The Ride
The AV200 is a challenging - and fun! - two-day, 200-mile ride that raises money to stop HIV/AIDS. The Ride takes place in May and attracts more than 150 cyclists and an army of volunteers. It is fully supported with SAG (support and gear) teams as well as refueling pit stops every 15 or so miles. Riders can complete as much or as little of the Ride as they wish, either as individuals or part of relay teams.
The ride begins on the campus of Emory University, travels through the eastern Atlanta suburbs then into the countryside past several scenic towns until arriving at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center near Eatonton, Georgia. The return is a nearly identical reverse route. The course is primarily rolling hills with some steeper climbs in and out of Metro Atlanta. The entire 200 miles is well-marked and cue sheets are provided and available for download.
Cyclists and volunteers spend Saturday night in cabins alongside Rock Eagle’s 110-acre lake. The Rock Eagle pool is open for our use and massage therapists will be available free of charge. Meals are provided both days as part of rider/volunteer registration fees. A short program and rider recognition are scheduled for Saturday evening.
The Ride has earned a reputation for operational excellence as well as its amazing sense of community and camaraderie. We enjoy a close relationship with all our beneficiaries; their fellows, staff, enrollees and faculties ride, volunteer and cheer us on as we work to end HIV/AIDS.
Check-In: Friday, May 14, 2021 at the Emory School of Medicine. Ride weekend kicks off with a registration/welcome dinner for riders and crew. All riders and crew will be required to register prior to the beginning of the event. Emory School of Medicine is located at: 100 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322. Limited check-in is available Saturday morning.
Registration Fee: Fee for all two-day rides is $100.
Deadline: The deadline to register for the AV200 is 6pm, Friday, May 15th at Rider Check-In – Emory University.
Out of Town Riders: We welcome all riders to Atlanta and our beautiful state! The Rider Registration form provides an opportunity for you to indicate if you require lodging prior to or after Ride Weekend. We will do our best accommodate your request!
Closing ceremony: We have a great tradition of "massing up" on Sunday at the last pit stop and finishing the ride as one. Arriving via police escort, we'll celebrate with friends and family during an impactful closing ceremony and well-deserved cookout at Emory.
How to participate: There are flexible options for riding the AV200: riders have the option of riding the full 200-mile route, or splitting up the ride as a relay.
Riders can ride as individuals, create a team, or join an established team. Team participation is a fun way to promote the ride and raise funds. You can join a team or form a team at any time.
Forming a relay group is an excellent option for those who would prefer to ride shorter portions of the route.
Rider Manual - All riders will receive a copy of the 2020 Rider Manual in the weeks prior to the Ride. The Manual is a "must read" and contains a wealth of logistical information to help make your weekend as enjoyable as possible. The 2019 Rider Manual can be found here.
Individual Rider: Two-day individual riders plan to ride the 200-mile route. In addition, you can form a team or join an existing team. There is a $500 fundraising commitment for individual riders.
Team riders: Create a team, or join an established team. Team participation is a fun way to promote the ride and raise funds. You can join a team or form a team at any time.
Relay riders: groups of two or more people who decide to split up the mileage. You can split up the ride any way you like. For instance, you and a friend can agree to split up the ride 50/50 each day. You could ride the first 50 miles while your friend drives your car, and then after 50 miles you could switch. Or relay riders can “leap frog” from pit stop to pit stop. In addition, relay riders can be members of teams independent of the relay group. There is a $350 fundraising commitment for each relay rider. Relay riders must provide their own transportation for their relay. SAG support will be provided in emergency situations, however. AV200 organizers can help people find relay teams.
The AV200 is much more than just a bike ride or cycling event. In addition to the cyclists who train, fund raise and gear up to ride, there are dozens of friends, family members and supporters who lend invaluable behind-the-scenes support. People of diverse talents and backgrounds find their place contributing to this incredible community!
We've created several Crew opportunities, understanding that different people are able to offer differing levels of support. We encourage all volunteers to spend the night at Rock Eagle if possible. It is a truly special part of the Ride weekend.
Please check the Crew Teams below for areas of interest or expertise:
- WAYFINDING – AV200 riders rely on the efforts of the wayfinding team to place directional arrows, signs, and pavement markings along both the outbound and inbound routes. Access to a vehicle (preferably an SUV or a pickup truck) with space for signs and stands for 2 or 3 sections of the route is suggested. Wayfinding is completed on Friday prior to the Ride. The entire route is usually marked in about 5 hours.
- SAG (Support and Gear) – The safety of the cyclists is squarely in the hands of this team of mobile stormtroopers. A vehicle with a bike rack (or a truck or SUV) is required. This team is responsible for patrolling the route and making sure riders are safe. This could include picking up broken-down cyclists, calling for the medical team (in the case of an injury) or reporting back to the ride directors about any dangerous situations that may arise. Takes place all day Saturday and/or Sunday.
- DISTRIBUTION – At its core, the Ride is a rolling logistics ballet requiring precise execution. All tables, chairs, food, ice, water, and supplies have to be delivered to the pit stops — on time and in good condition. Supplies are palettized the day prior to the ride and re-stowed once the ride is over. Each morning, a 24-foot panel truck and two or three volunteers depart to drop off supplies to each of the pit stops. Then, in a second truck, two or three more volunteers follow the last rider to gather all the supplies from the pit stops. This small, but effective, behind-the-scenes team is essential to our success!
