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Frequently Asked Questions

There are many questions that one may have when planning for a 9 week bike trip!  The Jett Foundation and BIKEternity would like to make the process as easy as possible!  Below, you will find a list of questions that you may have concerning the trip.

If you have questions about the JettRide that are not answered here, please contact the Tour Leader, Arlen Hall. He would LOVE to talk with you to answer your questions or concerns.  He can be reached at arlen@BIKEternity.org or 1-508-864-1308.

Arlen, and BIKEternity, has been leading cycling tours for pre-teens and teens since 1998. Your tour leader, Arlen averages 4000 riding miles PER year, leading 2-3 tours for teens per year. The 2010 JettRide will be his 3rd crossing of America (his 2nd for the Jett Foundation). You can see BIKEternity's other tours at their website www.BIKEternity.org.

Accommodations

We depend on the hospitality of the communites that we ride through for nightly accommodations. In some cases communities will provide not only accommodations but also a meal and/or an opportunity to share the DMD story. We utilize local schools, churches, and community centers for accomodations. In remote areas (usual in the west), we will also camp in local, state, and federal parks. Each rider should bring their own sleeping bag, pad, and small pillow. We will provide the tents if necessary.

Meals

On average, JettRiders will burn 3000 - 6000 calories PER DAY on the tour, depending on riding conditions, terrain, weather, and rider fitness. As a result we consume LARGE QUANTITIES of food. Our goal is for your child to return at roughly the same body weight (+/- 5 lbs) as when they leave on the tour. We provide high carb and high protein meals minimizing the sugar intake as much as possible; we includ fresh fruits and vegatables regularly. Breakfasts are typically high carb with fruits, with some protein; lunches are a balance of protein and carbs; dinners are high protein and lower carbs. We provide vegetarian alternatives for vegetarians and vegans. Please make your diet preferences know to us in advance so that we can accommodate your child's needs. It is important to know about food allergies as well (on the medical form).

Our primary sources of liquids are water, Gatorade or a power drink, milk, and on occasion a sweet drink at dinner like lemonade. We DO NOT provide soda/pop for consumption on the tour nor do we provide candy, over-sweetened cereals, or high-caffiene energy drinks. If you are an adult, i.e. 18 or older, your choices may be slightly different as we do provide coffee, tea, etc.

WARNING: Please do not assume you will use this ride to intentional loose weight, or become a vegetarian when you are not, or become a meat eater when you are not; it would be unsafe and unhealthy to do so. Your basic dietary profile should NOT change for this ride. A long-distance cycling journey in a group is NO PLACE for picky eaters. We expect, no demand, that all riders consume the meal prepared for the day  in quantities sufficient for completing the riding requirements for the day. To do otherwise would be detrimental to your health and well being, not to mention will prevent you from riding.

Medical Needs, Emergencies, Etc.

All our riding staff are REQUIRED to be CPR/AED/First Aid certified. During the ride, small cuts and bruises are the norm. Even minor accidents where a rider will have a minor crash is very typical. As we are taught in our First Aid certification, we will make the environment safe, assess the injury, and seek appropriate assistance. Each staff person carries a first aid kit with them. We carry a large first aid kit in our support vehicle including medications, ointments, bandages, pain relievers, etc. Your medical form should be EXTREMELY accurate as staff use these forms for caring for your teen. Every staff person carries a copy of your teens medical form ON THEIR BICYCLE in case of an emergency. We also have contact with our support vehicle and know the local emergency contact numbers as well.

If your teen becomes ill and they are unable to ride their bicycle (as we determine), they will ride in our support vehicle for at least the remainder of the day, if not the following day or until they are better. If necessary, we will seek additional medical care.

If a serious accident were to occur, we DO NOT HESITATE to call 911 or local emergency personnel to assist. If a hospital visit is necessary, the staff person responsible for your teen for the day, would accompany them to the medical facility. As you will have given us permission to have your teen treated we will have them diagnosed and treated BEFORE contacting you (unless it is a life threatening situation). We will then contact you as soon as possible. You will typically hear directly from the Tour Leader, Arlen Hall.

