Rider Information
We look forward to seeing you on ride day! Our all-volunteer crew and sponsors bring Radical Hospitality to every corner of the event, focused on a well-supported, fun, and safe ride. The ride occurs rain or shine, and we have a no-refund policy — but if you can no longer attend, you may transfer your registration or ask us to mail your rider packet and goody bag. In the case of a severe weather threat, the ride will be cancelled and may be rescheduled.
Before ride day — what to bring
- A properly fitting helmet — required at all times while riding
- Sunglasses or safety glasses (some roads were chip-sealed this year; loose gravel can fly off a rider's rear tire)
- A bicycle in safe working condition — it's your responsibility to check it beforehand
- Tire change kit: tubes plus a pump or CO2 cartridges
- Two water bottles or a hydration pack
- ID, emergency contact info, medical insurance card, and blood type
- Lip balm, insect repellent, sunscreen
- A towel for post-ride
Packet pickup & registration
Full packet pickup, check-in, and registration times are on the Registration page schedule. Come early if you can!
All riders must have their bib number visible on their bicycle or clothing for safety. You'll also need your color-coded wristband (with SAG, emergency numbers, and rest stop mileages), your safety tracking chip, and your bicycle tag. If you picked up your packet Friday evening, you'll still need to collect your safety tracking chip on Saturday before the ride begins.
You'll be asked for an emergency contact and phone number at sign-in. If we can't reach you at the end of the ride and your safety tracking chip hasn't been returned, we'll notify that contact — so it's important not to forget to turn it in. There is a $25 charge for any safety tracking chip that isn't returned.
Changing routes: if you decide on a longer or shorter route than the one you registered for, update your registration at bikereg.com or let us know at check-in. We'll give you the correct map and a sticker matching your new course color.
On-site registration is available during the same window as packet pickup. Register at one of our laptops or fill out the paper form near the on-site table, then bring it to the registration table — we accept cash, check, or debit/credit card, and you'll receive your rider packet on the spot.
Door prizes for pre-registered riders are handed out during packet pickup and registration this year. So, register online ahead of time to have a chance at some great prizes.
Parking & arrival
Take Exit 2 off I-85 (Forest Avenue or Mulberry Street), heading South away from Jackson Hospital. Turn right onto Fifth Street, then right onto Pineleaf, and park near the Start/Finish area by the New ASU Football Stadium.
The stadium hosts registration, packet pickup, breakfast, the post-ride meal, and showers. Breakfast time and menu are on the Registration page schedule.
Routes, wristband colors & staging
Route maps, wristbands, and cue sheets are color-coded by course, and road arrows match your course color. Pink markings appear on every route — if you see pink, you're going the right way.
In the staging corral, riders choose a section that matches their preferred riding pace, then self-seed by average speed within it — this is what puts faster riders together and lets everyone enjoy the ride at a comfortable pace, so it's worth taking a moment to stage with the pace group, or the people, you actually want to ride with. Groups of 20 move to the start line two abreast, fastest groups first. See Riding safely & sharing the road below for why we start this way.
Riding safely & sharing the road
This is a ride, not a race, and the course stays open to motorists the whole day. We ask a lot of the drivers who share the road with us — so it's on all of us as riders to make that easy for them, and to look out for each other while we're at it.
Why we start in waves of 20, two abreast: Alabama law does not allow cyclists to ride more than two abreast on the road. Beyond the legal limit, a large pack of riders spread across a lane makes it difficult or impossible for a car to pass safely, which frustrates drivers and creates real risk. Starting each group of 20 two abreast, fastest riders first, keeps the field naturally spread out over the course so drivers are never stuck behind a wall of cyclists.
On the road: obey all traffic laws — stop signs and lights apply to you just as they do to cars. Ride single-file whenever traffic, road width, or visibility calls for it. If you're riding two abreast, stay alert for vehicles approaching from behind and single up quickly to let them pass. Be courteous to drivers and to the neighbors who live along the route — a wave or a "thank you" goes a long way toward keeping these roads open to us in future years.
Riding safely with other cyclists: we see a lot of riders who haven't spent much time in a group before, so a few basics worth knowing:
- Hold a straight, predictable line — don't swerve or drift without checking behind you
- Call out hazards to riders behind you ("hole," "glass," "car back," "stopping") and use hand signals for turns and stops
- Don't overlap your front wheel with the rider ahead of you — it's the single most common cause of group-ride crashes
- Look before you move over or change position in the group
- Pass other riders on the left, and call out before you do
Help each other, ride safely, and have fun out there. For the full policy, read our road rules.
On the course & at the finish
SAG wagons, State Troopers, Montgomery police, and county deputies are on course for assistance, with first aid and mechanical help also available at every rest stop. Call the number on your wristband for SAG support — cell coverage is uneven in places, so you may need to move to find a signal, or ask a fellow rider to relay for you. We also run HAM radio backup between our communications center, the rest stops, and SAG vehicles.
Rest stops offer fresh fruit, snacks, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Gatorade, Pepsi products, water, and restrooms, along with first aid and basic mechanical support. If you need a ride back to the start/finish from a rest stop, let the volunteers know and they'll arrange transportation.
Every route has a sweeper — a designated rider whose bib reads END followed by the route number, for example END-35 on the Smell the Roses route. Their job is to make sure no rider finishes alone, and their pass through each rest stop lets that stop and the Ride Directors know the route is clear. Whatever pace gets you to the finish, you got there under your own power, and that's something to be proud of — the sweeper riding those last miles with you is simply Radical Hospitality in action.
Check-out runs 10:30am to 5:45pm. When you finish, turn in your safety tracking chip and sign out so we know you're safely in — the course is swept after the last rider, and we'll notify your emergency contact if you haven't checked out by the time sweep is complete. A finisher's photo (posted to our Facebook page) is taken at the finish, followed by a full post-ride meal with vegetarian options — menu details are on the Registration page.
Football locker rooms are available for showering afterward — bring soap, shampoo, and a change of clothes, and please clean up after yourself since we're guests in the facility.
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