BRAN 39
BRAN 38 ROUTE MAPS AND RECEPTION AT RIDE END
Click here for BRAN 38 Route Maps from the BRAN Tour Guide.
At the end of the week on Saturday, June 9th, Omaha Northwest Rotary will host a BRAN Reception at the Ashland-Greenwood Junior/Senior High School, 1842 Furnas Street. This is the same location the buses loaded and cars were parked for the week. Family, friends and riders can all enjoy the food and beverages served from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Enjoy, hot dogs, brats, walking tacos, soft drinks and brownies. It is a great opportunity to greet family and friends cheering you on as you bike into Ashland for the end of the ride and say good-bye to friends you made during the week of BRAN. We hope you have had a safe and fun week of cycling and touring southern Nebraska on BRAN 38 – A Southern State of Mind!
Thanks to our BRAN host towns for all their efforts and planning to host riders, family and staff! Each host town will receive a $3000.00 scholarship award for a senior graduating from their high school and riders will vote at the end of the ride for the “Best Host Town” . The town winning the designation as “Best Host” will receive an additional $3,000.00 scholarship award. Don’t forget to vote in Seward on Friday, June 8th.
BRAN 38 Route Announcement Party – Winners!
A nice crowd of riders looking forward to BRAN 38 attended the Ride Announcement Party on December 21st at the Bike Rack in Omaha. Those attending enjoyed catching up with BRAN friends as well as snacks and beverages. A raffle was held for miscellaneous prizes, the Rider Numbers 1 – 10 and a free ride registration. Wes drew the winning raffle numbers and introduced the BRAN 38 route. Kim with Omaha Pedalers spoke briefly and mentioned some of the services provided by the Omaha Pedalers who volunteer as staff for the ride. Pete Phillips and Dave Kennedy spoke about the services available from Pork Belly Ventures. Pork Belly will provide free coffee in the morning and free showers are included with your BRAN ride registration. Everyone is looking forward to BRAN 38 during the week of June 3-9, 2018!
RIDER NUMBER WINNERS
1. Icky Clark
2. Bradley Davis
3. Carol Ann Anderson
4. Ricki Dille
5. Dick Galusha
6. Chris Wiehl
7. Paul Stultz
8. Jacqueline Weth
9. Lee Ann Baker
10. Carol Deman
FREE RIDE REGISTRATION WINNER – Emil Biga
Partners With BRAN
Each of our partners plays a role in bringing BRAN to you every year.
- The Omaha Northwest Rotary Club http://omahanwrotary.org/ began this project, but BRAN has since become it’s own entity. NW Rotary continues to provide the leadership and distribution of the scholarships, as well as members are on the ride helping riders have a great experience.
- The Omaha Pedalers Bicycle Club http://opbc.clubexpress.com/ is a co-sponsor, and in addition to members being actively involved in planning and working the ride, as instrumental in providing the snacks at the stationary SAGs!
- The Bike Rack has been associated with BRAN for many years and as a premier bicycle shop, assists the riders pre-ride, during the week (in camp and on the road) and post-ride. See Jim Carveth and the wonderful folks at both locations. http://bike-rack.com/
- Pork Belly Ventures has been with BRAN since 2011, and we haven’t looked back. PBV believes so much in BRAN they have helped us bring about showers for everyone this year! Hot water in the shower, private changing rooms, and coffee daily to all! https://pkbelly.com/Event/Overview/bran
A SOUTHERN STATE OF MIND TOUR
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BRAN 2018 Route June 3-9, 2018
This year’s tour returns us to a favorite route among many of our annual riders. Beginning in Ogallala, Nebraska on June 3rd, we will overnight in Imperial, McCook, Alma, Red Cloud, Fairbury and Seward. The tour will end on Saturday, June 9th, in Ashland, Nebraska. Riders may choose to park in Ashland and take the bus to Ogallala (this is an option when you register), and their car will be waiting for them after the ride. Others may choose to ride either 3 or 4 days of the ride, leaving or joining in Alma on Tuesday. Additional information at FACEBOOK/BRAN, Brantour@cox.net or bicyclerideacrossnebraska@gmail.com. Check us out on Twitter and Instagram as well.
