Presented by Sierra Nevada and Chico Velo Cycling

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Registration opens in October 2013. Check back here for updates.

Route update: Adding Coutelenc Road and Sterling City to the traditional Wildfllower route, the Wildcat 125 will be back by popular demand! Not quite ready for 125 miles, but want a little more challenge than the Wildflower 100? Try the Wildcat 100 with 100 hilly miles! New improved route for the Flatflower 30!

Volunteers: We LOVE our volunteers! We need volunteers for the week surrounding the Wildflower so you can volunteer AND ride. In addition to contributing to the success of the Wildflower, we'll feed you and shower you with appreciation, you'll get our stylish Volunteer t-shirt, and an invitation to our post-ride Volunteer Appreciation Party (date and location TBA)!!! Hard to top that! Download our Volunteer Application form here. or some come to the commercial building at the Fairgrounds on the day of the rides.

The Chico Wildflower Century is regularly listed in BICYCLING magazine as a TOP TEN CENTURY. It was first offered as an organized event in 1981. While the rain poured down for most of the day, about 60 riders slogged through to the finish. Today the Wildflower has something for everyone. As it has been from the beginning, our highest priority is to provide riders with the ultimate century experience. The Wildcat 125, started in celebration of Chico State's 125 year anniversary in 2012, will put any rider to the test. Or there's the new Wildcat 100, with all the climbing but skipping the 'orchard flats'. The traditional Wildflower 100, which climbs 'only' Humbolt, Honey Run and Table Mountain, and 65 which climbs only Honey Run offer plenty of challenge, and the Flatflowers (30 or 60 miles) and Childflower 12 boast absolutely no hills at all.

Route maps and elevations:
Note: all the  above route maps are courtesy of www.ridewithgps.com, and are preliminary and unofficial - do not rely on these maps for ride-day, use your official route-sheet/bandana!
The Wildflower has grown steadily over the years to 4,000 participants. About 3,000 riders take to the hills (Wildcat 125 or 100, and Wildflower 100 or 65), about 900 ride the Flatflowers (60 or 30) and over 100 young cyclists ride the Childflower 12 on the bike path to Durham and complete the Bike Skills Rodeo. All the rides aim satisfy the century rider's three biggest priorities – challenge, scenery and food. Our routes are designed to offer 'just enough' challenge to any level of cyclist on our best rural roads lush with springtime beauty. Your rest stops are loaded with plenty of fresh baked goodies (like streusel-date bars, banana-walnut bread, raspberry granola bars and raisin-nut energy bars), fresh fruits, salty snacks, energy bars and drinks, and each ride offers a lunch spread that accommodates any dietary constraints. And then there's the traditional Guzzetti-catered dinner at the finish!

Here's a great Wildflower 'ride report' with plenty of excellent photos! Have a ride report you'd like to share?  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it a link!

Registration: The ride entry fee includes a large water bottle, bandanna map, Wildflower bag, all-you-can eat rest stops and post-ride dinner. In response to rider feedback, we are using a new online registration service which will reduce your 'online service fee' by 25-50%. We hope you will enjoy the new online registration experience! The Wildflower is limited to 4,000 total riders. Early Registration ($65) ends midnight January 31, 2014. From February 1 to midnight Wednesday, April 23, online registration is available for $75. The pre-registration deadline is midnight, April 23, 2014 for online or faxed; postmarked April 23, 2014 for mail-in. Day-of registrations will be accepted at $85 as long as there is still space available on the ride. The 12 mile Childflower is $15 regardless of age or registration date, and day-of registrations are welcomed till 8:30am.

