March Madness means it’s time to forget the weather and ride your bike morning, noon and night. 

What is March Madness and how does it work?

• Riders fill out an application and pay a participation fee.  You must be a Davis Bike Club member to participate.  Learn about membership here.
  
• Riders then register with the online mileage tracker.  Riders set a mileage goal for the month of March.  The minimum number of miles is 125 miles.  There is no upper limit, and every year a handful of riders get up to and beyond 3,000 miles.
  
• Riders then ride as much as they can during the month of March and keep track of all their bicycle miles either online or by hand.
• The club donates one penny per mile ridden by each participant.
• The club then takes the entry fees and penny-per-mile amount and applies all the proceeds to purchase cycling helmets for school aged children.
• Club volunteers travel (by bike!) to schools around Yolo County to hand out and fit the helmets to kids who have been nominated by each school's staff.
• The rider who puts in the most miles earns the awe and respect of their fellow riders.

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

• March Madness Custom Jersey - There is a unique March Madness jersey available for purchase every year which has your mileage printed on the sleeve. Photos of 2010 March Madness Jersey
  
• March Madness Photo Contest - There is also a March Madness photo contest with awards given in categories such as Action, Landscape, and the ever popular Blue Squirrel.  Learn more about the March Madness photo contest here.
  
• March Madness Banquet - In June the club holds the annual March Madness banquet.  Starting this year, 2010 the banquet is free to all March Madness paid participants. March Madness Awards are given to top riders and photo contest winners. The annual March Madness banquet this year will be held at the Veteran's Memorial Center from 6pm to 9pm on Sunday, June 6th, 2010.
• New 2010! March Madness Bike Safety Clinics - Set up at schools and local bike shops there will be a bike clinic in the afternoon every Wednesday and Saturday in March. Believe it or not, there are Davis residents and school aged children that don't know many safety rules about bikes. Also, several Davis residents who would love to ride their bikes simply don't know how to check them to make sure they are okay to ride. These bike clinics will provide information to attendees on simple safety facts, bike checks, how to fix a flat, how to hydrate while riding a bike and other great information. More details coming soon!

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.

Applications are online (click here to fill out and print).  Mileage goals are the same as last year.  Entries by mail must be sent to:

Davis Bike Club
P. O. Box 72944
Davis, CA 95617
Attention: March Madness.

March 1 is the deadline if you want a unique, souvenir jersey. (March 15, if you can stand to be without the 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 Mary James, the 2010 March Madness coordinator