Frequently Asked Questions

The deadlines for registration are:
June 4 for the 2-day ride from Blackie Spit in White Rock to Manning Park
June 14 for the 50km and 100km Oak Park circuits 50km & 100km Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26562563
Please find the registration details here http://www.gearup4cf.com/

One day riders are invited to the celebratory dinner being held at the Coast Chilliwack Hotel. Riders that raise $250 or more will receive complimentary transport to the Vancouver or White Rock drop-off points and dinner. Guest are invited for $30 per person, payable in advance by May 20. Please contact us at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca for fundraising ideas if you feel you may not be able to raise the minimum. Riders that do not raise the minimum will be charged $40 for the transport and $30 for the dinner if they would still like to participate. All welcome!

One day riders finishing in Abbotsford are responsible for their own return transport

We will provide a bus transfer from Chilliwack and Manning Park to Vancouver and White Rock, including bike transfers, on both days of the ride.

Check In

Once you arrive, please proceed to our registration booth to check-in. Riders will receive a rider card (route map with emergency contact details) and a rider number for your bike which must be displayed at all times.
Riders are required to check in at each pit stop and at the end of each day.

Please contact us at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca Please call us on 604-436-1158 as soon as possible if you don’t think you will raise the minimum required. We have lots of great ideas and resources. If you don’t raise the minimum, we ask you to call us to pay the balance within 30 days of day one of the GearUp4CF ride. Riders that do not raise the minimum will be charged $40 for the transport and $30 for the dinner if they would still like to participate. All welcome!.
 

Each GearUp rider is required to raise the minimum fundraising amount which is:
The 50km and 100km GearUp4CF rides are $100 to register and an additional $100 to raise.
The 2-day GearUp4CF rides are $150 to register and an additional $1,500 to raise.
Need help or suggestions on how to raise money? Our team is here to help! Call our office at 604-436-1158 or email us at bcinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca If you do not meet your fundraising minimum, you’ve got a few options: make a donation by cash, cheque, debit or credit card at the event OR made a donation directly to your personal fundraising page online. Our fundraising website will be available until August 1.

Before you start fundraising, there are a few things you should know to help you achieve your goal.
Set a goal: Set an ambitious, yet attainable fundraising goal for yourself and share that goal with everyone you ask to donate.
Get social: If you are active on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, use them to get the word out. Tweet or post with a message about the ride and why you are participating. Provide a link to your page so that people can donate easily online.
Ask: Not being asked is one of the top reasons Canadians do not donate to a charity.
Invite others: When you meet someone that is moved by your story, ask them to consider signing up and riding with you.
Say thank you: When you receive a donation, thank the person who has supported you with a personalized email, handwritten card, or a phone call. They will be more likely to support you again in the future if you thank them in a personal way.

Above and beyond everything else, we are doing this ride to raise money to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Raising money can be a daunting task, so we have put together a list of suggestions based on approaches that have been successful for past participants.
Email Blast: Send an email to your family, friends, co-workers, neighbours and everyone else you know asking them to sponsor you. Provide them with links to your page and directions on how to donate. The key to making your letter successful is to ask for a specific dollar amount. Don’t forget to follow-up with a phone call!
Social Media: Use social media like Facebook, Twitter or a personal blog to update your friends on your training and get them excited about your adventure. Make sure to include a link to your personal fundraising page.
Local Businesses: Approach businesses that you have a strong connection with and ask them to support you on the ride. A great place to start is your local bike shop!
Spread the word: Wear CF related clothing while training and tell everyone what you’re doing. See if you can get complete strangers to support you.

Tax receipts for fundraising events may not be issued for the purchase of a product, entrance fee, lottery ticket or revenue from an event. For example, if you hold a burger and beer night and raise $800 through tickets sales, raffle and silent auction, you may not submit that $800 for a personal tax receipt. If you have personal expenses from hosting the event, you can submit your receipts to us, and we will provide you with a personal tax receipt for the amount of your expenses. If you have any questions regarding our tax receipting policy, please contact the office.

Tax receipts are issued directly from the website when an online donation is made.

