Conditions of Participation
BaltiCCycle (BC) is not a commercial tour, all organizers are volunteers, and the registration fee collected goes only for covering organizational expenses. Every year the route is different therefore it is impossible to work out all details in advance. Research and checking roads of such long transcontinental route is hardly possible because of time and economical reasons. Joining the BC you become a part of the team, and we expect from you a good will and a right understanding of our principles and rules. Your assistance in organizing daily program and solving all difficulties is highly appreciated.
Note. The ride will happen if more than 10 participants will register for the whole tour. The deadline of registration is December 1, 2011. If we not collect enough participants the current ride conditions can be changed or ride cancelled. In that case you will receive all paid membership fee back. After registering you will be informed by email about the registration progress regularly.
The BC 2012 “From Beijing to London” is scheduled for participants having experience in long-distance travel. To cycle the whole route is a big challenge. You should be prepared for adventures, extreme weather conditions and unexpected obstacles on the road. The ride is open for everybody but before signing you should think about your mental and physical capability to complete it.
BaltiCCycle participants gather for the ride from different countries and continents. We recommend bringing on your bike a national flag or other symbol that local people could see us as international friendly cycling community.
Organizational rules. Though the route is going in other parts of the world we try to keep our organizational principles similar to the previous BC tours.
- Usually the daily cycling distance does not exceed 90 km, only in exceptional cases it will overrun 100 km.
- The rest days are planned once a week or more often (even day by day), if there are famous sights on the route.
- The route is going through countries where wild camping is hardly possible . The weather conditions could not allow to sleep in a tent, too. Therefore more often we will sleep in hostels and official campsites. Not all sleeping places are arranged in advance, and starting in the morning you do not always know where you will sleep at night. A driver of our supported car will help us to find sleeping places.
- The maps with a marked day’s route will be distributed during a map-meeting every morning as well as the day’s program explained.
- From sleeping to sleeping place you can travel individually or in small groups.
- When according the program some common event is planned we will cycle in one group wearing T-shirts and other ride symbol.
- We will rent a support car in every country but you should be ready to carry all your stuff on the bike for short distances.
- When planning the route we try to avoid roads with high level of traffic but not everywhere it is possible. You should be very careful cycling on busy roads. The longer part of the route will go on paved asphalt roads.
Arrival/Departure. You can join and finish the ride at any point of the route. Cost of the arrival/departure is not included in the participation fee. You have to plan yourself how to join or leave the group. We can pick you up for the additional fee in the radius of 50 km. It will be possible during the whole period to contact the ride organizers by mobile phone or email. Leaving from the intermediate points of the route should be not a problem: the public transport connecting villages with big cities is available almost everywhere on the route. Though the ride schedule is fixed but the real dates can be slightly shifted (plus/minus 1-2 days) because of bad weather conditions or other unexpected obstacles. Have it in your mind when planning arrival. Click here to find the rough recommendations where it is more convenient to start or finish the ride.
Visas. It is recommended to obtain all necessary visas individually. If you need assistance we can issue a recommendation letter after your registration.
Ferries/flights. We will use ferry service going from China to South Korea, then to Japan, and from Ireland to UK, also some inner land ferries. We have to fly from Japan to USA and from USA to Ireland. The prices of tickets are not included in the participation fee, and you have to pay for the tickets separately. The dates are known and you can look for flight tickets individually, some recommendations you can find in Arrival section. We will book ferry tickets for a whole group:
- Dandong (China) – Incheon (South Korea): 115 000 Won = 107 $,
- Busan (South Korea) – Shimonoseki (Japan): 9 000 Yen = 117 $,
- boat to the Miyajima Island (Japan): 270 Yen = 3 $ with bike one way,
- Tokushima – Wakayama: 2 000 Yen, bike – 600 Yen (2 h) = 34 $,
- Toba – through the Ise Bay – Irago (Japan): 2 500 Yen = 32 $,
- Dublin Port (Ireland) – Holyhead (Great Britain): 36 € + 10 € for bike.
Catering. It is highly recommended to bring along a gas stove for preparing meal in the campsites. There will be wild parts of the route without restaurants and supermarkets. Entering unpopulated areas it will be a possibility to carry some reserve of products as well as drinkable water in our van.
Vaccination. Special vaccinations are not required, but better to vaccinate against Hepatitis A and ticks. Additionally in China against Hepatitis B virus, Typhoid fever, Tetanus and Diphtheria.
Necessary equipment and documents:
- bicycle prepared for long travel (carriers with panniers or saddlebags, safe brakes, reflectors and light); click here for the recommendations how to prepare the bike;
- good bike wear for different weather conditions;
- cyclist first-aid kit (more part and tools in a support car);
- first-aid kit (more medicines in a support car)
- valid passport (at least 1 year ahead);
- INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL INSURANCE is obligatory, no group insurance is provided;
- camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, gas stove etc);
- money for personal expenses i.e. bicycle repair, food, museums, ferries and other expenses);
- mobile phone.
Children until 18. Children can take part in the ride only together with parents (one or both) or another adult who is authorized by notary to take care and is fully responsible for the juvenile.
