Many of you already know that the number of participants has been steadily declining in the annual Bicycle Ride Across Georgia. From our highest number of riders in 1996 of 2,814, BRAG 2012 had 895 registered riders. We have not had that few riders since BRAG 1988, 25 years ago. Our ridership has been declining each year since The Great Recession hit in 2008. The June 2012 BRAG ride lost almost $64,000. The Spring Tune-Up Ride, Georgia BikeFest, and WinterRide are profitable and have enabled us to stay in business. The net effect of our four rides in 2012 is that the BRAG corporation lost $39,000 from operations.

Obviously, we cannot continue to operate BRAG at a loss. The Great Recession has hit us very hard. We must make some changes in order to survive.

Some things about BRAG will never change. BRAG will always be an affordable, family-oriented, quality bicycle tour across Georgia, with an emphasis on bicycling fun, safety, and education. That's our mission statement and we remain committed to it. For now, we also remain committed to having the fabulous Special Olympics rest stops, porta-potties, the shower trailer, and the baggage truck.

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Here are some of the changes we will be making to BRAG 2013 to keep it fun and sustainable for our children and grandchildren. You will not notice most of the changes we are making. We will highlight some here that you will notice.

BRAG 2013 will be a six-day ride. This change was made because so many of our riders had to take off work more than one week in order to do a seven-day ride. We will still have the Purist Ride Option on Day 0 and Hammerhead Options on other days so you can still get in plenty of miles. 

Our mission statement refers to BRAG being an affordable ride. Our expenses continue to rise and our number of participants and our revenues continue to decline. Our breakeven point is about 1,200 riders. As stated previously, last year we had 895 riders, a deficit of over 300 riders.  Obviously, if we could count on an additional 300 riders for 2013, we could leave our fee structure as is and break even. We have learned from the past few years that we cannot assume an increase in riders, as much as we would like to. So, registration fees for BRAG 2013 must increase by a modest amount. The registration form will have the details. We are trying very hard to hold the line on fee increases for children and starving college students - the future of our sport and our ride.

For 2012, the adult registration fee for Bike Florida was $50 higher than BRAG and was a 6-day ride. BRAT (Tennessee) was $80 higher (but included some meals), and Bike Virginia was $100 higher for a 5-day ride (but included some meals). Unlike some other statewide rides, BRAG receives no support from the state government. We don't have a title sponsor. We also don't have a statewide newspaper publicizing our every move.

We will be making a concerted effort to attract more young people - our future. College students especially will be more actively recruited.

We are looking at every expense we incur to see if we can do it better, more efficiently, and cheaper. These include insurance, truck expense, office rent, etc. Don't worry. I think we've found portable showers we all enjoy. We don't anticipate changing that.

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KEEPING BRAG ALIVE. BRAG is having a fundraiser to keep the ride alive. Simply log on http://www.prerace.com/registration/donation/83663 and donate $20, $50, $100, or more to BRAG to keep the ride alive. Please be generous and show your appreciation for 34 years of wonderful Bicycle Ride Across Georgia memories. Share this email with your cycling friends who have enjoyed BRAG with you in the past. We will have a special "Stayin' Alive" Thank You gift for those who donate $200 or more to keep BRAG alive.

You may also make a donation to BRAG when you register for the June BRAG or the April Spring Tune-Up Ride. Or simply mail your check to BRAG, P.O. BOX 871111, STONE MOUNTAIN, GA 30087. BRAG is an IRS Sec. 501(c)(4) organization; therefore, donations are not tax-deductible.
Of course, the best thing you can do to keep the ride alive is to register yourself and your family for BRAG 2013, ride with us, and encourage your friends, teammates, and bike club members to ride also.

To register for BRAG 2013, log on http://www.prerace.com/races/event/44302/BRAG---Bicycle-Ride-Across-Georgia-Cordele-GA  (This site will be active on or before January 31, 2013.)
To register for the 2013 Spring Tune-Up Ride, log on http://www.prerace.com/races/event/44301/BRAG---Spring-Tune-Up-Madison-GA  (This site will be active on or before January 31, 2013.)

To register for WinterRide 2013, log on http://2013winterride.eventbrite.com/#  (This site is active now.)

BRAG is your ride. We always welcome your comments and suggestions. And we need your help as a volunteer, before the ride or on-site. We also need volunteer Board members with business experience and/or volunteer business advisors on computers, sponsorships, marketing, design, web sites, etc. We need your company to sponsor BRAG with cash or an in-kind donation.
Thank you for your support over the past 34 years. We hope to see you on the road very soon.

Vicki Thompson, Ride Director (Vicki@brag.org)
Jerry Colley, CPA, CEO (Jerry@brag.org)