The largest cross-continental bike tour ever

• 218 cyclists registered; 127 of whom are going the full distance. Largest known previous tour is 96 cyclists crossing Canada in 2005 (165 total cyclists involved);

Who Are These Cyclists?

• Most of the riders are affiliated with a congregation in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in North America;
• A wide range of cyclists...
  • from Portland, Oregon to Winnipeg, Manitoba to Port au Prince, Haiti;
  • from 18 to 80 years old;
  • from student, to teacher, to carpenter, to corrections officer, to minister, to retiree;
• Male/Female ratio is about 2:1.

Why Are They Riding?

• Many have personal reasons for their participation. Collectively, they are also cycling to:
  • Increase awareness concerning the root causes of global poverty;
  • Motivate people to become involved in assisting the poor;
  • Raise money to fund initiatives aimed at reducing poverty.

Ending the Cycle of Poverty

• Tour proceeds will support new and ongoing programs that break the cycle of poverty for individuals, families and communities around the world;
• Tour partners include the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, Christian Reformed World Missions, and Partners Worldwide. Sea to Sea is also partnering with RCA Global Mission in connection with cyclists from the Reformed Church in America.
• Each cyclists’ fund-raising target is $10,000 (or $4,000 for one leg of the route).

Tour Details

• June 30 – August 30, 2008; 62 days total, 54 riding days;
• 3,881 miles (6,246 kms), daily average is 72 miles (116 kms);
• Starting in Seattle, Washington, ending Jersey City, New Jersey and also traveling through part of Canada;
• Twelve Celebration Rallies staged in cities along the tour route, usually on Sundays.

Start in Seattle, Washington. Arrive Saturday, June 28, 2008, for orientation.

Week 1 - Seattle to Kennewick, Wash. June 30-July 5 —319 miles, 513 kilometers.
Week 2 - Kennewick to Boise, Idaho July 7-12 —321 miles, 517 kms.
Week 3 - Boise to Salt Lake City, Utah July 14-19 —444 miles, 715 kms.
Week 4 - Salt Lake City to Denver, Colo. July 21-26 —478 miles, 769 kms.
Week 5 - Denver to Fremont, Neb. July 28-Aug. 2 —553 miles, 890 kms.
Week 6 - Fremont to Madison, Wis. August 4-9 —548 miles, 882 kms.
Week 7 - Madison to Grand Rapids, Mich. August 11-16 —378 miles, 608 kms.
Week 8 - Grand Rapids to St. Catharines, Ont. August 18-23 —410 miles, 660 kms.
Week 9 - St. Catharines to Jersey City, NJ. August 25-30 —430 miles, 692 kms.

End in Jersey City, at Liberty State Park on Saturday, August 30, 2008.

The total distance is expected to be about 3,881 miles or 6,246 kms. Average distance per day: 72 miles (116 kms).

What kind of tour is this? Check out the answer to this and many more Frequently Asked Questions.