The ride across Florida is mostly flat with 3,492 feet of climbing spread over 243 miles with a max grade of 4.9%. The tour is a relaxed paced event, so take the time to read the historical markers, be fed by the locals, enjoy the culture and especially the weather.

There will be rest stops stocked with water and snacks about every 15-20 miles. Volunteer Support and Gear vehicles will be on route to pick you up if you have a mechanical or physical issues, and a sweep rider or two will be shepherding you to the next stop, vehicle or finish.

We recommend arriving at the tour moderately fit and able to ride at least 15 miles.

To keep Ride to Renew friendly, most of the route follows the Florida Coast to Coast (C2C) Trail. The route across Florida is conducted primarily on Rail Trails which means it’s flatter than the average road. With a few exceptions, you will be riding on paved rail trails and formal bike lanes. There are a few places where the C2C Trail is not yet complete and in those areas Ride to Renew will use low traffic country roads. The biggest hills on the route will be the overpasses.

Ride the bicycle you already have! The tour will support your flat bar, drop bar, road, mountain, hybrid, trike, recumbent, tandem, or e-bike. (We’ll have a charging station at one of our rest stops for e-bikes, but you’ll need your own charger).

Don’t have a bike? You won’t be the first to run or rollerblade or borrow or buy a bike to fight poverty! You may also explore a bike rental option with bike shops in the area.

Riders who fly usually transport bikes on the plane as an extra bag or ship bikes via UPS, FedEx, or custom shippers like BikeFlights. Riders who drive usually bring their bike with them on a bike rack or inside their vehicle.

You can also check with your local bike shop who can box and ship your bike for a fee. Getting home is the reverse and a local bike shop in Titusville will be identified for those who want extra help shipping their bike home.

Ride to Renew lodging will consist of local hotels and inns and are included as part of your tour package from Saturday night through Friday night. Beginning Sunday morning, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are included through Friday night. Breakfast is included with your lodging. We are working with local churches along the route to arrange for lunch and dinner each day.

To keep costs as low as possible, and limited availability, all rooms are based on two people in a room. Those who want to share a room should indicate during registration their preferred roommate. Married couples who are both riding, or if one is riding and the other volunteering, will be automatically sharing a room. Family members should indicate their roommate.

People who require a private room can pay a supplemental room charge of $500.

You may choose to self-donate and cover the fundraising goal—but the act of asking your family, friends, co-workers, and strangers for money is the biggest blessing, even more so than being in Florida in November. You’ll be blessed by surprising generosity, build a support network, and strengthen relationships. If you’re involved with a local church, share with your congregation that you are riding to fight poverty and would love for them to join you as either a rider, volunteer or donor.

Yes, our volunteers are considered as important as our riders! The Volunteer Roles on the tour include:

• Truck Driver – drives our luggage truck (think medium sized U-Haul) or our supply truck from the start to the finish and back to the start.
• SAG Rest Stop person – attends to riders as they pass through the rest stop filling their water bottles and keeping snacks available. They also communicate with SAG drivers and the tour manager to coordinate taking care of riders.
• SAG Driver – drives the SAG wagons that are on the route providing support to riders in between SAG rest stops.
• Sweep – rides or drives the route each day behind the last riders, making sure all riders arrive into each rest stop.
• Mechanic – drives a SAG wagon and is stationed on the route, usually at a rest stop. They provide mechanical assistance including repairs.

Yes! Those who want to have a family member on the tour and share the experience with them can do this in one of three OFFICIAL ways:

1. They can join as a fellow rider and fundraise.
2. They can join as a volunteer on the tour and not have to fundraise.
3. They are welcome to visit at a rest stop, overnight, and even at dinner. Just let us know so we can plan for them and figure out the donation to cover costs.