GlennR

That's what I like about Cycle for Survival. All "overhead" is paid for by corporate sponsors. The indoor locations is donated by Equinox (gym). All the staff salaries, swag and give aways is covered by corporate sponsors, so 100% of every dollar does to research.

"100% of every donation to Cycle for Survival is directly allocated to research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center within six months of the events."

Many other charity events have a "fee" that participants pay and they get a tee shirt and do an activity. Some people also fund raise, but most don't. You have to decide if the "fee" is like buying a ticket to a sports event or it's a way of raising awareness and additional donations.

If all you want to do is ride... go find a local club and join their group rides.

Retro Grouch 

My biggest objection is all of the friends who hit me up for contributions for the MS-150 and such. I feel like I'm being asked to pay for their fun.

dedhed

Here these are ridden on public roads, which the public may ride on at any time, whether an "event" is sharing that road or not. I could see a possible liability if you used their sag or rest stops, but not for simply riding the route during the event.
.

indyfabz

You register for a ride and only THEN find out it's a charity event? I am calling B.S. on this rant.

bakes1

No offense but it is pretty ridiculous that anyone is complaining about a certain ride of any type not being tailored to their personal needs.
You don't like the parameters set forth by the organizers? Than maybe just skip it and zip it.
It takes a tremendous amount of planning and labor to organize an event.
OP never once referenced any labor or help on his part. I know he didn't mean to come off as ungrateful but his words show him to be.
Why should the organizers of charity events try to cater to people not wanting to help out or spend the extra cash needed to actually help the charity? If myself and a group of people want to take the time and effort to help a specific charity why shouldn't we try to maximize the amount of money our hard work generates?
OP and other serious cyclists looking for more events should quite simply organize their own low budget rides that benefit nobody except the cyclists on the ride.
It is that simple

Ron Harry

What I failed to see was the REQUIREMENT to collect 'x amount' just to ride. I had ridden this event in past years, and yes, I knew
it had a charity function to it. But there was never a REQUIREMENT to collect X number of dollars. Seems to me this is becoming
a trend to REQUIRE collections just to ride. Don't mind a donation...but who has the time to go out and canvas and solicit for donations [unless of course it is for a cause one really feels strongly about]. I think it is unrealistic by organizers...but riders pony
up anyway probably out of their own pocket [for the most part] to meet the minimum. Minimum's seem to be increasing too...often $200 or more. I'd prefer organizers just increasing the registration, and making donations OPTIONAL...not a requirement. At least that would be more honest IMHO. Of course, no one is twisting my arms behind my back to attend, which one of my arguments, that perhaps such events would have much larger attendance [and thusly more proceeds to the chosen charity] if these MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS for fund raising weren't installed. There's other positive enticements...jerseys, medals, trophies, maybe some good PR for one's company [that sponsored a team effort or something]. As things are, I, for one, feel 'excluded'...ie 'not welcome' ['cuz I don't have deep pockets]. Thusly...my rant.

Still...charities are for good causes...and a great reason to be on the bike. I'd just like to be able to be a part of it you see [especially in January when there aren't any other events around]. And I wonder if there aren't others who might feel at least a little of this. End of rant.

bakes1

Not on public roads. My taxes pay for my use of them. If an organized event has not paid for or arranged for police shut down of the entire route than there is nothing ethically or legally preventing me or anyone else from using that route.
The liability was created by the organizers when they started the event and is their concern, not mine.
I personally would never specifically try to crash or obstruct an event but I'll be damned if I will be intimidated by one either. Or its holier than thou participants lol

dedhed

The only events around here that I have participated in or checked out that "required" a minimum fund raising level beyond a registration fee have been multi day rides like the MS 150 that are 1 way providing lodging and transport of your gear and bike as well as extensive support during. That may just be due to our midwest tendencies to want value for our dollar.

Maelochs

Maybe so, or maybe your ‘friends” (I assume they actually are friends but the post makes it unclear) really believe that what they are supporting is good, and want to ask someone they think might also feel that way, to play a part, to help out.

I don’t ask my friends for money, but will tell them about stuff I am working on, and I will ask for petition signatures and stuff. If I were riding a charity event, why wouldn’t I ask my friends? If they believed in the cause they might be glad to have a way to help that also helped a friend. if they didn’t they could just say, No.” Friends, and all, y’know?

This would be in such bad taste, and so pathetic. Is the rider so desperate for riding buddies s/he has to steal them? And how could s/he really be part of the ride while pretending to be part of the ride?

