Pedal 2018 is almost here!

Our 8th annual Old Brooklyn Pedal for Prizes will be here before you know it. We are hard at work putting the finishing touches on this year’s event so that you have a great time.

Here are some things for you to know:

Location: We’re back at Estabrook Recreation Center, 4125 Fulton Road, much like the last few years. Be sure to thank them for hosting us once again. Participants are free to use the facilities.  There are locker rooms for you to change if you’d like after the ride.  There’s also an indoor swimming pool and playground and ball fields outside. So there’s a lot to do if you finish the ride early.

Parking: There’s limited parking at Estabrook Recreation Center, and it will fill up quickly.  We ask everyone to please respect the area of the parking lot that is taped off.

Another option is that you can park on the street on W 50th, W 49th, etc. Shadyside Avenue connects to the Estabrook Rec campus. Same for W 56th, 57th, etc. We just ask you to please be respectful to our Old Brooklyn neighbors.

Everywhere else that seems privately owned, park at your own risk.

T-Shirts and Backpacks: We will have some past-season Pedal for Prizes t-shirts for sale for $20/each.  Proceeds will be used for us to bring back Old Brooklyn Pedal for Prizes in 2019.  It’s money well spent if you enjoy the event and would like to see it continue in the future.

We will be giving away backpacks for you to take on the ride. Register and you get one free, courtesy of some great neighborhood businesses that support the event.

Weather: The event happens on Saturday regardless of the weather.  Right now, the forecast is calling for near perfect weather, but we all know that that can change. Prepare for the weather!

Expedited Registration: This is a huge help to us. Please print this form and fill it out for each participant before coming to the event. Bring it to the registration table and we’ll check you in quickly. Save yourself from having to wait in a long line and help us keep everything going smoothly!

For registration, you can walk with your bike inside. However, we ask to please be respectful of the property (i.e. do not walk on the gym floor with cycling shoes).

Registration: We will begin registering participants at 10am. You’ll be able to head out after doing so, and there’s no need to wait around for an official send-off.  We will register participants up until 1pm.

Pedal for Prizes is completely free and open to cyclists of all ages and skill levels.

You’ll sign a release form (again, print it, fill it out, and bring to the event if possible!) receive a map of twenty destinations and a punch card.  Cyclists are free to go on their way to as many destinations as they’d like in any order.  Stay at destinations as long as you’d like.

We reserve the right to request proof that you have and will be using your bicycle for the event.

Raffle: The raffle begins promptly at 2pm. We will be raffling several brand new bikes, as well as many other prizes.  In all, we should have about 50 prizes valued at a minimum of $20. We won’t have a final list until a day or two before the event, as we are receiving and packaging prizes up until the last minute.

Help us move the raffle along by returning punctually and dropping your tickets in the bins of the prizes you’d like to win.

Please remain patient during the raffle and help others be patient as well.  Your cooperation will help it go quickly and smoothly, which everyone would like.

50/50 Raffle: This is the third year we will be hosting a 50/50 raffle as a fundraiser for next year’s event. If you enjoy the event, please consider participating, as every dollar helps us host a first-class event next year. Thanks to the Old Brooklyn Collaborators for their help.

Destinations: This year’s event will have twenty destinations.  You won’t know the destinations until you register at Estabrook Rec.

We provide you a map and addresses of destinations at which you’ll have your card stamped.  Some participants have had success using GPS or riding in small groups in the past.

Destinations will stop punching cards around 1:15pm.  Return to Estabrook Rec in time for you to exchange your punch card for raffle tickets and drop them in your desired prize bins.  Remember, the raffle starts at 2pm.

Cheating: Pedal for Prizes is meant to be a fun event done by bicycle. We are hardworking volunteers who have put hundreds, if not thousands, of our own time into coordinating a fun event for the community.  We have no tolerance for people who cheat and drive their cars from destination to destination. Participants found to be using motor  vehicles for the event will have their punch cards revoked and will be barred from participating in the raffle. Do the right thing.

If you observe instances of cheating, please report it to us immediately.  Merchants and people staffing our destinations will be keeping an eye out for foul play as well.