Southern Israel is one of the most spectacular cycling destinations in the world. Cyclists come from all over to experience the incredible trails and roads that cross the mountains, valleys, and dry rivers of the Israeli deserts.
Breathtaking desert vistas, soaring mountains, and dazzling sunshine await Wheels of Love riders. Whether you ride one of the four road routes, the trail or enduro off-road routes, or the beautiful hiking routes, you will have an unforgettable experience.
Distance: 386 km/ 240 miles
Elevation: 4,226 meters/ 13,845 feet
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Distance: 460 km/ 285 miles
Elevation: 5,096 meters/ 16,720 feet
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Distance: 610 km/ 380 miles
Elevation: 5,924 meters/ 19,435 feet
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Distance: 340 km/ 212 miles
Elevation: 4,961 meters/ 16,276 feet
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Distance: 232 km/ 144 miles
Elevation: 3,412 meters/ 11,195 feet
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Map Links: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Routes are subject to change at any time.
Road Plus Daily Avg: 97 km – Climbing: 874 meters – Pace 25 km/hour.
Map Links: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Routes are subject to change at any time.
Map Links: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
All routes are subject to change at any time.
Map Links: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
All routes are subject to change at any time.
Trail Group Route Links (OSM): Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
All routes are subject to change at any time.
Details Coming Soon
Details Coming Soon
All Road Routes:
Leonardo Negev Beer Sheva
The Leonardo Hotel Negev provides comfortable and elegant guest rooms in the heart of Beer-Sheva city center, next to the central bus station and a large shopping mall.
The wellness area features a sauna and hot tub as well as a fitness room and massage service. All rooms offer air conditioning, an LCD TV with cable channels, and soft carpeted floors. Wi-Fi is free in the coffee shop.
Trail and Enduro
Isrotel Ramon Inn
The Isrotel Ramon Inn is a quiet desert retreat. This warm, quaint and intimate haven is set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Ramon Crater.
This hotel has been a favorite of the trail route for many years.
Road
Inbar Arad
The Inbar Hotel is located at the entrance to Arad atop the surrounding desert mountains.
On Tuesday night, the Road group will enjoy the intimacy of the smaller hotel, where riders can relax in the fitness spa or around the heated indoor pool.
Road Plus, Challenge
The Road Plus and Challenge routes will spend Tuesday night in the intimate setting of the Ramon Smart Hotel, on edge of the Ramon Crater. Early risers can watch the spectacular sunrise from the nearby cliff.
Trail and Enduro
The Trail and Enduro routes will spend Tuesday night at the Arad Hostel which has a perfect lawn for the famous off-road “Happy Hour.”
All Routes
Neve Ilan C Hotel
All Wheels of Love participants will spend the final night of the ride in Neve Ilan.
Mornings
Mornings start with breakfast at the hotels, usually between 6:30 and 7:30. (You can check the signs in the lobby for exact times). We try to get all the groups on the road between 8 and 8:30. Mechanics are available for any last minute adjustments or repairs. (If your bike needs a repair, see the mechanic in the evening before dinner.) For those who want to pray with a minyan, each hotel has a synagogue where we will host davening before breakfast. (Usually around 6:00 AM).
During the Ride
Every route has ride leaders and vehicles with staff, mechanics, paramedics, and a bus for those who feel they cannot continue the day’s route. The Road routes will also have a police escort. Due to police rules, no rider can ride ahead of the ride leaders or behind the follow-vehicles. While the routes will spread out at times, the police may require us to take short breaks to regroup. Three times every day we will have pit stops where riders can take a break, refuel, and use a bathroom. We also have plenty of short water breaks if you need to fill your bottles.
Evenings
All routes will reach the hotels by 4:00 PM. Riders put their bikes into the racks, step into the hotel, and can grab a cold beer (or a variety of beverages) and salads. Afterwards, riders can relax in their rooms until dinner, usually around 6:30 PM. Staff will be available throughout the hotel to answer any questions. After dinner, we will have short briefings for those who are interested in learning about the next day’s route.
The Finish
We are still planning the finish and closing ceremony. After finishing all riders are presented with a special commemorative medallion recognizing the accomplishment of completing Wheels of Love for the children treated at ALYN.
Days could be hot and sunny or cold and rainy. Take gear that you can ride in no matter what the weather.
For Hikers:
Wheels of Love encourages the formation of riding and fundraising teams. Team fundraising can be a useful and effective tool to maximize fundraising efforts: Teams create a healthy sense of camaraderie among team members as well as good-natured competition with other teams.
