3) Is my donation to HeartStone Foundation tax deductible?
Cash donations made to the HeartStone Foundation in conjunction with the HeartStone Tour are fully tax deductible.
For donations less than $250, and if you plan to declare the donation on your tax return, be sure to retain a copy of your credit card statement, bank record, or cancelled check showing the value of your contribution. For donations made in cash on the day of the ride, please request a donation receipt from the person helping you with registration.
Individuals who donate $250 or more will receive a written acknowledgment letter from the HeartStone Foundation for IRS documentation purposes.
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4) If I am pre-registered, do I need to stop by the registration area before my ride?
If you are pre-registered for the HeartStone Tour, we ask that you check in at the registration area before you start your ride.
A separate area will be provided for pre-registered riders, so you will not need to wait in line with everyone who is signing up that morning.
We will have a goody bag for you with a number of items, as well as your free commemorative HeartStone Tour gift. The registration tables will open at 8am.
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5) What time is the pancake breakfast being served?
The Original Pancake House is generously supporting the HeartStone Tour by providing a free pancake brunch to tour riders from 8:00-11:00,and granola is supplied by The VegHead of Loveland. Breakfast will be served on-site, at the park.
Before the ride we also will have coffee provided by Coffee Emporium... first come, first served!
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6) What kind of food and refreshments will be provided at the water stops?
The water stops will have an assortment of fruit, bagels, trail mix, and cookies.
Our event sponsors have supplied this generous variety of food and snacks for the water stops, and also for the ride start/finish area.
The food donations for the water stops includes apples from Pipkin's Market; bagels from Marx Hot Bagels; water and bananas from Kroger; Clif bars from Clif & Co., and cookies and trail mix prepared by HeartStone Tour volunteers.
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7) How are the routes marked?
There will be a poster sample of the "road markings" at the beginning of each the Advanced Route and the Intermediate Route. On some of the difficult corners on both routes, there will be signs posted with arrows in addition to the road markings.
The Novice and Family Route will have HeartStone Tour signs with arrows that will be very easy for everyone to spot and follow.
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8) How many water stops are on each route?
The Advanced Route (74.5 miles) includes two water stops, one at 37 miles and the other at 56 miles.
The Intermediate Route (33 miles) includes one water stop at approximately 26 miles.
The Novice Route (16 miles) include one water stop at approximately 4 miles.
The Family Ride (7 miles) has a water stop at about mile 2.5 and again at about mile 4 miles.
Depending on the temperature, riders should expect to need 1-2 water bottles per hour. A water bottle will not be necessary for the Family Ride, but for the longer routes, please plan accordingly so you can bring enough fluid with you on your bike. It is better to err on the side of caution and bring two water bottles on your bike instead of one if you are not sure how much you will need.
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9) What time does registration open?
Registration for the HeartStone Tour opens at 8:00am.
The morning of the HeartStone Tour, the Advanced (74.5 mile) route starts at 9:00, the Intermediate (33 mile) route departs at 9:30, the Novice (16 mile) Route begins at 10:00, and the Family Ride (7 mile) sets forth at 11:00.
To ensure a low-stress parking and registration process, we recommend you arrive 45-60 minutes before your route’s scheduled departure time. And, of course, everyone is welcome to arrive any time after 7 a.m., if you would like to include extra time to enjoy the pancake breakfast.
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10) Is there SAG support for the ride?
SAG support will be provided for all the routes.
The SAG support team can help you with mechanical issues, navigation, urgent hydration or fueling needs, and transport in case of unbearable fatigue or illness. If you experience a medical emergency, contact 911.
The phone numbers for the SAG support vehicles will be published on the cue sheets for each route. Be sure to bring the cue sheet with you on the ride in case you end up needing to request a SAG.
It is highly recommended to bring a cell phone with you for the ride.
If you do not have a cell phone with you, or if you do not have reception at your location, please ask another rider to call in for you, or at the very least to inform volunteers at the next water stop of your SAG request.
SAG support vehicles will be sweeping the course throughout the ride, but a direct phone call will be the quickest way to get the support you need.
SAG support will be provided through 2:30 p.m. If you are doing one of the longer routes, and are not beginning at the official start time for your route, please plan your start time accordingly.
If you are riding one of the longer routes and find that you may not be able to get back to Nisbet Park before 2:30 p.m., PLEASE CALL SAG support and proactively inform us of your situation. Depending where you are at on the course at that point, the SAG support crew can help you decide whether it is best for you to continue the ride to the finish, or whether it would be advisable for SAG to pick you up and provide transport back to Nisbet Park.
In the event of a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. After you have called 911, please contact the SAG support crew so we are aware of your situation, and are able to provide whatever non-medical backup support may be needed (e.g. bike transport).
If for some reason you decide to leave the official HeartStone Tour route and not return to Newsbeat Park, it is mandatory that you contact SAG support so we know you are okay.
If you get lost, please contact SAG support so we can help you get back onto the course.
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11) How should I plan for hydration and fuel needs?
Depending on the temperature, riders should expect to need 1-2 water bottles per hour. A water bottle will not be necessary for the Family Ride, but for the longer routes, please plan accordingly so you can bring enough fluid with you on your bike. It is better to err on the side of caution and bring two water bottles on your bike instead of one if you are not sure how much you will need.
If you are riding for more than 1-2 hours, be sure you are taking in electrolytes (e.g. in a sports drink), and not only plain water.
For rides longer than one hour, most cyclists do well taking in 240-280 calories per hour. The harder you are riding, the more you will want to steer toward easily digestible foods like gel, sport drinks, and bananas. If you are riding at an endurance pace, then you should do fine taking in appropriate quantities of the additional foods provided at the water stops, such as PB&J sandwiches, bagels, and a variety of fruit. If you are consuming a sport drink, be sure to include the calories in the drink as part of your hourly total.
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12) Are helmets required?
A safety-certified bicycle helmet must be worn at all times you are on your bike.
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13) Does a single registration cover everyone in my immediate family for the Family Ride?
A single registration fee covers all members of your immediate family for the Family Ride.
This single registration fee includes one goody bag per family. For families who pre-registered, one free commemorative HeartStone Tour gift also will be included per family.
Please be aware that this special registration rate is for the Family Ride only.
If a member of the family wishes to do a route other than the Family Ride, then a separate registration and payment needs to be completed for this person.
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14) If my family is registered for the Family Ride, can I also do one of the regular routes?
Registration for the Family Ride includes the Family Ride only. If one or more family members wish to do one of the longer routes, then a separate registration form and fee must be completed for each person doing the longer route.
For example, if one parent wishes to do the Family Ride with all the children, while the other parent wishes to do the Novice/Intermediate/Advanced Route, then two registration fees would need to be paid, one for the Family Ride and one for the individual doing the longer route.
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15)Rules of the Road / Are any of the intersections controlled?
A police officer will be controlling traffic at the start of the ride at Nisbet Park only. At ALL other intersections you must obey all traffic signs and proceed with caution. Traffic will not be stopped or controlled. Indian Hill in particular will be very strict about enforcing stop signs and all traffic rules, to the extent that they have told us they will issue tickets if they observe a cyclist disobeying rules of the road.
For summary of key rules/ laws of the road visit this link: http://ohiobike.org/bicycle-law-digest.html
For a complete rules/laws of the road visit this link: http://66.161.141.185/orc/4511
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