If an injury DOES NOT require medical attention outside of the group, you will not hear about it unless your teen decides to tell you about it.

We require inhalers and EPI pens to be strapped to your teens bicycle during the day and on their person at all other times.

What Kind of Bicycle do I Need?

Every rider should bring a bicycle that fits them properly AND is comfortable for them. Bicycles that are purchased at standard retail stores ARE NOT ADEQUATE for a journey you are about to embark upon. The bicycle IS OUR SOURCE OF TRANSPORTATION and as such needs to be in great condition. If you don't have a bicycle that you think is adequate. Please visit your local bicycle shop to discuss the trip with them. They will be able to help you. You can also email Arlen Hall, at arlen@biketernity.org. He will be happy to help you.

If you do NOT have a bicycle adequate you should expect to spend $500 - $1500 for a bicycle. Of course you can spend more, but it is not necessary. There are four types of bikes that would be be great for this trip: Comfort Bike, Touring Bike, Road Bike, and a Hybrid. I would recommend a 26" or 700mm tire size with a width of at least 28mm. Being FAST is NOT important, being COMFORTABLE is. Straight bars work fine (but consider bar extensions for more hand positions); drop bars offer many hand positions. Make sure the seat is comfortable for YOU (that does not mean big... it needs to fit you well).

Although Arlen is not endorsing Trek Bicycles for your personal choice, he uses a Trek 520 Touring Bike for his long distrance rides; he also likes the specs on the Trek FX Series bicycles and has used them on teen tours before. All major bike manufacturers make comparable bicycles.

Mountain bikes CAN WORK WELL for these tours, but we recommend getting narrower tires with a smoother tread to make your ride more enjoyable.

Cycling Equipment Needed

Each rider should have an ANSI certified road cycling helmet (NO BMX HELMETS), 2 water bottles (or 1 bottle and a camelpack), a pair of cycling gloves (fingerless), a bike pump, and a small seatbag carrying: a spare tube, patch kit, tire levers. Your bike should have reflectors as well. A handlebar bag can be used instead of a seatbag. A bell is highly recommend as well.

Your bike may have clipless pedals, pedal straps, or may just be flat pedals. Make sure you have comfortable riding shoes that comform to your medais. We recommend a pair of cycling shoes instead of sneakers as these shoes provide more support on the pedal than do sneakers. YOU DO NOT have to clip into your pedals... it is all about comfort and support. There are also cycling sandals available in the marketplace. These are allowed as well (Arlen uses them exclusively). They must be cycling sandals and not walking sandals.

Cycling glasses, or regular glasses, AND sunglasses. Your eyes need protection from the sun AND road dirt.

Daily Cycling

Although our group will be 25-35 in number we do NOT ride together for safety reasons. Can you imagine passing a group of 35 on the road? I can't. Riders are divided into groups of 5-7 riders with at least 1 adult staff person. This group, or POD, rides together for the entire day, and in fact for several days until the PODs are reconfigured. The staff person has the responsibility for safely getting your teen from point A to point B each day. PODs are typically spaced several miles apart, will see other PODs at breaks, and will do everything together for the day.

We typically stop at our support vehicle every 15 miles. Sooner on hiller terrain, less often on flat terrain. The support vehicle carries water, snacks, lunch, equipment, maps, and other supplies.

Our goal is to ride 60% of the daily mileage (40 - 90 miles) before lunch. There is no daily average as the daily mileage is dependent on terrain. You can typically expect to ride 70 miles in a day. If we look at stops, that would be 2 stops before lunch, lunch, and 1-2 stop(s) after lunch.

A Typical Cycling Day

Our typical day begins at 6 AM when the riders are stirred to life by the adults. Our goal is to dress, eat, and be ready to ride in 1 - 1.5  hours. Once awake, you immediately dress and get your gear out near the support trailer (the packing group is out there already packing the trailer). Once the gear is mostly packed, we have a shared breakfast, cleanup our host site, and hit the road. The groups leave 10-15 minutes apart with the last group doing a final pass thru our accomodations.

