Bike Sebring 6hr-12hr-24hr

The Bike Sebring Event for 2025 - Feb 15-16

Take advantage of the $100 super-early registration fee for any 2025 Bike Sebring event!

Come to the fastest Ultracycling event in the USA, if not the world! If you want to lay down the most miles for a 6, 12, or 24 hour event, this is the best place to do it!

We all loved the smooth, flat, safe, and fast 3.66 mile Duane Palmer Blvd course in the lovely Spring Lake development in 2024. They loved us too and invited us back for 2025! It is also back to its original Feb timeframe as one of the first Ultracycling Events of the year. The date for 2025 is Feb 15-16.

The event will be even faster in 2025! Due to feedback regarding the high traffic volume and possible danger aspect of the current public roads and highways we had to ride on, I am doing away with the 36 mile daytime loop. However due to popular demand I am adding back in the Historic Century ride to Reedy Lake and back since most of the roads are low traveled. This is an option for the Century ride and also as the first leg of the 6, 12, or 24 hour events. Therefore, all 6,12, and 24-hr riders have the option to ride that 100 mile course before they settle into the 3.66 Mile Duane Palmer Loop but it is not required. All events have the option of riding the 3.66 Loop for their entire event, even the Century.

RAAM Qualifier: The 24-hour non-drafting will continue to be a RAAM qualifier as in years past.

Important Dates:

June 1, 2024 - Last Day for Special $100 Super-early registration offer for all eventsFeb 1, 2025 - Last Day to register and order a custom 2025 Sebring shirt and/or MedallionFeb 13, 2025 (Thur) - Final day for online registrationFeb 14, 2025 (Fri) - 5pm - 8pm - Packet pickup and onsite registrationFeb 15, 2025 (Sat) - 5am-6am - 6-12-24hr event day packet pickup and late registrationFeb 15, 2025 (Sat) - 5am-10am - Century event day packet pickup and late registration.

Starting Day Activities/Schedule: Start on Feb 15th - 7:00am

6:00-6:45am - All riders pick up their RFID chips at the start-line6:45am - All riders meet at start line to go over final announcements7:00am - All drafting riders in 6, 12, and 24 hour events are released together7:01am - All remaining non-drafting riders will be released in groups of 5 every 10-15 seconds. 11:00am - Century (100-mile) - all drafting Century cyclists are released11:00am - Century (100-mile) - All remaining non-drafting Century cyclists will be released in groups of 5 every 10-15 seconds

Finishing Activities/Schedule:

15th - approx 1:00pm - 6 hour cyclists are finishing15th - 3:00pm -8:00pm - Century cyclists are finishing in this window15th - approx 7:00pm - 12 hour cyclists are finishing16th - approx 7:00am- 24 hour cyclists are finishingAwards will be at the Community Center area after each event as soon as the final rider is in and results can be tabulated - usually within 15-30 minutes.

Main Venue: The hub of the event will be the Spring Lake Development District. (If you have ridden in Bike Sebring before, it is just off 98 on the original 100 mile loop near the end) Spring Lake is very excited to host our event again. There is a nice clubhouse for registration and awards, plenty of room for parking, a large shelter for picnics and access to restrooms. The main route will be the 3.66 mile loop within this residential subdivision. It has a good road surface, a bike lane on about 70% of it, low traffic, and a nice place for support to set up away from the houses. There are also bathrooms at the start-finish line that riders and crews will have easy access to.

Packet Pickup and on-site Registration:

At the Spring Lake Community Center: 209 Spring Lake Rd, Sebring, Fl 33876

Fri - Feb 15, 2025 - 5pm - 8pm - Packet pickup and late registrationSat - Feb 16, 2025 - 5am - 6am - 6,12, & 24hr event day packet pickup and onsite registrationSat Feb 16, 2025 - 5am- 6am- Century event day packet pickup and onsite registration. After 6am- 10am this registration will move to the start/finish line area at Echo Park.

Awards will be given at this location after each event as soon as results can be tabulated - Usually within 30 minutes..

The Events:

There will be 4 primary events at 2024 Bike Sebring: 100 Mile, 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour.

Each event will have the following categories: gender, 5-yr age-groups, all bike types, non-drafting or drafting, supported or self-supported, solo as well as 2 thru 8 rider teams. There is something for everyone!

All 6, 12, and 24 hour timed events will allow 2 options for 2025:

The Historic 100-Mile loop to Reedy Lake and back, then the 3.66 mile Duane Palmer  loop for the remainder of your event time..or..  Ride the 3.66 mile Duane Blvd Loop for your entire event time.

The 100-Mile (Century) event will also allow 2 options for 2025:

The Historic 100-Mile loop to Reedy Lake and back beginning and ending at the Echo Park start-finish line, then 2 more loops of Duane Palmer to complete the 100 miles...or.. Ride 28 laps of the 3.66 mile Duane Blvd Loop for your entire event.