To be so desperate to be in a group ride that one would tag along with such a specific group is really sad and pathetic. There have to be LBS group rides somewhere nearby----get a life and some pride and some decency, I would tell such a person.

I do not believe the person who asked was really questioning the ethics—more likely s/he was planning to do something s/he knew was unethical, but was hoping to get some immoral support.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Exactly.

I almost never agree even a little with bakes1, but ... Exactly.

Stuff like this is why I almost never agree with bakes1. leaching along on someone’s charity ride because you could get a sleazy lawyer to defend the de jure legality of the action is really pathetic, unethical, and obnoxious.

It would be like crashing some child’s birthday party at some public park, because hey, it is a public park, and if you and your buddies want to crash that party and ruin life for a bunch of nine-year-olds, hey, it’s de jure public. But what a lame and stupid thing it would be to do.

Such a manly man ... not intimidated by a charity event. LOL for sure. How some folks’ minds do work, eh?

I participate in one charity ride each year, a race actually, where I only participate as a volunteer helper. All, one hundred percent, of the cash taken in goes to the charity after expenses, which are the expenses of actually staging the races—cops, closing roads, porta-potties, sandwiches for the volunteer corner workers (who work dawn to dusk for two days.) Everyone is a volunteer.

However, this only works because it is a once-a-year event. To try to organize many such events would need full-time staff.

And I can pretty much guarantee you, if some guy tried to weasel in, claiming “It’s a public road,” the racers would take care of the matter promptly.

indyfabz

Hence the old saying "reading is fundamental."

And as for time, I work full time yet year after year I raised money for a charity event that I recently retired from for reasons unrelated to raising money. And I am talking thousands of dollars every year. Two years I raised over $8,000 and did not raise less than $5,000 since 2005.

And how is an organization being dishonest by setting a registration fee at a certain level and disclosing the fundraising minimum?

Why am I am replying to this troll thread? That's the real question.

bakes1

You are quite the pot calling the kettle black. You and your manly man racers would take care of what?
Scary spandex vigilantes wearing suspenders lol.
I ride my bike on the road son. Other than the triathletes in training, 99% of the other cyclists on the road are accessory driven fashion weenies that are looking to take care of nothing other than their next energy gel.
It's all good but please spare me your spandex street justice after accusing me of being a tough guy

wphamilton

I kind of like them for the sheer novelty of it, infrequently, but if I tried to do an organized mass ride every month I'd avoid the big charities like the plague. Even the charity ride that I do spends much more on marketing and promotion than it donates, so I don't really get the warm fuzzies from fund-raising. I'll just plump the minimum down if I do it again.

There's a local century that ends up running through my regular cycling routes, and since I'm out quite a bit during those times a group will often catch up with me or vice versa. I'd be offended if someone suggested that I should clear off the road for their ride, but that's the last thing on a rider's mind deep into a ride. The only thing I feel a little guilty about is going up that last hill (on my way home) still relatively fresh near the riders with 80 or 100 miles already. I wouldn't drive out and jump in somewhere along their route and follow along though; that would feel classless.

Maelochs

What a classic response, totally supporting everything I pointed out about you. Thanks!

By the way, I never said I would be part of the team which would "take care of" the matter. I am not a fighter at all, not even an Internet tough guy like you. But the racers, who really like the event and believe in the cause (otherwise they would ride a different race that weekend with much better prize money) would surely handle matter. or, the organizers would call the cops, I guess.

You show a lot of character, bakes1. Not saying it is an appealing character, but you surer aren't shy about revealing your nature.

Maelochs

This seems like an exceedingly rational adaptation and understanding.

Tell me you aren't tempted to beat some of the fast boys on that final sprint ... after you have just warmed up and they are finishing a century ride ...

I sure would be ... but I wouldn't, not because I am a good person, but because they'd embarrass me and I'd embarrass myself, and a double-dose of embarrassment would be a lot to carry for the rest of my ride.

bakes1

Ouch!
My character is being assessed and called out by a stranger looking to pick a fight on the internet. Or was it I that specifically targeted your words? Uhh, nope lol. That would have been you
I am so humiliated and hurt.
You are correct though that you are not a fighter. Physically(in your own words)and mentally, based upon your posts.
Time to leave this whinefest started by a cheap curmudgeon

wphamilton

No not at all, because as you allude I'd probably get embarrassed. But I will admit to riding up alongside and starting a casual conversation to pretend that I'm not struggling with the grade

AlmostTrick

I did my first charity ride last year, along with a team from my workplace. There was a $300 fund raising minimum which I got my company's community outreach program to cover. It was fun. The only thing I didn't like was motorcycle riding volunteers instructing us to move into the gutter, threatening that police would be enforcing it. (?!) Also volunteers controlling intersections and instructing riders when to stop or roll through. I know and abide by the rules of the road so this part seemed ridiculous, and annoying to me.

