Roll with us to benefit others at the 2nd Annual

Carolina Century for MS

October 23, 2010 ♦ Greensboro, North Carolina

10 Hours of Support ♦ 21- to 102-mile routes

Registration not open yet...watch for early bird specials.

"Don't hibernate! Have a nice leisurely century with us...or drop us & get home early!"

7:30am Sunrise start (preregistered only) ◦ 10 hrs. support
9am Sleep-In start (8-8:45am registration) by Dale Brown of Cycles de Oro ◦ 8.5 hrs. support
Start/Finish ◦ Gospel Baptist Church, 5945 N Church St, Greensboro NC
Supersweet 21, 31, 51, 72, 82, 102-mile routes: marked, turnsheets, maps
Fast hills ◦ Smooth rollouts ◦ Country views ◦ Crisp skies ◦ Autumn colors
Rest stops ◦ Val, Jim, Elaine, Mike & Law (T2T rides/Tour de Triad); RSN team
Guilford/Forsyth Fire/Rescue stops ◦ SAG ◦ Bicycle Response Team tech/sweep
Awesome lunch by Margaret Bell ◦ Hospitality by Mom & Dad ◦ Proceeds to MS
Donate $25+ to roll ($30+ day of) ◦ Volunteer/Earn MS donations to your T2T 2010
Additional support and materials supplied by the National MS Society, Great Harvest Bread, and Panera Bread
Info & Preregistration: carolinacentury.com ◦ ccinfo atthingy carolinacentury.com
Like life, everything subject to change, especially for the better.
Rain or shine the scenery will be glorious and we'll be there to support you.
The latest info on the Carolina Century will always be at CarolinaCentury.com.

The Carolina Century invites all to come and enjoy our favorite smooth, hilly, gorgeous roads for the 2nd Annual Carolina Century for Multiple Sclerosis.

We want to help people who can't enjoy rolling the way we do because of MS, and to show you some of our favorite roads and scenery in our part of North Carolina.

We want to be the century for everyone, including slow cyclists, who have long distance goals but can't find support. Come try a leisurely century with ten hours of support, on a fun but challenging, beautiful and safe course. Preregister and leave early, or sleep in and roll out at 9:00am. You decide. Get it over with or make it last, then have lunch (or early supper!) when you get back to the church.

So forgive our enthusiasm and come love our supersweet routes. We have the very finest and kindest folk to sacrifice a day for us all in the service of a great cause, helping those with Multiple Sclerosis. If you've done Tour to Tanglewood Training Rides or the venerable Tour de Triad, you'll know Val & Jim, Mike & Elaine, and Law for great rest stops and refreshing conviviality. Many of the Fire & Rescue stations know we'll be coming by and some are hosting our rest stops, as this seems the very best place to rest, since we know they have plenty of water and medical care if anyone needs it. We've talked to local stores so we'll let you know which ones will welcome you and want to help you have a safe and happy day.

Our route philosophy is to start a bit further north of Greensboro than most events, then head south early while we're fresh and traffic is low. We get in a couple of lake crossings to wake up, then leave for a day of countryside views. This way, we don't come back into Greensboro late, when we're at our most tired and so are the drivers who are on their way to something busy and important. On all routes, including the western loop, the populated sections are completed first, so as the day goes by, the views are better and the finish is still in green rolling hills.

We borrowed from parts of Mike Clark's Tour de Triad for Leukemia & Lymphoma for our 102 route's western loop. We made changes to maximize bucolic splendor and smooth, fast runouts, but we owe lots to Mike's vision and planning, and will always remember the rolling rest stop he provided up at Belew's Creek when we blew by the Fire Department there.

We also borrow from the old GVC Red, White & Blue Show'n'Go route. We had a great day, part of it lost and happy, when we missed a turn due to a downed street sign and had some joyous moments along the way. I knew I had to go back up there and look around, because it was non-stop glory that day. These loops are nested so we share the same first twelve miles and come together again for the final miles.

Our routes are subject to change as needs arise and new opportunities for fresh asphalt present themselves, but you can be sure we've thought about the route first and last, because without a great route, the event can only be good. These are the best routes we know, period.

If you preregister and start at the early rollout and average 10mph, we'll be there to support you for 10 hours (if you rollout at the sleep-in start on any non-century route, we'll support 10mph for you, too.). If you think you're going to ride but can't preregister please write me so we can plan for your presence (take out the spaces and funkiness that follow): ccinfo atthingy carolinacentury.com.

Routes are...

21 miles (1 rest stop at 12; stores at 1, 7, 9, 10, rolling support).

