JVC Winter Challenge

Intro

Janesville Velo Club members are challenged to ride their bicycles as much as they can in January and February and ask others to sponsor their efforts to raise funds that will be used to improve local cycling opportunities. Sound simple? Read the rules, submit your entry, and accept this Challenge!

Requirements – Participating riders must be current Janesville Velo Club members and accept the terms of the Janesville Velo Club Waiver and Release of Liability (https://veloclub.org/about-jvc/jvc-waiver/). A $100 minimum donation (or soliciting $100 in pledges) towards the fundraiser is suggested.

NEW for 2024! – Riders can fundraise by riding outdoors, indoors, or both. For those competing for points, outdoor and indoor miles will be tracked separately and then also scored separately. Although participants can ride both outdoors and indoors during the Challenge, due to the way points are earned, they will likely be most competitive if they focus on one or the other (see ‘Standings’ paragraph). The two separate points competitions (Outdoor and Indoor) are both raising money for the same fundraiser.

Outdoor Challenge

Participants who want to earn points by riding outdoors are challenged to ride their bicycles at least 5 miles a day outdoors in our area on as many days as they can in January and February and ask others to sponsor their efforts. Participants choosing this option can earn points in three different categories (number of days ridden outdoors, miles ridden outdoors, and funds raised).

Indoor Challenge

Participants who want to earn points riding indoors are challenged to ride their bicycles at least 5 miles a day on an indoor trainer as many days and miles as they can in January and February and ask others to sponsor their efforts. Participants choosing this option can earn points in three categories (number of days ridden indoors, miles ridden indoors, and funds raised).

Standings - At the end of the challenge, participants who have placed in the top 10 in any of the Outdoor/Indoor Points categories will be awarded points that correlate to their final place in that category (see ‘Days Miles Funds’ table below). The points participants earn in each Outdoor or Indoor Challenge category will be added together to determine each participant’s Total Points for the Outdoor or Indoor Challenge competitions. More Total points = Higher place in the Final Standings. 

Riders who do not raise at least $25 for the fundraiser will not be listed in the Final Standings.

Prize - The winner’s only prize will be the respect of the other participants.

Fundraiser

In addition to being a riding challenge, the JVC Winter Challenge is also a fundraiser.

Fundraiser Goal = $100,000

Palmer Park Mountain Bike Trails and Skills Area - The Janesville Velo Club is working with the City of Janesville and a professional trail builder to create a 35-acre mountain bike park with flow and progressive trails in the southern part of Janesville’s Palmer Park. This plan was created as a compromise after banning bikes from other popular off-road trails in the northern part of the park and will contain professionally built MTB/BMX type trails that will be fun for beginners, encourage riders to improve, accommodate riders with more advanced skills, and also be safely away from the unleashed dog space in the northern part of the park. The project’s total cost is expected to be $250,000. $100,000 has been spent on what has been built so far. Additionally, the City has budgeted to pay for the pump track ($50,000). That leaves $100,000 needed to complete the project.

Help us raise funds by encouraging your friends & family to make pledges on the number of days or miles you ride during the 2-month challenge period.

Not up to the challenge of winter riding or soliciting pledges but want to support our cause? Please consider donating. The JVC is a 501c3 non-profit organization that consists of cyclists and advocates for bicycling.

Rules Page

Requirements – Participating riders must be current Janesville Velo Club members and accept the terms of the Janesville Velo Club Waiver and Release of Liability. A $100 minimum donation (or soliciting $100 in pledges) towards the fundraiser is suggested.

Standings - At the end of the challenge, participants who have placed in the top 10 in any of the Outdoor/Indoor Points categories will be awarded points that correlate to their final place in that category (see ‘Days Miles Funds’ table below). The points participants earn in each Outdoor or Indoor Challenge category will be added together to determine each participant’s Total Points for the Outdoor or Indoor Challenge competitions. More Total points = Higher place in the Final Standings 

Riders who do not raise at least $25 for the fundraiser will not be listed in the Final Standings.

Outdoor Challenge Example: 

           Outdoor Rider #1 finishes 1st in ‘Days’, 4th in ‘Miles’ and 3rd in ‘Funds’

1st place ‘Days’ = 10 points, 4th place ‘Miles’ = 7 points, 3rd place 'Funds’ = 8 points

10+7+8=25 ‘Total’ points.