But I understand many riders favor, maybe even need the controlled/closed road aspect of some large rides, and would not feel as comfortable riding the same routes on their own without this "support".

We just had a kickoff at my company to get people to register for this years ride. I'm in.

kickstart

It's interesting to see the opinions here about "crashing" an organized ride, and how it plays out in reality.

Last year I inadvertently joined a Brevet for about 25 miles and nobody minded in the least. Chatted with several riders, one rider talked to me at length about their club and Randonneuring, suggesting I should give it a try.
Many years ago I hopped in the STP as it went through town, and rode about 50 miles just to see what it would be like riding in such a large event, having never done one. At a rest stop I told an organizer what I was doing, and asked permission to use a port-a-potty, it was cheerfully granted, he gave me a flyer, and encouraged me to do the whole ride next year.
I think its absurd to suggest one should change their route if they encounter an organized ride, or that its wrong to give one a non committed try if one doesn't use the organized services.

Having learned I don't care much for large rides I only do one, the Chilly Hilly. I do it early before the first ferry arrives, or the support and stops are open, but I do pay the entry fee as it seems only fair because I'm doing the whole ride.

79pmooney

I keep it simple and do perhaps three rides a year I pay for. February's Worst Day of the Year ride, a benefit for Community Cycling Center and an event that is a big goofy blast. I do roughly one century a summer, usually the Portland Century and the week-long Cycle Oregon.

I have a deep love for the bike shop, Community Cycling Center, that does so much to get bikes into the hands of folks in need. In the early days of the Worst Day ride, the CCC employees and volunteers did all the work. It was an informal, not especially well organized ride of several thousand riders, many in goofy outfits. Things changed when the CCC CEO left to form Good Sports Promotions to run events like that. Now, a bigger percentage stayed in-house for Good Sports and less went to CCC. In return, CCC could function at full strength over those days of prep and it was far easier for their employees. Also the ride started being run better.

Cycle Oregon is its own event/entity. Riders pay real money. There are sponsors that put in real money, employees, trucks, etc. year after year to make it happen and who are full partners in these event. The numbers for CO are huge. $900 (paid 7 months in advance) X 2000 participants. 1600 tents owned by CO, half of which are taken down and set up each day. 4600 full meals plus 2300 lunches served on the road each day. Something like 100 showers in trucks follow us around. 50? Porta Potties, each cleaned 4 times/day (my guess) and 6? trucks to move them around. In total at least 10 full semis. 100? volunteers who travel with CO for the week. 6? very good Bike Gallery mechanics and pickup trucks set up as near full shops. Probably 6-8 vendors who travel with CO, CCC with its bike detailing service and electronics recharging. Several masseuses. A (very good) PT. A beer tent. Pizza. Excellent coffee/espresso. CO has enough equipment that it can set up and spend two nights and the rest day on a field with zero resources. CO brings its own generators and water trucks. (Often school grounds are used. This makes things much easier! And football fields are super mats to tent camp on! Strong enthusiastic high school football players help us with our (up to 65 pound) bags in exchange for tips that go toward the team or commuity. (They compete for tips. We get to see teenagers at their best. Nice gets them bigger tips!)

And then there is the ride. Some of the most beautiful and spectacular roads in the country. Gorges, rock formations, lava beds, volcanoes, the coast, one of the worlds great rivers. Also bucolic farmland, green forever. Co has the resources and has cultivated the relationships to get access to roads closed to the public (forest service roads and on Indian reservation land). (Relationships are what CO is all about.)

CO is non-profit, founded to bring attention and money to failing rural communities in Oregon, failing as the lumber industry was dying in the '80s and the native fish nearing extinction form over fishing and abuse of the waterways. CO has built and maintained several accounts that are used to provide those communities with needed improvements. CO works closely with the community leaders here. Improvements might be new athletic facilities for the schools, creating bike path links through communities too poor to do that themselves to enable more affluent cyclists to ride through, spend money, perhaps spend a night there.

