Each ride day, two riders are assigned as the designated last group to arrive at the host. Throughout the day, they tail the other ride groups, carrying a small med kit with them to assist riders with small cuts or scrapes. This pair of riders is called the “sweep team” or “sweep”, as their main job is to make sure no groups get left behind by “sweeping up” any lost riders.
Being part of the sweep team can make for a long day, as you wake up early with everyone else, but are last to leave the host in the morning, and last to arrive at the host at the end of the day. On especially windy or sunny days, this also means you’re likely to be riding in the harsher afternoon heat and wind gusts, while other groups may be able to finish before mid-afternoon. In order to make being part of sweep more fun, there are certain perks. Sweep riders are first through the dinner line at the end of the day, and while riding, other riders stop to “chalk” messages to sweep team, usually along the lines of “We love you sweep!” or fun little messages specific to the riders.
The sweep team also makes some of their own fun by creating “Sweep Challenges” or “Sweepstakes”. At the morning route meeting where we come together as a group to prepare for the ride, the sweep team announces their sweep challenge for the day. The most common challenges are photo challenges where the sweep team asks riders to “come up with a creative visual interpretation of upside down” or “channel your inner water” or “find a good way to take a picture of how windy it is”. Sometimes there are lip sync battles or movie scene re-enactments submitted as videos. Other times, the challenge is to write a good poem, or just enjoy the ride.
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| Sometimes people leave artistic drawings for sweep. In this case, Cookie Monster. |
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| In case sweep missed Tait on their ride, he left a self portrait. |
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| Channel your inner upside-down. |
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| Or is it right side up? |
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| Capture the wind in a picture. |
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| The "act like water" challenge at the Mississippi River Headwaters. |
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