Outdoor Rider #2 finishes 4th in ‘Days’ and 2nd in ‘Miles’ and 1st in ‘Funds’

4th place ‘Days’ = 7 points, 2nd place ‘Miles’ = 9 points, 1st place 'Funds’ = 10 points

7+9+10=26 ‘Total’ points.

Result: Outdoor Rider #2 is ahead of Outdoor Rider #1 in the standings  (26 points vs. 25 points)

Riders who place outside the top ten in all three categories will not have any points and therefore will not be listed in the Final Standings.   

Note: Standings are updated as results are submitted. Since participants have 7 days to submit rides, current standings may not accurately reflect your actual position until after the Challenge period has ended (ends 2/29/24).

Prize - The winner’s only prize will be the respect of the other participants.

Rules

Rides (Days & Miles) must be tracked, must be submitted within 7 days of riding, and must be between January 1st and the last day of February. Miles ridden by participants competing for points in the Outdoor option must be outdoors in our cold-weather region of the upper Midwest (preferably within 100 miles of Janesville, WI). Rides are submitted through the rider’s ‘Dashboard’ by using the ‘ADD AN ACTIVITY’ feature on the Velo Club app website.

Days - Participants will automatically receive credit for riding 1 day whenever the participant submits a ride of at least five miles. Participants will only receive credit for 1 Day during a 24-hour period. The 24-hour period starts at 12:00 midnight and ends 24-hours later at 12:00 midnight. Participants must track their ‘activities’ (Days) in this manner.

Miles - Participants must submit the number of miles ridden each day of the challenge period within 7 days of their ride. Miles are submitted through the rider’s ‘Dashboard’ by using the ‘ADD AN ACTIVITY’ feature on the Velo Club app website.

Funds – Riders will automatically receive credit for the funds they have earned when donors make pledges or donations in a specific rider’s name and then whenever the sponsored riders submit their daily ride info. Participants will only earn funds points if they have solicited pledges or donations.

Ties 

There may be instances when two (or more) participants have the same number of ‘Days’, ‘Miles’ or ‘Funds’ (tied for a position’s points). When two or more participants are tied for a place in the standings, the available points will be added together and then divided by the number of participants who are tied.

Example: Outdoor Rider #1, Outdoor Rider #2, and Outdoor Rider #3 have all ridden every day and are therefore tied for 1st place in outdoor ‘Days’ (1st = 10 points). Since there are three riders, they are also tied for 2nd place (9 points), and 3rd place (8 points). To determine the points awarded to each of the three outdoor riders, 10 (1st place points), 9 (2nd place points), and 8 (3rd place points) would be added together (10+9+8=27 points) and then divided by 3 (the number of outdoor riders tied for the position). The net result is that each of the 3 outdoor riders would be awarded 9 points (27 divided by 3) for their ‘Days’ position.

Disclaimer (thinking about cheating?)

Why? There are no prizes to win. Obviously, you will only be cheating yourself. Unfortunately, circumstances that were not foreseen may occur. The Challenge Organizer reserves the right to make rule adjustments when necessary. Rulings made by the Challenge Organizer are final. Any participant found to be competing outside the spirit of this challenge will be disqualified.

Fundraiser

In addition to being a riding challenge, the JVC Winter Challenge is also a fundraiser.

Fundraiser Goal = $100,000

Palmer Park Mountain Bike Trails and Skills Area - The Janesville Velo Club is working with the City of Janesville and a professional trail builder to create a 35-acre mountain bike park with flow and progressive trails in the southern part of Janesville’s Palmer Park. This plan was created as a compromise after banning bikes from other popular off-road trails in the northern part of the park and will contain professionally built MTB/BMX type trails that will be fun for beginners, encourage riders to improve, accommodate riders with more advanced skills, and also be safely away from the unleashed dog space in the northern part of the park. The project’s total cost is expected to be $250,000. $100,000 has been spent on what has been built so far. Additionally, the City has budgeted to pay for the pump track ($50,000). That leaves $100,000 needed to complete the project.

Help us raise funds by encouraging your friends & family to make pledges on the number of days or miles you ride during the 2-month challenge period.

Not up to the challenge of winter riding or soliciting pledges but want to support our cause? Please consider donating. The JVC is a 501c3 non-profit organization that consists of cyclists and advocates for bicycling.