Unlike charity rides where the benefactors are distant and not seen, CO rides thorough the towns it benefits. We are served meals by the residents of those towns. And we all see the love from those residents. I have never ridden anywhere ever where I saw the appreciation CO riders get everywhere CO goes.

And to get to the OPs original post. I ride for the most part alone. I have ridden many solo centuries. And I never felt it was someone else's obligation to organize rides for me to my specs.

Ben

berner

There are quite a few charity fund raising rides in many areas of the country and more all the time. I took part in one in Rhode Island in support of the families of cancer patients and the event was totally run by volunteers. Both my mother and sister died of cancer so that I was happy to do this. I grew up in a very small agricultural community so the notion to lend a helping hand is one that promotes community and is something one learns early in in small towns.

My bike club, with 1200 members, has one major fund raising event annually that generates enough cash to donate over $50,000 annually to cycling advocacy for national as well as local organizations. I won't throw money away but there are many worthy causes that that can be supported at reasonable cost of time or money. I just takes a bit of investigation.

exmechanic89

I couldnt do this stuff, it reminds me of 'camping' in an RV. It seems like the simple pleasure of riding and challenging yourself is lost in a 'bring all the comforts of home' type of event, which to me defeats the whole point of riding.

Dont get me wrong though, obviously most other people feel different and enjoy it. And it obviously benefits many people/organizations, but it's not something I could see myself and/or my wife doing.

CliffordK

Bike-a-thons were great when I was 10, even so, most of my donors were my parent's co-workers.

But, I'm no longer 10, and the magic is gone.

I could imagine a ride that had something like: $20 entry fee + minimum $150 donation. OR $100 entry fee and skip the donations.

The last organized "charity" ride I've done was the Reach the Beach American Lung Association ride over 20 years ago. My friends said to just pay the entry fee and not worry about the donations, and nobody seemed to care. I think all of the friends also bailed before the ride

It was a big event with starts in Portland, Salem, Amity, and Monroe, all ending in Lincoln City, OR.

When I did it, I started in the wee hours of the morning and rode to the start in Monroe. Then, the ride ended about 150 miles from home, with apparently no provisions to get riders back home. So, one night camping, and the next riding back (with a few shortcuts).

I think they've dropped the Salem and Monroe starts, and only do Portland and Amity. It just makes it much less feasible to go.

I suppose it is all about big business. And, it is too much work for limited income for them to support the southern riders. But, if they don't want to support me, there is no need for me to support them.

Machka 

If what you want to do is to ride organised centuries, then ...


a) Have a look at the events on my Links page. Some of them are longer than centuries, but that might appeal to you too.
Charlene (Machka) - Links


b) Since you indicate you live in Florida, have a look at the RUSA website.
RUSA: Randonneurs USA

Randonneuring events may require a membership, but if you're thinking of doing 15-20 events a year, that's OK. And individual events may require an event fee, but it is rarely very much.

I just did a search for rides in January, and came up with a long list of them, including 6 in Florida.

Now, many of those Florida events are complete, but there is one coming up on the 30th at the cost of $25.
Gainesville Cycle Club Brevets


c) If you're interested in going further afield, check out the BC Randonneurs Links page ... they've got one of the best lists of Randonneuring/Audax clubs and from there you can find events:
Randonneur Links


d) For February, you might be interested in this event ... I had a message over the weekend that they had some spots open up. If you act fast, you might just get in
Susitna100.com - 100 mile & 50k winter races on marked trails in remote frozen Alaska - Home


e) If you don't know about it already, there is a Century-A-Month challenge going on in the Long Distance forum here. In fact, if you want to talk about Long Distance events, that's the place to go.
Living Car Free

dedhed

How exactly would someone tell if someone else is pirating a ride or is "just another participant". Secret handhsake? uniforms?

Every charity ride I have been on has had riders of all types and abilities riding everything from BSO's to $15K custom carbon. The only one that had any identifier was the MS 150 that gave you a tag for your bike to retrieve it from the secure corral due to the overnight stay. While I wouldn't purposely attend a charity ride unregistered, I wouldn't have any qualms about riding along if I encountered one, but wouldn't even think about using their resources such as rest stops. ****

Machka 

Really, we didn't want to get into this discussion. It never ends well. Pity it was brought up in the first place as it has nothing whatsoever to do with the original post.

But ... wrist bands.