Courses:

#1: The Historic Century Loop to Reedy Lake and back. If you are a Century Rider and choose this option then you start at the start-finish line at Echo Park and end there.

RWGPS Link: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46532869 

#2: The 3.66 mile loop is a wonderfully flat, smooth 3.66 mile loop that is Duane Palmer Blvd within Spring Lake. Everyone will ride CCW on this loop. The start-finish line for the whole event is located on this loop at the “Eco Park” entrance. 

https://www.strava.com/routes/3165402422783783780

Good News:

The good news is we are back at the Spring Lake subdivision and riding the AWESOME Super fast and smooth 3.66 Duane Palmer Loop again!

The great news for speed junkies is that you have the option to ride this loop for your entire event if you like.

If you desire a little more scenery and the orange groves - you also have the option to ride the Historic 100 mile loop to Reedy Creek and back before you start your 3.66 mile loops which you will then ride until your event time is complete.

Per feedback from 2024, I am also working on a pre-race meal at the local Spring Lake Golf Course restaurant - Since this is Valentine's Day evening it may be a tall order this year, but I will keep you in the loop and you will be asked to state your preference when you register. The more early registrations and commitments to pre-event dinner we get the more likely we can have a private event like this within Spring Lake for everyone. I will also try and have an option for a supper for the 12-hour riders and their crew on Saturday evening and a nice breakfast for 24-hour riders and their crew on Sunday morning

Event protocol:

All events and riders will start and finish at the entrance to Echo Park on the north side of Duane Palmer Blvd.

The 6, 12, and 24 hour drafting riders will all leave together at 7am.

Immediately after that all remaining non-drafting riders will be released in groups of 5 every 10-15 seconds. Don’t worry, your actual timer does not start until you cross the start-finish line.

All riders wishing to include the Historic Century as part of their timed event will head straight out to 98 and turn right and work their way up to Reedy Lake and back, eventually turning right back into Spring Lake and a right turn onto Duane Palmer Blvd. Then they will ride the Duane Palmer Blve loop until their event time ends. 

Everyone else will ride the Duane Palmer loop continuously until their event ends.

The Century riders will leave at 11am, with drafting riders going first and non-drafting leaving immediately after in groups of 5. Century riders have the option of riding the Reedy Creek Loop and back plus 2 loops of the 3.66 mile loop for their 100- miles, or completing 28 laps of the Duane Palmer Blvd Loop.

If you are in any non-drafting category, you must honor the “non-drafting zone”. We have adopted the USA Triathlon (USAT) definition of this ‘zone’: as a “rectangular area seven 7 meters long (23 feet) and two 2 meters wide (6.5 feet) surrounding each bicycle”. This will provide a sufficient non-drafting area around each cyclist.

Due to staggered start times, each rider is highly encouraged to start their own timer on their GPS unit, phone, or personal stopwatch when they start, so they will know exactly when their event time has completed.

This event is also aligning with the World Record setting standards within World UltraCycling Association (WUCA). This format allows all riders to ride until the very end of their timed event. No more of “If you can’t make it around the loop before the time expires - you are done”. Everyone will be encouraged and allowed to complete the current lap they are on until their time event expires. Your distance covered during your final partial lap will be prorated based on your final lap time.

Follow vehicles and crew Info:

100 Mile Loop Support rules:

If you are riding in the supported category on the 100-mile loop you are allowed to have a personal support vehicle on the course to assist you. These are the rules for your crew:

You may not directly follow your rider as that would present a dangerous situation with so many riders on the road. If you are seen doing this, your rider will be immediately disqualified from the event and required to stop.You may be on the course and stop at a pre-arranged location to hand off food or drink to your rider or offer any other type of assistance they need.Your rider may call you if they need mechanical aid and you may drive to, and stop anywhere on the course to offer mechanical aid as long as it is done off the road.Handoffs from the support vehicle while it is moving are not allowed. If you are seen doing this, your rider will be immediately disqualified from the event and required to stop. 

During the 100-mile loop, supported riders may have their crew set-up anywhere along the route as long as they are completely off the road and not on private property.

3.66 Mile Loop Support rules:

Each rider is allowed to set up a single “support area” along Duane Palmer Blvd near Echo Park. All support must be set up on the outside of the loop since all cyclists will be riding CCW. This is to prevent riders from having to cross the road to get to their support crew.

 

Where to park your vehicle:

The 24-hour cyclist(s) and their crew are permitted to park one of their vehicles of less than 25’ on the outside of the loop where their support is set up. This vehicle should be at least 10’ off the road. If the vehicle is more than 25’ or you have more than 1 vehicle these should be parked on the inside of the loop.The 6-hr, 12-hr, and Century cyclists (who are riding the 3.66 mile loop) and their crew MUST park their vehicle on the inside of the loop. They can still set up their “SAG and Help area” on the outside of the loop - just their vehicle needs to be on the inside loop. This will make it safer and easier for them to leave CW (clockwise) after their event is done as there will still be many riders riding CCW (counter clockwise) on the loop.

