Bike the Barns~ a spectacular fundraising bicycle ride that features local farms and local food prepared by Underground Food Collective. When you participate in Bike the Barns, you not only enjoy a day biking to local farms and eating artisan delicacies, but you also support our community’s health – the health of our neighbors, our land, our farmers, and our local economies. Proceeds from this event benefit FairShare’s Partner Shares Program which helps low-income families purchase fresh, local, organic vegetables and have a direct connection with their food and farm through community supported agriculture.

We’re riding to make sure all of our neighbors have access to fresh, healthy food!

SAVE the DATE!

6th Annual Bike the Barns – Sunday, September 16, 2012.

Thanks again to the 2011 sponsors, riders, volunteers, farms, and staff.  Our Bike the Barns committee was amazing and we couldn’t pull this event off without them.

Stay tuned for 2012 details.  With five years under our belt, next year we will start to roughly recycle through routes or at least general areas around Madison.  Soooo  – get ready for the hills!  In 2012, we’re headed west or northwest of Madison.  We also are in the midst of planning pre-ride events to encourage us all to train and be prepared for the ride.

REGISTRATION

Registration will open on June 15, 2012.

Once again, we will give your friends and families the opportunity to support healthy, nutritious communities by pledging their support for your ride. We will be asking riders to collect pledges for their ride.  Check out last year’s top fundraising prizes from local businesses.

You create a personal webpage online for recruiting fundraising pledges when you register. Just send out one email, and see the response! If we receive checks in the mail for a rider, we will enter in paper pledges for that rider, but remember to put your name in the memo line. Here is the off-line pledge paper form.

Cost

• All riders on individual or tandem bikes, pay full registration costs.
• Any youth being pulled in burleys, trailers, etc are free.
• All registered participants will be getting a free t-shirt with registration.

After Party refreshments will be provided to all riders starting at 1pm.  Riders will be provided a limited number of tickets for beverages and snacks.  A limited number of extras will be provided for day-of sale on a first-come, first-serve basis.  But we will assure you, all riders will enjoy a post-ride snack.

Event Capacity

We will limit the number of riders at this event to 550.  Registration for this event will be closed when we reach this number.  We anticipate that the event will sell out by mid August. 

Start Waves

When you register, you will be asked to select one of four times – 8:00am, 8:20am, or 8:40am for the longer Rutabaga Route or 10am for the shorter Radish Route to start the ride.  Talk with your friends before you register to decide what time you want to leave so that you can be together. Radish Route riders are not allowed to start the ride until 10am, so that they will reach the lunch farm stop at the same time as other riders. We hope that organizing waves of riders for departures will reduce traffic congestion on the road and increase your safety.

Remember, that farm stops will be open for refreshments at the stated times.  Do not expect refreshments before these times.

Classes and Coupons

These will be announced in June.

ROUTE

One of the unique features of Bike the Barns is that we change the route to highlight different farms each year.

Next year, we are planning on heading west or northwest of Madison.  More details will come in the spring.

2011 ROUTE MAP

MERCHANDISE

Order your Bike the Barns merchandise now! Remember all proceeds from the Bike the Barns event and its merchandise go to a great cause! Bike the Barns fundraising helps low-come households afford fresh, organic food and make sure the our farms are receiving a fair cost for their produce. 

Pint Glasses: At the After Party we will be selling $5 pint glasses to fill up with tasty beverages.  If you do not want to drink other beverages than water out of your water bottle at the After Party, consider purchasing a pint glass or bringing another cup.

T-shirts: Check out this year’s t-shirt design!  We love it! Thank you to Drew Garza and Scott Pauli of Art & Sons for this year’s Bike the Barns design. T-shirts are included with registration,  additional shirts cost $15 each.

Bike Jerseys: We will also be offering a Bike the Barns bike jersey this year!  The $75 jersey is made by a local manufacturer Mt. Borah.  It is a short sleeve, race-cut jersey, and tends to be form fitting.  See the sizing charts below for fitting:

Order your T-shirts, Jersey’s and Cookbooks now!

The riders!

The route!

The farms!

The fun!

The food!