Each entrant will receive the following:
By carefully looking at the Giordana size chart when you are picking your jersey size..all jerseys are custom made in Italy and tend to fit snug
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME AND CHECK YOUR SIZE CAREFULLY:
Rates vary by distance and date when you register. Please check our registration page at www.bigf.ca/rides-registration/rides/
Yes, ample free parking at Mike Weir Park Sarnia which is 5 min from the start finish.
Yes, there is a secure Bike Corral at Mike Weir Park.
There are no refunds or deferrals to subsequent rides. You can transfer your registration to another route distance or to another person. If you change to a longer distance you will be charged the difference in price. If you change to a shorter distance there will be no refund. see this link for “how to”or email info@bigf.ca. The cut-off date for these changes is August 1, 2024
Packet pickup refers to showing up to get your rider packet and swag bag
PLEASE DO NOT SHOW UP BEFORE THESE TIMES.
We will retain your packet until the end of August 2024. If you are local, we will make arrangements for pick up via info@bigf.ca if out of the area we can mail to you at a cost of $20.00 paid in advance.
We work hard each year to provide the most up-to-date, pertinent information for our riders. It comes complete with information regarding a schedule of events, routes, parking, staging, road closures, course signage, rest stops, bib number placement, and the like. If you have registered for the 2023 BIG ride expect a Rider Guide to land in your email in-box approximately two weeks prior to the day of the event.
Yes, you can donate via our website to both St Joseph’s Hospice and Bluewater Health Foundation.
The 150K ride starts at 7:00 AM.
The 100k starts at 7:45AM
The 50K at 8:30AM
The 30K starts at 9:00 AM
Location: Mike Weir Park Sarnia
The starts are as shown SHARP. Don’t be late, if you want an official time, you must start with your group. Fuel stations and Time sections will be closed at the times as shown in your Rider Guide. You may be able to drop back and start with the next ride but will have to confirm with registration at Mike Weir Park.
The course is officially CLOSED at 1:30 PM.
Cue sheets and routes will be available at bigf.ca under the RIDES tab. Under the distance you are interested in click VIEW ROUTE. All routes can be downloaded onto a Garmin or printed. However, we don’t think you’ll need one. Our idea of an amazing time on the bike does not consist of fishing around your jersey pocket as you constantly wonder how far off the course you may have gotten. We’ve signed every turn, most hazards, and every route split with every sign you may need to find your way around any of our routes. It should be noted that our hazard signs are erected by experienced cyclists with decades of local knowledge.
Yes. It is important to note that, strictly speaking, BIG is not a race. However, participants in the 150KM, 100KM, and the 50KM will be given a timing chip that records how long it took them to complete each timed section, NO OVERALL TIME IS GIVEN. All riders times will be shown on our website and plaques will be awarded to the lowest cumulative time in the various age groups. Again, this is not a point to point race. The 30KM route will not include any timed sections.
The mandatory cut off is above all, a safety issue. Having riders out on the course, far from the finish, is not only a wellbeing issue, but also one of fatigue and discomfort for the rider. In addition, it is unreasonable to expect our volunteers, some of whom begin before dawn, to remain on course any longer. Beyond the safety issues, we plan to provide an enjoyable GranFondo experience which includes not only a fun, challenging day on the bike, but also taking in our Après ride event enjoying live music, having a meal and/or a beer with new friends, and not struggling through a prohibitively difficult ride for the entirety of the day. A SAG Wagon will be available to bring you back to Mike Weir Park, if required.
In some places the roads are challenging and technical. Be extremely careful riding your bicycle. There are places along all of the routes where people have injured themselves because they have gone into a turn too fast or had a lapse in their attention. If you do not slow yourself soon enough before turns or stop signs this is not safe. Some roads have potholes that you will have to navigate.
They are available at all Fuel Stations on route and at Mike Weir Park. Please use these facilities and respect the local area and residents.
Please use toilets provided and not the local trees.
YES… You must adhere to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation Cyclist’s Rules of the Road for the duration of the event. Cycling – Highway Traffic Act
Many of the roads you will ride are very narrow, with no center line. They will be shared with vehicular traffic. Please ride to the right when in narrow sections of road. Please use rules of the road at all intersections. The GranFondo roads are not closed and there will be open to non-event vehicles traveling with and against you. While traffic on these roads is minimal, it is still there.
