• What is the Tour de Cure®?
• Why should I join/donate?
• Where is this year's Tour de Cure®?
• How is Upstate Peloton participating?
• How do I participate?
• Important Dates
• Which route should I choose?
• How long will it take?
• How do I train for event day?
• What is virtual?
• Is my old bike OK to use?
• What if I don't own a bicycle?
• Fundraising tips
• Event Info:

Upstate Peloton Official Team Page Event Home Page Event Details Route Maps (TBD) Frequently Asked Questions Red Riders - Living with Diabetes Fundraising Info/Help Fundraising Recognition Donor receipts (PDF) Participant Portal Dashboard

What is the Tour de Cure®?

Since 1991, 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. The Tour is the moment for corporations, organizations, and individuals to come together and show our community how much we care - and how much we'll do to end diabetes for good. By joining the fundraising event or donating, you'll help American Diabetes Association increase awareness, provide vital programs, fund lifesaving research, and work toward a cure.

Why should I join/donate?

In one day over 3,200 people will be diagnosed with diabetes, and because more than 38 million adults and children in the United States are living with this terrible disease. (Source: ADA) By raising money for the American Diabetes Association, You:

• Spread awareness of the devastating effects of diabetes.
• Advocate for a child with diabetes to have the same learning opportunities at school.
• Fund life-saving research.
• Provide access to community programs and free resources that help those living with diabetes.

Where is this year's Tour de Cure?

This year's Tour de Cure will start/finish at Ellms Family Farm in Ballston Spa.

How is Upstate Peloton Cycling Club participating?

Upstate Peloton Cycling Club will be participating in-person on event day, and may be riding different routes. We may have team members who participate virtually.

You do NOT need to be a regular member of the Upstate Peloton cycling club to participate on our team!

How do I participate?

1. You need to register by joining our team
   • Add to your calendar (Google Calendar) (ICS) to save the date! If you need flexibility, you can participate virtually.
   • 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, which may offer a virtual option.
2. Raise as much money as you can! (Read the Fundraising tips) If you do not fundraise $250 by event day, you can ride virtually when/where you want.
3. You must process all funds raised in person
   • Checks: log donations in your participant page (requires login) and follow directions to ensure you get credit. Don't wait too long to mail in checks so they clear your donor's account
   • Cash: Do not send cash through the mail. The easiest thing to do is donate money to yourself with your credit Card/PayPal in the amount of the cash received, but give your cash 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

10/1/2024	2025 Event announced
1/25/2025	Raise $125 by this date to earn a free "rider in training" t-shirt
3/31/2025	Raise $75 in the month of march to earn Tour de Cure socks
4/3/2025	Best day to register! Join our team!
4/8/2025	Tour de Cure Kickoff evening
5/1/2025	Raise enough to hit a fundraising threshold to receive recognition apparel by event day *
5/23/2025	Last day to register for the event? *
6/1/2025	Event Day!
6/30/2025	Last chance to earn recognition gifts for fundraising *

* Dates are approximate and based on previous years.

Which route do I choose?

You choose the route that works best for you! You don't need to ride the same route as other team members.

Different team members can ride different routes. You can change your chosen route as late as registration day. If no one from our team is riding the same route that you want to ride, someone may be willing to switch. Alternatively, feel free to recruit someone else to the team!

How long will the ride take?

If you don't know your average speed, I suggest adults assuming 10mph for cycling or 2mph walking as a starting point. (hours = miles / mph)
However, you really need to train prior to event day so that you can ride the full distance and so you will know what your average speed is. Tips for how to ride faster

Hang around after the ride for lunch and more!

How should I train for event day?

In addition to what the cycling guide (PDF) suggests for training basics and training plans, I suggest:

• Be sure to consult a physician before embarking on a difficult training plan
• Plan your routes on a computer / record your rides using phone GPS to plan/track distance & elevation, track time, and calculate average speed.
• Check our how to ride faster page for other training ideas.

What is virtual?

A virtual participant is someone who is raising money for the event, but is not participating in-person at the live event. Virtual riders do not necessarily need to ride their miles on event day. There can be many reasons to participate virtually:

• Didn't reach the minimum fundraising amount
• Unable to travel to the event site
• There is a scheduling conflict
• You don't like the route options
• You prefer riding by yourself
• You really want to participate as part of our team, but you would prefer to run/walk instead.

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, and/or provide a tune-up. Here are a few things to check yourself.

What if I don't own a bicycle?

If you don't own a bicycle, maybe you can borrow someone else's bike.

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.

Fundraising tips

1. Read the TdC Fundraising Help page, including the participant 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. In the past, reaching the Champion level has meant VIP parking availability, among other things.
4. Edit your personal page in the TdC portal. 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 personal page in the TdC portal. (this will be visible on Facebook)
   2. Go to your TdC portal and scroll down to the "Create a Facebook fundraiser" button
   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. Posting within two weeks of event day, as you arrive the morning of the event, and after the ride will yield more donations
      3. Once you have a few sizable donations, make "micro" donations to your Facebook fundraiser. Your friends will see that you've made a donation, but not the amount.
   6. The team captain 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 post 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. Garage sale
   3. Bike maintenance
   4. Yard work
   5. Raffle
   6. Bottle Drive (tip: use clynk)
10. Print out materials to share or post, i.e. Banners or Business Cards (docx) or Poster (docx) / Example Poster (docx)
11. You may see regular posts on Facebook for Upstate Peloton and TdC Upstate. Share those posts to your Facebook fundraiser with an additional brief comment.
12. Donor Receipts
13. More Info

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

What else?

• Be sure to check the cycling guide (PDF) for tips.
• Have fun!

TdC Capital Region - Official Pages