What is the Adoption Tour?
The Adoption Tour is a joint effort between the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and the Provider Agencies in the state to elevate awareness, honor foster and adoptive families, and pledge their support for the future needs of children in the State of Tennessee.

Why can only a limited amount of people ride in the Adoption Tour?
Unfortunately, as much as we would love to see the Adoption Tour grow, we also need to remember that we are a new program that is still working out our kinks. Please bear with our growth as we can only support a certain amount of new support and riders each year. There will inevitably be a point at which we can no longer take on more people because of logistical constraints. We must also remember that this ride is not about the experience, but about the children in the state who we are making a pledge to support.

Why have I not heard from the tour director about my application to participate?
Rest assured, we are making an effort to contact everyone about their application to participate however, we must make other decisions first. We will respond as soon as we know something of value to pass on to you.

When can I apply to participate in the tour?
Applications for the tour are accepted starting in February for the current tour. We do not accept applications more than 8 months in advance.

When is the last day I can apply to participate in the tour?
The last day any participants will be accepted is the first weekday in August.

How can I make a monetary donation to the tour?
If you would like to make a monetary donation to the tour please contact the ride director at johatnick@harmony.cc.

How did Jim get such big leg muscles?
“Jim” got such big leg muscles because he trained many many months for the tour. Average riders will start training in April and ride an average of 1400 miles before the start of the tour in training for the ride. The tour is a serious commitment and we ask that you take your training seriously as well for your own safety and wellbeing. For a training guide you may look under the “Downloads” page to supplement your training.

Will the tour always be the same route?
No, our ride director and some other staff are always taking suggestions and driving new sections of road in an effort to find more routes across the state. Inevitably however, the tour may repeat some routes as there may not be another viable option for a given year.

What does being a support crew member involve?
Being a part of the support crew is an incredibly important job. None of our riders would make it across the state without the support crew. Duties of the support crew include manning stops for our riders, set-up and take-down of lunch, checking into hotels, carrying lots of luggage, resupplying riders with drinks and food, ensuring the safety of the riders, and coordinating with the local celebrations. Michael Yates said it best when he noted that riding the bicycle is the easy part…it is the support crew that holds the tour together, and they work hard to do so.

What are the requirements for applying as a rider or support crew member?
The Adoption Tour is like no other bike ride. One example would be that no amount of money can buy a pass across the state. This ride is about awareness, and as such we seek individuals that have a connection to adoption and are committed to a majority of the tour. Preference is given to those individuals that can most easily display their commitment to Adoption and Foster care in the state of Tennessee. Physical fitness is not a requirement of our riders, although we remind our riders that some level of fitness is expected because of safety concerns.

I have never ridden a bike before, what if I want to ride in the tour?
We gladly encourage you to consider training for the bike tour. We have many individuals who can help support your training by giving you advice. Many former riders are more than happy to talk with you about riding in the tour and what it might feel like. In addition, we have a rider committee that can be used as resource for our riders who would like to know a little more about how to train for the tour. Our point riders will also hold a few rides in your region that allow you to meet other riders who are training in your area.

How fast do you ride on the tour?
This is not a race, but we do have set times at which we must reach certain destinations. The expected pace is an average of 15 mph. This means that our riders typically ride at 17-18 mph in order to make up for the times when they climb hills and their pace drops to below 10 mph.

Can my family come along with me on the tour?
You are allowed to bring up to three people along with you on the tour, however there will be a charge for their lodging and they must provide their own transportation. You must notify the Tour Director of these individuals before the first weekday in August so he may make proper accommodations. They will not be able to cheer from the route however, as we cannot crowd the route with more vehicles that endanger the riders.

Can I use my mountain bike on the tour?
We do not recommend that you use a mountain bike for many reasons, but our primary reasons are that the support crew is only equipped to support a road bike and mountain bikes require more effort to produce the same speed as a road bike.

The tour is riding by my house and I would like to “jump in”. May I?
Unfortunately we ask that you do not join the official tour riders. The Tennessee Highway Patrol has asked all of our riders to wear the same jerseys and they have only accounted for a certain number of riders. For these reasons we cannot accept riders that join the tour except in designated areas (2 miles before each celebration).

I would like to join the tour but can only ride two days. Would I be able to do that and how would I get back to my home area?
We ask that everyone make the commitment to ride the entire route. The main reason for this is that each rider makes a commitment to ride for a child across the state and we would like everyone to have the opportunity to follow-through with that commitment.

I have to have special food/energy supplements. Will I be able to have my own resources?
Yes, if you need special energy supplements you may bring your own and our support crew will take care of your supplies for you. They will also ensure that you have adequate access to those supplies. Typically, we provide shot blocks, power gel, powerbars, clif bars, crackers, and granola bars.

I live in a remote area and do not have anyone to train with me.
All of our riders are expected to train on their own. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone with organized rides in your area. We do however, do our best to organize some group rides in some major population centers (or near them) across the state.

Do I need to be able to repair my bike on the Tour?
No, we will have experienced mechanics to take care of bike maintenance for you. We do however, ask that you get a tune-up at your local bike shop before the start of the tour.