Rider Handbook - Ride for the Animals

2015 Ride for the Animals
95km charity bike ride from Sale to Bairnsdale
Rider Handbook
Sunday 22nd March 2015
Ride for the Animals
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Vision
The Ride for the Animals event vision is aligned with the mission of the Victorian Animal Aid Trust.
Together we aspire to save the lives of homeless animals and adopt them into safe and loving
homes. Ride for the Animals supports our mission by raising much needed funds for our three
shelters at Coldstream, Sale and Bairnsdale and allows us to help more animals in need.
Our Mission
The Ride is committed to sharing our mission with others to increase awareness of adoption and
animal welfare issues, as well as promoting participation in our fundraising activities. Animal Aid
operates as an 'Open Door' shelter and never refuses an animal in need. We believe that all animals
deserve the safety and comfort of a loving home and we aim to provide that opportunity to every
animal that comes through our doors; whether that be through reuniting a lost pet with their owners,
or finding a new forever home for an abandoned animal. We greatly value the role that pets play in
society and in our lives; the unconditional love, solace and companionship they provide is priceless.
The purpose of the Ride is to raise as much money as possible to help enhance the lives of the
animals in our care, and at the same time bring people from different social backgrounds together
to enjoy the challenge and friendships formed through a common goal. By helping raise money for
Animal Aid, you are making a very significant contribution to our cause.
How do homeless pets benefit from
money raised through Ride for the
Animals?
Each year Animal Aid receives around 6000 animals in need. Feeding, sheltering and caring for
these cats, dogs, pocket pets and small livestock is no mean feat. Many require medical attention,
some pets are staying with us as part of our Emergency Accommodation program, and others
require rehabilitation and behavioural training.
The expenditure involved in carrying out the services and programs we provide is far beyond what
we can cover with adoption income alone. We don’t receive any government funding and rely on
the generous donations, fundraising and bequests provided by the community. Literally every dollar
helps. This funding allows us to help animals in need; animals like T Rex, Clive, Ernie and Suzie.
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T Rex is finally home!
6 year old T Rex was surrendered to Animal Aid in March 2014 when his owner moved house. Like many
cats, T Rex came to Animal Aid through no fault of his own.
Separated from his loved ones and surrounded by other
strange cats, T Rex was overwhelmed by the situation he
was in. We sent him out on foster for a short time to
improve his well-being and while he came back to our
shelter cattery in better spirits, T Rex was still showing signs
of anxiety. To relieve his stress, T Rex would spend hours
curled up in a paper box, his own little ‘security blanket’.
Sadly for adult cats, many people who adopt gravitate
toward the kittens, while older cats sit by and watch as one
loving family after another passes them over for a younger
option. This was the case for T Rex. In August, five months
after he arrived we held ‘T Rex Week’ at Animal Aid and
pulled out all the stops to find this beautiful boy a loving
family. And we did! By the end of T Rex Week, he was
adopted and finally relaxing at home.
T Rex looking for love
High five for Clive!
Clive came to Animal Aid as a stray at only seven months of age. He was a cute, young pup, but in need of
a bit of training and loving attention. Clive was a favourite of the Animal Aid staff and volunteers. We
could see how much love he had to give and while he had a lot to learn Clive was one smart cookie and he
would quickly gain the skills he needed
with the right guidance.
Little Clive at home with his new big sister!
After two months Clive was waiting and
he was starting to show serious signs of
stress, as many dogs do after such a
period of confinement. At this point
we were overjoyed when he was
adopted, but unfortunately Clive was
returned to the shelter a week later.
His new family felt that they couldn’t
provide him with the attention he
needed. Poor Clive was back at square
one.
Luckily, three weeks later his perfect match arrived at Animal Aid and Clive was adopted again. This time it
was permanent! His new Mum Alisha tells us:
Adopting Clive on July 6th was a great decision. Even though it's been a short time he has settled in and
become one of the family very quickly. Our big girl Shylo, is loving having him here. Thank you Animal Aid
for letting my family be the ones to give this special boy a second chance!
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le
Ernie
3 year old Ernie came to Animal Aid as a stray. He is a
big, handsome tabby boy with a loving nature. Ernie
appeared to be in good health when he was checked
over by Animal Aid's Vet Clinic team, however we
noted that he was breathing rapidly and his heart
sounded muffled on one side of his chest. After taking
some x-rays we were surprised to find that Ernie was
suffering from a very uncommon condition and had a
tear in his diaphragm.
Ernie recovering from surgery!
This condition can allow internal organs to enter the
chest cavity and compress the lungs. In Ernie's case,
his whole small intestine, spleen and part of his colon
was up in the left side of his chest and collapsing his lungs.
Animal Aid's Vet Clinic team quickly scheduled him for surgery and with two vets, two nurses and over two
hours of surgery Ernie's abdominal organs were put back in their rightful place and the tear repaired! After
making it through the next 24 hours in recovery we just knew that Ernie was going to make it through his
ordeal. We are so happy with his progress and can't wait to put this gorgeous boy up for adoption shortly!
Suzie’s Story
When Suzie was surrendered to Animal Aid by her previous owners, she was in poor condition and had
quite significant mammary tumours on both her left and right hand side. On top of this her teeth had
extensive plaque and advanced decay and would require a full dental if not quite a few extractions. Let’s
face it, this poor girl was a bit of a mess! This was going to be a big job and we needed a helping hand. In
stepped Rescued With Love (RWL), a fantastic and dedicated group of volunteers, who were able to lend
support with Suzie’s situation.
Suzie required two separate surgeries on her mammary
tumours one of which we performed at our clinic and the
other, some months later, was funded by RWL. We also
performed the dental at the time of the first surgery. The
poor little darling had stitches everywhere, but she was
such a trooper.
RWL agreed to foster Suzie while she recovered from the
first operation and then take responsibility for her
rehoming once she had had her second surgery. Suzie is
now a treasured member of her new family where she is
the pampered pooch she always deserved to be.
Suzie and Dr Adele!
Ride for the Animals
Thanks to RWL we have been able to find homes for some
very tricky cases like Suzie. Together we are showing that
every life counts!
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Spirit of the Ride
This is a volunteer-based ride that relies on everyone making a contribution to its success. The
following points will help make the Ride more enjoyable for you and your fellow participants. It is
the responsibility of each rider to:

Comply with the information contained in this handbook.

Be physically fit and capable of completing the ride.

Inform the event team leader of any existing medical condition(s).

Protect your body from the elements.

Immediately inform an events volunteer if you are feeling ill.

Ensure you eat enough to sustain the energy required for the Ride.

Ensure you drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated.

Ensure your bike is serviceable and in good working condition to complete the ride.

Arrive on time.

Thank the volunteers and each other!

Have fun!
Remember that this is a ride to raise money for homeless animals and is not a race. Help your
fellow participants along by encouraging them, especially if they are struggling at any point along
the way.
Fundraising
All individual riders are required to raise a minimum of $250, a very achievable target. You just need
10 family members or friends to donate $25 each and you’re done! Teams of four people are
required to raise $750 to participate.
When you register via the event website you will receive a confirmation email that provides
instructions to share your fundraising page through Facebook and to email your online network. This
is the easiest way to let everyone know about the great challenge you are taking on and the support
you require.
You can personalise your fundraising page. Simply log in to Go Fundraise, go to My Account at the
top of the page and click on My Fundraising. If you then click on Manage Page on the right hand
side it will take you to an area where you can change your profile picture and your fundraising
description, which is what people will see when they land on your fundraising page.
Once again the most successful fundraisers will win a lovely bottle of Moet and $50 Bunnings
voucher. The person and team who raise the most money will win the prize (and the glory!) for
being the most successful fundraisers for the second annual Ride for the Animals.
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Preparing for the Ride
The Route Overview
The ride commences at Animal Aid’s Gippsland shelter in Fulham, runs through Maffra and
Stratford before heading along Bengworden Road all the way to Animal Aid’s Bairnsdale shelter.
As you can see by the elevation chart below, the ride is not cumbersome with hill climbs and the
main test may be the weather on the day! Head-winds can be a challenge, plus we will potentially
encounter a hot day.
The Elevation
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The Route by Stage
Stage 1- Fulham/Myrtlebank: approx. 9km
A nice, flat start to the ride with a few twists
and turns. The right hand turn from Fulham
Road onto the Princes Highway will be
marshalled to warn and stop oncoming traffic.
All other turns will be manned by marshals
with directional signage, however riders will
need to avoid any traffic and make turns only
when safe.
The majority of this stage has a road shoulder
and speed limits for motorists are between
80km and 100km.
Stage 2- Maffra/Stratford: approx. 21km
Traffic speeds in this area range from
60km/hr to 100km/hr so you will
experience a range of traffic at various
speeds. Some areas of this section
have road shoulders, however others
do not.
The right hand turn in Maffra is through
a roundabout, and this will be
marshalled to stop oncoming traffic and
ensure rider safety.
The stretch of road between Maffra and
the Princes Highway is not fantastic, so
great care should be taken.
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Stage 3- Stratford/Meerlieu: approx. 28km
This stage runs through the town of Stratford and riders must be on alert for local traffic.
The right hand turn in Stratford is through another roundabout, and again this will be will be marshalled to stop
oncoming traffic and ensure rider safety.
There is also a right hand turn from Princes Hwy into Bengworden Road which will be manned by marshals with
directional signage, however riders will need to avoid any traffic and make the turn only when safe.
Nice plain sailing along the lengthiest stage. The pit-stop point is at Meerlieu Primary School on Bengworden Road.
Toilet facilities, energy snacks and hydration are available here.