The easiest way to accept donations is through your personal online fundraising page which can be accessed at www.GearUp4CF.com. Electronic tax receipts will be issued immediately via email for online donations. Please make sure to check your junk mail folder.
If you are collecting cash or cheques, please complete the pledge form on the last page of this package and make sure to bring your cash and cheques to the registration table on event day.
Tax receipts will be issued by the Western Regional office after the event.
If you are collecting cash or cheque donations and would like your personal online fundraising page to reflect your success please follow these steps:

1. Sign into your account
2. Click on the ‘Fundraising’ tab at the top of the page www.GearUp4CF.com
3. On left side, click ‘Manage cash and cheque’
4. Enter the donor’s information and submit

 

If you have any questions or require anything further, please contact us at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca or call us at 604-436-1158.
Cystic Fibrosis Canada - Western Region is located at 301 - 3185 Willingdon Green, Burnaby, BC V5G 4P3.

• This is a fully supported ride. Mechanics will be available at the start and along the route, at the pit stops and roving on motorbikes to help fix flats and do minor repairs. Larger parts will need to be paid for so bring cash or a credit card with you just in case. If you are a fair distance from the pit stop and for some reason cannot proceed with the ride, call the dispatch number and we will determine whether it is best to send a pick up vehicle or mechanic to your location.
• Your safety is a priority for us. Medical personnel will be located at the start and on motorcycles roaming along the course. Our staff also have First Aid. If you have a critical emergency while on the route please call 911. If you need non-critical first aid support, locate moto-support nearest you, or call the dispatch number located on your rider card and we will dispatch the first aid support to your location.
• We will have bike racks available at the start. A volunteer will be monitoring bikes during lunch and after the ride but please note that the racks are not in an enclosure and we do not have security guards present on site.
• There is no directional signage along the route so please ensure you are familiar enough with the route, have a rider card with you or have loaded the GPS route onto your phone. The Rider card contains a map reference, route directions as well as key contact numbers.
• We encourage riders to carry a phone or at least a one of your team members to carry a phone.
• Pit stops will have water and snacks to help keep you hydrated and fuelled for the ride, as well as washroom facilities.
• As a safety precaution, all riders must check-in at the pit stop and at the finish line, even if you do not intend to stop.
• Cystic Fibrosis Canada accepts no liability for damage or loss of property to bikes.
• Infection Control Policy: there will be individuals living with cystic fibrosis at the bike ride, so please read our Infection Control Policy. For a copy of the policy, please click here.

• This is not a race. It is a self-paced, supported ride.
• Participants may use standard road bicycles, hybrids, commuters or mountain bikes.
• An approved cycling helmet is mandatory. Riders must have the chin strap buckled at all times.
• Please ride for the conditions. Ride safely and in control at all times, single file. Any cyclist deemed to be riding unsafely, discourteously or recklessly will be removed from the GearUp4CF event.
• No outside support vehicles will be allowed on the route.
• Emergency vehicles always have right of way.
• As a safety precaution, all riders must check-in at the pit stop and at the finish line, even if you do not intend to stop.
• Display your GearUp4CF bib at all times.
• Unregistered riders will be unable to take part in GearUp4CF.
• No headphones, personal stereos or cell phones whilst riding.
• All Riders must sign the waiver. Riders under the age of 19 years old, but over 16 years old, must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. A parent or guardian must be registered, have raised the minimum and participate.
• Riders who are travelling after the posted finish times are permitted to continue and must follow the road rules.
• No littering on the course. Riders are to dispose of garbage in designated garbage bins only. Riders caught littering will be disqualified from the event.
• All riders are to obey traffic officers and course marshalls. To disobey instructions from these individuals will result in disqualification from the event.
• Public urination is not permitted. Please use the portable toilets at the pit stops.
• Cystic Fibrosis Canada accepts no liability for damage or loss of property to bikes.

• Make yourself familiar with British Columbia’s Rules of the Road.
• Be respectful of other riders and help others when needed. Always be aware of others around you and communicate well in advance while cycling. Pass on the left only, politely saying “on your left” Ride with your head up, looking down the road, not at the person in front of you.
• If you choose to stop while on course, signal to the riders behind and pull over safely. Our support team may pull over and ask you if you’re okay.
• Control and speed of your bike, even going downhill. Know your limits. Crashes can occur when inexperienced riders do not have bike-handling skills to make quick decisions in a pack. Always plan an escape route.
• Never overlap your wheels with another cyclist.
• The use of aerobars is strongly discouraged by the GearUp4CF team.

