0 Ride for the Animals

2015 Ride for the Animals

Rider Handbook

95km charity bike ride from Sale to Bairnsdale

Sunday 22nd March 2015

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Vision The Ride for the Animals event vision is aligned with the mission of the Victorian Animal Aid Trust. Together we aspire to save the lives of homeless animals and adopt them into safe and loving homes. Ride for the Animals supports our mission by raising much needed funds for our three shelters at Coldstream, Sale and Bairnsdale and allows us to help more animals in need.

Our Mission The Ride is committed to sharing our mission with others to increase awareness of adoption and

animal welfare issues, as well as promoting participation in our fundraising activities. Animal Aid

operates as an 'Open Door' shelter and never refuses an animal in need. We believe that all animals

deserve the safety and comfort of a loving home and we aim to provide that opportunity to every

animal that comes through our doors; whether that be through reuniting a lost pet with their owners,

or finding a new forever home for an abandoned animal. We greatly value the role that pets play in

society and in our lives; the unconditional love, solace and companionship they provide is priceless.

The purpose of the Ride is to raise as much money as possible to help enhance the lives of the

animals in our care, and at the same time bring people from different social backgrounds together

to enjoy the challenge and friendships formed through a common goal. By helping raise money for

Animal Aid, you are making a very significant contribution to our cause.

How do homeless pets benefit from money raised through Ride for the Animals? Each year Animal Aid receives around 6000 animals in need. Feeding, sheltering and caring for

these cats, dogs, pocket pets and small livestock is no mean feat. Many require medical attention,

some pets are staying with us as part of our Emergency Accommodation program, and others

require rehabilitation and behavioural training.

The expenditure involved in carrying out the services and programs we provide is far beyond what

we can cover with adoption income alone. We don’t receive any government funding and rely on

the generous donations, fundraising and bequests provided by the community. Literally every dollar

helps. This funding allows us to help animals in need; animals like T Rex, Clive, Ernie and Suzie.

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T Rex is finally home! 6 year old T Rex was surrendered to Animal Aid in March 2014 when his owner moved house. Like many

cats, T Rex came to Animal Aid through no fault of his own.

Separated from his loved ones and surrounded by other

strange cats, T Rex was overwhelmed by the situation he

was in. We sent him out on foster for a short time to

improve his well-being and while he came back to our

shelter cattery in better spirits, T Rex was still showing signs

of anxiety. To relieve his stress, T Rex would spend hours

curled up in a paper box, his own little ‘security blanket’.

Sadly for adult cats, many people who adopt gravitate

toward the kittens, while older cats sit by and watch as one

loving family after another passes them over for a younger

option. This was the case for T Rex. In August, five months

after he arrived we held ‘T Rex Week’ at Animal Aid and

pulled out all the stops to find this beautiful boy a loving

family. And we did! By the end of T Rex Week, he was

adopted and finally relaxing at home.

High five for Clive! Clive came to Animal Aid as a stray at only seven months of age. He was a cute, young pup, but in need of

a bit of training and loving attention. Clive was a favourite of the Animal Aid staff and volunteers. We

could see how much love he had to give and while he had a lot to learn Clive was one smart cookie and he

would quickly gain the skills he needed

with the right guidance.

After two months Clive was waiting and

he was starting to show serious signs of

stress, as many dogs do after such a

period of confinement. At this point

we were overjoyed when he was

adopted, but unfortunately Clive was

returned to the shelter a week later.

His new family felt that they couldn’t

provide him with the attention he

needed. Poor Clive was back at square

one.

Luckily, three weeks later his perfect match arrived at Animal Aid and Clive was adopted again. This time it

was permanent! His new Mum Alisha tells us:

Adopting Clive on July 6th was a great decision. Even though it's been a short time he has settled in and

become one of the family very quickly. Our big girl Shylo, is loving having him here. Thank you Animal Aid

for letting my family be the ones to give this special boy a second chance!

Little Clive at home with his new big sister!

T Rex looking for love

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Ernie 3 year old Ernie came to Animal Aid as a stray. He is a big, handsome tabby boy with a loving nature. Ernie appeared to be in good health when he was checked over by Animal Aid's Vet Clinic team, however we noted that he was breathing rapidly and his heart sounded muffled on one side of his chest. After taking some x-rays we were surprised to find that Ernie was suffering from a very uncommon condition and had a tear in his diaphragm. This condition can allow internal organs to enter the chest cavity and compress the lungs. In Ernie's case, his whole small intestine, spleen and part of his colon was up in the left side of his chest and collapsing his lungs. Animal Aid's Vet Clinic team quickly scheduled him for surgery and with two vets, two nurses and over two hours of surgery Ernie's abdominal organs were put back in their rightful place and the tear repaired! After making it through the next 24 hours in recovery we just knew that Ernie was going to make it through his ordeal. We are so happy with his progress and can't wait to put this gorgeous boy up for adoption shortly!

