After months of fundraising and training, it’s finally time for our 500+ mile adventure. You may be feeling some combination of excitement mixed with a little bit of nerves. That’s totally normal! To help with that, we put together a little guide of five things to expect on this year’s Empire State Ride.
A Physical and Mental Challenge
Riding across New York State is no easy task, but you’re going to crush it. That’s not to say it won’t be challenging at times. Luckily, after something incredibly challenging, you usually walk away a changed person. You can do this! And when you feel like you need a little bit of help, there are 180+ other cyclists to encourage you.
A Group of Volunteers Ready to Help Out
The Empire State Ride is a fully-supported journey, which means there’s a group of staff and volunteers ready to support you every day. This includes:
- Rest stops every 15-20 miles to fuel you
- Support & Gear (SAG) vehicles for anyone who needs some extra help
- A luggage truck
- Camping accommodations
- First aid trained staff
- Bike mechanic and repair support
Insanely Good Food
We want to make sure you’re eating and drinking enough to keep you going. And we’ve heard from ESR alumni that the food is one of the best parts. With breakfast, lunch and a fully-catered dinner every single day, you’ll never go hungry (or thirsty!).
Stories from Patients at Roswell Park
For #ESR19, we’re bringing back patient stories at camp to remind us why we are on this mission. Every night during dinner, we’ll share a short video from a current Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer patient. It’s a nice reminder as to why we’re riding 500+ miles – and that no matter how tired we feel, we’re doing this for all those affected by cancer.
An Adventure Like No Other
Not a lot of people can say they biked from NYC to Niagara Falls, but after 7 days, you’ll be able to! It’s truly an adventure like no other through some of the most scenic parts of New York State and the amount of good you’re doing by jumping on your bike is incredible. It’s going to be hard, sweaty, tiring, magical, enlightening and totally worth it – get ready!
