FAQ

Yes, Climate Ride events are charitable, fundraising events that support more than 100 Beneficiary organizations. On these charity rides, hikes, and runs, all participants commit to raising a required fundraising minimum to participate in the event. You can read more about our policies regarding fundraising deadlines here.

Bike safety is our top priority. All participants must follow bicycle rules of the road and state laws. Wearing approved bicycle helmets (a proper safety helmet that is less than 3 years old) is mandatory at all times while cycling. Our support crew provides guidance, SAG (Support and Gear), and reinforces bike safety tips throughout the event for comprehensive bicycle safety. Please see our Safety Page for more information.

Registration fees for our events range from $100-$300 depending on the specific event and whether or not you register while early bird pricing is in effect.

Each participant who fulfills their fundraising requirement joins us on a fully supported, multi-day event. This includes:

• A Climate Ride bike jersey or hiking shirt.
• Nutritious and filling meals, as well as support stops to stock up on snacks and water throughout the day.
• Experienced cycling/hiking guides, support staff, and bike mechanics who provide on-route support and first aid, drive SAG vehicles, and offer on-trail navigation and natural history interpretation.
• A well-designed route with maps and daily turn-by-turn directions or hiking guides.
• Overnight accommodations each night — some camping, some indoors, some hotels. See event pages for more specific information.
• Daily luggage transport to the next camp. You don’t have to bike or hike with your gear!
• Nightly events and talks from engaging speakers.
• A Ride Guide including detailed logistical information.
• Access to online fundraising software, where you can create a custom fundraising page to manage your fundraising and donations.
• Fundraising and logistical support from our amazing Climate Ride staff!
• Access to the Climate Ride community — a national network of professionals and thought leaders in the sustainability, conservation, and active transportation sectors.

Climate Ride has an experienced, friendly, and professional team of support staff. We have plenty of well-placed rest stops with snacks and water each day, and on-route, we have vehicle support (‘SAG’ wagons), bicycle mechanics, and first aid as needed. You can also expect an unlimited supply of camaraderie and encouragement from the support staff and your fellow riders and hikers!

While every route varies, all of the routes traverse over roads that are open to the public — which is to say, there are no roads closures for these events. In order to minimize additional drivers on the roads, please do not invite your friends or family to drive the routes.

Absolutely not! This is a tour, not a race. Our events are great for all abilities from new to experienced, and there are route options each day to help you achieve your personal goals. You don’t need expensive or fancy gear to get out there and push yourself for the cause. That said, to have the most enjoyable experience, it is important to find time to train up and get in shape before your event. You can find tips and example training plans here.

Our bike rides and hikes often fill up quickly after being announced, so it’s recommended that you register* as soon as you’re ready to commit to guarantee your spot.

*Please note that registration fees are non-refundable, so if you sign up and decide to cancel later, the registration fee will not be refunded.

We recognize that travel involves a carbon footprint, and we work hard to minimize our environmental impact while maximizing the positive outcomes of our rides. Learn more about how we reconcile this here.

If you’re looking for a way to offset your travel check out our Tailwinds Fund.

We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to cover travel expenses that you personally pay for. On some trips, we may require that you purchase travel/medical insurance, so please be sure to read the event page closely. You can contact your insurer for a recommended company, or you can try Travelguard or World Nomads. Please keep in mind that travel insurance can only cover costs that you have a receipt showing you paid for — such as hotels, flights, etc. It cannot cover fundraised dollars.

Climate Ride may cancel or reroute an event due to the occurrence of any force majeure event or credible threat thereof, including but not limited to: any Act of God, fire, earthquake, acts of civil or military authority, casualty, flood, war, terrorist attack, epidemic, insurrection, civil unrest, strikes or other labor activities, or any other similar cause beyond the reasonable control of Climate Ride Inc., including environmental conditions that might threaten the health and safety of Event participants, volunteers, or staff. When you register, you understand and agree that your registration fees and other costs will not be refunded by Climate Ride Inc. if all or any portion of a Climate Ride Event is canceled or rerouted due to a force majeure event. You agree to release and hold Climate Ride Inc. harmless for any costs or damages incurred as result of cancellation or rerouting of a Climate Ride Event due to a force majeure event.

All participants must be at least 12 years old by the start date of the event. Any participant who is under 18 at the start date of the event must sign a minor release waiver and be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the event.

Please review the Cancellation and Transfer Policies here. We know the unforeseen can happen. If you are unable to attend the event you are registered for, please email us as soon as possible and we will cancel your registration.

