Paid Shuttle, Support, Drop Bags & Rescue Service
We are teaming up with a fundraising team from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to offer a shuttle & support package for 204-mile racers that are not able to provide their own shuttle and rescue/support vehicle. You will leave your car at the finish at Ludington/Lake Michigan and be shuttled over to the start at Au Gres/Lake Huron the afternoon/evening before the race. All proceeds will go to JDRF.

We will also accept a limited number of riders who can get to Friday’s pre-race meeting and Saturday’s start at Au Gres/Lake Huron but need SAG and rescue service (or need the shuttle but not the drop bags). Reserve any of the three options on BikeReg, when or after you register for the race.

Here’s what the full service will include:

• Shuttle Service from Ludington to Lake Huron Start
  • Coach bus or van service from to the check-in on the east side at the Point Au Gres Marina and Campground.
  • Park on the north side of Oriole Park/Field lot (enter from the south). Do not leave valuables.
  • You will arrive at Point Au Gres Marina in time for check-in and one of the pre-race meetings (or we will do pre-race meeting virtually).
  • Your bike will travel snug tight to keep them from banging against each other. The JDRF team and Coast to Coast are not responsible for any damage to your bike but be assured they will treat them with care.
  • Continuing bus service after the Friday check-in and pre-race meeting on to St. Mark Catholic Church in Au Gres or other nearby accommodations if you are not camping at the Pt. Au Gres campground. You must ride 4 miles to the start in the morning but we will go get your sleeping/camping gear and bring it to the finish line.
  • St. Mark is offering a free spaghetti dinner Friday night and grab-and-go breakfast for Saturday morning! Donations accepted.
  • The service will take your camp/sleep gear and a dry clothes bag to the finish line on Saturday.
  • Your camp/sleep gear and dry clothes bag must fit in a large duffel bag. We do not have room for cots, large mattress bags or large bins.
  • Ludington parking and shuttle meet-up:

• Support and Drop Bags at Each Checkpoint
  • You may provide up to four drop bags, including cooler items. We will provide tags so you can label each bag with your name and number and indicate which bag goes to which of the three checkpoints or finish. You’ll drop them off in the appropriate box Friday evening.
  • We will also have a cooler for perishable nutrition. Please mark which check point and  place in cooler. We will sort to smaller coolers that will be at each check point.
  • Please use a small cinch, duffle or soft sided bag. No boxes or bins! Think squishy!
  • Your bags will be dropped at a designated spot at the Gladwin, Marion and Big M checkpoints and a dry clothes bag will await you at the finish (along with your camping gear).
  • At each checkpoint you will see a pop up tent with a JDRF banner. There will be a table with coolers of water and a container of Gatorade for your use. We will have your marked gear laid out on a tarp. We will have a cooler with your nutrition.
  • The service may include bike mechanical if Mike is at the checkpoint when you are (very likely but not guaranteed); don’t be shy as many fellow riders or other support crews can lend a hand as well.
  • We will have a tarp marked for camping gear collection on Saturday morning. Please mark your gear. It will be in Stearns Park at the end of the race.

• Rescue/Sweeper Vehicle
  • We will have three vehicles on course between checkpoints including a sweeper. We will be keeping track of your locations as you reach each checkpoint.
  • A van and bike trailer will be near the back of the field for those that drop out and need a ride back to Ludington.
  • If you have a mechanics or need to drop out, you will be asked to contact Greg, but we also ask you to contact us so we can find you and pick you up.
  • Keep in mind that, unlike your own rescue/support vehicle, you may have to wait quite a while to be picked up. In an emergency, call 911.
  • The sweeper vehicle will collect bags left at each checkpoint and return them to the finish where your camping gear and a dry clothes bag will be.
  • We will very likely get you your dry bag and camping gear to you before you finish. Your drop bags might arrive later in the evening so our recommendation is to not include any valuables in case you have to leave town before they arrive.

Experienced Team: This same JDRF team handles shuttle and support for the One Day Ride Across Michigan (ODRAM) so you will be in good hands. Your contact is Cindy Aley-Holzgen (email or 616-835-1967).

Cost & Payment: $200 ($100 for shuttle only; $100 for drop bag/rescue service only). All profits go to JDRF. This is in addition to your entry fee. Order it under Purchase Event Items when you sign up for the race. If you’ve already signed up, simply go back into BikeReg and order it separately. It will link it to your BikeReg race registration provided you use your same email address and name. All shuttle & support fees are 100% refundable if you find a support crew or can’t do the race and alert us 60 days or more before the race date. Otherwise 50% refundable 8-59 days and non-refundable the week of the race.

Capacity: The service has room for 55 riders in 2023. The plan for that type of capacity includes a coach bus. If numbers don’t justify a bus, then number of riders is at JDRF discretion based on availability of vans, trailers, uhauls, etc., and we will do our best to accept last minute orders through the day before the race but it is not guaranteed. Signing up at least two weeks in advance gives us the best opportunity to supply shuttle and support for all who need it.

We hope this allows a lot of racers to race who otherwise would not be able to or takes pressure off a friend or family member, especially if they are not comfortable driving for that long, especially at night.

Shuttle & Drop Bags Update #1 (from 2022 but including here to give you as many details as possible in advance, since most if not all details will remain the same)

Please arrive at Oriole Field by 11:30am EST on Friday June 23rd. We will load your bikes and gear and get on the road as soon as we can, (we will be leaving no later than noon). This will allow time to get settled in at the church/hotel/campground and grab a bite and make a rider meeting. We will make at least two stops on the way across the state for food and restroom breaks. Feel free to bring snacks to eat on the road.

The rider meetings are at 4pm and 7pm at the Point Au Gres campground. We plan to arrive and set up carts marked with each checkpoint number for your drop bags. The carts will be out on Friday evening. We are asking that you have what you need for each check point in a separate small duffle or drawstring bag. Please have your name and rider number on your bags. You can also include a finish line bag. We will have coolers that you can put a small bag in if you want something cold at any of the check points.

PLEASE DO NOT USE LARGE BAGS FOR DROP BAGS.

Friday evening, we will deliver you to your accommodations.

Those of you staying at St. Marks church, please limit your overnight gear to a sleeping pad(blanket), bag, pillow and small clothing bag. No camp chairs please. Children and pets are not allowed in the church overnight. Please pack up your bedding and gear that you want to go directly to the finish and leave all of that in the front entry way of the Church in the morning. We will have a crew that is going to pick it all up and take it to the Finish.

This year we are offering a spaghetti dinner with garlic bread and salad put on by St Marks church. DONATIONS ACCEPTED. They will also have some grab and go breakfast items (granola bars, muffins, fruit). They have a kitchen with microwave and fridge if you want to make something for yourself. Please clean up after using the kitchen.

At the checkpoints we will have a JDRF flag next to our tent, so you can easily locate us. We will have an awning up at each check point with some snacks and drinks waiting for you. We will have your drop bags out on a tarp, also if you have food in a cooler that will also be under the awning. We are here to help you have the best experience possible.

Thanks again for using our services and know that your fees are going to support a great charity. All profits made from the Coast to Coast Shuttle service are going to JDRF as we are working towards finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

Please let us know if you have any questions! We will give another update before ride day. 

Mike, Cindy and Linda