of the world’s most renowned races, and the sponsors who have invested millions of dollars to see their teams represented on the world’s biggest stages. To not speak out and fight for change is to surrender our sport to the whims of a powerful few.

More than ever it’s important that we ask questions of the ASO and demand answers. This fight isn’t about me. It’s about the sport and the races we all love. And it’s a fight worth fighting. 

Thank you again for your support. I’m confident that together we can change things for the better.

Levi

---

 

• Tell a friend about “Let Levi Ride.” Every voice matters.
• Send an email to the director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, urging him to reconsider Astana’s exclusion.
• Send an email to Versus, the U.S. holder of the television rights to the Tour de France, expressing your concerns about the ASO’s decision.
• Take the message to the streets by wearing a “Let Levi Ride” t-shirt.
• Download web banners to help get the word out.
• Learn about Astana’s anti-doping controls, the Damsgaard Program, so you’re armed with information about the dramatic steps Astana is taking to ensure a clean sport.

Thank you very much to Mary, Ashley, Cheryl, Bill,  & Chuck for helping with the sales of the event shirts this past weekend.  We started with 100 and now we’re down to 5 XL’s.  Priced at $10 each please contact Paco to get yours.  SOLD