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MS 150 Weekend

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Preparation

Transportation From Austin to Houston on Sunday, April 18th

  • Returning back to Houston Sunday, April 18 is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Team Shell does not provide transportation.

  • If you don't have your own transportation from Austin, the MS Society offers an excellent bus service for you and your bike to the three major starting locations: Houston Omni Hotel, Katy Rhodes Stadium, and Waller Stadium. Bikes will be transported separately to the Omni or Rhodes and on the bus to Waller. Buy your bus ticket online.

Packet Pick-Up

•You should have picked up your MS 150 Ride Packet at the Team Shell or one of the MS distribution locations - CLICK HERE for locations.  Last chance for packet pickup is at the MS 150 Expo, Omni Houston Westside Hotel - Fri., April 16, 2 - 9 pm.

What to pack – better to overpack than forget the essentials!

  • •Change of clothes, tennis shoes, shower sandals
            - Fair Weather: Shorts, T-shirts
            - Cold/Wet Weather: Long pants/sweats, sleeves, jacket, socks, rain gear

  • Bike clothes for Day 2 – Extra set of shorts/jersey, or wash clothes from Day 1 in shower

  • •Hat & Sunscreen

  • •Toiletries for shower

  • •Bedding:
        -     Team Shell does NOT provide sleeping gear for LaGrange: you need to bring your own.
        - We strongly recommend you pack an air mattress or folding cot. A thin camping mat may not be
          comfortable as some of the camp area is rocky.
        - Pillow, sheets, sleeping bag and/or blankets - make sure you have enough covers, it normally gets cool
          and damp at night.
        - Ear plugs for sleeping on Saturday night

  • •Appropriate cycling gear for Day 2 (check the weather forecast before packing), spare tubes, CO2, preferred energy bars/gels, etc

  • ••Plastic bag to put over your seat to avoid a wet saddle Sunday morning

Get your Bike Inspected

  • Free bicycle safety inspections are now available from February 15 through April 9 at all BP MS 150 Official Bike Stores.  Starting April 10, inspections will cost $15 each.  Bikes that pass get a safety inspection sticker, which entitles riders to free labor for repairs during the MS 150 ride.

The Week Leading to the Ride

 A Few Useful Tips

  • Taper down your training.

  • Continue to hydrate with water and electrolyte drinks

  • Start organizing your gear for the MS150 weekend (see Packing List above).

  • Treat yourself to a carb-loaded dinner on Thursday night.

Friday April 16th

Team Shell baggage collection

  • •Riders are allowed 2 bags each for gear - max 40 lb per bag.

  • Label your bags with the MS150 luggage tags provided in your Rider Packet

  • Drop off your bags at Shell Woodcreek, 200 N. Dairy Ashford Rd, in the visitor parking lot between 9am and 5pm. •

  • The truck leaves for LaGrange at 6:00pm• on Friday, so no luggage will be accepted on Saturday morning

Note: The only luggage option you will have on Saturday morning is the MS Society's truck located near the Omni Hotel Westside, approximately a half mile form our Woodcreek facility. If you choose to use the MS Society's luggage truck, your bags will NOT be delivered to the Shell tent.  You will be responsible for collecting them from the MS Society's public distribution area in LaGrange. However, bags loaded on the Shell truck on Friday will be available for pick-up in the Shell tent in LaGrange.•

•

Friday Night

  • Continue to hydrate

  • Eat a normal meal. 

  • Organize your cycling gear for the next day.  

  • Put your emergency contact information in indelible ink on the back of your bib number. 

  • Pin your bib number to the back of your jersey 

  • Attach your rider number on your helmet and bike.

  • Put on the Green Wristband provided in the Rider Packet

  • Get a good night's rest.

To access ALL  MS150 route and event maps - CLICK HERE
The timeline below contains links to referenced individual maps.

Saturday April 17th

Team Shell start at Woodcreek office: I-10 & Dairy Ashford

  • The Shell Woodcreek Facility will be the meeting place for our team start. We are located at 200 N. Dairy Ashford. We will not have Team Shell starts at Rhodes or Waller.

  • If you didn't drop off your baggage on Friday at Woodcreek, take it to the MS Society pickup - before 6am at the Omni, after 6am at location on I-10 frontage road (see map for locations).

  • Arrive at Woodcreek by 5:30am.

  • Vehicles are secure in Shell lot over the weekend.

  • Check in with Team Shell and ensure emergency contact numbers are correct.

  • Jersey pick-up will be available at 5:30am - 6:00am.

  • Prepare bike gear, have a drink, snack, restroom break, etc.

  • Announcements will start at 6:00am.

  • Team Photo at 6:10am.

  • Leave Woodcreek at approximately 6:20am as we head as a team to our priority staging area on Dairy Ashford at the intersection with Eldridge (See start map).

The Ride – Day 1

  • •Rest stops  with food, hydration, port-a-potties, etc. every 8 – 15 miles.

  • •Lunch in Bellville provided by the MS Society, approximately 50 miles from Woodcreek. Get your food/drink and head for the Tent Shell tent, located in the field to the left after you enter the park from FM 529.