You can purchase carbon offsets here:

The Gold Standard

Cool Effect

Check out Bicycle Angels and their road bicycle loaning program if you live within 100 miles of one of these cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Oklahoma City, or Omaha. Alternatively, you can reach out to your local bicycle coalitions to check out their programs for earning bikes, or look into renting one from your local bike shop.

YES! This is one of our participants’ biggest concerns before they sign up. We want you to know that it’s easier than you think, and we’re here to help you! We provide tools and individualized support to make sure your fundraising is successful. You’re here because you care about the cause and want to do something huge to support the organizations that are important to you. Your friends, colleagues, family, and community will want to support you! Please reach out to us if you want to chat about an individualized strategy. We also have fundraising tips on our website to get you started!

As a participant, it’s mandatory to reach the fundraising minimum in order to join the event. We’re here to support you in any way we can. If you’re worried about meeting the fundraising minimum, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team is here to help you with fundraising strategies that have been successful for past participants.

Climate Ride events are not just opportunities for participants to enjoy a unique and fulfilling experience, but also crucial fundraisers for underfunded organizations that are working towards preserving our planet. It’s important to remember that the fundraising aspect of the event is just as important as the event itself. Climate Ride sets fundraising and transfer deadlines to help us plan our logistics, to cover expenses incurred in anticipation of your participation in the event, and to ensure every participant is committed to reaching their goals.

If you haven’t met the minimum required by a specific deadline, we will:

• Notify you: You’ll receive an email alerting you that you’re short on fundraising.
• Offer you an extension: We can give you one additional week to reach the minimum. You may use pending donations, matching gifts, or a self-pledge to meet your goal.
• Switch your participant status: If you’re still short after one week, you’ll be moved to Virtual Participant status. This means you can continue fundraising, but your spot on the in-person event isn’t guaranteed. If you’re not able to bring your fundraising up to meet the subsequent deadlines, we may offer your spot to someone else.
• Registration transfer: If at any point you decide to officially cancel your participation in the event, you should notify your participant manager right away. If you cancel before the transfer deadline, you will be given the option to transfer your already-raised funds to another Climate Ride event in the same or following calendar year. If you cancel after the transfer deadline, you will not be able to transfer your funds to another event, as Climate Ride will have already incurred costs for your participation by that point.

Additionally, we want to remind you that you always have the option to self-pledge. Self-pledging allows you to contribute your own funds towards your fundraising minimum, especially if you’re nearing the final fundraising deadline. This gives you the flexibility and assurance that you’ll be able to participate in the event, even if you haven’t been able to reach the fundraising minimum through other means. If you self pledge, you can continue fundraise until November 1st of the year of the event and receive a refund for self-pledged funds in the amount that you raised above the minimum.

We believe that with our support, you’ll be able to successfully meet the fundraising minimum and be a part of our meaningful events. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns — we’re here to help!

Yes. Climate Ride events are produced by Climate Ride (Tax ID # 27-1777457), a nonprofit, public benefit corporation recognized as tax-exempt under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3). Donations to Climate Ride are deductible for income tax purposes to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. Please consult a tax professional with any questions regarding your unique situation.

When you sign up, you’ll receive access to our top-of-the-line fundraising software, DonorDrive. You’ll be given a personal fundraising page, which you can customize and then share with your friends and family. This is where they can make an online donation. When you log into the fundraising dashboard (through our website – click ‘Login’ at the top!), you will have options to send out emails, post to social media, and you can even track and thank your donors. If you are having trouble with the fundraising software, please email your participant manager.

Yes, yes, and yes! To donate through any of these means, please download the Donation by Mail form here and send it in with your check, payable to “Climate Ride.” You can find more info about donating through your DAFs here.

Please review our Cancellation and Transfer Policies. Participants must reach the event’s fundraising minimum in order for their fundraising to be disbursed to their Beneficiaries through the Climate Ride Grants Program.

Yes! Matching donations are often processed quarterly — and sometimes annually — by companies, so it may take some time before you see the match on your fundraising page. If you’re hoping to take advantage of your company’s matching program, be sure to get on it ASAP so you can get those funds before the fundraising deadline. Please let us know if you are expecting a match so we can keep an eye out for it.