We will have photographers located at the start and along the route. Photos will be posted on our website and Flickr accounts as soon as they are available from Matt Smart, our volunteer photographer.

Join us and help support and cheer on our GearUp4CF riders. We need volunteers to help with setting up, registration, bike valet and route markers. Please email our team at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca.
A reminder to please dress appropriately, bring extra water and food.
GearUp4CF is managed by a dedicated volunteer committee and our Cystic Fibrosis Canada team.

GearUp4CF wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our many amazing sponsors and thank them for their commitment to #AWorldWithoutCF. If you would like information about sponsorship opportunities for this year’s GearUp4CF, please contact Sara Hoshooley by emailing her at shoshooley@cysticfibrosis.ca or call 604-436-1158.

The age limit for all GearUp4CF rides is 16 years old. Anyone aged below 19 years of age is required to ride with a legal guardian who must sign the waiver for both of them. Each registered rider must raise the minimum funds for the ride they are registered for.

Riders will be provided with light snacks and beverages at the start/finish and pit stop along the route. Family and friends are also welcome to join the pit stops. If you are planning to join us for the meal, please let us know at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca. Additional costs will apply.

All riders will be invited to the Cystic Fibrosis Canada Burnaby office to pick up your GearUp4CF jersey (if purchased online), and to drop off cash or cheque donations that you may have already collected. We are located on the 3rd floor at 3185 Willingdon Green, Burnaby V5G 4P3, near BCIT.
Jerseys will only be provided free of charge for those participating in the 2-day event. If you would like to purchase a jersey, please order yours at www.GearUp4CF.com by May 1.
Please access ‘merchandise’ on your fundraising page to place your order if you haven’t already done so.
Additional jerseys may be purchased for $65.
Contact us at bcinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca or call our friendly team on 604-436-1158 for further information.

Please add #GearUp4CF on Social Media

Share your ride! Please follow us on social media and share with your family and friends.

Hashtag - #GearUp4CF | #makecfhistory | #aworldwithoutcf | #CysticFibrosis

Meet impassioned rider and supporter, Aaron Mittler. His daughter, Lucy was born in 2013 and 2 weeks later, Aaron and Mary got that call that Lucy had been diagnosed with CF. It was devastating.

“We only got the call because CF had successfully advocated for newborn screening for all kids with CF. This gave us a head start for giving Lucy a great start in life. We were introduced to a team and resources provided by CF Canada. We went from totally devastated to very optimistic about giving Lucy a good life and have vowed to support the cause right from the start.”

About three weeks after she was born, Aaron’s friends Mike and Adam contacted him to say they wanted to do something. “It makes me emotional to think about it, the sense of community.” They started ‘Team Lucy’ the same year and raised about $12,000. Aaron joined in year two and have been riding each year ever since. To date, they have raised more than $250,00 dollars!

“GearUp4CF is always an incredible time, meeting and riding alongside people with CF and lung transplants and other riders raising funds for CF Canada. It shows how strong people really are, especially the second day, riding straight uphill for five hours – it’s hard physically as a healthy person and you want to give up and you look beside you and someone with CF is doing it. It inspires me to keep going.

We hope you’ll join us. Please register for GearUp4CF here today.

Convio, the company responsible for housing and maintaining The Ride website, has made every effort to protect your information. They use industry-standard SSL encryption techniques to make sure that your credit card information, passwords, and personal information travel securely over the internet. They have also installed an encryption engine on our database server so that your data is securely stored.

All donations go to Cystic Fibrosis Canada to help us reach our mission of funding targeted world-class research, supporting and advocating for high-quality individualised CF care. In 2016-2017, we invested $5 million in cystic fibrosis (CF) research, including grants to support innovative science across a broad spectrum of areas relevant to CF, improve the health and quality of life of CF patients, and bridge the gap between research and clinical care.
To find out more about how funds you so generously raise are used, we invite you to view our Annual Report.