Suzie’s Story When Suzie was surrendered to Animal Aid by her previous owners, she was in poor condition and had

quite significant mammary tumours on both her left and right hand side. On top of this her teeth had

extensive plaque and advanced decay and would require a full dental if not quite a few extractions. Let’s

face it, this poor girl was a bit of a mess! This was going to be a big job and we needed a helping hand. In

stepped Rescued With Love (RWL), a fantastic and dedicated group of volunteers, who were able to lend

support with Suzie’s situation.

Suzie required two separate surgeries on her mammary

tumours one of which we performed at our clinic and the

other, some months later, was funded by RWL. We also

performed the dental at the time of the first surgery. The

poor little darling had stitches everywhere, but she was

such a trooper.

RWL agreed to foster Suzie while she recovered from the

first operation and then take responsibility for her

rehoming once she had had her second surgery. Suzie is

now a treasured member of her new family where she is

the pampered pooch she always deserved to be.

Thanks to RWL we have been able to find homes for some

very tricky cases like Suzie. Together we are showing that

every life counts!

Suzie with Dr Adele

Ernie recovering from surgery!

Suzie and Dr Adele!

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Spirit of the Ride This is a volunteer-based ride that relies on everyone making a contribution to its success. The

following points will help make the Ride more enjoyable for you and your fellow participants. It is

the responsibility of each rider to:

Comply with the information contained in this handbook.

Be physically fit and capable of completing the ride.

Inform the event team leader of any existing medical condition(s).

Protect your body from the elements.

Immediately inform an events volunteer if you are feeling ill.

Ensure you eat enough to sustain the energy required for the Ride.

Ensure you drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated.

Ensure your bike is serviceable and in good working condition to complete the ride.

Arrive on time.

Thank the volunteers and each other!

Have fun! Remember that this is a ride to raise money for homeless animals and is not a race. Help your

fellow participants along by encouraging them, especially if they are struggling at any point along

the way.

Fundraising All individual riders are required to raise a minimum of $250, a very achievable target. You just need

10 family members or friends to donate $25 each and you’re done! Teams of four people are

required to raise $750 to participate.

When you register via the event website you will receive a confirmation email that provides

instructions to share your fundraising page through Facebook and to email your online network. This

is the easiest way to let everyone know about the great challenge you are taking on and the support

you require.

You can personalise your fundraising page. Simply log in to Go Fundraise, go to My Account at the

top of the page and click on My Fundraising. If you then click on Manage Page on the right hand

side it will take you to an area where you can change your profile picture and your fundraising

description, which is what people will see when they land on your fundraising page.

Once again the most successful fundraisers will win a lovely bottle of Moet and $50 Bunnings

voucher. The person and team who raise the most money will win the prize (and the glory!) for

being the most successful fundraisers for the second annual Ride for the Animals.

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Preparing for the Ride The Route Overview

The ride commences at Animal Aid’s Gippsland shelter in Fulham, runs through Maffra and Stratford before heading along Bengworden Road all the way to Animal Aid’s Bairnsdale shelter. As you can see by the elevation chart below, the ride is not cumbersome with hill climbs and the main test may be the weather on the day! Head-winds can be a challenge, plus we will potentially encounter a hot day.

The Elevation

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The Route by Stage

Stage 1- Fulham/Myrtlebank: approx. 9km

Stage 2- Maffra/Stratford: approx. 21km

A nice, flat start to the ride with a few twists

and turns. The right hand turn from Fulham

Road onto the Princes Highway will be

marshalled to warn and stop oncoming traffic.

All other turns will be manned by marshals

with directional signage, however riders will

need to avoid any traffic and make turns only

when safe.

The majority of this stage has a road shoulder

and speed limits for motorists are between

80km and 100km.

Traffic speeds in this area range from

60km/hr to 100km/hr so you will

experience a range of traffic at various

speeds. Some areas of this section

have road shoulders, however others

do not.

The right hand turn in Maffra is through

a roundabout, and this will be

marshalled to stop oncoming traffic and

ensure rider safety.

The stretch of road between Maffra and

the Princes Highway is not fantastic, so

great care should be taken.

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Stage 3- Stratford/Meerlieu: approx. 28km

Stage 4 – Meerlieu/Bairnsdale: approx. 36km

This stage runs through the town of Stratford and riders must be on alert for local traffic.

The right hand turn in Stratford is through another roundabout, and again this will be will be marshalled to stop

oncoming traffic and ensure rider safety.

There is also a right hand turn from Princes Hwy into Bengworden Road which will be manned by marshals with

directional signage, however riders will need to avoid any traffic and make the turn only when safe.

