Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of questions we receive often. If you still need help, please contact us!
Answers for Riders
The official start time is 9 am at the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive,
Rockville, MD 20850.
Long route (30 mile) riders will begin leaving at that time in groups of 50. Your exact time will depend on your bib number. Short route (12 miles) riders will begin leaving in groups of 50 at 9:15 am. Please arrive prior to your specific start time, as you need to pick up your packet that morning. If you are late and your group has left the parking lot, we cannot provide course safety services, as the volunteers providing those services will already be on the course in front of you. And there is a chance that the cookie stands will have shut down before you get to them!
ONLY the short route (12 miles) is suggested if you have a child riding with you. Please refer to the map for more information on this route. The long route (30 miles) is on-road and hilly.
The long route IS hilly! The cumulative elevation gain is approximately 2000 ft.
The entire event ends at 3:00 pm. Please understand that some of the cookie stands may shut down if you are very far behind the previous group to come through. Food trucks may also be low on food after 1:00 pm.
Yes, as long as you have already signed the waiver. Packet pickup will begin at 8am the morning of May 6 (prior to the ride) or one of the packet pick up party days, so please plan accordingly.
If you registered as an individual on Eventbrite then you signed the waiver. The pages attached to the paper registration form is the waiver, if you signed and included them with your form, then yes you signed. If you have any doubt, you can send us an email at tourdecookie@treehousemd.org and we’ll check for you.
When you join a team that has 10 members or more, you will receive a $5 discount on your registration. Before you register, contact the captain for the discount code. If you are joining a team with fewer than 10 people then you will pay the full $60 fee, but when 10 people have signed up you will be refunded $5. NOTE: TEAM MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE TO RIDE THE SAME ROUTE.
Yes, you do need to tell us. Send us an email to tourdecookie@treehousemd.org and tell us, or let us know when you pick up your packet. Please note, if you are choosing to switch to the short route (12 miles) at packet pick up, we may not be able to accommodate your request if the group is full (the group is limited to 400 riders). For safety reasons, we need to know how many riders are on each route. Also, your bib number will correspond to your route length and we send groups out according to bib numbers. That’s why we need to know!
T-shirts are unisex/men’s sizes, so if you are a woman ordering a shirt, order on the smaller side.
Answers for Cookie Stands
You do not pay us anything to have a stand. Your cost will be only your baking and decorating costs, and the cost of supplying water to the riders (we are looking into getting a water donor so you may not need to do this on your own).
We recommend 4-6 people to work each stand.
If you are on the short route, plan to make 400 bags of cookies (it’s up to you how many cookies go in a bag depending on the size of the cookie). If you are on the extended short route, plan to make 300 bags of cookies. If you are on the mid-length route or long route 200 bags of cookies should suffice. We will have better estimates as we get closer to ride day. Many riders have asked us about gluten-free and nut-free cookies. Those would be awesome additions to your stands.
Water is always welcome. We try to get donations of water and bananas from local stores. If we are able to do so, we will supply you with those items. Of course you are welcome to supply other refreshing (non-alcoholic) beverages if you wish. Some stands also had other fruit, such as oranges, as healthier options.