Every participant is required to raise at least $2,500. Once a donation has been made to a rider, we are unable to move it to another rider.

Donors that provide us with a valid email address will receive a tax receipt via email. Donors that send in their donations will receive an emailed receipt if they provided a valid email address or one will be posted to them if they provided a valid postal address.

You will need to login to your account from the front page, www.gearup4CF.com at the top right of the page, then enter your login details on the second page. On the left side of your personal page, click ‘change’ on the fundraising goal in the middle of the page and modify your personal fundraising goal. Enter your new goal and submit the changes.

Once you register, by default you will have a Personal Page created for you. You can personalise this information by clicking ‘edit message’ and saving what you write. You can also upload your own photos and videos.

If you need your username or password reset, please call us on 604-436-1158 and we will ask you some security questions and reset your details for you. Remember that your username and password are case sensitive.

On your Personal Page, click the "Add Media" button in the photo section and in the message box click ‘Add image’ or Add media’, File Upload, select the photo you wish to place in that piece of the layout. You can only upload a photo in ".jpeg" format. Click “Save image”.

Route Details



Map - Elevation Day 1


NEW FOR ONE DAY RIDERS! Raise $250 or more by May 20, not including registration, and receive your dinner at Coast Chilliwack Hotel and transport to the Vancouver or White Rock drop-off points at no extra charge. After June 1, we will contact riders who have not raised this minimum for payment. If you choose to finish before Chilliwack, please let us know by May 20 via email at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca to be the first to know! Any riders not finishing in Chilliwack will be responsible for their own transport arrangements.

The Route

Day One of GearUp4CF will take you 100km from the shores of the Pacific Ocean at Crescent Beach to Chilliwack at the end of the Fraser Valley. The beautiful and flat ‘century’ ride through the valley’s country roads offers scenic views and very little elevation gain. The mountains ahead of you will give your eyes a feast as you ride along with both the 1-day and 2-day Riders.

Riders are welcomed upon arrival in Chilliwack and are provided with a celebration dinner at the Coast Hotel. The route is subject to change and riders will be informed of the finalized route as soon as it is available.

GearUp4CF is not a race and it is not timed. This is a fully supported ride with aid stations as well as support for riders with flats and mechanical issues, and first aid. Moto support will be provided along the route at the front and back of the riders.
The one day event and related course services will close when the last rider leaves. Course support, including water stations, first aid and bike service will no longer be available after all riders finish for the day. Riders travelling outside the selected route ride at their own risk.

Pit Stops include:

• Balsam Comfort Station - White Rock
• South Abbotsford Church – food and drink, toilet and catch-up stop
• Yarrow Pioneer Park – pit stop only
• Coast Chilliwack Hotel – celebration dinner. All riders and their families invited for an additional cost; advanced reservations are required

If you have already registered as an individual, you can log in, click the ‘team’ button in “Your fundraising page” and create a team. When you click ‘team’ you get an option to create a team, join a team or email a team. Choose ‘create a team’.
For people registered, you can let them know the team name and they search and ‘join the team’.
For people not yet registered, they need to register and ‘join a team’ at the time of registration.
Please contact our office at 604-436-1158 if you need further assistance.

GearUp4CF Rider Welcome Package
Stay tuned to more details. Email us at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca to be the first to know!”

REFUNDS - No refunds are available for any reason, medical or otherwise. However, we do recognize that unforeseen events may occur. Riders may transfer the registration fee to the following year. Note this must be done by June 1.

DEFERRAL POLICY - Participants can defer their GearUp4CF entry to the following year in the event of an injury or scheduling conflict. It is important to note that this policy is only in effect until June 1 and ALL deferrals must be made before that date. After this point, we will have paid for all venues and payments with no possibility of getting these funds back.
The cost for deferring an entry is $100. Contact our team at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca for details.

TRANSFER POLICY - The Transfer Policy allows you to transfer your registration to another rider for a $100 transfer fee. Deadline for all transfers is June 1 and ALL transfers must be made before that date. After this point, we will have applied for all permits, purchased all event materials and confirmed catering numbers meaning that we have committed all registrations to the event, with no possibility of getting these funds back.
If you are receiving a transferred entry and want to be on a team, you must contact the team captain to add you to the team. Jerseys are not included in the transfer. Please note, payment for transfers and entry fees in these cases are the responsibility of the two individuals. Cystic Fibrosis Canada accepts no responsibility for the loss of payments.