31 miles (2 rest stops at 12, 20; stores at 1, 7, 9, 10, 21, rolling support).

51 miles (2 rest stops at 12, 27; stores at 1, 7, 9, 10, 28, 37, rolling support).

72 miles (4+ rest stops at 12, 21, 56, 63; stores at 1, 7, 9, 10, 18, 30, 35, 38, 53, rolling support).

82 miles (5+ rest stops at 12, 21, 56, 63, 71, stores at 1, 7, 9, 10, 18, 30, 35, 38, 53, 72, rolling support).

102 miles (5+ rest stops at 12, 21, 56, 63 and 78, stores at 1, 7, 9, 10, 18, 30, 35, 38, 53, 79, 89, rolling support).

72 and 82 mile routes use the 102 route to mile 63, then follow the 21 and 31 mile routes home, respectively. All routes will be marked and mapped, but as noted, are subject to change.

Supersweet maps and turnsheets included.
The course is designed with preference for smooth, rural, fast, scenic, safe roads, downhills with runouts, and challenging (for the Piedmont) but smooth uphills.

GREAT HELP RETURNS

Dale Brown from Cycles de Oro will be in charge of registration and the Sleep-In start. Thanks for you continuing support of people with MS!
Valerie and Jim Gardner, Tour to Tanglewood volunteers extraordinaire, will be managing rest stops and more.
Elaine and Mike Clark of Tour to Tanglewood and Tour de Triad fame, will be helping with registration and rest stops and rolling support.
Jim and Betty Lambert will be providing rest stop and finish line support as needed.
Elizabeth Bailey has donated many hours assisting while I was driving hundreds of miles of roadways during route development.
Amy Harper and Katherine Brown provided rest stop support, and Doug Lytle provided rolling tech plus support and gear (SAG).

LOCATION

The Start/Finish parking area is graciously provided by:
Gospel Baptist Church (http://gospelbc.org),
5949 N Church St,
Greensboro, NC 27455

LatLon: 36.225364,-79.790987 or +36° 13' 31.31", -79° 47' 27.55"

Park at the NORTH side (away from the intersection of Church Street and Hwy 150) as far back toward the house as possible to the right side of the church as you enter the lot.
Please be considerate of the family living next to the lot by keeping noise to a minimum. Thanks.
Please thank anyone you see from the church for witnessing through action by allowing us to use their parking lot and any other facilities they offer.
"Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me!"

VOLUNTEERS WELCOME, EARN DONATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR'S TOUR TO TANGLEWOOD

If you can volunteer we can make the Carolina Century even better! Please email me so we can use your skills and time to greatest effect (take out the spaces and funkiness that follow): ccinfo atthingy carolinacentury.com.

NOTES FOR CYCLISTS

Helmets required
Event numbers with emergency contact info on the reverse required (numbers supplied).
Waivers required.
Please check in at the finish.
The course will be open for 10 hours, 12 minutes. Even if held open longer, at sunset the course must close and participants must be off the roads.
Cyclists are encouraged to attend the pre-event route summary and safety talk (Friday evening, see below) so you can meet us and hear about our event.
The optional weigh-in for the Power Challenge will be available at the start line (see below).
There are many nice piedmont downhills with clear views and plenty of rollout, and there is one very fast hill that deserves respect on the 72/82/102 only, at Freeman Rd. There's plenty of run-out but the entrance to the hill contains a bend so you can't see the runout from the top (after you turn left onto Freeman Rd. from Piney Grove/Kernersville Rd. at the Goodwill Baptist Church cemetery, the road drops down and left). This is no big deal if you're awake and aware so that's why we're pointing it out...be awake and aware. Also, watch for holes or patches at the base of this fast runout. We'll review the course before the Carolina Century.
There is one moderate downhill to a T at a stop sign on the 51 and 102-mile routes noted on the turnsheets. It is not that difficult to control your speed if paying attention, but it is VERY important to stop here, and fully adhere to the laws for all road users.
Please represent your sport with love to all.
"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

AIRPORT & HOTELS

If you're flying from out of town, save yourself a lot of trouble and fly in to GSO airport. It will end up being about the same price with hours less on the roads. You'll need access to a car, but they're cheap at the GSO airport, and taxis are not in much use in Greensboro.
NC-68 and I-40 (the older I-40, north of the newer one, which may not be called I-40 any more) are good places to grab a reasonably-priced hotel. There very few hotels near our start/finish area (which is the point, when you think about it). Check maps.google.com for directions because it takes longer than most of us think to get to Gospel Baptist Church, which is one nice thing about finishing there. It's a supersweet location.