What is the Tour de Cure?

For more than 30 years, the Tour de Cure (TdC) has served as the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) signature cycling and fundraising event that promotes their mission and healthy living. Upstate NY bicyclists can participate in-person in Rochester, however our team will be participating virtually. This means we select our own route and can stay in the capital district.

Please Note: This page is intended to quickly answer some frequently asked questions quickly, but be sure to double-check the TdC web site.

Upstate Peloton Official Team Page Event Home Page Event Details Frequently Asked Questions Red Riders - Living with Diabetes Fundraising Info/Recognition Fundraising toolkit Donor receipts (PDF) Donation deposit slip (PDF) Participant Dashboard (requires login) Participant Progress (requires login)

Why should I participate?

Join the Tour de Cure because in one day alone over 4,100 people will be diagnosed with diabetes and because more than 34 million adults and children in the United States are living with this terrible disease. When you join and raise money:

• You spread awareness of the devastating effects of diabetes.
• You advocate for a child with diabetes to have the same learning opportunities at school.
• You fund life-saving research.
• You provide access to community programs and free resources that help those living with diabetes.

You don't need to be a regular member of the cycling club, or even a cyclist!

How is Upstate Peloton Cycling Club participating?

Since many of us are based in the capital region of NY, we plan on participating virtually. Virtually means we'll be picking our own route in the capital region, at a mutually agreeable time. In 2021, 3 of us rode a metric century (62.2 miles), 1 rode solo prior to event day, and 2 others ran/walked solo.

How do I participate?

1. You need to register by joining our team (we are participating virtually; $0 registration fee)
   If you prefer to walk/run, this is technically a cycling event so just fill out the form as a virtual cyclist. Or, wait for the step out event later this year.
2. Raise as much money as you can! Since we're participating virtually, there is no fundraising minimum. (Read the Fundraising Guide (PDF))
3. You must mail in all funds raised (do not send cash through the mail)
   • You automatically get credit for online donations (requires login)
   • Checks: log donations in your participant page (requires login). Mail checks with a deposit slip (PDF) to the address near the bottom of the FAQ.
     Don't wait too long to mail in checks so they clear your donor's account
   • Cash: the easiest thing to do is donate money to yourself with Credit Card/PayPal but give your donor proper recognition.
4. Optionally recruit friends/family to participate too! There are special rules for kids, please see the FAQ.
5. You participate in your activity on event day
6. More questions? See the FAQ or ask the team captain.

Important Dates

9/15/2021	2022 Event announced
1/31/2022	Raise $150 by this date to earn a free "rider in training" t-shirt
4/30/2022	Raise enough to hit a fundraising threshold to receive recognition apparel by event day *
6/3/2022	Last day to register for the event? *
6/11/2022	Event Day!
7/10/2022	Last chance to earn recognition for fundraising *

* Dates are approximate and based on previous events.

I don't know my plans for event day

Sign up today so that you will know what your plans are! To make things easier, you can participate anywhere this year! If you're traveling for work, you can use the exercise room at the hotel or walk around an airport terminal.
... OR If something comes up, you can always participate before or after the actual event day.

Which route/activity do I choose?

Since we are participating virtually this year, you can choose the route that works best for you! There is no minimum number of miles or time, however we suggest using a guideline of 30+ minutes for a strenuous activity or 60+ for less strenuous, unless your doctor suggests otherwise.

How long will it take?

If you don't know your average speed, I suggest adults assuming 10-12mph for cycling or 2-3mph walking as a starting point. hours = miles / mph. Be sure to train for event day!

Is my bicycle OK to use?

If you haven't used your bike in a while, have someone experienced check it out such as a Local Bike Shop to tell you if the bike is safe/reliable to use. Here are a few things to check yourself.

What if I don't own a bicycle?

If you don't own a bicycle, you can run or walk! If you want to buy a bicycle anyway and are relatively new to cycling and don't know what to get, check out our new cyclist FAQ.

Note that some new bicycles continue to be difficult to find. Replacement parts has been an issue as well.

Fundraising tips

1. Read the Fundraising Guide
2. Make a large donation to yourself on the ADA web site to set the tone
3. Set a high but attainable goal. You can adjust later. There are recognition gifts if that will help you. $1000 is the "Champion" level.
4. Edit your TdC personal page. If you have a personal reason for participating, state that. i.e. do you or a loved one have diabetes?
5. When you ask people to donate, mention your reason why you are participating. If you or a loved one has diabetes, people will be more likely to donate or donate more.
6. Link to your Facebook account. Note as soon as you link it, people will see it! Instructions:
   1. Edit your TdC personal page. If you have a personal reason for participating, state that. i.e. do you or a loved one have diabetes? (this will be visible on Facebook)
   2. Go to your TdC dashboard and scroll down to the "connect with Facebook"
   3. Click the button to connect with Facebook.
   4. If you are not logged into Facebook, you may be prompted to log in. When finished, this will add a section in Facebook connecting your TdC profile with your Facebook so your Facebook friends can see your progress and goal. Your friends will see posts to the fundraiser in their feed. When friends donate, their friends will see that they donated to you.
   5. Simply linking the fundraiser should be enough to trigger some donations. After the activity slows down, you can:
      1. Post updates to the Fundraiser page. This will appear in your friends' news feed. Be sure to reiterate your personal reason for participating.
      2. Make "micro" donations to your Facebook fundraiser. Your friends will see that you've made a donation, but not the amount.
   6. I will ask you to take a photo of yourself on event day. I'll post it to the Upstate Peloton Facebook page, and then you can share that to your fundraiser page.
7. Join the TdC Upstate NY Community Facebook group for more ideas sharing, etc.
8. Share a personal story about why you are raising funds for ADA. Are you raising funds in honor of a friend or family member with diabetes? Yourself?
9. Do you or a friend have a special skill you can donate your time for monetary donations? e.g.
   1. Bake sale
   2. Bike maintenance
   3. Yard work
   4. Raffle
10. Print out materials to share or post, i.e. Banners or Business Cards (docx) or Poster (docx)
11. You will see regular posts on Facebook for Upstate Peloton and TdC Upstate. Share those posts to your Facebook feed with an additional brief comment.
12. Learn about Matching funds
13. Donor Receipts
14. More Info

After signing up, you may receive a welcome package in the mail from TdC with some other fundraising information.

Training

Be sure to train prior to the event! You want to make sure you can finish your miles!

TdC Upstate NY - Official Pages

Why should participate on a team?

Even if you're going to be walking, running, biking solo on event day, participating on a team can help boost motivation prior to the event. Also, if this is your first time participating it will be easier to ask questions of a team member.