Q - When is the Tour?
A- Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Q - How much is it?
A - Registration pricing varies by distance and registration date. Please refer to the Registration page for current fees.
Q - When can I register?
A - Registration will open on January 1, 2025.
Q - Do all family members have to ride the same route?
A - Yes. An adult must ride with any accompanying minors. Two related adults may register separately at no additional cost if they wish to ride different routes.
Q - How does the trial membership work?
A - Everyone who registers for the Tierra Bella will receive a trial membership to the Almaden Cycle Touring Club (ACTC) through May 31, 2025. This will entitle you to all of the member benefits including bike rides and Tierra Bella conditioning rides, social events, discounts at bike stores, Club RideWithGPS, and more. If you cancel or transfer your registration, you will still retain your trial membership. Tierra Bella is a private event; registratants must be an active member of ACTC.
Q - Do I get an information
packet?
A - New for 2025: Registration packets will be distributed at the registration desk at Christmas Hill Park on the morning of Tierra Bella rides. Packets will not be mailed this year. We are offering staffed early packet pickup at several south bay locations prior to the rides.
Q - How many riders are accepted?
A - Registration is limited to Tierra Bella Fun & Fit 29M (150 riders) and 49M (300 riders), Tierra Bella Challenge 74M (250 riders) and 100M (200 riders).
Q - How late can I register?
A - See Registration page.
Q - Can minors register?
A - Minors must be registered on the application of a paying adult (age 18+) who is their parent or legal guardian. The minor must also carry a signed medical release and ride in the company of a parent or guardian. A family registration includes two adults and up to 4 children.
Q - Can I transfer my registration?
A - If you are registered and paid you can transfer your registration to another person for a $10 fee. Please email register@tierrabella.org with the name of the new rider and your registration ID and have the new rider complete a new registration online, checking "transfer" for the payment option. An email will be sent to the new rider validating the transfer. Once the transfer has been completed, the recipient will begin their trial ACTC membership. The person who transferred the registration will also retain their membership and all benefits thereof.
Q - Can I cancel my registration?
A - If you must cancel your registration, please email register@tierrabella.org with your registration information. Cancellations will be refunded minus a per-rider cancellation fee depending upon the date. Your temporary ACTC Club membership will remain active, even if you need to cancel.
| Cutoff date | Per-rider cancellation fee |
|---|---|
| Early bird: Opening day through February 15, 2025 | $10 |
| February 16 through March 31 | $15 |
| Late registration: April 1 through May 2 | No refunds, transfers still accepted |
Q - Where is the tour held?
A - New for 2025: All routes start at Christmas Hill Park, Gilroy, CA.
Please follow our staff to Tierra Bella's assigned parking lots at Christmas Hill Park. The post-ride celebrations and meals will also occur in the park.
Q - What if I'm part of a group?
A - Groups arriving in more than one vehicle should plan to meet at the start. Cars arriving one behind the other may be directed into different parking lots in order to get everyone parked quickly and out on the course.
Q - What routes are there?
A - The routes are:
Q - What time may I start riding?
A - Please plan to start your ride according to the following schedule:
| Tierra Bella Challenge: 100 Miles | 6:30 to 7:30 AM |
| Tierra Bella Challenge: 74 Miles | 7:30 to 8:30 AM |
| Tierra Bella Fun & Fit: 49 Miles | 8:30 to 9:30 AM |
| Tierra Bella Fun & Fit: 29 Miles | 9:30 to 10:30 AM |
The course closes at 5:00 PM. Riders must start and finish during this interval. Rest stop cut-off times listed on the route sheet will be strictly observed.
Q - What is the latest time that I can start riding?
A - Please check the start times above. If you start later you risk finding rest stops closed.
Q - If I sign up for one route can I change my mind on the day of the ride?
A - Yes - within the ride you have chosen. Routesheets and Ride with GPS links for all routes on your ride will be made available.
Q - What kind of bike will I need?
A - We recommend a well-maintained multi-speed bicycle.
Q - May I ride an e-bike?
A - Class 1 and 3 e-bikes (pedal assist only) are welcome on Tierra Bella. Our insurance does not permit Class 2 (throttle assist) e-bikes.
Q - Do you have mechanical/bicycle repair support?
A - We have mechanical support from volunteer mechanics and local bicycle shops (details subject to change).
Q - What food/beverages will be available at Christmas Hill Park?
A -
From 6:30am-10:30am, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, nut breads and bars will be available. At the finish line, lemonade, water, soda and frozen fruit bars. All of these are included in your registration fee.
We plan to have multiple food trucks from 12:00pm to 5:30pm with a variety of meal options (all with vegan options). Meal vouchers (15 dollars each) must be pre-purchased for the food trucks.
Q - What services/festivities will be at Christmas Hill Park?
A - There will be an official finish line with volunteers welcoming riders as they finish and guiding them to a bicycle parking coral. We will have a DJ from 12pm-4pm.
Q - What if I forgot to order a meal?
A - Please contact registration through our contact page to add meal vouchers to your registration by March 31. Let us know how many vouchers you would like.
Q - Are there campgrounds or motels nearby?
A - Check the following links:
Note that neither RV parking nor overnight camping are allowed at Christmas Hill Park the weekend of the Tierra Bella.Q - Are showers available after the ride?
A - No, you may be able to make arrangements with the motel at which you stayed overnight.
Q - Is there SAG support?
A - Yes, all routes are patrolled by SAG vehicles. When the course closes at 5pm any riders still on the course will be picked up by SAG and transported to the finish line.
Q - What if I forget to pick up my t-shirt order?
A - If you forget to pick up your t-shirt we can mail them to your home after the event for a fee.
Q - What is Tierra Bella doing to address COVID-19?
A - Pandemic Safety procedures
Due to the continuing presence of the COVID virus in the community, the Tierra Bella Century staff is taking several steps to mitigate any chance of the spread of the virus during our event should it be present.
Most importantly, for the safety of the riders and the volunteer staff, we encourage all riders to be vaccinated. Since we understand that not everyone will abide by this recommendation, we will put in place procedures to minimize infection risks.
Therefore, the Tierra Bella volunteers will strive to practice good hygiene procedures with food and water to minimize the risk of virus transmission and we ask riders assist the volunteers by complying with these procedures.
We ask all riders to assist us to comply with all relevant state and local guidelines and directives.Q - How can I volunteer for Tierra Bella?
A - Please visit our Volunteer's Corner.
We hope we've been able to answer all of your questions about the Tierra Bella Tour. But if you still need some information, please consult our FAQs or contact us:
Clothing Questions - Email: tbclothier@actc.org
General Questions - Email: TierraBella@actc.org
Registration Questions/Issues - Email: register@tierrabella.org
Last modified: May 16, 2025
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