Tour de Fall Line
September 12th, 2015 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
We are proud to announce the second annual Tour de Fall Line will be held on September 12, 2015. TdFL has 14, 28, and 50 mile mountain bike courses throughout Richmond.
The full course map is here – https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=ztdge_Ufwz38.k81NxSPoH3Uk
The 14 mile is a beginner friendly course traversing the east end on both the North and South sides of the river. This will take you to the best viewing spot for UCI 2015 on Libbie Hill. You will traverse through the nooks and crannies of Church Hill Parks and end up with a fun ride down Richmond’s best sledding location: Powhattan Hill. Back on the South side of the river, you will experience the newly finished Poop Loop (Ancarrow’s East). There are 4 new bridges on the loop this year, which adds a new section.
The 28 mile loop does the beginner section and the legendary JRPS trails including Buttermilk, Forest Hill Park, North Bank, and Dogwood Dell. These are immediate to advanced trails and some of the city’s best.
The 50 mile loop takes you to some roads less travelled. This is the park-to-park-to-park ride which shows you how to connect Pony Pasture, Powhite, and Larus Park back to the main system. This is the ride for you if you want to tick off everything in the city.
We will have aid stations throughout the course with water, nutrition, and mechanical help.
We will have Lee’s Fried Chicken and are working on a vegetarian option for the after-race. We also have beer from Stone, Ardent, and are working on a few others.
This is our ride to come hang with friends. You are welcome to crush it, but we want you to have fun more than anything.
Thanks to all the donations and volunteer hours, Richmond is now a Bronze level IMBA Ride Center and we can’t do it without you. So come out and enjoy a nice, long ride on a September day.
Register Online at https://www.bikereg.com/tour-de-fall-line
2015 Race Brief
Thank you for registering for 2015 Tour de Line!
Please read this entire brief.
Please note if any event has less than 10 people registered we will refund your money if you do not wish to participate.
This ride is a fundraiser for Richmond MORE and is a community event to promote and showcase Richmond’s trails. It has a homegrown feel because we are maximizing the amount of money that will go right back into the trail system here in Richmond. Please consider making an additional donation to RVA MORE at the event as well. All proceeds from the beer sales will also be donated to MORE and raffles ticket can be purchased to win the $5000 Giant bucks.
A huge thanks to those that make the Richmond Trail system possible mainly Richmond MORE, the James River Park system staff and volunteers and others who have helped expand and maintain our trail system.
RVAMORE and the JRPS trail crew have been getting busy since the last event. You’ll see the following out there:
- Ancarrow’s east (aka the Poop Loop) has had 4 new bridges installed and stays much dryer than before
- Buttermilk East was built as a connector between buttermilk and the floodwall. Check out this awesome Video: https://vimeo.com/121411934
- New bridges in Wetlands
- Bill’s Hill on Northbank has been fully armored
- 21st tower revamp
- Boardwalk entrance into lower Larus
- Pumptrack moved from under Lee Bridge
- New maps and kiosks
Course Improvements NEW in 2015:
A larger percentage of the course is on singletrack
The course doubles back through Pony Pasture wetlands
Longer route in Powhite
Mowed powerline keeping off riders off Huguenot Road
Buttermilk East keeps you off Riverside Dr and on singletrack
Basics:
This event will occur rain or shine but the course is subject to change based on trail conditions. Our city trails manager will make the call on what trails are open and which trails are closed. In the event of mud we will either close portions of the course or do a big group urban ride together on cobblestones and gravel.
The start/finish and after party is on the western portion Mayo Island. This is across the street from where the event was held last year. Bring a lawn chair for post ride hanging.
510 S 14th St, Richmond, VA seems to get pretty close to the event in google maps. The venue is behind Wise Recycling. The driveway into the event is north of the recycling building.
Here is a map with a pin directly over the event space:
If you cannot find the venue with this information you will get lost on the course.
There is a large parking lot on the island where you can park but carpooling or riding to the event is encouraged.
Course:
There are three different course lengths 50, 28, and 14. Both the 28 and 50 miler have some very technical sections. Be prepared to walk some sections if technical pieces scare you. The 14 mile course is for beginners and will be done as a group ride.
Be aware there are several two way sections of the course. These are impossible to avoid. Be considerate and have fun.
Please review the google map links below and familiarize yourself as best as possible with the course beforehand.
50 miler: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=ztdge_Ufwz38.k81NxSPoH3Uk
28 miler: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=ztdge_Ufwz38.kJKaWRHr5Oz0
14 miler: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=ztdge_Ufwz38.kR7JjNA0JbAw
Course Markings:
We have marked with roads and trail sections of the course with pink signs. We also will have some pink chalk or pink flagging tape marking turns where signing is difficult.
The road section of the course has turn arrows before the turn and confirmation arrows afterwards.
We STRONGLY encourage every rider to keep a charged smartphone with a link to the Google map of your course whether it be 50 and 28. You should also load the .GPX file into your garmin and smartphone and bring the queue sheet with you.
A word about the difficulty of marking a course (and keeping a course marked) in an urban area – Marking this course has been a huge challenge. Flagging tape last year disappeared within hours of us marking the course. We will check everything the day before the event but we cannot guarantee that all arrows and flagging tape will remain.
