Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

1. Where does the ride begin, and how long does it take to get there?
   The ride begins at the East Coweta Middle School, 6291 E. Highway 16, Senoia, GA. 30276. Senoia is 10 miles south of Fayetteville, 10 miles east of Peachtree City and 39 miles south from Downtown Atlanta. With a 8:30 mass start, cyclists should arrive a minimum of 30 – 45 minutes before the start of the event to allow for parking, registration, and preparation.
   
   
2. I'm not sure I'm in good enough shape; is this a difficult ride with lots of hills?
   The terrain is very similar to the popular Covington Century, and the hills are defined as "rollers". Like the Covington, top riders can finish in under four hours (sub 4-hour Century). Also in 2007, the Concourse Athletic Club had multiple participants complete the Wilson 100 as their first ever Century ride! Hills mean different things to different people depending upon their skill set, training, and personal conditioning. The Wilson 100 has a 16 mile, 31, 54, 63 (metric century), and 100 mile options to choose from. Please consult with your doctor before attempting strenuous outdoor exercise for the first time. In summary, this is one of the easier and more fun century rides! We hope you will participate!
   
   
3. What do I receive for my entry fee?
   Please see the Home Page details on what is included in the standard registration fee. In summary, the Wilson 100 remains one of the best valued Centuries in both application fee and benefits received in Metro Atlanta! Individual applicants can pre-register for $28, while teams such as MS150 Corporate Teams, Bike Clubs, Racing Teams, and Teams in Training can pre-register for $25 (See Register tab, and select Team/Family Registration option). All pre-registered participants will receive a custom T-Shirt (NOTE: Laser printed 35th Anniversary Shirt!), and commemorative wrist band (think Livestrong type), catered baked lasagna meal with salad and vegetables upon conclusion of the event, and the opportunity to win over $1,000 in door prizes! As always, the Wilson 100 has well stocked rest stops, mechanical support, and SAG vehicles/pick-up. All participants can feel confident that proceeds from the Wilson 100 will benefit both the Southern Bicycle League's bicycle advocacy in Metro Atlanta and Project Adventure Kids of Covington, GA. Likely participants should pre-register for the WILSON 100 to guarantee a T-Shirt and wrist band, as walk-up registrants will receive the "same" as long as supplies last.
   
   
4. Are there any major changes planned for the 2008 Wilson 100 versus 2007?
   The road to self improvement is never ending, both in personal lives and business. The 2007 Wilson 100 evoked wholesale changes to the format, routes, personality, and etc. as we moved from the previous years start in Fayetteville to the new start location in Senoia! We were very pleased with the first years’ results, and all the core/base infrastructure will remain the same for 2008! However, we tweaked a few things to make the 2008 event even better! For example, we
   
   • added an additional rest stop to the 100 mile course,
   • added additional port-o-lets where needed,
   • expanded the expo participants including extending the expo by one hour from 3:00 to 4:00, and
   • negotiated with private landowners (success pending) to lease parking closer to the start line versus crossing the highway.
   • changed the beneficiary from Lighthouse to Project Adventure Kids (www.projectadventurekids.com). Please see their website to learn more about this worthy organization!
   We sincerely hope you will participate in the 2008 Wilson 100, and look forward to receiving your feedback in making future events even better!
   
   
5. If I don't want to participate in the mass start at 8:30, can I start early?
   Yes. Rider's can begin the event anytime between 7:00 and 9:00 AM, despite the mass start at 8:30! Rider's will need to wait until 7:00 a.m. in order for the Registration tables to open, pick up their Goody Bag, sign a day of event waiver (required), and receive their Commemorative armband which is required to utilize any of the six stocked Rest Stops.
   
   
6. What is the expected participation in the Wilson 100?
   We saw a significant increase in participation from 2006 to 2007, with final participant headcount at 631 riders! We are projecting between 750 and 800 cyclists due to (i) the new route, (ii) the value to participants (see #3 above), (iii) the bicycling EXPO which is focused on adding value to participants, and (iv) the great benefiting charity of Project Adventure Kids (www.projectadventurekids.com). As we work hard to improve the ride each year, we hope to return to the glory days of the 90's and eclipse our previous participation record of 1,420 riders!
   
