Choose any of the headings below to learn more about what we require of our riders to help our team function and move like a well-oiled machine!

All participants pay the registration fee when signing up and commit to raise at least the fundraising minimum for their ride (see fundraising section below). The registration fee helps cover things like food, lodging, our support vehicle, your Fuller Center jersey, and a t-shirt.

We strive to keep the registration fee accessible to all of our riders and offer discounts when signing up early as shown in the following table:

(*) The first 10 registrants for each 2027 ride will receive an additional $50 discount! 

The registration fees do not completely cover the cost of the ride, so the 100% Club was created to enable our riders to know that all of their fundraising is going towards the mission just by contributing an extra $176.

We try to show extra appreciation in various ways to these helpful friends, such as through public recognition on their fundraising profile and by adding flexibility (see the Cancellation Policy below). The option to join for each ride is given at the time of registration. 

To ensure that our ride impacts those in need, we set minimum fundraising requirements for our riders. Together we can reach families around the world with an opportunity for a hand up out of substandard housing. See Why We Ride. 

Riders joining for segments must raise at least the amount listed below multiplied by the number of segments for which they are joining. (Example: $1,000/segment x 2 segments = $2,000 fundraising minimum) The full requirement amount must be raised before each ride or segment begins, and 25% must be raised by the date listed in the table. 

Riders 26 and under are encouraged to apply for a scholarship! Learn more here.

However, we hope you don’t want you to stop there – on average our riders raise about $1,000 over their requirements.  Setting even larger goals – like $10k, $25k, or even $50k – will help you and your supporters think big. See what different levels accomplish.

Don’t let the fundraising aspect of the ride intimidate you – we have great tools and advice to help you reach your goal, and can help you send out letters, customize your personal fundraising page and much more! We even hold friendly fundraising contests. Time and time again we hear riders tell us that they can raise more than they thought they could. Check out the  Fundraising Guide listed among our tools for riders.

Our rides are community-based adventures that ask each member of the team to contribute positively to the group. All riders sign the Conduct Covenant during orientation and are expected to be positive members of our community. Living Simply in Community constitutes an attitude and approach to living and journeying together rather than a set of rules. Click the thumbnails below to preview or print these documents.

Volunteer Conduct Covenant

Living Simply in Community

Our average distance varies by ride, with some events averaging as low as 45 and others as high as 75. Each event page will show you the average miles for each segment. Though these are averages, some days are shorter, and our longest days are just over a hundred miles. We do have a support vehicle available to help.

We do not need to ride as a giant pack all day every day; riders are free to ride alone (but not alone at the back) or to break up into groups as they choose. 

Speed Requirements

• 12 mph – moving average (10 mph on gravel trips)
• 10 mph – including stops (8 mph on gravel trips)

In order to keep the group relatively together, and advancing at a reasonable pace, riders joining for a segment or more should be able to maintain a moving average of at least 12 mph and be able to go from one rest stop to the next, usually about 20-25 miles, without long rests. After accounting for breaks at rest stops, riders should be comfortable with an elapsed time based average of 10 mph, meaning a 70 mile ride should take no more than 7 hours from start to finish. This pace allows for at least 20 minutes of rest for every 20 miles that you ride with the moving average of 12 mph.

Our speed requirements are not intended to be exclusive, but are meant to set transparent expectations in order to best accommodate the needs of the entire team. Maintaining the 10 mph elapsed time average pace affords the support crew the ability to meet the needs of the team as a whole during and after the ride, with rest stops, shuttles to showers, and timely arrival to dinner. Trip leadership may ask riders to start from the first rest stop, or skip a 20 mile segment between rest stops in order to keep the support crew moving at the minimum pace. 

Note for riders gifted with speed: very fast riders may find that you reach the designated rest stop location ahead of our support vehicles, which await the final riders at the previous rest stop before departing. Fast riders should be prepared to wait at rest stop locations or self support towards the end of long ride days.  However, since this is not a race, but a team on a mission to change the world, we hope our ride is an opportunity to bond together as a team for a common purpose!

Training

All riders are responsible for getting themselves physically prepared for the ride. While the Bike Adventure is a great place to learn from more experienced riders, we hope that all participants bring a baseline of prior experience to the ride. We recommend completing each of the following on the bike that you will bring to the ride:

• Cross Country riders should aim to complete 500+ miles of cycling ahead of their adventure
• Riders of segments and 1-2 week events should complete at least 150+ miles of cycling
• Everyone should complete a single ride of 40+ miles
• Everyone should have ridden in the rain at least once (if you plan to ride rain or shine with us)

For a more comprehensive planning tool, click our Training Guide preview below to open it in a new window.

