Overview:
The Iron Ride traverses nine Alabama counties including: Tuscaloosa, Bibb, Chilton, Autauga, Montgomery, Elmore, Tallapoosa, Macon, and Lee.
Two-day IRON RIDE Fee 2008:
$59 for: Everyone
$38 for: Child on tandem for 2 days
One-day IRON RIDE Fee 2008:
$35 for: Everyone. Saturday-only riders must make transportation arrangements back to original destination.
$24 for: Child on tandem for 1 day
Transportation from Chewacla State Park back to either Prattville, or Tuscaloosa, or Isabella H.S. on October 14:
$50 for: bicycle (pedals will need to be removed, seats lowered, & handlebars turned sideways after the ride), luggage, and self
Private Vehicle Permit:
No cost.
Late Fees:
$10 if postmarked Sep 1 to Sep 30 ($1 for each point scored by Alabama in '06 Iron Bowl)
$20 if postmarked after Sep 30.
Additional:
$15 fee for transporting golf clubs
$20 charge for each refund. No refunds after Sep 30, 2008
Each participant will receive a free t-shirt
Planning:
If, after arriving at the mini-tailgate at Prattville High School and you can't reach your hotel destination safely or in a timely manner via bike, please get a ride.
On Sunday, if you want to reduce your mileage by 5 miles, you can bypass riding to the stadium and go straight to the Chewacla State Park.
Admin:
Once you've entered the ride, a bike tag, wrist band, luggage tag, instructions, safety rules, and ride maps will be mailed to you. The luggage tag will identify which hotel your bag's going to. You don't need to know the entire luggage plan. As long as your luggage gets in the truck and has the right tag on it, it should end up in the right place. If you have made alternate arrangements for yor luggage, that's fine by us.
Cyclists must start riding at 0715 on Saturday morning and on Sunday morning. They must finish before sunset on Saturday and by 3pm on Sunday.
We will collect luggage on Friday night between 4pm and 6pm at the Minnie Seller Pavilion in Bowers Park in Tuscaloosa and Saturday morning from 6:15 to 7:15 at the northwest corner parking lot of Bryant-Denny Stadium. If you're staying at the Days Inn in Prattville on Saturday night, the luggage truck will be ready for your luggage from 0615 to 0630 on Sunday morning. If you're staying at the Courtyard, the luggage truck will be ready for luggage from 0635 to 0650. If you're staying at the Country Inn and Suites, the luggage truck will be ready for luggage from 0655 to 0710. Anyone else needing to drop off luggage on Sunday will do so at Country Inn and Suites as well. The Country Inn & Suites will allow parking for an additional 10 to 15 cars on Sunday, but they must be moved before Monday morning.
Training:
If you've never ridden a century (100 miles) before, it's challenging but attainable with adequate training. If you don't have a good aerobic base already, you should start riding at least two months prior. Build up to three to four rides a week totaling 120 miles (or more). You should have at least two 60+ mile rides under your belt before entering your last week of training. If one of those rides is 80+, you'll be even better off. You'll find out a lot about personal hydration and nutritional needs during the longer rides. You may also find out that most sports drinks and foods don't contain enough sodium for the long, hot rides, so you may need to supplement. And you might experience some back, leg, or neck pain and/or hand numbness that you haven't felt before. Don't go too hard or too long the week prior to Iron Ride. Do a shorter easier ride two days prior and don't ride at all the next day. Always have an adequate supply of water when you ride. You probably won't need food for rides shorter than 30 miles, especially if you've eaten beforehand. Don't do the Iron Ride if you're sick or if you're not prepared.
An 75 mile ride will also be challenging especially the day after completing a century ride. If you're only riding on Sunday, however, the training required is less involved. If you haven't done much or any aerobic training already, start at least six weeks prior. Build up to three rides a week totaling 60 to 100 miles. You should have at least two 50+ mile rides under your belt before entering your last week of training. Don't go too hard or too long the week prior and rest the day prior.
Hotels/Restaurants/things to do in Prattville:
I checked out every hotel on Cobbs Ford Road, the main road running east/west thru town, before choosing three that I liked. The managers of all three hotels were very friendly and accomodating. Each has set aside a room to store participants' luggage. They will also make every effort to allow participants to check in early. They also all agreed to allow particpants to bring their bikes into the hotel rooms.
The Days Inn and Suites is a nicer, newer Days Inn. The room that I was shown was clean and and in good condition. 35 out of the 51 are reserved for Iron Ride participants until October 1st. The rates are $62 and $69 + tax. The continental breakfast is free and includes: waffles, eggs, cereals, muffins, danish, grits, yogurt, juice, and coffee. The phone # is (334) 285-5312. The Longhorn Steakhouse is on the other side of the parking lot. Chain Reaction Bike shop is next door and Walmart is about 0.6 miles miles to the west. O'Charleys, Steak n Shake, and a 12-plex theater are about 1/4 mile to the east. Two Mexican Restaurants (I recommend Pablanos) are also about 1/2 mile to the west.
The Courtyard by Marriott is a nicer, newer hotel directly across from the Days Inn (about 0.4 miles by car). The rooms are bigger and fancier. The hot breakfast buffet costs an additional $7.95. 35 out of the 84 rooms are reserved for Iron Ride participants until September 29th. The rate is $99 + tax and their phone is (334) 290-1270. The distances and locations of the restaurants and stores listed above approximately the same for this hotel. The Robert Trent Jones Golf course is about 1 mile south of the Courtyard.
The Country Inn & Suites is another nice hotel at $80 per night + tax. It's 1 mile to the east of the the other two hotels. 35 out of the 63 are reserved for Iron Ride participants until September 12. They have the only indoor pool in Prattville as well (think small). The continental breakfast is free and includes: waffles, sausage, biscuits, bacon, fruit, yogurt, juice, and coffee. The phone # is (334) 495-3000. The hotel is directly across the street from an oriental restaurant and within 0.2 miles of McDonalds and Shoneys. Jim and Nicks BBQ is about 1/2 mile to the west (I eat there once a week; my wife eats there twice a week). The Catfish House is 0.8 miles to the east.
I was also impressed with the Hampton Inn, but they only had a limited # of rooms available on October 13th. It's 0.2 miles west of Country Inn & Suites. The Marriott Hotel and Convention Center was actually the nicest hotel in Prattville. (It's 1/2 mile south of the Courtyard by Marriott). They also offer complimentary shuttles to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. However, rooms start at $129 per night. I figured participants wouldn't get as much utility out of a full service hotel because they'll be going to bed early and checking out early to ride.
Tuscaloosa hotels close to the start are: Hampton Inn and Sheraton Four Points. Hotels close to the Friday night Tailgate at Bowers Park are: Country Inn and Suites, Best Western, La Quinta, Ramada, Sleep Inn, and Comfot Inn.
Auburn hotels near Chewacla State Park include: Holiday Inn and Suites, Econo Lodge, Comfort Inn, Mcrotel, and Sleep Inn.
Support:
Cahaba Bicycles and Chain Reaction Bicycle Shop have graciously offered to SAG for the ride. Thank them the next time you stop by.