   
7. Why is the ride called the Wilson 100?
   The Wilson 100 is named in honor of Scott Wilson, one of the past SBL presidents, who made tremendous contributions to improving cycling in the Metro Atlanta area. He died in his late 30’s of cancer, and since his death SBL’s premier Annual Century was renamed to the Wilson 100!
   
   
8. If I'm not a member of the Southern Bicycle League, is this a good time to join?
   This is a great time to join SBL! Wilson 100 participants will be able to join SBL for a reduced membership of $15, a savings of 25% or $5!
   
   In case you have never thought of it SBL is called a league not a club…ever wonder why? One of our primary charter's as a not-for-profit organization, among others, is dedicated to the promotion of cycling! If you love cycling, we as an organization want to do the best we can to keep you informed of cycling activities in Metro Atlanta, and the Southeast. There are many great clubs in Atlanta and the Southeast who list their weekly rides and special events on SBL’s website (bikesbl.org). Regardless of your group association, as long as you love cycling, we hope we are contributing enough in the Southeast through our FreeWheelin' Magazine and SBL website to garner and warrant your support! As always, we look forward to any feedback/suggestions you may have. You can easily contact SBL through our website (bikesbl.org).
   
   In 2008, we have embarked on exciting and numerous changes for SBL. I can't mention everything, but here are a few highlights!
   
   First, 2008 saw a change Leadership with new SBL President, Robert Wilhite! Robert is a USA Certified Cycling Coach, an SBL member, and most importantly a passionate Cyclist! Thank You Robert! He quickly made his presence felt by adding the "Prologue" in the magazine and on the website, to open up lines of communication between SBL members and the SBL Board of Director's, and to better communicate the organizations direction and key events.
   
   Secondly, the SBL Board quickly voted to support the Tour De Georgia. We didn't feel right about being one of the largest cycling organizations in the Southeast at over 1,000 members and not support the United State's highest ranked Professional Cycling event. With the help of sponsors, we quickly organized a VIP bus trip to stage 6 of the 2008 Tour De Georgia at Brasstown Bald to show support for TDG and benefit SBL members. Given the overwhelming popularity and success of the bus trip this year, we expect the event to be even larger for 2009…stay tuned!
   
   Third, the club successfully tested a new business model for launching club rides in Atlanta! With corporate sponsorship for a launch party, we found synergy between the Concourse Athletic Club and their members by adding new exercise regiments, the Concourse Office Park and their tenants by promoting a live/work/play lifestyle , and finally SBL and their members by adding exciting new rides! From this partnership, SBL created the Monday night King and Queen ride of Dunwoody! It has three levels of riders, A, B, and C, and commonly has over forty riders despite being in existence for less than three months! We expect to look for other synergies/partnerships in 2009 and have great new rides to offer Metro Atlanta Cyclists!
   
   Fourth, after great debate and soul searching with respect to lifetime members, the SBL Board voted to re-brand and re-market SBL’s image! This entails, among other things, new colors (orange and blue), a new logo (if your on this website you've already seen it) to represent our new initiatives and dedication, and a new SBL riding kit (apparel) to create a visible organization and members! In July we launched the new SBL logo on our website, and the Freewheelin' Magazine will follow-suit for the September publication. For the 35th Annual Wilson 100, T-shirts will have the new Logo, and the SBL tent will be selling new SBL riding kits, water bottles, and both automobile and bicycle frame stickers, all with the intent of creating real visibility.
   
   In closing, Wilson 100 participants will be able to join SBL for a reduced membership of $15, a savings of 25% or $5! In the perspective of annual cycling expenses, that's less than the expense of a tire, a tune-up, or a box of Power Bars! All members will receive a membership card, and the FreeWheelin' magazine delivered to their address of choice. We hope you love cycling as much as we do, and through your membership dues, we promise to remain dedicated to the Promotion of cycling!