Note this road is 100km/hr and the majority has no shoulder, so please take care and be alert to local traffic.
Stage 4 – Meerlieu/Bairnsdale: approx. 36km
After you leave the second pit-stop point there is more plain sailing. The right hand turn from Bengworden Road into
Humphreys Road will be manned by marshals with directional signage, however riders will need to avoid any traffic and
make the turn only when safe.
BEWARE, there is a hill climb right in the last 5km of the ride!
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Insurance
Your registration does not include personal or third party insurance. While the event team makes
every effort to protect the safety of all participants, incidents can occur which may result in
injury/loss/damage to you and/or others.
We strongly recommend all participants avail themselves of insurance cover relevant to their
individual circumstances. As a starting point you may wish to consider joining Bicycle Network
Victoria as membership includes insurance cover (www.bicyclenetwork.com.au). Annual
membership with Bicycle Network Victoria is $115 for individuals or $95 for individual concession
and does offer benefits other than insurance.
Animal Aid has the appropriate public liability insurance in place for this event.
Training for the Ride
Targeting a 95km ride seems like a big challenge and it’s a great cycling goal to achieve for most
riders. While the prospect of training for a 95km event may seem daunting for some, when you
break it down to gradual increases over a period of 10 to 12 weeks it’s entirely achievable for
almost anyone.
Here are some basic training rules of thumb to keep in mind and remember; being fit doesn’t mean
you are ‘bike fit’:
 Train 3-4 times a week, either by bike or another type of activity. At a minimum you should
ride 3 times per week.
 To start with go on an easy ride of approximately 1 to 2 hours each time. If you are just
beginning go twice a week for 30 to 60 mins and build from there.
 You don’t need to have fully ridden the distance you are targeting as your goal in training.
The key is consistency over each week and slowly building to your goal, that way you’re
more likely to avoid injury and training fatigue.
 Two weeks before the event is a good time to do a longer ride than usual. If you are
reasonably comfortable riding 50km-60km, the jump to 95km won’t seem that much.
 It’s easy to underestimate how much food you need to take on board when cycling. For a
95km ride you need a substantial meal the night before, a generous breakfast and then a
few bananas and nutrition bars during the ride, plus water/hydration fluid. Often when people
run out of energy on long rides, it is lack of nutrition as much as lack of training.
 The best way to learn training, hydration and eating tips is to ride with people who have done
it before. Although you can do it on your own it’s easier and more fun if you pick up pointers
from others who are experienced. Try joining some regular rides with your local cycling club.
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Suggested basic training schedule
Weeks to go
Monday
Wednesday
Weekend
Week Total
12
5km
5km
10km
20km
11
5km
10km
15km
30km
10
5km
15km
20km
40km
9
10km
15km
20km
45km
8
10km
15km
25km
50km
7
10km
15km
25km
50km
6
10km
20km
30km
60km
5
10km
20km
30km
60km
4
15km
25km
40km
80km
3
20km
30km
50km
100km
2
20km
30km
60km
110km
1
10km
20km
40km
70km
What to eat the night before
The most important goal for longer rides is to build up carbohydrate stores. Carbohydrates are the
most important fuel source for prolonged exercise and make a difference between doing your best
and hitting the wall early.
Carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream from the gut. When there is plenty of
carbohydrate available, such as after a meal of pasta, the extra that is not used is stored in the
liver and muscles. Eating plenty of carbohydrates in the 48 hours before the big ride will help fill
your glycogen stores. The night before your event, it is a good idea to include more carbohydrates
in your evening meal than you usually have. Nutritious carbohydrate foods include:

Pasta and noodles.

Rice.

Couscous.

Potatoes, pumpkin, sweet corn.

Dairy foods.

Fruit and juice.