Additionally, riding in the middle of the road absent motor vehicle traffic can still cause unsafe conditions for other, faster riders. Regardless of how fast you think you’re going, someone is pretty much always coming up behind you. Get over to the right as far as safety allows and let the faster flow pass you by. It’s better for them and it’s better for you.
We are conducting this event on some remote roads in our county. Nevertheless, these roads pass through working landscapes and those who use these roads require your respect and courtesy. Residents along these routes are made aware of the event, but this many cyclists using these roads at one time is an anomaly. Please be courteous to drivers and let them pass by moving to the right whenever it is reasonably safe to do so.
You must not use your mobile phone while cycling. You must stop at the roadside if you need to make or receive a call.
At BIG, safety must reign supreme. We need to know that everyone is operating at the same level of visibility and maneuverability as a thousand cyclists are out on the course sometimes shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. While mountain bikes are generally not a problem, trikes, elliptical, fixed wheel and recumbents represent a departure from this standard and for this reason, are not encouraged. Anything outside of what we’ve mentioned here is strictly not allowed. We need everyone at their best, both in the way they operate their own bikes and, in the way, they interact with other cyclists. Non-standard wheel sizes also present a big risk as these roads are, at times, chock-full of cracks or potholes and anything smaller than what we’ve normally planned for can present a risk to you and those around you.
You can have Aero Bars fitted on your bike BUT DO NOT USE THEM for several reasons, the main one being they aren’t safe in large groups because of the diminished handling capability. Using them on the flatter stretches in the pack is touchy at best and dangerous at worst not to mention redundant) when riding with hundreds of other cyclists providing a wind break. They would also provide an unfair advantage in the timed sections.
Yes, you can ride an electric bicycle (e-bike) at BIG, but some restrictions apply. Only pedal assist e-bikes are allowed; throttle assist e-bikes are not allowed. You are responsible for making sure your battery will last long enough for the route of your choice and you will be staged in the back. NO TIMING CHIP WILL BE GIVEN AND THEREFORE YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A SECTION TIME. Any rider with an e-bike using a timing chip will be considered cheating and time will be eliminated.
Yes, you can ride a tandem but no time will be given for tandems.
No… however, we do make special exceptions please email info@bigf.ca if this is required.
BIG will take place rain or shine unless cancelled by authorities due to lightning or severe weather that is judged hazardous to riders. There will be no refunds but do not worry as your money goes to a very good cause.
No.
All riders are expected to have a spare tube and a CO2 or a pump. There will be mechanical support at the start and mechanics will be in cars roving covering all routes.
If you need help inform someone at the Fuel Station. If needed urgently please call 911.
A limited amount of bagels, muffins and fruit will be available, however we do recommend having breakfast before coming to the start line. We will have food prepared for all rest stops and of course, Petrolia Lions Club will have fabulous offerings waiting for you at the Après Event at Mike Weir Park.
Yes, a vegetarian option will be available at the Après ride event.
No. We do not offer a bag check but your vehicle parking is very close to the start line.
No, unfortunately, we are not set up for overnight RV parking or camping at Mike Weir Park We recommend you check local camping and RV parking.
Yes, online at our store.
All pre-ordered merchandise can be picked up directly at one of the 3 Packet Pickup times. Please bring your ID and our team will take care of you.
As all orders are custom made in Italy and require a 9-week lead time. Your size cannot be assured but you will receive a custom Giordana cycling jersey. However, we usually have additional merchandise, but exchanges would be limited to stock on hand. There are no refunds.
Our aim has been to communicate consistently with you. Due to Canada’s high vaccination rate, we are optimistic that BIG will happen in 2024.
If the event is cancelled due to Covid your registration will be donated to one of our charities.
We will follow all Provincial guidelines as it relates to August 4, 2024, when they become available.
Yes, you need to be 15 years of age or older except for The Family Ride where children must be the age of 10 or older & children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. The adult must be present to sign for their minor and must agree to accompany them during the ride. Please email info@bigf.ca for exceptions.
CONDUCT
If, at any time, you treat others with disrespect, including staff, fellow riders, course marshals, motorcycle drivers, SAG wagon, volunteers, or anyone else, you will be disqualified and not permitted to return next year.
ENJOY YOURSELF
Bluewater International Granfondo is one of the most enjoyable cycling events in Canada. We are very proud of this and want you to leave as ecstatic about the event as we are to host it. If you follow these rules, keep your head up, and treat others like you’d expect to be treated, you will leave with one very memorable experience.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? Send us an e-mail: info@bigf.ca