Nice plain sailing along the lengthiest stage. The pit-stop point is at Meerlieu Primary School on Bengworden Road.

Toilet facilities, energy snacks and hydration are available here.

Note this road is 100km/hr and the majority has no shoulder, so please take care and be alert to local traffic.

After you leave the second pit-stop point there is more plain sailing. The right hand turn from Bengworden Road into

Humphreys Road will be manned by marshals with directional signage, however riders will need to avoid any traffic and

make the turn only when safe.

BEWARE, there is a hill climb right in the last 5km of the ride!

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Insurance

Your registration does not include personal or third party insurance. While the event team makes

every effort to protect the safety of all participants, incidents can occur which may result in

injury/loss/damage to you and/or others.

We strongly recommend all participants avail themselves of insurance cover relevant to their

individual circumstances. As a starting point you may wish to consider joining Bicycle Network

Victoria as membership includes insurance cover (www.bicyclenetwork.com.au). Annual

membership with Bicycle Network Victoria is $115 for individuals or $95 for individual concession

and does offer benefits other than insurance.

Animal Aid has the appropriate public liability insurance in place for this event.

Training for the Ride

Targeting a 95km ride seems like a big challenge and it’s a great cycling goal to achieve for most

riders. While the prospect of training for a 95km event may seem daunting for some, when you

break it down to gradual increases over a period of 10 to 12 weeks it’s entirely achievable for

almost anyone.

Here are some basic training rules of thumb to keep in mind and remember; being fit doesn’t mean

you are ‘bike fit’:

Train 3-4 times a week, either by bike or another type of activity. At a minimum you should

ride 3 times per week.

To start with go on an easy ride of approximately 1 to 2 hours each time. If you are just

beginning go twice a week for 30 to 60 mins and build from there.

You don’t need to have fully ridden the distance you are targeting as your goal in training.

The key is consistency over each week and slowly building to your goal, that way you’re

more likely to avoid injury and training fatigue.

Two weeks before the event is a good time to do a longer ride than usual. If you are

reasonably comfortable riding 50km-60km, the jump to 95km won’t seem that much.

It’s easy to underestimate how much food you need to take on board when cycling. For a

95km ride you need a substantial meal the night before, a generous breakfast and then a

few bananas and nutrition bars during the ride, plus water/hydration fluid. Often when people

run out of energy on long rides, it is lack of nutrition as much as lack of training.

The best way to learn training, hydration and eating tips is to ride with people who have done

it before. Although you can do it on your own it’s easier and more fun if you pick up pointers

from others who are experienced. Try joining some regular rides with your local cycling club.

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Suggested basic training schedule

Weeks to go Monday Wednesday Weekend Week Total

12 5km 5km 10km 20km

11 5km 10km 15km 30km

10 5km 15km 20km 40km

9 10km 15km 20km 45km

8 10km 15km 25km 50km

7 10km 15km 25km 50km

6 10km 20km 30km 60km

5 10km 20km 30km 60km

4 15km 25km 40km 80km

3 20km 30km 50km 100km

2 20km 30km 60km 110km

1 10km 20km 40km 70km

What to eat the night before

The most important goal for longer rides is to build up carbohydrate stores. Carbohydrates are the

most important fuel source for prolonged exercise and make a difference between doing your best

and hitting the wall early.

Carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream from the gut. When there is plenty of

carbohydrate available, such as after a meal of pasta, the extra that is not used is stored in the

liver and muscles. Eating plenty of carbohydrates in the 48 hours before the big ride will help fill

your glycogen stores. The night before your event, it is a good idea to include more carbohydrates

in your evening meal than you usually have. Nutritious carbohydrate foods include:

Pasta and noodles.

Rice.

Couscous.

Potatoes, pumpkin, sweet corn.

Dairy foods.

Fruit and juice.

Bread.

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Protein is also important, but it is best to choose easily digested forms such as lean red meat, fish chicken and tofu rather than fattier meats.

What to take with you

After a satisfying pre-ride meal, it is important to maintain your carbohydrate intake once you're out

on the bike. Snacks will help to maintain blood glucose levels, and provide a constant source of

energy to your muscles.

It is recommended that you start consuming carbohydrates early in the ride at a rate of between

30g and 60g per hour. Foods eaten on the bike should be high glycaemic index and low fibre for

rapid absorption. Bananas, muesli bars, energy bars and Powerade will be provided by your event

team at the start of the Ride and at the pit-stop point; however you may take snacks with you to

eat during the ride for additional energy.

What not to eat

Foods that are too high in fat or protein are slowly digested and may cause discomfort or a heavy

feeling. Over-eating is also likely to make you feel sluggish.