2018 – Ride Announcement Power Point Presentation With Maps
Route Presentation 2018 A[15996] Our theme is “A Southern State of Mind” and we will be traveling the southern most roads in the state of Nebraska. The route is half flat and half rolling hills, but it is all beautiful and scenic. Along the way, you will be able to visit celebrated attractions such as Front Street, the Champion Mill, the home of George Norris, a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the family home of Willa Cather and the locations she wrote of in “My Antonia”, Rock Creek Station (where Wild Bill Hickok allegedly shot his first person), and the Strategic Air Museum.
You may choose from a 3, 4 or 7 day experience, with riders changing in Alma when doing the shortened versions. The ride is fully supported with SAG stops approximately every 10 miles with water and treats (included in your entrance fee), roving SAGs driving the route to help/pick you up in situations where riders cannot continue due to mechanical or personal reasons, free showers, bicycle mechanic support, contracted sleeping service (tents and shuttle service), free coffee, medical staff, weather monitoring and evacuation assistance, campground director for rider services, and host communities who compete to provide the best experiences for our riders by feeding and providing experiences not found in any other ride in the state.
BRAN is a bicycle ride, and is designed for recreational riders who want a family atmosphere of camaraderie and community. We limit our numbers to no more than 600 and you will know most other participants by the end of the week, if not by name, at least by face and/or bike.
Our ride is run by completely on-the-route volunteers and is a non-profit providing scholarships to the towns who host us. Each community will receive $3000 for a high school senior to attend a Nebraska trade school, college or university. No other ride can boast of contributing so much to others. Give back, and pay it forward by choosing to ride the state in BRAN 38!
Best Host for BRAN 37
Host Communities for BRAN 37 did a spectacular job making the riders welcomed. The traveling home away from home atmosphere prevailed in each and every community.
The BEST HOST COMMUNITY, as voted on by the riders, was the final overnight community of Winnebago. The Winnebago people provided food indigenous to their culture, held a powwow with dancers and singers, allowed us to camp on their sacred location and welcomed us at each and every opportunity. BRAN thanks BRAN for all the efforts in Winnebago, Falls City, Auburn, Weeping Water, North Bend, Wayne, Wakefield and Tekamah.
The Bike Rack
The Bike Rack, one of Omaha and Lincoln’s premier bike shops, supports the riders on BRAN. The Bike Rack will get your bike on the road in the morning, patrol the roads to fix anyone’s bike problems, and then be in camp at night to address the more advanced issues with your bike. Check them out now for all of the bikes, services and bicycle related items they have for the serious, and sometimes not so serious cyclist. The professional staff at the Bike Rack will help you fit your new or older bike; recondition, repair and restore your old ride; help you select the equipment that best suits your needs; fix and repair in 24 hours or less; are convenient and professional. We are proud to partner with them and you can visit them now at http://bike-rack.com/
Stop by their locations in Omaha and Lincoln. Support them with your business, as they support us on the ride!
Pork Belly Ventures
Unlike other rides in Nebraska and Iowa, Pork Belly Showers is included FREE for being a part of the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska. No one else has a benefit like this! Hot showers, as many as you want each and every day, with soap, shampoo and towel provided as well! You won’t have a smelly towel in your duffle bag all week! Also, Pork Belly Ventures is making coffee every morning for everyone, FREE OF CHARGE.
If you want to contract with Pork Belly Ventures to be your personal SAG and have them set up your tent, transport and put your bags in your tent and have a cool beverage waiting for you (in other words, treat you like royalty), Dave Kennedy is your man!!!! Take the time to look at the amenities offered and at $60 per day, it’s a bargain.
Read about our relationship here: https://pkbelly.com/Event/Overview/bran