We will attempt to reach you via email for any matching donations that come in after the fundraising for your event has closed. You’ll have three options:

1. Use those funds for your own participation on an upcoming event;
2. Designate those funds to a participant on an existing event;
3. Donate those funds to our Annual Fund to support our Community Leader Scholarship spots, grant acceleration, and other programs.

If we do not hear back from you before December 1st of the year we reach out, these funds will go into our Annual Fund to support our Community Leader Award Program and Environmental Justice Action Grants.

A Beneficiary must be approved by Climate Ride before you can fundraise for them. If you are interested in fundraising for an organization that is not currently a Climate Ride Beneficiary, but meets our Beneficiary criteria, please have them contact us and we can help them through the online application process. In order to keep our list of organizations relevant and manageable, we can only add one Beneficiary per participant per year.

Most Climate Ride events support our full collection of Beneficiaries, however, there are a few that support a single Beneficiary. The Glacier Ride is a singe-Beneficiary fundraising event for Glacier National Park Conservancy. Also, our international events are special Climate Ride Funders Trips. Proceeds from these events directly support Climate Ride’s Community Leader Award scholarships and our programs focused on education, building community, connecting generations, and funding sustainability work.

The Ride/Hike Guide for your trip will contain a complete suggested packing list to help you have a comfortable trip. This will be distributed to participants several weeks before the event. In general, for cycling events, you will need to bring a bicycle, helmet, and a small suitcase or duffel containing clothes, toiletries, and anything else necessary for several days on the road. Although we provide snacks, if you have a personal favorite, please feel free to bring some along!

Probably, but please email us to find out for sure! Depending on the size and style, these types of bicycles may not fit on our support vehicle’s bike racks. We cannot put special bikes inside of vans, cars, or vehicle trunks, because that space is reserved for support supplies and to support riders in need of transport. Our ability to support various bicycles depends on the event. Generally, you can bring a special bike if you are physically able to ride every mile of the route, in case we cannot transport your bike at the moment you might want a ride.

Regarding e-bikes, generally, it is not a problem to ride an e-bike as long as you have a way to charge your batteries at the end of each day. That said, some national parks have banned them, so please be sure to check in with your Participant Manager before deciding to bring your e-bike.

Please email us to discuss the possibility of bringing a special bike and we will do our best to support you!

Climate Ride arranges a stellar line-up of discussions and engaging speakers in camp in the evenings to enlighten and inspire us about innovative, sustainable technologies, climate science, and active transportation topics. You can kick back, hang out with your new friends, and delve into fascinating topics!

For our cycling events, we use the navigation app, Ride With GPS, so route finding is really easy on your phone or cycling computer. Routes will be sent via email a week or so ahead of the ride. For our hiking events, you will always have a guide nearby to lead the way.

Yes! When you register, we ask for your dietary preference and any restrictions or allergies you have. Whether you are vegan, gluten free, dairy free, or have other dietary restrictions, we will do our best do provide three square meals a day and plenty of snacks to keep you fueled up for long days of physical exertion.*

*Please note that Climate Ride will have less control over food options on international rides. If you’re concerned about your dietary restrictions for one of these rides, please reach out to us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

We provide the means to charge electronics on all of our events, but we strongly recommend bringing your own external battery pack for charging your phone or bike computer along the route, as well.

Note: many of our events are in areas with spotty cell coverage and limited Wi-Fi access. Be prepared for reduced connectivity!

Don’t let that stop you! Please reach out to your Participant Manager to learn about options for renting camping gear (if your trip is a camping trip).

For an affordable option, check out Bicycle Angels and their FREE road bicycle loaning program if you live within 100 miles of one of these cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Oklahoma City, or Omaha.

Alternatively, you can reach out to your local bicycle coalitions to check out their programs for earning bikes, or look into renting one from your local bike shop.

We will have a preferred bike shop partner or gear rental for each event where you can reserve a rental bike or ship your personal bike and have it assembled for you. More information regarding renting a bike or shipping your own bike will be made available after registering via our Ride Guides.

This finale raft trip is an amazing way to experience Glacier from the water. It is a 2-3 hour long trip on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River along the southwestern boundary of Glacier National Park. You’ll be going through John Stevens Canyon where the rapids are rated class II and III, which makes it a fun and splashy adventure (especially if you choose to sit in the front of the raft!). Following the simple commands of the river guide, you will actually become part of the crew that maneuvers your craft. Be sure to wear clothes you won’t mind getting wet. Wetsuits are available for no additional cost, but not really needed if weather is warm. If a participant would like to skip it, we can shuttle them to the endpoint.