Riding begins at 7:30 AM. Our support vehicle is out in front at the first rest stop, usally 15 miles up the road. Groups arrive and depart the rest stop, taking a 10 minute refuelling break. This occurs again another 15 miles up the road.

Groups begin pulling into lunch around noon. We allow all groups to arrive before having lunch together. We are down usually for 1-2 hours. You can expect local press to arrive and be interviewed, Groups begin to leave as they did in the morning, 10-15 minutes apart. About 60-75% of the daily mileage is complete so afternoon riding isn's as focussed as the morning. We have a final break about 15 miles down the road.

We beginning arriving in our host community in groups, unless a 'organized' entrance is required for a fundraiser or welcoming party. Depending on the DMD event we need to do, we will unpack our trailer and settle in for the night. A group will have cooking responsibilites so they quickly shower and hit the kitchen. Others relax and wait for their groups responsibilities, if any, to begin. Our hosts may be providing dinner, so the process may change. In any event, we will have to socialize with our hosts, give interviews, and otherwise spread the DMD message when the opportuniites present themselves. A cleanup group will take care of the facilities after dinner.

We will frequently have a team building activity in the evening. Usually a game or group competition is involved. The evening typically ends around 9 PM with riders retiring to their respective areas to talk, journal, chill with music, or just sleep.

Activities

We provide group activities on non-riding days. Usually sightseeing, rafting, swimming, museums, outdoor games, theme parks, and other activies are planned in advance. We have a staff person working on those details at them moment. The cost of activities ARE include in the tour fee. We also sometimes have a down day where we just relax and hang around.

We also do laundry on days off too. The cost is included in your teens tour fee. Days off are every 6-7 days.

We will typically have a "DMD Awareness" event on a day off. This may include press interviews, fundraisers, a parade, or other activity that is planned.

Participation in ALL activites is required by all riders.

Packing for your Tour

Every rider should have a sleeping bag, pad, small pillow, and ONE duffle bag for the tour. We do NOT have a lot of storage so please minimize your stuff. Your sleeping bag, pad, and pillow do NOT have to fit in your duffle, but they need to be packed into something. Some bring a SMALL hockey bag and put EVERYTHING in it. Your list should include:

Cycling shorts, 1 Pair Long Sweats or Pants (zipoffs work great here), T-Shirts (we provided 2),
Sweat Shirt/Long Sleeve Shirt, Nylon Jacket (we ride in rain), Socks, Shorts,  Sneakers or Sandals when off the bike, Bathing Suit/Swimsuit, Towel, Toiletries (shampoo, soap, toothbrush and paste, etc. - NO GLASS, Sunscreen (Lots of It!), Gym Shorts/Sweats for Sleeping, Travel Games, IPODs, Cards, Camera, Sleeping Bag, Pad, Travel Pillow, your cycling equipment.

Do you wear contacts? We recommend you DO NOT bring them. They are a hassle especially when camping. There is more residual dirt when travelling by bike, contacts are just harder to deal with them. Yes, you can bring them, but bring that pair of glasses with you.

WHAT YOU CANNOT BRING:

• Self-inflating or plug-in air mattresses (we don't have the storage for these). Your sleep PAD should be small and compact. Width should not exeed 2 ft.
• Weapons, knives, etc. Even pocket knifes should be left behind. If you cant bring it on an airplane, don't bring it.
• Makeup, hair dryers, etc. Well you can bring makeup but you will find you won't use it after the 2nd day. We will make sure there is at least 1 hair dryer on the tour. The rest is extra weight we don't need.

Preparing for Your Trip

Stamina is key to a successful tour. If you play sports in school that require stamina, like cross-country running, soccer, field-hockey, ice-hockey, mountain biking, etc then you are well on your way as these sports require stamina. If not, don't worry as it is not a pre-requisite. You want to be physically active as much as possible (even power walking is great). Start now!

