**update**

Photos from the event can be found at the link below

http://www.pictage.com/1040865

**Ride Report**

Whew!
 
Successful day, y'all!  We had nearly 150 riders join our fun on what ended up being a stunningly beautiful day to be on a bike. 
 
I send many, MANY thanks to everyone who showed up to work packet pick-up and late registration last night and this morning so that Ryan and I, after our heavy, before-the-fact toil, could stand around and breathe a sigh of relief that all of our organization had gone off with only 2-3 small flaws ... 
  
Of our nearly 150 riders, 1/3 were women and 2/3 were men ... and that is a lot more gender-neutral than you usually see at organized rides!
 
Some of the nice compliments I received today:
 
"Y'all always have such nice stuff!" (Talking about the swag bags.)
 
"Do you have any teeshirts left to sell?"  (Unfortunately, no)
 
"This is a great course!"  (Talking about the route.  We are so fortunate to have Sardis Lake acting as a buffer to traffic for us.)
 
"I want to do this next year."  (From runners or the partners of runners who noticed us in the Midtown Shopping Center parking lot ... be prepared ... if we start at Midtown again we're likely to have twice as many riders.)
 
We had no injuries, unless you count a scraped knee, and no major snafoos.  When I went out and drove the route, I saw only three people stopped on the side of the road.  One person attending to a flat tire ... and the other two helping themselves to honey suckle!
 
Are you ready for next year?!? 
 
Carol Livingston

 

 



Join us on April 30th for the Double Decker "No Guts No Glory" Ride sponsored by Gastroenterology Associates of North Mississippi. We have three fully-supported rides with distances of 24, 48 and 69 miles through the rolling hills of Oxford and Lafayette County to the shores of Lake Sardis. We will also have a 9.5 mile in town fun ride.

Register online at raceonline.com

We will have pre-ride bike maintenance, food, rest stops and mobile SAG support, followed by the Double Decker Arts Festival, a celebration of food, arts and music on the Square in Oxford.

 

The ride will start at 9 am this year from the Midtown Shopping Center on North Lamar. This will allow those running in the Double Decker Spring Run a chance to participate in both events. 

Parking is limited, so participants are encouraged to bike to the event from his or her hotel or home. If you must drive, please plan on reaching the shopping center from the north side of town (MS-30 exit off of MS-7/ Molly Barr), as the Spring run will begin heading south on Lamar towards Price stret/the Square.

Also, while we are ordering a limited amount of extra t-shirts, you must register by April 22nd to guarantee you get a t-shirt and swag. 

On-site registration and check-in opens at 7:30 am at the start location

All riders must check in before the start to sign a USA Cycling Event Release Form and collect T-Shirt & swag

 

Early packet pickup: 5:30-8pm, Friday at Active Oxford 1004 N Lamar. Directions can be found here.

Fees: 

$30 Early Registration (before April 16th)
$35 Late Registration (April 16th or later)
$25 Oxford Cycling members
$20 Students
Free for police officers riding police bicycles

 

The Double Decker Festival is a big weekend in Oxford so book early if you want a local hotel.

A list of Oxford lodgings can be found at the Oxford Convention and Visitors Bureau site.

Alternatively, Oxford is 45 minutes from Batesville, 1½ hours from Tupelo and less than 2 hours from Memphis or Tunica.

 

The proceeds from this year's ride will go to Bike-Walk Mississippi, two local no-kill shelters that operate on tight budgets helping animals find homes -- Friends of Pete (dog rescue network) and 9 Lives Cat Rescue.