Conditions of Participation

The BaltiCCycle (BC) is not a commercial tour, all organizers are volunteers, and the membership fee collected goes only for covering organizational expenses. Joining the BC you become a part of the team, and we expect from you the goodwill, the right understanding of our principles and rules, as well as the offering assistance when organizers need it.

The BaltiCCycle 2014 tour “Canary Islands” is scheduled for advanced participants having experience in travels, especially in mountain regions. The majority of route will follow the surfaced roads though of very different quality. You should be ready for adventures, adverse weather conditions (especially hot temperature) and mountains routes. The ride is open for everybody but before signing you should think about your potential to complete it not bringing troubles to yourself and others. As in each island we will hire another minibus, all your items to the ferry from island to island you have to transport yourself.
BC participants gather for the ride from different countries and continents. We recommend bringing on your bike a national flag or other symbols that local people could see us as international friendly cycling community.

Note. The organizers reserve the right to alter these conditions (or even cancel the ride)  if  less than 15 participants register until December 1, 2013.  This is the date of expiring of discounts, too. We must know number of participants to book sleeping places in advance, and you also have to book your flights in advance. After registering you will be regularly informed by email about the registration progress.

Organizational principles. It is a similar trip to the previous BC tours:

• Usually the daily cycling distance is less than 80 km. Because of mountains and many historic sites aside the roads, we have days with shorter distances up to 60 km.
• The rest days are planned once a week, in places with interesting sites.
• We will sleep in tents in official camping sites (if available), in minihotels and rural villas, sometimes in wild nature, or in other suitable places. Not all sleeping places are arranged in advance; the BC support car will go ahead looking for them.
• The maps with a marked day’s route and description 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 symbols.
• The car of organizers will follow during the whole ride. In case of serious emergency you can call the driver asking to transport to the nearest first aid or service centre. In case of injury, sickness or other reason when participant is not able to continue cycling for more than 1-2 days the organizers can offer to transport his bike but can’t undertake any obligations to provide a passenger seat in the car.
• When planning the route we try to avoid the roads with high level of traffic but not everywhere it is possible.

Arrival / Departure. The cost of arrival / departure is not included in the membership fee; you have to arrange transport by yourself. If you are going to join or finish the ride in another place, you have to plan it yourself, too. We can pick you up for the additional fee (4 Euro per 10 km) in the radius of 50 km. You have to inform us about it at least 2 days in advance.
A lot of low-cost airlines fly to the Canary Islands, including Ryanair, Easyjet, Monarch, Flythomascook.com, Norwegian. The cheapest flights are from UK (for example from London-Gatwick to Lanzarote on Monday and Friday at 7 a.m. costs in September 2013 one way 75,90 Euro; to Fuerteventura similar price), Spain (from Barcelona for example Vueling flights), Dublin Aerlingus, Berlin AirBerlin. More expensive but direct are charter flights from your own countries.

It will be possible during the whole period to contact the ride organizers by mobile phone or email. Though the ride schedule is already fixed but the real dates can be slightly shifted (plus/minus 1-2 days) because of unexpected obstacles. Have it in your mind when planning your travel.

Visas. Citizens of EU can stay in Canary Islands up to 90 days in accordance to a valid Identify Card or passport.

Ferries. We will use such service between islands. The price of tickets is not included in the participation fee, and you have to pay for the tickets separately. For six ferries (including bicycle) we will need 222 Euro per person. We hope to receive a group discount.

Catering. It depends only on you. It is recommended to bring along a gas stove for preparing meal in the campsites and enough drinkable water during the day – it will be hot. If the tap of drinkable water is not available in the campsite, you will find water in our van.

Bicycle: to rent or to import it from your own? It’s more advisable to take your own bike. First of all, the own bicycle is more reliable and comfortable. Additionally, when transporting the bike by Ryanair, Wizzair and some other airlines there is no need to pay for a baggage, as the permitted wheel weight can be up to 30 kg. So the big items like tent, sleeping bag, etc. you can pack with the bike in the same box. You pay only for the bike (the price is similar to the baggage). The bike rental costs 8-9 Euro per day, and you have to return it at the same island, where it was rented.