Please note, payment for transfers and entry fees in these cases are the responsibility of the riders. Cystic Fibrosis Canada accepts no responsibility for the loss of payments.

For the 2-day riders, we will provide a bus transfer from Manning Park to Vancouver, including bike transfers. Please see the information below in the 2-Day Ride section.
1-Day riders and those not riding to Manning Park, please make your own arrangements to get back to Vancouver.
Cystic Fibrosis Canada accepts no liability for damage or loss of property to bikes.

All accommodation is booked on a shared basis for the riders. Please let us know if you would like to room with a particular person and/or are booking a non-riding individual by May 30. Otherwise, we will provide Riders with the rooming list.

Hotel rooms for the 1 night will be provided to all 2-day riders. To book additional rooms for friends and family, please call the hotel directly.

• Saturday, June 22nd, 2019 - Chilliwack Coast Hotel - 45920 First Ave, Chilliwack, BC V2P7K1 1-800-663-1144
• Sunday, June 24th, 2019 - Return to Vancouver by bus from Manning Park Resort - 7500 Highway 3 1-800-330-3321. Riders may opt out of the return bus at the time of registration.

 

As GearUp4CF is a fully supported ride, food will be provided for all riders. Snacks and beverages will be provided at each pit stop. Additionally, there will be designated lunch pit stops on the route, and breakfast and dinner will also be provided at each hotel for all three days.

If you have special dietary requirements please notify us by May 30. We will make our best efforts to accommodate everyone’s needs.

We will provide a bus transfer from Manning Park to Vancouver, including bike transfers, on Day 2 of the ride. DETAILS TO FOLLOW.
Please let us know if you do not require a ride back to Vancouver. Remove pedals to avoid damage to bikes.
If you not riding to Manning Park, please make your own arrangements to get back to Vancouver and let us know prior to the GearUp4CF ride.
IMPORTANT: Please remove all valuables and personal belongings from the bike such as bike computers, seat bags, etc. If you are concerned about scratches please pack protective material for your bicycle. It is understood by those utilizing this service that Cystic Fibrosis Canada accepts no liability for damage or loss of property to bikes using this service. Any bikes that are not picked up on the day that they are transported back to Vancouver will be subject to a $100 storage fee.

All riders can deposit one day bag for removed clothing during the ride (jackets) and one overnight bag that will be taken to the hotel and will not be available during the ride (pyjamas).
Bags are limited to two bags per person with the maximum size being 21.5 in. x 9 in. x 15.5 in. (standard airplane carry-on size).
When checking in at the start, you will be given a luggage tag that must be used when leaving your bag with us.

You are more than welcome to join our riders for part of the ride but are requested to raise the minimum for the ride. Please make your own arrangements to get back to Vancouver.

Please let us know if you do not require a ride back to Vancouver. Remove pedals to avoid damage to bikes.

2-Day Route Map and Elevation details. Click HERE to view the route map via Google. (Please note the route is subject to change.)

Pit Stops include:

• Balsam Comfort Station – White Rock
• South Abbotsford Church – food and drink, toilet and catch-up stop.
• Yarrow Pioneer Park – pit stop only.
• Coast Chilliwack Hotel – celebration dinner. All riders and their families invited for an additional cost; advanced reservations are required.
• Sqewquel Gas Bar – pit stop only.
• Hope Visitor Centre – food and drink, toilet and catch-up stop.
• Hope Slide – pit stop only.
• Rhododendron Flats – pit stop only.
• Allison Pass – pit stop only (water). Photo opp – top of the pass.
• Manning Park Resort – celebration at our tent as riders arrive at the end of their ride.

Link to the Day 1 route from White Rock to Chilliwack - subject to change.

Elevation

 

Link to the Day 2 route from Chilliwack to Manning Park Resort - subject to change.

Elevation

Email us at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca with any questions!

GearUp4CF 2-Day Rider Welcome Package
Stay tuned to more details. Email us at BCinfo@cysticfibrosis.ca to be the first to know!