Check-in and ride starts: Rider check-in is available from 2-8pm on Saturday before the ride, and from 5:30-8:30am on ride day. The Wildflower rolls on Sunday, April 27th, rain or shine. All routes start and finish at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. To help ensure you the best ride experience, the 2013 Wildflower will feature ‘staggered starts’. Rider start windows are as follows, to get you to the rest stops while they are open and well-stocked:

  • Wildcat 125 riders start from 5:30am to 6:30am
  • Wildcat 100 and Wildflower 100 riders start from 6am to 7am
  • Wildflower 65 and Flatflower 60 riders start from 6:30am to 7:30am
  • Flatflower 30 riders start from 7am to 8am
  • Childflower mass start at 9am

 

Lunch and Rest Stop Open Hours:

7am–12noon: Paradise Intermediate School

7am–4pm: Durham Elementary School

8:30am–1pm: Thermalito Forebary, Oroville

8:30am–2:30pm: Spring Valley School, Pentz Rd

8:30am–12noon: Lundberg Farm, Richvale

9am–1pm: Merlo Park, Stirling City

9am–1:30pm: Table Mountain Water Stop

11am–5pm: Dinner Service at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds

To help you plan your ride, all open hours will be posted at each rest stop.

 

 

The Post-ride Dinner will be served at the Fairgrounds from 11am to 5pm, and the fairgrounds will close at 6pm.

Merchandise: Our traditional jerseys and t-shirts may be purchased during pre-registration or at rider check-in. Over the years, our Wildflower T-shirts have won many design awards. View our jersey options and merchandise prices.  Also available onsite: our traditional water bottles, bags, maps, socks, and more!

Zero Waste: In 2010, we started partnering with Waste Management to make the Chico Wildflower the first Zero-Waste Century Ride. But even before that, we've been on the leading edge of reducing waste by providing riders with a souvenir water bottle that allowed us to avoid the waste created by using over 10,000 single use drink cups at rest stops. We also switched from a paper map to an artistic, reusable map rendering on a cotton cloth bandana. And for the first time, this year our dinnerware will be 100% recyclable! We encourage your support of our Zero Waste goal by doing the following:

  1. Use the labeled garbage cans to properly sort waste (recyclables, compost and waste)
  2. Use your bottle instead of paper cups on the ride (cups are also available on the course)
  3. Use your bandana map if you have familiarity with the course (detailed paper route-sheets are also available at rider check-in)

Rider photos: PhotoCrazy.com will be back this year taking photos of Wildflower riders. Look for the camera-man parked by the side of the road on Honey Run, remember to smile (even if you see small planets and stars orbiting around your head from lack of oxygen) and note the time your photo was taken. This will help you find (and purchase) your photo online. Click here for more information.

Accommodations: For hotel and motel lodging information, please visit the Chico Chamber of Commerce web site or call the Chamber at 530.891.5556.  Tent and car camping, as well as RV hook-ups, are available at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds as follows: hook-ups $35/night, tent or non-hook-up vehicle $15 per night. Spaces can be paid for in advance during the online or paper registration process, or during rider check-in, and are selected on-site on a first-come, first-served basis.  If you arrive at the fairgrounds on Thursday or Friday and haven't paid for camping, you may find a spot and then make your payment at the Wildflower Camping Desk during rider check-in. You can camp at the fairgrounds through Monday. For information on RV hook-ups please visit the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds web site. Please direct all camping questions to Chico Velo: 530.343.8356 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Childflower details: The 15 mile Parent-Childflower ride takes a bike path and quiet orchard road to the rest stop in Durham south of Chico. Riders are escorted from the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds at 9am for the flat 6 mile ride to the Durham rest stop, where all young riders are encouraged to participate in the Bike Skills Rodeo that begins at around 10am. They will have the opportunity to practice basic bike-handling skills in mock traffic situations. Fun stations include the ABC Quick Check, Scanning, the Slalom, Demon Driveway, Signalling, and the Slow Race. Certificates of completion and prizes will be awarded Parents are encouraged but not required to accompany their children. The Childflower entry fee is $15/person regardless of age and includes only the Durham Rest Stop (not dinner at the Silver Dollar, which can be purchased separately). ALL proceeds from the Childflower go to the Butte Bicycle Coalition. For more information about the Bike Rodeo, contact them at 503.345.7347.

Marco Polo Pre-Ride Dinner: The annual Marco Polo pre-ride carbo-load gets you some good eats. Saturday night at the fairgrounds from 5:30-8pm. $22 gets you in for all you can eat. Hosted by local legend and chef David Guzzetti!

Questions? Call us at 530.343.8356 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it any time!

Sponsors: The Chico Velo Wildflower would not be possible without the generous support of many local businesses. See the full list here.