Necessary equipment and documents:

• bicycle prepared for the travel (carriers with panniers or saddlebags, safe brakes, reflectors and lights); click here for the recommendations how to prepare the bike;
• cyclist first-aid kit (more medicines in the support car);
• bike spare parts and keys to service it (some bike repair equipment will be in the support car);
• valid passport or Identify Card;
• INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL INSURANCE is obligatory, no group insurance is provided;
• camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, gas stove, light, waterproof and sun protected clothes, etc);
• money for personal expenses (bicycle repair, food, museums, ferries and other expenses);
• mobile phone;
• according “General Traffic Rules of Spain” use of cycle helmets is mandatory on the interurban roads.

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 recommend carrying the necessary personal stuff in the panniers on your bike. The service of luggage transportation is limited to 20 kg. The luggage for transportation should be packed to a standard bag (you will receive the bag after arrival), and it is included in the registration fee. In case of emergency (car accident or some other unexpected circumstances) and during transportation to the ferry from island to island you should be ready to carry all your stuff on the bike. If you plan to transport any additional bag in the support bus you have to indicate when registering and pay in advance (2 Euro per day).
Neither organizers nor drivers are responsible for safety of your luggage. You should insure or protect your luggage against theft personally.

Membership fee – 17 Euro/day. You have to indicate the number of days you plan to travel in the table of the Registration Form, and your membership fee for the whole tour will be counted automatically. Full membership fee must be paid at least 7 days before your start day; otherwise it increases by 10%.
The membership fee will not be required from the local cyclists who help in organising the ride and will cycle less than 3 days. They have to cover only the sleeping costs. The organizers will appreciate if local participants will purchase a package with ride symbols (T-shirts, flag and sticker).

The membership fee includes:

• sleeping places for a tent under simple camp-conditions (outdoor toilet, drinking water, waste-baskets) in camp-sites at the ocean or in mountains; when camping in tent is not possible in minihotels, rural villas or other places;
• car following the group with personal stuff of participants (1 standard bag 20 kg), first-aid and basic bicycle repair instruments; possibility to call the car in case of serious emergency;
• black copy of maps with the marked route; list of recommended sights as well as a short description – daily consultation regarding the route, cultural program, catering;
• a package with ride symbols: T-shirts, flag and sticker;
• cozy surprises prepared by organizers.

Discounts:

• 10% – is available for pupils and students (not more than 26 years old), and families (3 and more people);
• 15% – for BC participants who cycled 100 days and more with us in BC history (2003-2013), if a participant reaches 100 days during the ride, the discount is calculated since that day;
• 100% – participants who fully prepare some part of the route (maps, descriptions, camps) will NOT have to pay membership fee for that part of the route they prepared and for the same number of days in the same ride or the next BC ride or they receive other gratification agreed with organizers;
• Privilege Discount – participants who obtain potential sponsors or support the expedition in another way;
• the discounts are applicable only if the Registration Form and at least the half part of membership fee is received before December 01, 2013; full membership fee must be paid at least 7 days before your start day, otherwise it increases by 10% and discount expires;
• discounts can’t be summed up.

Additional paid service (optional):

– booked by registration

• transportation of additional personal luggage (one standard bag up to 20 kg – 2 Euro per day);
• additional BC2014 T-shirt (10 Euro per unit).

– booked during the ride:

• bike spare parts (shop prices);
• possibility to use transport of organizers for arrival/departure to/from the ride in the radius of 50 km (4 Euro per 10 km).

Resignation rules. The date of resignation is fixed on when the resignation letter is received by organizers (before the ride by email bc2014@bicycle.pl, during the ride it should be delivered to the leaders of expedition and confirmed by them). The date is important, because resigning from the tour the participant receives his membership fee back 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 50% 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 10 and more days of cycling – 80% of unused money (for the first 10 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.

Organizers:

• The coordinator Rolandas Liutika – canariesbiketour@gmail.com;
• The GMPR Lithuanian Fund, bc2014@bicycle.lt, +37068659375;
• CROTOS – Travellers’ Association, bc2014@bicycle.pl, +48 663 266 553.

Additional information. Please contact the coordinator Rolandas Liutika by email – canariesbiketour@gmail.com.