Challenge yourself Challenge imperialism. 

What: Solidarity Cyclers is a fundraiser organized by CISPES that consists of a three day bicycle ride around the DC area.  Participants are expected to raise $500 for CISPES. Most people do this through "crowdfunding" - asking your friends, family co-workers etc. to sponsor your ride by donating to CISPES. You can send emails (template provided by CISPES), letter, reach out via social media or talk to your folks directly. You can also raise the money in other ways.  In the past people have hosted house parties, done a "bike-in" movie showing, and found many other ways to creatively raise the funds.

When: May 26-28, 2018 (Memorial Day Weekend)

The Ride: We average around 60 miles per day for three days total 180 miles. The route varies each year but we generally are riding around the beautiful rolling hills of Virginia, Maryland, DC and West Virginia. This is a supported ride so you only need to bring with you what you will need during the day, like water, snacks, an extra tube in case you get a flat. CISPES volunteers will meet us for lunch and drive our stuff out to our camping place for the night.

Training Rides: CISPES organizes a series of training rides to help get in shape for the big ride. These generally happen on the weekends and a few weak nights. They are a great way to get in shape, learn about the ride? CISPES and meet the people that will be participating in the ride.  Anyone is welcome to join the training ride whether or not they have committed to joining the Solidarity Cyclers ride this year.

FAQ:

Where will we spend the night? - We camp on Saturday and Sunday nights either on private land or at a public campground in the area.

What if I have never been on a long distance ride? - We encourage bikers of different skill levels to participate.  We have had many people participate for whom it has been their first ride longer ride.  If you have not participated in longer rides in the past we encourage you to participate in our series of training rides to prepare for the ride.

Will we be riding on roads or trails? We will mostly be on paved surfaces however sometimes a short distance on a gravel road is unavoidable. Some years we have spent a couple of miles on the C&O tow path which is a packed earth path. We will be on public roads for the majority of the time we are riding. Depending on where we will be staying we might do a longer stretch on the W&OD paved bike trail. When planning the route we find the safest, most scenic, roads with the least amount of traffic.

Further questions? Email: [email protected]

Ready to ride? Register for the 2018 ride here!