No one likes getting lost! Let’s leave those days behind. We utilize several tools to help all of our riders stay on-route, including offering free access to the paid navigational features of the Ride with GPS app. You can read more about all the ways we help in our Navigation Guide, but for now just know that all riders will need to use a GPS-based form of navigation.

This can be as simple as downloading the free Ride with GPS app on your smartphone, or using a standalone GPS-based device for bicycles like a Garmin, Wahoo, etc.

The Fuller Center Bike Adventure requires all riders to carry medical insurance for the duration of their participation. On our registration forms, there are fields for inputting the required information. If you do not currently have medical insurance, we ask that you acquire a short-term policy to cover your participation with us. 

The safety of our riders is extremely important to us. Though safety can never be guaranteed (see What’s My Risk discussion), we have instituted many practices to help our riders do all they can to keep themselves safe. Injuries  on our ride affect not only the riders, but our entire community. 

Cycling Safety Requirements:

• Arrive sufficiently prepared with a bicycle adequate for the task
• Wear a helmet at all times when riding, fit and worn properly
• Utilize a forward-facing headlight and a rear-facing, bright taillight (at least 30+ lumens).
• Have a cycling mirror, either on the helmet or on the bicycle
• Carry sufficient water, using water bottles and/or a water backpack
• Wear our orange cycling jerseys when riding, or if wearing a jacket, a bright top layer
• Follow our Safety Pledge (click to view below) and safety advice offered during the ride to the best of your ability

In addition to the requirements, we also strongly encourage all riders to complete the Traffic Smarts for Cyclists: USA course from The Center for Cycling Education. This is valuable for new and returning cyclists alike. Please contact us to receive a $10 coupon code that also enables us to credit you with course completion. To preview the course, see it here. 

Safety Pledge

Our Tools for Riders page includes a comprehensive packing list that we encourage all riders to utilize. Because of space and team limitations, riders and volunteers have size and space restrictions for the bag that they bring. Join us in Living Simply!

Size and Weight Limits

• For each rider we offer to carry one bag of less than 5,000 cubic inches that weighs less than 40 lbs.
  • Sleeping bags in their snug original carrying case and compact camping pads rolled up tightly may be outside of your bag.
  • Each rider should bring their own camping pad. Camping pads / air mattresses should be twin-sized (39″ width) or smaller and compact tightly after deflating. Compact camping pads like this one or this one are preferred, but more traditional air mattresses of 39″ or less are also permitted. The mattress should be in a tight carrying case and may be outside of your bag.
  • Laptops, tablets and other small electronics may be carried separately in a small bag to help prevent damage. No clothing should be in computer bags.

Excess Baggage Fees

At check-in, we will use a luggage scale to weigh all the items you plan to put in the trailer, including all computer bags, sleeping bags, air mattresses, etc. (We will not include the weight of medical devices and bike parts like CO2 cartridges, bike batteries, bike locks, etc.)

The combined weight of your trailer items will have the following fees:

• 50 pounds and under – FREE
• Over 50 pounds: $5 per each pound over 50, per week

Example: Someone with 55 pounds of luggage for the trailer, riding for two weeks, would owe:
5 pounds x 2 weeks x $5/pound/week = $50

Totals exceeding 80 pounds per rider will not be permitted, instead some items would need to be left behind or shipped home.

Bicycle Boxes and Cases

Cardboard Bicycle Boxes — We will keep cardboard bicycle boxes if they are fully collapsed flat for up to two weeks (no charge). For more than two weeks, it is typically better to find another bicycle box from a shop at your exit point. 

Hard Bike Cases — No hard bike cases will be kept in the trailer during the Bike Adventure, they must be shipped ahead or stored elsewhere.

Soft Bicycle Cases (bike bags) – For reusable soft cases that are collapsible, they are not counted towards your luggage weight; instead, we have a reduced cost determined by trip duration:

• Less than 3 weeks: $50
• 3 – 5 weeks: $100
• 6 – 8 weeks: $175
• 9 weeks or more: $250

Thank you for understanding of our space restrictions! See the Packing List on the Tools page for more details.