Hey, What Am I Doing On THIS Page?
I love hearing from you -- it’s probably the best part of the job. But when it starts to get busy, it can be hard to answer every email as promptly as I would like. Here are answers to the most popular questions:
“Manhattan start line? Highland, NY start line? I don’t get it.”
No problem-o! Here’s the dirt:
ALL cyclists for ALL route distances start and finish the ride ONLY at Highland High School in Highland, NY. There are two ways to get to the start/finish line in Highland:
1. Get there on your own.
2. Sign up for our OPTIONAL round-trip transportation from Manhattan.
If you sign up for the Manhattan start line we’ll put your bike in a truck, we will put you in our bus or van, and drive you out to Highland, NY, which is where the pedaling starts. There is NO pedaling for this ride in New York City.
“I want to change the distance I’ll pedal, or the place where I’ll go for morning check-in.”
OK! This happens ALL the time! Just drop us an email at changes@ bike the river valley.com: “My name is August West. I was signed up to do the 100-mile route, but now I’ve decided to go for the 66 instead. The End.”
If it’s the last-minute and you decide to make a change, DON’T WORRY! No need to email or call. Just read here for ride-day details, and check in per usual. (Or skip the check-in entirely if you signed up for the Express Lane option during on-line registration.)
BUT...
“I didn’t sign up for the optional transportation from Manhattan, but now I need it after all.”
The transportation option WILL sell out. If you need this service, be SURE to register for it in advance. If you show up in Manhattan at the crack of dawn on ride day and you did not register for transportation, we’ll do our best, but we can NOT guarantee you a lift. (And we’ll charge you some ridiculous price, depending on what mood we’re in!)
If you’ve already registered for the ride but forgot to sign up for the transportation, it’s easy to make the change -- just send us an email by clicking here. The price is $70. (Compare this to the price of taking the public bus to the ride -- $79, and your bike travels SIDEWAYS in the luggage bay under the bus). Be sure to tell us your name, and be sure to include these words: “I authorize you to charge my credit card for transportation.” We will bill the same credit card that you used for ride registration. The usual Active.com service fees may apply, and we STILL don’t get any of that money!
“I forgot to buy a T-shirt or socks, but now I want them. Do I have to sign up for them in advance?”
YES. T-shirts and socks sell out. There MAY be some for sale at the finish line, but I wouldn’t bet on it! If you’ve already registered it’s easy to add stuff to your order -- complete info can be found by clicking here.
“Can I bring my kids? Do I have to pay for them?”
We encourage children on this ride. All kids who are 12-years-old or younger on ride day ride for free, and are eligible for free transportation to the ride. (That means that if they need a seat in our transport we’ll gladly provide it, but it is REALLY expensive for us, so if your child is very young and can ride on your lap, we’d sure appreciate it if things are crowded.)
You still MUST register children -- you just don’t have to pay for them. Don’t forget that EVERYONE on this ride MUST wear a hard cycling helmet, and that includes all children. Children 12-years-old and younger must be accompanied by an adult at all times during the ride.
If you sign up for our optional Express Lane service where we mail you your wristbands in advance, we will mail your kids registration materials to you too at no extra charge. If you choose not to buy the optional Express Lane service that’s fine -- you can pick up all of your registration materials on ride day at morning check-in at no additional charge.
“Can I bring my tandem or recumbent?”
Sure!
HOWEVER... many of the vehicles we use for our S.A.G. bicycle rescue service have standard bike racks on them. If you need bike rescue for your tandem or recumbent, we’ll take extra-good care of your bike and you, but please understand that it may take just a bit longer to pick you up if we need to send a special vehicle for you. When you call our S.A.G. headquarters to request help, be SURE to tell them that you have a recumbent or a tandem. Of course all of this leads to the next question...
“If I’m riding a tandem, does the stoker (rear cyclist) have to register and pay too?”
Only if they will eat, drink water, use the bathrooms, or look at the scenery! If you are taking our optional transportation home, both cyclists must sign up for it at the regular price. No problem fitting your tandem or recumbent in tour bike transport trucks.
“I signed up for the ride, but now I can’t make it.”
Sorry, but there are no refunds. Of any kind. For any reason. EVER. Why the hard line on refunds? The answer here. You can also find info there on how to sell your spot in the ride or transfer it to one of our other events.
Still have a question?
Are you sure? Each year I answer a zillion emails and they tend to fall in to five categories:
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1.Things that were explained on this web site in excruciating detail. (“Does this ride go near the Hudson River?” “What is the date of the ride?” “How do I register?” By the way, this sort of question seems to come almost exclusively from law-firm senior partners, bank vice-presidents, and pharmaceutical company CEOs. Hmm...)
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2.Unbelievably insane questions: "The web site says to arrive at morning check-in at 7:00 a.m. What time should I arrive at morning check-in?" (Previous winner: “How many red lights will there be on the ride?”)
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3.The unanswerable: "How long will it take me to pedal the ride?" (I dunno -- how fast can you pedal?)
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4.You gotta be kidding: "Can I start the ride from in front of my house, skip morning check-in, do the route in reverse order, and then get a ride to my cousin’s house after the ride?" (Umm... No.)
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5.I love you, but I do NOT have time for this: “I don’t have a bike, I don’t know how to get to Penn Station, I need to borrow a helmet, I can’t register on-line...” (This sort of email ALWAYS arrives about 12 hours before the ride when we are going absolutely nuts working day and night...)
If you're REALLY sure that you STILL have a question, I would be more than happy to help. (Honest!) Besides the usual batch of nutty emails, I get lots of notes every year from people with important, sensible questions and great advice for making the ride better, and I’d be delighted to hear from you. Send your email to
questions @ bike the river valley.com and I will answer it personally.
We Love You -- No; really! This time I mean it!
Glen
Your tour director and humble servant
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