Update: June 17, 2010 — The days of waiting until the last minute to sign up for Cascade Bicycle Club events — such as the 2010 Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic — are over.
STP sold out in April, 3 months before the July 17-18 200-mile bike ride. The club caps registrations at 10,000.
The Cascade blog reports it will reopen a brief late registration beginning at 9 a.m. June 22. Because of the interest in riding and the number of registrations available, Cascade expects the late registrations will sell out within minutes.
Repeat, minutes.
Here are the instructions offered by Cascade for the best opportunity to acquire one of these last-chance registrations:
- “A Kotis account is required before you can register for an event. Create a Kotis account in advance to save time. Make sure you have your password handy on June 22.
- “On June 22, login before 9 a.m. and navigate to the STP registration page. For the non-tech savvy, the screen will not refresh automatically at 9:00. Refresh your screen manually by pushing the F5 button (or control-r.)
- “All fields with a red star (*) are required when registering for an event. Failure to complete all the required fields will prevent you from completing your transition. This snared a few people in the past who forgot to initial the waiver or the safety pledge. Don’t miss the starred items in your haste.
- “Have your VISA or Mastercard ready.
- “Here’s the biggie: your registration is not purchased until you have completed the checkout process and your credit card is charged. Once you click “Place order” Confirmation emails generally arrive quickly, depending on your email service provider.”
There might be another way to get into the STP — by volunteering. Cascade says that it's offering STP registrations to members who volunteer 24.5 hours. Check “Volunteer your way into STP” at the blog.
An earlier auction of 10 STP registrations on eBay has expired.
By the way, Cascade warns us not to become confused when entering Portland as the 2010 is taking a different route by crossing the St. John's Bridge as the Broadway Bridge will be undergoing construction. More details at “New route through Portland this year.”
Popularity grows
With interest in recreational bicycling growing around here all the time and a record-breaking Chilly Hilly in February, it's no surprise the STP filled up so quickly.
It's not just STP that fills up early now. Ride Around Washington (RAW) and Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party (RSVP) sold out within days of registration opening in January.
If you're one of the 10,000 who registered early and you change your mind, Cascade is instituting a return policy. Just be warned: This is not a full-refund policy and no refunds will be given for any reason within 29 days of the event. See the website for details.
Although the STP ride is not a fund-raiser, per se, you can turn your personal ride into a charity event. Check out the Pedal Power program at Cascade. You can choose from a list of charities offered, and you'll receive a fund-raising packet for tracking pledges.
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