You want to begin riding your bicycle as soon as possible and ride as much and as long as possible. BUT please build slowly and add more each week. A teens schedule with school and other activities can be very full so be diligent in adding in riding time. BUT don't panic. We will get you in shape for the ride.

We will publish a regimen you can follow if you desire.

What are Group Responsibilities

We organize our tours by groups. Groups allow for us to work together as a group to get done what is required. Groups also make sure everyone is doing their share of responsibilities. Nothing like group pressure. Groups also allow us to get to know each other better. We have the following groups that we change on a weekly basis. Everything runs smoother this way.

Riding Groups / PODs - you will be assigned a group of teens that you will ride with each day as well as a group staff member as your guide.

Work Groups - when work needs to be done for the day a group will already know what their responsibilities will be before the day starts. These include Unpacking the Trailer, Cooking, Cleaning, and a goof-off group. In any giving day their is a group that does have a responsibility.

Activity Group - we usually have a team building exercise or activity. We have predefined groups for these as well.

Camping Group - when we are camping there will pre-assigned, same gender tent assignments. Typically 3 to a tent.

We mix and change the groups so that you will get to know everyone, including the adults, on the tour. Are you coming with a friend? Well you will not always be in their group.

Communications Home

The JettRiders will be encouraged to update blogs, pictures, and videos to their sites on a regular basis. Sometimes daily, sometimes several times a well. We will have a video camera and a helmet camera with us to record some of our experiences. We carry laptop(s) to make internet access and site updates possible. Staff are encouraged to blog, and the Tour Leader, Arlen, will send a nightly email updating interested people on his perspective of the day. WE WANT YOU TO FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY.

In general, no news directly from your teen is good news. We do not allow riders to communicate home on days that we ride. That means you will hear from them once or twice a week on the non-riding days. We encourage, no require, them to call home on the days off. If your teen does not have a cell phone they can use one of our team phones to call home. You can also provide them with a calling card, or a cell phone. Is your teens cell phone also their MP3, camera, and video device? We would recommend you get them a seperate camera as cell phones are NOT allowed on the road with the teen riders (ALL STAFF HAVE PHONES FOR EMERGENCIES).  Some smart phones can disable the cell capabilities so that would work as well.

We will publish a list of Post Offices which you can send your teen letters, cards, and SMALL packages. We will have a mail drop every 10 days or so. LOVE packages are greatly appreciated by the long distance cyclist. We encourage this form of communication.

AS A PARENT, you will have 24x7 access to the Tour Leader, Arlen Hall. If you have any questions, concerns, or want to discreetly check in on your teen you can communicate with him. His contact information will be published shortly before the ride.

Miscellaneous Information

1. What if I have to leave in the middle of the trip? If you need to leave the tour before you had planned to leave, we will contact your parents to make appropriate transportation arrangements. We can get you to the nearest train, bus, or airport as soon as it is convenient for our support to do so. The cost of leaving will be the responsibility of the teens parent(s).
2. What if I decide to extend my tour? There is no problem extending your tour. The Jett Foundation will work with the teens parent(s) to take care of any additional fundraising requirements or expenses for doing so. Transportation will remain the responsibility of the parent(s).
3. Should I bring money on this tour? Yes. Although your tour expenses are covered, your incidental expenses for cameras, postcards, souvenirs, and that soda/pop/candy  you buy are not covered. During the riding day there will be little or no opportunity to spend much money. Days off and sometimes the evenings are times when some cash would be helpful. We recommend a debit card that the teen's parent(s) can resupply as needed would be helpful. In addition, we have a provision for being your 'local' bank. More details will be sent directly to you; including amounts. 
4. What about showers? We carry portable shower tents with us to use when shower facilities are not available. We strive for a shower every day so that the daily sweat and grime can be rinsed away. We also use local schools, YMCAs, and churches for showers. We carry a garden hose as well in the event we cannot get a hot shower, a cold one will suffice. Local streams, rivers, and pools are used for this purpose as well. There may be some places where water is in short supply. At these times, we will have 'body wipes' that we will use for cleanup. Everyday? Probably NOT. As often as possible? YES.

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