Rules - A Fierce Green Ride

Rules

This event is completely unsanctioned and features no prizes or fees. This is not a commercial event and is intended to be kept as a smaller gathering of enthusiast bikepackers. The goal is to ride the entirety of A Fierce Green Ride at your own speed under your own support. You are responsible for your own water, resupplies, and well-being. There are no SAG stations and preparation to be self-sufficient is expected. You are responsible for your own safety and bikepacking knowledge in the backcountry. In the event of an impassable section of the route due to a natural or human-caused disturbance, you are responsible for having your own navigation to detour safely, legally, and appropriately. Riders of all styles are encouraged to participate, including those intending to ride at a competitive fast and far pace, those touring at a noncompetitive party pace, or somewhere in-between. There are two categories of riders, either solo or duo.

The rules for AFGR are similar to those other similarly-styled bikepacking events. The guidelines below come with major thanks to Dana Ernst and Dylan Turner of Pinyons and Pines Bikepacking Race as well as Dexter Kopas and Henley Philips of the Sonoran Ultra Endurance Ride.

Following these rules is based on an honor system. Questions and sharing knowledge are encouraged! Feel free to share these and connect with other riders on the Facebook page for El Lobo Lupus. Event and route updates will be provided on here as well as on the official Instagram account for El Lobo Lupus.

  • Leave No Trace is a strong and basic expectation of all riders. More information on Leave No Trace Practices can be found on Bikepacking Roots. This includes:

    • Plan Ahead + Prepare

    • Travel + Camp on Durable Surfaces

    • Dispose of Waste Properly

    • Leave What You Find

    • Minimize Campfire Impacts

    • Respect Wildlife

    • Be Considerate of Other Visitors

  • Be Respectful of Others. This includes other users you encounter in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest as well as the communities/towns you pass through. Expect to share roads with ATVs, vehicles, hunters, equestrians, and other cyclists. Share the road by sticking to shoulders. Yield to hikers, equestrians, and uphill bikers on singletrack.

  • Be an ambassador for bikepacking and this event. Many of the towns you pass through are small, rural, and may not be familiar with bikepacking culture. Choose not to stealth sleep in public squares, buildings, or spaces without explicit permission. Carry out all trash. Be considerate in restaurants and stores. Expect different political views and always take the high road of civility in conversation. Answer questions from land-users and locals with care and consideration.

  • No dispersed camping in the four restricted camping zones. These are marked with POIs on the RWGPS map and include the Mount Baldy/Lee Valley Recreation Area, the Greer Recreation Area, the Black River Recreation Area, and Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area. Camping can only be in official established campgrounds in these areas. There are also official signs along the route indicating when you are entering/exiting these restricted zones.

  • Riders are encouraged to wear blaze orange for hunting season. September is big game season in the White Mountains for elk and deer. A lightweight vest like Orange Aglow will go far to keep you safe and build respect with hunters.

  • Wolves, bears, and mountain lions are common throughout this route. Be “Bear Aware” with your food and smellies by having a proven system for securely storing them at night. This is a requirement of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

  • Complete the entire route, under your own power. No e-bikes or assisted motors of any kind.

  • Follow the GPX track as best you can. Small deviations and side trips are fine. Intentionally skipping part of the route is not okay. If you must deviate substantially from the route for any reason (e.g., medical, mechanical) but wish to continue, then you must return to the point of the course where you deviated.

  • If you do need to leave the route for any reason, your travel off-route can be done under any transportation (car, ATV, etc), but you must return to where you left off and continue on under your own human cycling power. These transportation services must be commercially/freely available to all or may be from an uninvolved bystander (ie. “trail magic”); they may not be by planned support crews, family, or friends of any kind.

  • If you are racing in the solo category, you should carry your own gear, food, water, etc.

  • If you are racing in the duo category, you and your partner may share resources. You and your partner should stay together for the duration of the ride.

  • You may ride with other people, but drafting is not allowed, unless you are in the duo category and it is your partner.

  • Unplanned support from other riders is allowed. Courtesy and camaraderie in addition to competition make these events fun!

  • Support crews and pacers are not allowed.

  • Visitation by spectators (friends, family) is okay provided the visit is short and no support is provided.

  • Individual caches (food, water, etc) are not allowed.

  • Use of common and public services are allowed. Gas stations, restaurants, hotels, campgrounds, and any other commercial services along the route are fair game as long as they are not pre-arranged.

  • Accepting trail magic is allowed. If an uninvolved bystander offers you something, you are welcome to accept. Trail magic also includes non-racers setting up beside a portion of the route with the intention of handing out food/drink/supplies. However, this type of trail magic is only acceptable if supplies are available and plentiful to all racers, not just the few who get there first or particular individuals. Trail magic should never be expected by a rider and only accepted in exchange for gratitude.

  • Follow all traffic laws. You must use lights when riding at night on any public roads.

  • Leave “cowboy gates” as you found them. Unless you can actually see another rider coming behind you, always close a gate you open.

  • Track your entire ride with a real-time app like Strava, Ride with GPS, or something similar. In the event of possible misconduct, these tracks will serve as documentation and verification.

  • Refer to the El Lobo Lupus route guide for possible parking options. Legal, safe, and appropriate parking is up to you.

  • These rules apply to every rider.

AFGR will utilize Trackleaders, providing a live map, elevation profile and other stats that can be used to follow along. Carrying a personal tracker (e.g., SPOT, Garmin InReach) and being tracked by Trackleaders is not mandatory but encouraged.