GearUp4CF Bike Ride

GearUp4CF is a Metro Vancouver bike ride fundraiser for cystic fibrosis. The event includes cycling, food and an after-party in South Surrey.

GearUp4CF is one of a couple of fundraising events benefiting Cystic Fibrosis Canada. It takes place on the Father’s Day Weekend in June. The other event, the Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History, happens in May.

The GearUp4CF bike ride took place on Saturday, June 15th, 2024. This year, there were two different in-person rides. The first was 100 kilometres or so, whereas the other was a shorter 50-kilometre route. Both rides finished at Crescent Park near Crescent Beach in Surrey.

To donate, register or for full details about the event, visit gearup4cf.com.

The Gear Up For Cystic Fibrosis Bike Ride

GearUp4CF is a fundraising event in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Participants collect as many donations as possible before riding their bikes and enjoying other activities on the day of the event. The cycling ride isn’t a competitive race. Instead, it’s a fun way to support a great charitable organization on its mission to cure cystic fibrosis.

There are three ways to participate in GearUp4CF. Riders can either attend one of the in-person rides or cycle on their own route and time on the same day. The virtual option is ideal for anyone who can’t make it to the actual event. The in-person options, however, include a lot more than just cycling. There are pit stops with terrific views, along with refreshment stations and a full lunch celebration at the end.

In 2024 the 19th annual GearUp4CF took place on Saturday, June 15th. That was the day just before Father’s Day. The full route usually begins at Crescent Park, located at 2585-132 Street in Surrey. Meanwhile, the half ride starts at South Abbotsford Church at 32424 Huntingdon Road. The lunch after-party happens at Crescent Park.

Over the years, GearUp4CF has raised over $3 million for Cystic Fibrosis Canada!

Registration Details

Regular bikes and e-bikes are permitted at GearUp4CF, meaning you don’t necessarily have to be super fit to participate. However, all riders must be at least 16 years old.

Registration for GearUp4CF is open online. You can sign up as an individual or as a team, and there’s a virtual ride and in-person events. Everyone gets their own fundraising page, but the registration fees differ. In 2024, virtual participation cost $55 per person. Registration for the full route and half ride cost $85 each and included snacks, beverages and lunch.

For the full route, riders checked in at 8:00 am on Saturday, June 15th. The actual ride began at around 9:30 am. Cyclists in the half ride registered at 10:30 am and started riding at 11:00 am.

The main goal of the event is to raise money for cystic fibrosis research. All riders must raise a minimum of $1,000. Cystic fibrosis is fatal and hereditary. It affects the lungs and other organs until the body stops fighting. Funds raised for GearUp4CF help researchers and caretakers prolong the life of patients and, hopefully, eventually find a cure. As an extra incentive, riders who raised at least $100 before April 15th in 2024 had a chance to win a special prize.

Visit the GearUp4CF website to register and for full details about the event.

GearUp4CF Cycling Route

Participants in this year’s virtual ride can cycled anywhere and at any time on June 15th.

The longer in-person GearUp4CF route begins at Surrey’s Crescent Park. It goes all the way to Abbotsford before returning to the same park in Surrey. In total, riders cycle for about 99 kilometres. It’s a long but scenic route on mostly flat roads. Along the way, there are directional signs, viewpoints and refreshment stations for riders. There are also bike technicians scattered along the route to help with basic repairs.

New for this year’s cycle was a 50-kilometre half-ride. The starting point for this ride was at South Abbotsford Church. The cycle also finished at Crescent Beach.

Vancouver’s Best Places is proud to be a media sponsor of the GearUp4CF Bike Ride in 2024.

Video

For an idea of what to expect at the GearUp4CF Bike Ride, check out the video below. It features footage from 2023.

(Note: The music in this video is Easy Going Happiness by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.)

Tips & Suggestions

Listed below are some tips that are good to know before doing GearUp4CF.

TIP #1: Cycling helmets are mandatory for all riders. They must be buckled on at all times when cycling. Headphones and stereos are not permitted.

TIP #2: All riders are required to check in at each pit stop during the cycle. It’s a safety precaution, so even if you don’t need the break, be sure to stop.

TIP #3: Riders are welcome to bring backpacks and bags to GearUp4CF, provided that they’re no bigger than 21.5 x 9 x 15.5 inches. Before the cycling begins, bags can be checked in and held until the end of the event.

TIP #4: Another way to support the cause is to buy a GearUp4CF raffle ticket. See below for details.

WIN AIR CANADA RAFFLE TICKETS!

The GearUp4CF ride in 2024 was supported by Air Canada Foundation. The event had a raffle where you could win two Air Canada ticket vouchers worth up to $9,200. Money raised from the draw went towards helping support people affected by CF and for both research and advocacy through Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

The sale of tickets ended on July 30th, 2024. Tickets were one for $25, three for $50 or 10 for $100. For more details, and the draw itself, click GearUp4CF Air Canada Tickets Draw.