You will see the word disqualified or disqualification a few times in the following rules.  For this race it just means you will not be eligible to place for prizes and we will not list a finishing time for you.  We cannot tell you to get off your bike or forbid you to ride on the same roads as us. If we didn’t want people to ride bikes, we would not have created this event. 

RULE #1 (this is the one all the other rules support)

Participants must conduct themselves at all times in a manner that will not bring discredit to themselves, or to the event. Participants must not create a situation where a fellow racer, a volunteer or the public face additional danger.  Please be outstanding ambassadors for the growing sport of gravel racing. Your actions can kill events like this and impact the gravel riding community at large.  AKA don’t be an ass!

Equipment

1. Participants must start and complete the entire course on the same bicycle frame. All other components and equipment may be repaired or replaced during the event.
2. Categories:
   1. Participants in the Single Speed class shall have only one gearing combination installed on their bike, and must complete the entire event using the same gearing combination.
   2. Participants in the fat bike categories shall have tires with a width of 3.8 inches or more.
   3. Participants in the skinny tire categories shall have tires with a width of 28 mm or less.
   4. Teams shall have one member in each category (Open, Women’s, Single Speed/Fixed Gear, Fat Tire, Skinny Tire) in order to be eligible for scoring. Teams shall be scored by the top finisher in each category at either distance using cross country scoring (1 point for 1st place, 2 for 2nd, etc. – lowest total score wins). In the event of a tie, the team with more scoring members in the 100 mile race will be declared the winner.
3. Bicycles must be equipped with two (front and rear) fully-functional hand operated brakes. Coaster style brakes do not satisfy this requirement. “Fixed-Gear” bikes are exempt from this requirement.
4. While operating their bicycle, participants must wear a securely fastened helmet that meets the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standard for bicycle helmet.
5. All participants HIGHLY encouraged to have at least one clear front headlight and one red taillight for the duration of the event. All participants should have something reflective on their body, in case they are off the bike (e.g. vest, arm, leg bands). When in doubt, more is better.
6. For the purpose of this event, “bicycle” is defined as “a vehicle consisting of a frame mounted on two wheels one behind the other, and having a seat, handlebars for steering, two hand-operated brakes, and propelled solely by the operator via two pedals connected to the rear wheel by a chain or belt.” No e-bikes or electric assist.

Responsibility

1. The individuals involved with this event are not responsible for your safety or well-being. This includes, but is not limited to: event sponsors, organizers, promoters, and volunteers.
2. Iowa City Gravel is a non-stop, self-supported, bicycle event along the gravel and dirt roads of rural Iowa.
3. Each participant is considered to be on a private excursion and remains solely responsible for any accidents in which he or she may be involved. No responsibility can be accepted for participants becoming lost, stranded, injured, or worse.
4. Participants must obey all laws (city, county, state, and federal) and respect the “Rules of the Road” (http://iowabicyclecoalition.org/bikelaws/). Participants must conduct themselves at all times in a manner that will not bring discredit to the event.
5. You are completely on your own. Use your head. Watch for and yield to traffic. All roads are open to the public. There will be no course marshals controlling intersections. Yield to all emergency vehicles. Give farm traffic the right of way.

Route and checkpoints

1. Participants will be responsible for downloading course maps, cue sheets, and/or GPX files prior to race day. These documents will be the rider’s primary means of navigation. Street signs may be missing or illegible. While there may be some additional markings to reassure participants that they are on route, these are not guaranteed. Do not rely on course markings for navigation.
2. There will be several checkpoints along the route where all participants must check in. Failure to check in will result in disqualification.
3. Cut-off times will be established for reaching and for departing each checkpoint. Any participant not reaching a checkpoint before the established cut-off time will be disqualified at that point. Cut-off times are generous and are established for the purpose of rider safety. Therefore, these times will be strictly enforced.
4. The primary route must be followed at all times. No short cuts or alternate routes are permitted. The course may be altered by the promoters in the event of inclement weather, or other unforeseeable circumstances. Should this occur, participants will be sufficiently advised.
5. Riders must remain within the primary boundaries of the roadway at all times.  If the roadway is bordered by fences, stay between them.  If the roadway is in open range (no fences), stay out of the ditch and on the road.  Leaving the roadway is cutting the course. 
6. Riders that exit the course for food, supplies, or any other reason, must re-enter the course at the same spot. Riders that become lost must backtrack to their point of departure from the course.
7. Participants may not advance along the route by any means other than bicycle, or by foot.

support

1. Participants should carry enough food, water, and equipment to get from checkpoint to checkpoint without outside support. Shopping at convenience stores, visiting friendly farmers, and receiving help from fellow participants is allowed and encouraged.  Littering on course will be grounds for immediate disqualification.
2. Personal outside support is defined as friends, family, or other individuals tasked with providing assistance to a particular racer or team on race day. Personal outside support is not allowed on course. This includes providing fuel or mechanical assistance and help with navigation via phone. Racers may receive personal outside support at the designated race checkpoints.
3. Drop bags are not permitted on course. 
4. Drafting on another event participant is allowed. Drafting on a nonparticipant cyclist, or on a motorized vehicle will result in disqualification.
5. Have a plan for whom to contact in case of an emergency or race abandonment. Note that cell service may be limited.
6. Participants may, in the case of an emergency, mechanical failure, or other problem, be assisted by motorized transport, including Uber. Riders must resume the race from the same point they were picked up from.

withdrawing from the race

1. If a participant needs to withdraw from the race, notify the Safety Director via the phone number printed on the race number.

results

1. Challenges to event results must come from a registered participant, must be made either in-person, or via email to [email protected], and must be received no later than 11:59 pm on the Monday following the race.

Whew! Glad that is all over, but we have to have some rules. We are not heathens after all (maybe Todd is, but you will have to decide that after meeting him).  Now back to riding bikes on the greatest gravel in the world!