More Tour Details
Registration
More about Hartford
Got
some questions about the tour? Questions about Hartford? Need to
know where to park? Where to eat? Where to stay? Well you
found the right page. If the answer isn't here, you can contact the CCBA.
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How do I get ready?
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Can
I bring my children? Is there a youth discount?
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Where do I park?
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Is this a race? How fast is
the pace?
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I need directions to
Bushnell Park.
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My bike is a mess.
What do you suggest?
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Where can I stay in
Hartford?
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What restaurants do
you recommend?
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I want to learn more about
Hartford. Where can I find more information?
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What happens if there is bad
weather?
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Will there be rest stops and
water on the tour?
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What are the CCBA &
CL?
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How do I register for this great
event?
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Is there a discount for existing CCBA Members?
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Are there group discounts?
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How can I contact the CCBA?
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Is there a route map for the
tour?
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Are
volunteers needed? How can I help?
More FAQ's will be added as the tour
date approaches.
Good question. Due to the distance and relative flatness, this route
is perfect for first time tour riders and families. It is
recommended that you and anyone riding with you go for some test rides of
similar distance before the tour, especially for those riding the 25 mile
distance.
Another good thing to do, is to make sure your bicycle is in safe, working
order. Pump up your tires a few weeks before the event to be sure they
hold air. Any of the bike shops that are
partnering with the CCBA should be able to do a safety check, tune up, and any
necessary repairs.
You will need a bicycle helmet to ride in this tour. If you don't
have one yet, or yours is worse for wear, this is another thing that will be
easy to remedy at one of the bike shop sponsors.
And please bring your water bottles/sports drinks. We will have water at
Bushnell park at the start of the event and water at the rest stops, but it is
best if each participant carries some water on the ride.
The CCBA is working to make this a very family friendly event. There
is a generous youth discount. Children riders or walkers under the age
of 18 can register for $15 all the way up to the day of the event. The
one limitation for safety reasons is that each child must have an adult
chaperone that is also participating in the tour. An adult can chaperone
multiple children.
The child participant also needs to have a parent or legal guardian sign
the waiver. Those registering children online, will need to sign a
hard-copy waiver the morning of the event.
Children brought along in child trailers, child seats, and strollers can
attend free of charge with their registered adult.
If at any time during the event you misplace a child, alert one of the
nearby tour officials or volunteers. To make this scenario even less
likely, we suggest matching shirts, creative helmet decorations, or the
technological solution - cell phones.
Certain State Employee parking lots will be open to tour participants, free of
charge. More details on the location of the available lots will be
posted soon.
Specific Parking Lots:
Info will be added at in the near future. There will be plenty of free
parking for the event.
If you live nearby, the easiest thing might be to ride to the tour start
directly from home. You'll see a lot of cyclists out on tour morning
doing just that.
What time does the event
start?
The event day Check-in and Registration begins at 7 AM, and the Bike Tours
leave at 9:15 AM. The Walking Tours commence at 9:30 AM and will continue
every 15 minutes until 10:30 AM. Walking tour times, however will be
assigned in advance. Some walking tour slots may be open for late
registrants (9:30 AM until 10 AM) , but they are not guaranteed.
It is expected that the 10 mile bike tour will take 1-3 hours, and the
25 mile Bike Tour from 2-5 hours. All participants should return to Bushnell
Park by 2 PM. Special events are planned for "after the ride".
Back to Top
This is most definitely not a race. The
average pace of the tour will be no greater than 15 mph and limited by the
lead vehicles.
Riders will be started in waves and can
ride at their own comfortable pace. We want everyone to have enough time to
take in all of Hartford.
There will be a cutoff at the 10-mile /
25-mile tour split. Anyone coming through the split after the generous
cutoff time will be directed to the 10-mile route instead of the longer
25-mile route. The cutoff time is set by a minimum average pace of 6 mph
Back to Top
Here's a link to directions to Bushnell Park - Type in your location when
you get to the link
LINK.
Visit one of the bike shops listed as tour
sponsors. They can do a safety check, tune up, or any necessary repairs.
If you are looking for a new bicycle, I'm sure they could help out with
that too. Make sure to come to the bike shop with a rough idea of what
type of riding you would like to be doing, and they'll be able to find a bike
that fits your needs.
Bring a spare tube and an air pump if you have one.
Staying downtown is very convenient and makes tour morning that much
easier. You'll also have the opportunity to sample the tasty restaurants
the night before the event.
Here are some hotel options for staying in Hartford - LINK.
Downtown Hartford has oodles of dining options. Check out the Hartford
Courant for restaurant listings and reviews.
A list of restaurants will be provided when you receive your registration
materials on event day
Here is a link to a very informative and photo rich website put together by
the Hartford photographer, Karen O'Maxfield. - LINK
Don't forget to check out this website listing upcoming events in Hartford
- www.hartford.com.
Here is a link to the Hartford
Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
The bicycle and walking tour is rain or shine. In the event of severe
weather, check the website or call Nicole Glander, Event Coordinator at 860-727-0050
There will be rest stops along the route, and all will have water and snacks
The CCBA is the Central
Connecticut Bicycle Alliance, a bicycle advocacy organization that
sponsors Bike to Work and works to make the bicycling safer and more prevalent
in Central Connecticut. The CCBA serves racing cyclists, bike commuters,
and recreational cyclists.
The CL is
Connecticut Landmarks: inspires appreciation for the
Connecticut experience by
preserving, presenting and promoting outstanding historic properties,
collections, and stories. They operate a network of historic properties
throughout the state, including the
Butler-McCook House & Garden and
the Isham-Terry House, both of which are located in
Hartford.
www.ctlandmarks.org
History Moving Forward.
Formerly the
Antiquarian & Landmarks Society
Its easy to register. There are both online and print&mail
options for registration. - LINK
Register now and secure your spot in the tour.
Is there a discount for existing CCBA Members?
The registration fee for the Discover Hartford Tour is discounted for CCBA
members and there are combination registration / membership packages
available for new members.
Your support of the CCBA ensures the return of the Discover
Hartford Tour. Membership and donations also further CCBA's bicycle
advocacy efforts at the regional and state levels.
There is a discount for groups of 10 or more registering at the same time
with one payment. You can
register a group ONLY
by mail.
Group registration ends August 11th
You can contact the Discover Hartford Tour Director Nicole Glander via
E-mail,
Phone (860-727-0050), or Postal Mail.
CCBA
P.O. Box 270149
West Hartford, CT
06127-0149
There will be a map available as an Adobe Acrobat file (*.pdf) -In the
interim, the link below is for the 2007 Tour route. The 2008 route will be
similar but not identical. This map shows the planned route,
but may change at any time and will not necessarily be the exact route on the
day of the tour.
Tour Route Link
Of course we need volunteers, thanks for asking! Send an
E-Mail to NIcole
Glander, Tour Coordinator. As a volunteer
run and member driven organization, we appreciate your help. You keep
the wheels spinning!
If you can't commit to volunteering, here are three easy
ways to help out to make this tour a success.
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Register to ride.
Don't forget to bring your family.
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Tell 5 of your friends about this great event.
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Join
or make a donation to the CCBA. The CCBA brings you this event
and also is doing a heck of a job with bicycle advocacy at the regional
and state level.