NOTE: Do not set up near or in-between the existing houses which are mostly on the south and east sides of the loop.

The highlighted area in this map below shows acceptable locations to set-up for fixed rider support on the outside of the loop.. This is a mile in length, so there should be plenty of room for everyone to set-up. 35’ sections will be marked for you to choose from. More specifics below.

There will be a 50’ section on either side of the start-finish line that will be reserved for the Event Director and timing headquarters - no support activities are allowed in this area. 

There is no lighting or access to electricity on the 3.66 mile loop and in the start/finish area. It is strongly recommended that you bring these items:

A converter for your car to provide USB or 110V voltage from your car battery for your needs.A small folding table or chair to be placed near the road with some identifying sign, image or “thing” that will help your rider identify their “spot”, and if your rider is in the 24-hour event, a light of some sort to illuminate it when it’s dark. Be creative so your rider has a great visual que.

Be sure to pull your vehicle off the road far enough so your rider can get off the road completely with their bike if they need to stop for aid. About 10’ should do.

Here is a visual to help you:

If your cyclist has a mechanical issue on the 3.66 mile loop and needs your help, you have two options:

Ride a bike (e-bikes are ok too) to them with tools and parts neededGo to the Event Director with your tools and parts and they will take you there.

Support crew is permitted to hand-off food and drink to their riders while the rider is moving. If the riders need to come to a full stop, they must be off the road so they do not interfere with any other rider.

Riders, when you are riding past all the support areas, ride near the left side of your lane (the center of the road) in this designated area so there is no conflict with those slowing down for handoffs or entering the road from a pit-stop

Self-Supported Category:

The Self-Supported is a new category started in 2024 to align with WUCA event and record categories. If you ride Self-Supported, this means that you are “totally” self-supported. You cannot have anyone help you in any way. If you get in a bad way on the course and need to call for help, you must either abandon and take your mileage at that spot - or change to the Supported Category.

Awards and souvenirs:

A beautiful custom cast metal Bike Sebring Medallion is included in your registration fee. It will be given out during the award ceremony and will have your results printed on the back.

In order to have a lower registration fee this year we are not including a free custom Bike Sebring long sleeve T- shirt. However, during the online registration, you will have the opportunity to purchase one for yourself and your crew. Deadline to preorder is Feb 1, 2025. There will also be a 2025 version of a Bike Sebring Cycling Jersey available to purchase during online registration.

An Awards and Recognition Ceremony will be held after each event. Everyone will be recognized for their achievement and have an opportunity for a photo with their medallion and crew. Special recognition will be provided for top overall place in each category.

Awards and recognition ceremonies will be held individually for each event as soon as the results for each event can be tabulated after completion. Ceremonies will be held at the Spring Lake Community Center (209 Spring Lake Dr, Sebring, Fl ) See the yellow dot below on map.

Accommodations:

 

There is a block of rooms available at the “Seven” Hotel by Sebring racetrack . First Come First Served - Tell them you are with the Bike Sebring event to get the special rate. (888) 738-3601There are also a variety of other hotels, motels, and B&B’s available in and around Sebring within easy driving distance to Spring Lake.I have also heard that the Kenilworth Hotel is going to re-open - I will update the Bike Sebring FB page and web-site with info on this as I get it.I am also thinking of working on a list of homes in Spring Lake that will be available as a weekend rental or a type of bed-and-breakfast for riders and crew. I will also post any info about this on the Bike Sebring FB page and website when availableCamping is also available at the Highlands Hammock State Park, but not at the Spring Lake Community Center.

Misc Info:

The 3.66 mile course will be surveyed for exact length, and all riders will be allowed to ride until their timed event expires, therefore allowing the greatest possible distance for each rider. There will be no mass start.

WUCA and GWR time and distance records on Surveyed Sebring courses:

Because of alignment with WUCA Record attempt rules, the 3.66 mile course has an official WUCA survey. This means this course can also be used to attempt any valid time and distance WUCA (and Guinness) record attempt. This attempt cannot however happen simultaneously with the Bike Sebring event. Contact [email protected] for more information about a WUCA record attempt.. Registration for this must be done at least 21 days prior to your record attempt to allow the pre-attempt documentation to be completed.

Many Thanks to Spring Lake Development District:

Lastly, we are very fortunate that the Spring Lake Development District has graciously allowed us to use their neighborhood for our event again. PLEASE be considerate of the homeowners and drivers you are sharing the road with. Keep off private property and keep noise to a minimum at all times. Use the time immediately after your event (while you are waiting for the award ceremony) to remove all personal items and all trash from your support area.