Luggage transport. We strongly recommend to carry all necessary personal stuff in the panniers of your bike. The service of luggage transportation is limited to 25 kg in one standard bag 50 cm x 90 cm (you will receive a bag after arrival), and it is included in the registration fee. We will not have the same support car during the whole ride, and in every country we have to rent the new one. Therefore you should be ready to carry all your stuff a few days on the bike while all car formalities be arranged or in case of emergency (car accident or some other unexpected circumstances). If you plan to transport any additional bag in the support car you have to indicate when registering and pay in advance (2 € per diem).
Neither organisers nor drivers are responsible for safety of your luggage. You should insure your luggage against theft personally.
Membership fee. For BC2012 we had to fix membership fee higher than usual because the route is going through countries where wild camping is hardly possible. The average participation fee for the whole ride is 16 € per diem but it differs depending on the number of your participation days. To promote long-term travels and support those who are going for long distance the participation fee for the first 30 days of travel is fixed to 20 € per diem, for 31-60 days 18 € per diem, and for the days from 61 to the end of travel 15 € per diem. Because of very high accommodation prices the travel days in Japan are additionally charged by 10 € per diem. If a half of the participation fee is not paid until deadline (3 months before your start), the registration fee increases by 15% automatically. The second half of participation fee must be paid before your start date, otherwise it increases by 15% as well.
You have to indicate the number of days you plan to travel in the table of the Registration Form, and your registration fee for the whole tour will be counted automatically. To organize the whole event with fewer troubles we ask everybody who has intention to take part in the tour to fill the registration form as soon as possible.
The registration fee will not be required from the local cyclists who are invited to support the ride and will cycle only 1-3 days. The local participants will be asked to pay only for the sleeping places. The organizers will appreciate if local participants will purchase a package with ride symbols (T-shirts, flag and sticker, all for 15 €).
You have to indicate the number of days you plan to travel in the table of the Registration Form, and your registration fee for the whole tour will be counted automatically. To organize the whole event with fewer troubles we ask everybody who has intention to take part in the tour to fill the registration form as soon as possible.
The registration fee includes:
- sleeping places for a tent under simple conditions (outdoor toilet, drinking water, waste-baskets) in camp-site or in fully equipped official camping or hostel when outdoor camping is not available;
- car following the group with first-aid kit and basic bicycle repair instruments and tools; possibility to call the car in case of emergency;
- transportation of 1 standard 25 kg bag 50 cm x 90 cm;
- black & white copies of maps with the marked route; list of recommended sights as well as a short description;
- T-shirts (for more than 20-day participation), flag and sticker with BC 2012 ride symbols;
- daily consultation regarding the route, cultural program, catering;
- cosy surprises prepared by organizers or local authorities.
Discounts. For the first 60 days 10% discount is available for students (until 26 years old) and BC veterans who cycled more than 100 days in the previous BC tours. Discounts don’t accumulate. After 60 days of cycling the participation fee reduces significantly, and after that no discounts are applicable. If a cyclist reaches 100 days during the first 60 days of the ride, the discount is counted the first 60 days of.
The discounts are applicable only if the registration form and at least the half of participation fee is received not later than 3 months in advance before your start date.
Participants who obtain potential sponsors or support organizers before or during expedition in another way will receive a privilege discount negotiated personally.
Additional paid service (optional):
-booked by registration:
- transportation of one additional personal luggage up to 20 kg (2 € per diem),
- T-shirt with the logo of the ride – additional or for participants cycling 20 or less days – 10 €,
- safety jacket with BC logo – 3 €;
-booked during the ride:
- bicycle spare parts (bike shop price),
- possibility to use transport of organizers for arrival/departure to/from the ride in the radius of 50 km (3 Euro/10 km).
Resignation rules. The date of resignation is fixed up when the resignation letter is received by organizers (before the ride by email bc2012@bicycl.lt or bc2012@bicycle.pl, during the ride it should be delivered to the leaders of expedition and confirmed by them). The date is important, because it determines the amount of refund. The membership fee for the travel days exceeding 60 days after resignation date are fully returned, and for the first 60 days are returned in the following manner:
- up to 30 days before the start: – 100 %;
- 10-30 days before the start: – 70 %;
- less than 10 days before the start – no money repaid, however 70% are deposited in participant’s account for the next year BC tour; if not used next year – they are lost in behalf of BC organisation;
- after 20 and more days of cycling – 80% of unused money (for the first 20 days no refund);
- money are paid back under mentioned above circumstances within 30 days after the end of the tour;
- money is not paid back for the excluded from the tour participants;
- if you decide to change the sleeping place provided by organizers to another, you will yourself cover a cost for it, the organizers don’t give money back if you don’t sleep with a group;
- if due to some reasons the participant separates from the group for one or more days (nights) no refund for this lost time is applicable.
Organisers:
- GMPR Lithuanian Fund;
- CROTOS – Travellers’ Association.
Patronages. The Polish Olympic Committee, magazines “National Geographic / Traveler”.
Additional information. For additional information please contact organizers by emails bc2012@bicycle.lt, bc2012@bicycle.pl or mobile phones +37-253-386-905, +48-663-266-553.