March Madness 2013

Rain doesn't stop us in March (John Whitehead, Bill, Anne Huber)

The 15th annual March Madness Event is here!!

March Madness means it’s time to forget the winter weather and ride your bike.  Choose your mileage goal and challenge yourself to ride your bike more than you thought possible – around town, around the county, around the world, for commuting, pleasure or any purpose.  It's up to you!  And know that all of the proceeds go to purchasing cycling helmets for school aged children.

The March Madness event is open registration to everyone not just DBC members! 

What is March Madness and how does it work?

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  Lee Mitchell fits a student's new helmet

  What's new for 2013: Registration fee is $15 for adults and free for kids under age 18 ($10 less than last year's Reg fee) to encourage greater participation from adults and kids; two new goal mileages, 10 and 50, have been added to the tracker, to encourage kids under age 18 to ride; no mileage printed on jerseys so we can extend jersey orders to the end of April; more award categories
• Riders fill out an on-line application and pay a participation fee starting on February 8th.  Riders set a mileage goal for the month of March.  The minimum number of miles is 10 miles.  There is no upper limit, and every year a handful of riders get up to and beyond 3,000 miles. To register for this event go here 2013marchmadness.eventbrite.com
• Riders then ride as much as they can during the month of March and keep track of all their bicycle miles online with the March Madness Mileage Tracker.
• The club then takes the entry fees and applies all the proceeds to purchase cycling helmets for school aged children.
• Club volunteers travel (by bike!) to schools around Yolo and Solano County to hand out and fit the helmets to children in need who have been nominated by each school's staff.
• The rider who puts in the most miles earns the awe of their fellow riders and their name is printed on the Annual MM Winners Banner.
• You do not need to be a Davis Bike Club member to participate, however, if you would like to become a member....Learn about membership here.

One of Ken Johnson's 4000-something March miles

Are there any rules?

• Mileage tracking is based on the honor system - on your honor you track and record the miles you ride. Please only use the tracker if you have paid the very nominal entry fee.
• Indoor riding is limited to a total of 1000 miles, so spin classes, stationary bicycles, etc....
• Indoor riding is also limited to 15 miles per hour on spin bikes, stationary bikes, etc...unless your stationary bike has an odometer that tracks actual miles per hour.

In addition to the opportunity to ride a lot of miles, March Madness offers participants more:

• March Madness Jersey - There is a unique March Madness jersey available for purchase every year. This year the March Madness jerseys will be designed by Scott Alumbaugh.

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  Enter your March Madness pics in the photo contest

  March Madness Photo Contest - There is also a March Madness photo contest with awards given in categories such as Action, Landscape, and other quirky themes. Learn more about the March Madness photo contest here.
• March Madness Celebration - On Sunday June 2nd the club will hold the annual March Madness Celebration formerly known as the MM Banquet. Tickets ($10 for all you can eat!) can be purchased on the registration site for March Madness from February 8th through March 31st. Limited tickets will be available at the door. March Madness Awards are given to top riders, all kids under 18, various other categories and photo contest winners. The annual March Madness celebration this year will be held at the Veterans Memorial Center, on 14th street in Davis, California, from 6pm to 9pm on Sunday, June 2nd, 2013 with authentic Mexican food from Guadalahara Grill.

Get out and ride!

Get out and ride

The full amount of your entry fee goes towards bike helmets and safety programs for kids.  It’s a win/win situation. You gain fitness, adventure, camaraderie and you save fuel. Kids get free helmets, delivered and fitted by the March Madness Committee members and DBC volunteers, and we support bicycle safety.

April 30th is the deadline if you want a unique, souvenir jersey. 

Any ride qualifies and there is at least one brevet in the month of March and several special March Madness rides. So ride with the club, your family, your neighbors, alone, to shop, to church or for a haircut. Give the car a rest. You could even bike to school with the kids. However, be sure to wear your helmet. You don't even have to go outside - trainers and spinning classes qualify.

Questions?

Contact the 2013 March Madness Chair, Gabrielle Morris