- ROCK EAGLE TEAM – This team has been called the Concierge Club and for good reason: they are responsible for delivering the cyclists’ luggage via truck to Rock Eagle and then placing it in each rider’s assigned cabin. Additionally, they bring all supplies needed to prepare the facility for bicycle storage and, most importantly, the arrival of the riders on Saturday afternoon/evening. The Rock Eagle Team helps cheer on the cyclists upon the completion of their Day 1 ride.
- LOADING DOCK AND STAGING – We begin prepping for the AV200 approximately one week before the bicycle ride. The staging of all food and supplies takes place at Emory West Campus (the old psych hospital). The work requires a couple of hours on Thursday night and much of the day on Friday. This team attracts the super-organized, the Can Dos and Problem Solvers Extraordinaire!
Members of L5Flyers Cycling Team provide mechanical support at the Rutledge Pit Stop.
- PIT STOPS – Along with the SAG Team, the Pit Stop crews are a crucial part of the direct care staff. Pit stops are the rest stops along the 100 mile route. Riders will use the restroom, eat, drink and complete a bicycle check before heading out on the next leg of the route. On average, cyclists spend approximately 10 minutes at each stop. These teams are normally community groups or company-sponsored teams of around 10-15 people. Teams arrive at their designated pit stop at least 45 minutes ahead of opening time and will need to pack up and clean their site before leaving. The Rider Tracking team will let you know when you can close up for the day.
- RIDER TRACKING – Using a mobile app, this team keeps tracks of all of riders as they progress along the route. This not only enables operations to know that no rider is lost or potentially hurt, but also enables the upstream pit stop to know who they should be expecting or not expecting.
- MASS UP – On Sunday, all of the riders arrive at the 7th Pit Stop and gather until the “Grand Ride” back to Emory. The Mass Up team keeps all bikes secure and entertains the cyclists over a span of 2-3 hours. The police-led parade leaves promptly at 4:30pm, then the team breaks down and cleans the site.
- SPONSOR SUPPORT – While all of the above teams are working to operate the ride, the Sponsor Support Team takes photos of the ride and tries to capture images that the AV200 can use as thank-you mementos or social media material for sponsors to use to promote their support of the AV200. In addition, this team helps make sure that sponsor signage is in place and maintained along the route and at the pit stops.
- MEDICAL TEAM – Finally, but hardly an afterthought, the Medical Team is responsible for treating acute health issues that arise among cyclists and volunteers along the route during both days of the event. Potential ailments include sunburn, dehydration, insect stings, cramping and discouragement! Ideally, this team is staffed by medical professionals, e.g. nurses, doctors, PAs or physical therapists. EMT’s are also excellent team members. This team can be broken up into many configurations, and your shift can be tailored to your hospital schedule if necessary.
MOST IMPORTANT: Riders pay a registration fee which covers their lodging and meals at Rock Eagle. Volunteers who are working all weekend or have to stay at Rock Eagle as part of their work do not have to pay for lodging or meals. If you are one of these types of volunteers, please enter discount code “2019Crew” when the system prompts you to enter payment information. This will bring your total to zero ($0.00), and you will be able complete the registration.
Click on the link below to register as a Join the Crew. As cyclists and volunteers both use the same system to register, some of the questions may not apply to you.
register TO VOLUNTEER
Within one or two days after registration, the Ride Directors will send you a welcome letter via email which will include a link to Survey Monkey. Follow the link and answer the questions. Doing so will allow the Logistics Committee to learn which subcommittee interests you and to gather additional information which will help with scheduling. If you have questions about volunteering for the above subcommittees, please send an email to info@av200.org.
Thanks for your interest in volunteering for the AV200!
Participant discounts
The following businesses are offering special discounts to the participants of the AV200. Please support them!
Peachtree Bikes: 10% off clothing, gear, and accessories
Urban Body Fitness: $10 for the Yoga For Athletes Class. Please call the day of to reserve a spot in the class. The normal walk-in for the class is $16.
Energy Lab: $75/month unlimited rides (regular $99) to all registered AV200 riders!! If you want to get in on this deal, please contact Bethany at info@energylabatl.com. She’ll get you set up!
Want to help our cause and offer special discounts to the participants of the AV200? Great! Contact us and let us know about your business and services info@av200.org
Because we care, we want our riders and crew to look sharp! Each year, the AV200 Ride Directors choose appropriate branding for all Ride-related production items - cycling jerseys, shorts, crew t-shirts, promotional posters etc.
Kits
Riders can earn customized, limited edition cycling apparel by raising varying amounts of money. At $750 raised, participants receive socks. At $1500, an AV200 jersey. And, at $2000 raised, special padded cycling shorts.
A beloved (and hotly contested) AV200 tradition is the Top 10 Yellow Jersey, awarded to each of the Top 10 fundraisers during the Ride's Saturday night festivities.
T-Shirts and Other Goodies
Each volunteer and rider will receive an AV200 schwag bag at registration. The gift bag often contains sponsor-provided items, promotional materials, freebies from Emory University and official AV200 gear.