Bread.
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Protein is also important, but it is best to choose easily digested forms such as lean red meat, fish
chicken and tofu rather than fattier meats.
What to take with you
After a satisfying pre-ride meal, it is important to maintain your carbohydrate intake once you're out
on the bike. Snacks will help to maintain blood glucose levels, and provide a constant source of
energy to your muscles.
It is recommended that you start consuming carbohydrates early in the ride at a rate of between
30g and 60g per hour. Foods eaten on the bike should be high glycaemic index and low fibre for
rapid absorption. Bananas, muesli bars, energy bars and Powerade will be provided by your event
team at the start of the Ride and at the pit-stop point; however you may take snacks with you to
eat during the ride for additional energy.
What not to eat
Foods that are too high in fat or protein are slowly digested and may cause discomfort or a heavy
feeling. Over-eating is also likely to make you feel sluggish.
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On the Day
Weather
As we all know, Melbourne’s weather is very changeable from one day to the next. However, we
will be riding rain, hail or shine. Of course if inclement weather conditions were to pose a serious
risk, for example flood, bushfire, temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, the Ride would be cancelled
and all participants notified at the earliest possible time.
Please ensure you are prepared for a variety of weather conditions; we may just see four seasons
in one day!
Vehicle Support (the good old Sag wagon!)
There will be a lead vehicle controlling the ride and two rear vehicles to assist with any struggling
stragglers or participants that cannot finish the ride within set time constraints. A bicycle mechanic
will be travelling with the group to assist with any equipment failure; however you are expected to
bring your own puncture repair kit.
Medical Support
There will be two qualified first aid officers travelling with the group to assist with any injury or medical
needs during the ride. A First Aid kit will be carried in each support vehicle. In the event of an incident,
riders are to follow all instructions from the event personnel travelling in the support vehicles. Those
closest to any injured riders may provide immediate first aid if capable.
Safety
The safety of everyone involved in the Ride, whether as a rider or as part of the support crew, is the
responsibility of EVERYONE. Safety MUST be your first priority. Please keep in mind that the Ride
is a recreational event, not a race.
All riders MUST comply with the following at all times:
1. Obey all road rules and instructions from event team members and support vehicle drivers.
2. Be aware of your surroundings - remember to look around and stay vigilant.
3. Be aware of other riders and road users.
4. Pass other riders in single file, on the right and only when safe to do so.
5. Communicate with others where needed – verbal and non-verbal.
6. Verbal - call ‘passing’ when passing, or ‘stopping’ when stopping, call objects that
can cause damage to rider and/or bike.
7. Non–Verbal - use hand signals to indicate to other riders what you are planning to do;
stopping, changing direction and obstacles ahead.
8. Keep as far to the left as possible to allow motor vehicles to overtake safely.
9. If you need to stop, move off the road before you dismount - walk your bike well off the
road.
10. Keep alert; most crashes happen when your concentration lapses.
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11. Keep at least one hand on your handlebars at all times.
12. Avoid running into those in front!
13. Be aware of changing road conditions including water, pot holes, gravel, narrow roads,
approaching bridges/culverts, railway tracks and soft road shoulders.
14. Stay a minimum distance of 20 metres behind the lead safety vehicle
15. No headphones permitted while riding
Group Road Riding Etiquette & Simple Pace Line Guidelines
There are three basic rules to group riding at pace:
1. Don’t do anything suddenly!
2. Don’t do anything suddenly!
3. DON’T DO ANYTHING SUDDENLY!!
Follow these guidelines to ensure your safety and the safety of your fellow riders:
 Don’t OVERLAP WHEELS!! This is especially important for inexperienced riders – it can
be a formula for disaster. Unless you are an exceptional bike handler riding behind a
remarkably steady and predictable rider, the advantage gained by very close following is
not worth the risk of crashing.
 If at the front, keep your head up, call out any pot holes, and watch the traffic. You will be
directly behind the lead event vehicle, so please watch for any instructions from them or
event marshals along the route.
 Watch the rider in front of you constantly and keep a safe distance, especially when
approaching a challenging rise in terrain or jump in pace. Some people, even on the best
of days, have an inconsistent speed that causes the bike to go back and forth. Other people
brake suddenly or excessively, others throw the bike back when getting up to climb, so
please pay attention.
 Ride in a straight line at a consistent and predictable pace. Don’t slow down or stop
suddenly, remember there is a bunch of riders behind you.
 When moving from a seated to a standing position, stay on the power so you don’t fall
back into the bike behind you. Even some very strong riders do this so be forewarned.
 When climbing any hills, avoid following a wheel too closely. Many riders often lose their
momentum when rising out of the saddle on a hill which can cause a sudden deceleration.
This can often catch a rider who is following too closely, resulting in a fall from a wheel
touch.
 Stay to the left when in front to allow room for others to pass safely on your right,
particularly in traffic. Pass other riders on the right hand side whenever possible. If you
find that you can’t hold with the pace line that you’re in, SIGNAL, and then pull out of the
pace line and back off. If you are genuinely unable to share the pace at the front, stay at
the back and keep out of the way of the other riders.
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Signals to Riders from Support Vehicles
SIGNALS MEANING
1(one) LONG HORN BLAST - Safely stop your bike and move off the road, e.g. road train/large
vehicle approaching, serious incident has occurred.
1 (one) BEEP - Vehicle overtaking pack.
OPEN HAND OUT WINDOW – Stopping at intersection or due to traffic ahead.
WAVING CLOSED FIST - Obstruction across road.
STATIONARY CLOSED FIST - Obstacle/s on road, e.g. pot holes.
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