  • •Total mileage for Day 1 is approximately 100 miles from Woodcreek to LaGrange

  • First Day Route Map

Team Shell tent in LaGrange – Arrival, Massage & Showers

  • Team Shell tent (#s 117 and 118) - location has changed from last year - about two blocks beyond the finish line on the left (see map - Section 1).

  • Please check-in on arrival even if you don’t plan to stay for dinner or overnight. This would help us determine how many of our riders are still the road.

  • Family and friends are welcome to wait for you in the team tent and join us for dinner.

  • Bikes can be left at the Bike Compound, or on ropes outside the team tent.

  • Snacks, beverages, cold towels, etc. will be available.

  • Collect your bags and claim a sleeping spot.

  • Head for the showers - campsite shower trucks or via bus to school gym.

  • Messages will be available in the team tent for $15 per 15mins.

  • Private team port-a-potties and wash sinks by the tent.

  • See map of LaGrange Fairgrounds for location of facilities and events.

  • CHICK HERE for programs, events, bus shuttles, etc. at the  LaGrange fairgrounds.

Dinner and Overnight in LaGrange

  • •Catered dinner is provided by Shell in the team tent at approximately 5:00pm.

  • •Team orientation regarding Day 2 in the tent immediately after dinner.

  • •Get out and enjoy the LaGrange experience - Fairgrounds Map.

  • Lights out at Team Shell tent at 9 PM, but campground activities continue until...

Sunday April 18th

Wake-Up & Breakfast in LaGrange

  • Lights on in the tent at 5am.

  • Team breakfast in the tent at 5:15am - tacos, donuts, milk, juice, coffee, etc.

  • Pancake breakfast by the MS Society for all riders - see Fairgrounds Map for location.

  • Get your cycling gear ready, take down your sleeping kit, and pack your bags.

  • Have bags loaded on team truck next to the tent by 6:00am.

The Ride - Day 2

  • Route opens at about 7:00am with staggered starts for groups of approx. 200 riders at a time.

  • Rest stops with food, hydration, port-a-potties, etc. every 8 – 15 miles.

  • Two separate starts - one for Express route, the other for the longer Challenge route.

  • Pay attention to announcements, volunteers and the ride marshals giving directions.

  • The longer route includes option to ride through the highly acclaimed Bastrop Park.

  • Lunch in Bastrop, approximately 45 miles from LaGrange on long route and 33 miles on Express route.

  • After lunch all riders have approximately 33 miles to go to the finish line in Austin.

  • Second Day Route Map

Day 2 Finish

  • Finish line in downtown Austin near the Texas State Capitol (See map for details).

  • Be extra careful cycling into Austin – most accidents happen here.

  • Team Shell tent (#16) is located in the Red Lot.

  • Check-in at Team Shell tent – volunteers will be working until ALL our riders are in.

  • Shower trucks are about two blocks away from the Shell tent..

  • Massage will be available at the tent for $15 per 15 mins.

  • Snacks and beverages will be available at the Shell tent.

  • The MS Society/Hooters provides a free meal to riders with wrist bands ($5 to family and friends).

  • The MS Society provides ride completion certificates on 18th street south of the Green Lot.

  • See Austin Finish Line Site Map for locations of showers, bus, parking, events, facilities, etc

  • CHICK HERE for events and bus information in Austin.

Getting back to Houston after the ride

If you don't have your own transportation from Austin, the MS Society offers an excellent bus service for you and your bike to the three major starting locations: Houston Omni, Katy Rhodes Stadium and Waller Stadium.

If you left your car in the Shell parking lot at Woodcreek, pick the Omni as your Houston destination.  For your safety, we will have a courtesy Team Shell shuttle running all afternoon and early evening between the Omni and Woodcreek.  Please do not ride your bike back to Woodcreek.  Take the shuttle to Woodcreek first, get your car and then go back to the Omni for your bike and luggage.

Note: The LAST BUS leaves Downtown Austin at 6 p.m.

Tip: If you’re taking the bus, we recommend you get your bike on the bike truck, just past the finish line, as soon as you arrive in Austin.  This way your bike will be waiting for you in Houston, rather than the other way around.

Austin to Houston's Omni Hotel:
Passenger & Bike Buses - $35 Prepaid Fee Required.
Departures begin around noon Sunday.
Continuous passenger buses depart from the Austin Finish Line to the Omni.
BIKES are delivered by truck to the Omni as they fill up, so load your bike early and enjoy the festivities in Austin for awhile  before boarding the bus or you will likely have to wait a while at the Omni for your bike.

Austin to Katy's Rhodes Stadium:
Passenger & Bike Buses - $35 Prepaid Fee Required.
Departures begin around noon Sunday.
Continuous passenger buses depart from the Austin Finish Line to Katy's Rhodes Stadium.
BIKES are delivered by truck to Rhodes as they fill up, so load your bike early and enjoy the festivities in Austin for awhile  before boarding the bus or you will likely have to wait a while at Rhodes for your bike.

Austin to Waller:
Passenger Buses - $35 Prepaid Fee Required.
Departures begin around noon Sunday.
Continuous passenger and bike buses depart from the Austin Finish Line to Waller Stadium.
BIKES arrive at Waller Stadium.

 Buy your bus ticket online.

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