Because we are in an urban area, there are hundreds of turns on this course. And our trail systems are so heavily used we have many side trails that form that we don’t want you to take a wrong turn down. This is very different awareness level than is needed on a road ride in a rural area or a ride in the national forest. Stay alert!
We have given you all the tools we can: arrows, flagging tape, course marshals, a .GPX file and a cue sheet. However, you are 100% responsible for finding your way on this course – good luck! We will have a few course marshals as possible at the event directing you!
NEW for 2015: We have a couple of volunteers who are offering to lead group rides for those from out of town or others who prefer this. These rides will proceed at a moderate pace and try to keep the group together and moving. Please let us know at registration if you’d like to ride with a group.
It is extremely important that you review the maps online, use the .GPX file, and keep a copy of the cue sheet with you.
We have a .GPX file that we strongly encourage you to use to navigate the course. PLEASE USE THIS FILE IF YOU HAVE A GPS OR SMARTPHONE. Using this file will make your ride easier, trust us.
Link to download the .GPX file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7i7j6UlYVBGU0xfcXdIaEpQeVk/view?usp=sharing
Please see this article on how to use a GPX file with your Smartphone or Garmin, especially if you have not used them before:
http://www.virginiaenduranceseries.com/p/gpx-track-files-how-to-navigate-with.html
From the link above:
“Below are basic instructions on how to start exploring using GPX files. Please note that while the track lines displayed on your device will sometimes be spot-on, at other times they will likely be a bit off. It may appear as though you’re supposed to turn right where you are … but there’s no turn. The turn is probably up to 100ft in front of or behind you. Essentially, the GPX track and your GPS capable device are very helpful navigational aids, and you still need to use good navigational judgement, read the terrain and having a map of an area is helpful too.”
This is not a competitive event so don’t worry about it if you go off course or don’t ride it precisely. If you get lost, backtrack or skip ahead onto the course and keep going! This is an urban mountain biking adventure. Treat it as such and have fun.
Schedule of events on Mayo Island:
50 miler
7:00 am to 7:30 am – Day of registration and check in
7:55 – Pre ride safety meeting
8:00 – Departure
28 miler
7:30 am to 8:00 am – Registration and check in (please note 50 miler day of registrants have priority since they leave earlier)
8:25 – Pre ride safety meeting
8:30 – Departure
14 miler
8:45 am – Registration and check in
9:55 – Pre ride safety meeting
10:00 – Departure
6 miler fun run
10:25 – Safety and Course Overview Meeting
10:30 – Departure
All riders
11:00am – Kids course with Pella Bikes at start/finish
11:30am – Beer available. Turn in your number plate to get a beer ticket and a wristband once you are IDed
12 Noon – Food by Lee’s Chicken and Mellow Mushroom pizza (vegetarians get first dibs on pizza)
2pm – Band starts Andrew Ali and Josh Small
3pm – Giant 5K raffle drawing
5pm – Beer sales stop
6pm – Event closes
Rider responsibilities:
- When you sign in to the event, you must provide a contact phone number.
Both the road and trails sections of the course are COMPLETELY OPEN and it goes through some very busy pedestrian areas (Belle Isle Foot Bridge, Nickel Bridge, all the singletrack etc.).
- You must alert your presence to people walking, yield, and pass them slowly.
- If you are slowing down please alert the rider behind you
- Let faster people pass if they ask
- Communicate with your other riders and be safe
Although most of the course is on trails and quiet roads, short distances are on busier roads. Stay alert, obey the law and get to the finish without mishaps.
If you get lost, call the Course Director, John at 804-690-7439. He will do his best to get you back on track.
If you leave the event at any point without notifying Headquarters, you ARE TO call the Course Director at 804-690-7439 to sign out.
Checkpoints / Aid Stations
You must check in at each aid station. A volunteer will record your number from your plate as you pass through.
These are manned by volunteers and they are primarily there to check off your progress around the course and keep you fueled. There will be water and energy food (bananas, Clif Bars, Shot Blocks) at each location. You are urged to make the most of the water and food to ensure you have enough energy for your ride. There are stores along the way that are indicated on the Google course map if you want something different from the aid stations.
There will be a mechanic with basic tools at each of the Checkpoints. While they won’t be able to perform a full workshop service, they should be able to patch you up and keep you moving if you have a minor problem.
Aid 1: Reedy Creek on Buttermilk (Mile 15 (mile 18 as well if you need it)) – Open 9am, CUT OFF 12pm (This is only Aid station for the 28 miler)
Aid 2/4 Pony Pasture (Mile 24 and 32) Open 9:30am CUTOFF 2:00pm
Aid 3: Top of Larus Park (Mile 28) – Open 10:30am, CUT OFF 1:30pm
Aid 5: Entrance to Powhite (Mile 37 and Mile 38.5) – Open 11am, CUT OFF 3pm
If you show up after the cutoff you can exit the ride by turning in your number plate or we can try to find you a SAG.
SAG / Sweeper
There is a SAG / Sweeper Vehicle for the event. This should not be seen as an easy option back to the finish if your legs are a little bit tired. We do not have the capacity for that.
If you NEED recovering from the course, call the Course Director at 804-690-7439. He will pass on your details and recovery back to the Finish will be coordinated. If you have a medical emergency call 911. There are trail marking along the course (BM23, FH 12 etc) to help the teams ID where you are. Once you are safe call to check out of the ride.
Thank you and see you Saturday!