Two Weeks to Go!

Thank you for preregistering for the 2023 26th Annual Tour de Stooges or participating in a previous ride. Preregistration is keeping up with last year, so we may have another record year. Pre-registration continues through 5:00 pm on Friday, May 5 if you have friends, colleagues, family or enemies who are planning to ride and want to pay the preregistration discounted fee, otherwise the cost goes up $5 on ride day plus they must complete the paperwork. If you pre-ordered a T-shirt they will be at check-in. An extremely limited number of extra shirts will be available for sale at that time at $16 each.

The ride goes on rain or shine. The long-range forecast shows high temps in the upper 70’s and dry during the day. In the event of severe weather, the start times may be delayed, and/or longer routes eliminated for the safety of our volunteers and riders. This is a nonprofit fundraising event so there are no refunds unless we cancel. We anticipate that the spirits of Larry, Curly, Moe, Shemp, Curly Joe, and TdS founder Roger Kramer will arrange for great weather as they have in the past.

Just prior to ride day we will be sending detailed ride-day instructions. Links to maps will be made available this week and an announcement will be sent to registered riders. However, excessive rains leading up to the ride day and other changes in road conditions may require changing routes up to the day before the event.

A few preliminary instructions:

1. Everyone must check-in to ride. No need to sign waiver forms if you preregistered online, they were included with preregistration. There are separate lines for check-in and on-site registration/check-in. We accept cash, check, and credit/debit cards.

2. When you check in you will receive a wristband for each participant. These wristbands are your tickets for rest area service, SAG service (the phone number is printed on the wristband) and lunch. No wristband, no service or lunch.

3. Lunch guests - nonrider guests may pay at the dining hall for lunch ($10). Lunch is available in Ames Dining Hall on campus. Look for the signs as your route returns to campus.

4. There will be a monitored bike corral near the dining hall that is included in your fee.

5. Lunch begins at 11:00 am and ends promptly at 3:00 pm, so plan your ride start accordingly. There is a reduced selection beginning at 2:00 pm.

6. The ride has a rolling start. We recommend that the long-distance riders plan to be on the road no later than 7:00 am and pace yourselves to be back by about 2:30 pm, we will be open for check-in and registration at the University Convocation Center (gym) by 6:00 am.

7. Do you know someone who plans to register on site? Please plan on a few extra minutes while we enter your information into the Flipcause app we use to track registrations, releases, funds, etc. Signing the registration screen on site also means that the conditions of the release are accepted. We are trying to make onsite registration as quick, contact free and easy as is possible.

We did not do any paid advertising again this year. Our surveys show us that well over 90% of riders learn about us by word of mouth or have ridden in the past. So, if you know of riders interested in a great ride event, please tell them about Tour de Stooges. To date registrations are the highest we have ever had only two weeks out from the event.

See you all on May 6!