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On the Day Weather

As we all know, Melbourne’s weather is very changeable from one day to the next. However, we

will be riding rain, hail or shine. Of course if inclement weather conditions were to pose a serious

risk, for example flood, bushfire, temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, the Ride would be cancelled

and all participants notified at the earliest possible time.

Please ensure you are prepared for a variety of weather conditions; we may just see four seasons

in one day!

Vehicle Support (the good old Sag wagon!)

There will be a lead vehicle controlling the ride and two rear vehicles to assist with any struggling

stragglers or participants that cannot finish the ride within set time constraints. A bicycle mechanic

will be travelling with the group to assist with any equipment failure; however you are expected to

bring your own puncture repair kit.

Medical Support

There will be two qualified first aid officers travelling with the group to assist with any injury or medical

needs during the ride. A First Aid kit will be carried in each support vehicle. In the event of an incident,

riders are to follow all instructions from the event personnel travelling in the support vehicles. Those

closest to any injured riders may provide immediate first aid if capable.

Safety

The safety of everyone involved in the Ride, whether as a rider or as part of the support crew, is the

responsibility of EVERYONE. Safety MUST be your first priority. Please keep in mind that the Ride

is a recreational event, not a race.

All riders MUST comply with the following at all times:

1. Obey all road rules and instructions from event team members and support vehicle drivers.

2. Be aware of your surroundings - remember to look around and stay vigilant.

3. Be aware of other riders and road users.

4. Pass other riders in single file, on the right and only when safe to do so.

5. Communicate with others where needed – verbal and non-verbal.

6. Verbal - call ‘passing’ when passing, or ‘stopping’ when stopping, call objects that

can cause damage to rider and/or bike.

7. Non–Verbal - use hand signals to indicate to other riders what you are planning to do;

stopping, changing direction and obstacles ahead.

8. Keep as far to the left as possible to allow motor vehicles to overtake safely.

9. If you need to stop, move off the road before you dismount - walk your bike well off the

road.

10. Keep alert; most crashes happen when your concentration lapses.

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11. Keep at least one hand on your handlebars at all times.

12. Avoid running into those in front!

13. Be aware of changing road conditions including water, pot holes, gravel, narrow roads,

approaching bridges/culverts, railway tracks and soft road shoulders.

14. Stay a minimum distance of 20 metres behind the lead safety vehicle

15. No headphones permitted while riding

Group Road Riding Etiquette & Simple Pace Line Guidelines

There are three basic rules to group riding at pace:

1. Don’t do anything suddenly!

2. Don’t do anything suddenly!

3. DON’T DO ANYTHING SUDDENLY!!

Follow these guidelines to ensure your safety and the safety of your fellow riders:

Don’t OVERLAP WHEELS!! This is especially important for inexperienced riders – it can

be a formula for disaster. Unless you are an exceptional bike handler riding behind a

remarkably steady and predictable rider, the advantage gained by very close following is

not worth the risk of crashing.

If at the front, keep your head up, call out any pot holes, and watch the traffic. You will be

directly behind the lead event vehicle, so please watch for any instructions from them or

event marshals along the route.

Watch the rider in front of you constantly and keep a safe distance, especially when

approaching a challenging rise in terrain or jump in pace. Some people, even on the best

of days, have an inconsistent speed that causes the bike to go back and forth. Other people

brake suddenly or excessively, others throw the bike back when getting up to climb, so

please pay attention.

Ride in a straight line at a consistent and predictable pace. Don’t slow down or stop

suddenly, remember there is a bunch of riders behind you.

When moving from a seated to a standing position, stay on the power so you don’t fall

back into the bike behind you. Even some very strong riders do this so be forewarned.

When climbing any hills, avoid following a wheel too closely. Many riders often lose their

momentum when rising out of the saddle on a hill which can cause a sudden deceleration.

This can often catch a rider who is following too closely, resulting in a fall from a wheel

touch.

Stay to the left when in front to allow room for others to pass safely on your right,

particularly in traffic. Pass other riders on the right hand side whenever possible. If you

find that you can’t hold with the pace line that you’re in, SIGNAL, and then pull out of the

pace line and back off. If you are genuinely unable to share the pace at the front, stay at

the back and keep out of the way of the other riders.

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Signals to Riders from Support Vehicles

SIGNALS MEANING 1(one) LONG HORN BLAST - Safely stop your bike and move off the road, e.g. road train/large vehicle approaching, serious incident has occurred. 1 (one) BEEP - Vehicle overtaking pack. OPEN HAND OUT WINDOW – Stopping at intersection or due to traffic ahead. WAVING CLOSED FIST - Obstruction across road. STATIONARY CLOSED FIST - Obstacle/s on road, e.g. pot holes.