If you decide to form a team, we will set up a team fundraising page, which will be in addition to each rider’s personal fundraising page. Riders can choose to send either page to their donors. When a donor makes a team gift, the donation is split evenly among all team members then registered to the team.
Each team member must still satisfy the individual fundraising minimum. Individual fundraising might be required if the team fundraising is not sufficient to meet the minimum, once team gifts are divided among all riders. (The only case where this does not apply is when the team is made up of immediate family members, in which case we do not require the minimum fund raising amount from each team member.)
To form a team or for questions about teams, please email us.
While we highly recommend that you bring your own bike on Wheels of Love, we understand that some prefer to rent a bike for the duration of the ride.
If you rent a bike, you are responsible for returning the bike and for negotiating payment, insurance and repair issues directly from the provider.
To rent a bike, get in touch with one of our suppliers below.
Amir Rockman, rent@bikejerusalem.com, Mobile phone: 054-426-2187
Erez & Tamar Levin, info.rentabike@gmail.com, Mobile phone: (972) 054-314-8409
The minimum fundraising requirements depend on which route you choose.
For the 2020 Wheels of Love ride, the amounts are:
Trail & Enduro: $3,000
On Road & Touring: $3,500
Challenge: $4,000
Single day ride, both on road and off: 750 shekels ($200)
Self-funding: Our hope is that your fundraising efforts will raise visibility for the hospital and introduce your donors to the amazing work that happens at ALYN. Many who will give to ALYN for the first time through your fundraising efforts will become repeat donors to the hospital. It is a long-term plan of support. If you are choosing to self-fund your ride, the suggested donation level is $4,000.
The goal of Wheels of Love, in addition to producing a world-class riding experience for our riders, is to raise as much money as possible for the children of ALYN Hospital.
Participation in Wheels of Love involves making a binding commitment to raise the minimum amount of funds required by the Ride Organizing Committee. All riders who have not met their obligations at check-in must give credit card details before taking part in Wheels of Love.
Any rider who has not raised the required amount by December 31, 2020 will be charged the shortfall. The credit card will not be charged prior to December 31, 2020, two months after the ride, so there is plenty of time to continue additional fundraising in order make up the deficit. We strongly encourage you to satisfy (and hopefully far exceed) your fundraising obligation prior to the ride.
On each of the four nights of Wheels of Love (Sunday through Wednesday night), riders stay in three or four-star hotels.
Accommodations are clean, comfortable and convenient. We eat breakfast and dinner in the hotels. During the day, there are numerous rest-stops which will have a variety of food such as fresh fruit, energy bars, and snacks. Each day, there will also be an extended pit stop for lunch.
At the end of the riding day, you can relax with a cold beer and some protein and carbs. All food is certified kosher (see below.) Riders can also reserve vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free food. Every rider receives a deluxe ALYN riding jersey.
During the ride, we provide complete support. That means that we have mechanics, medics and a sweep bus to pick up riders who are having a hard time keeping up or just need a break. We also have escort vehicles and staff ready to help if any need arises. All routes have lead and trailing vehicles. We will transport your luggage between hotels.
You can also pack a small day bag that will accompany the Road and Touring routes and which will be brought to each rest-stop. Every night the mechanics will be available at the hotel to make any repairs needed. Should you need a part (i.e. a tire or derailleurs), most things are available for purchase. Please check our packing list.
Rider safety is our top priority.
We work very closely with the Israeli police and military in planning our routes. We are also in constant contact with governmental authorities in the event of a security issue.
In the event of an accident, we have experienced medics accompanying each route who can provide immediate medical assistance. While we make every attempt to keep you safe, riders are also largely responsible for the safety of the ride. Please read over our Rider Safety page so that you can do your part in keeping the ride safe for all our riders.
On the ride itself, you don’t need to bring substantial spending money.
We provide everything you need over these five days, including hotels, meals and all logistics. You may want to bring a little extra for souvenirs, but once you step on the bus on Saturday night or Sunday morning, you can leave your wallet at home.
The Road routes are often hilly and include multiple climbs that can be both steep and long, but the ride moves at a comfortable pace.
Our largest group is the Road route and it includes cyclists of varying levels. Competitive riders who are interested in riding hard and fast will love our Challenge group. Those who want a challenge but at a less-intense pace can join the Road Plus route. Riders who prefer a relaxed pace and don’t want to spend more than half the day in the saddle can join our Touring group which rides in the morning and spends the afternoon enjoying unique tours.
Most of the Trail riding is done along rugged jeep and hiking trails that can be muddy and dusty. Don’t expect to be clean at the end of the day! Some parts of the trail are technical and require advanced riding skills. There is always the option of getting off your bike, walking through the technical part and then getting back on once the trail levels out again.
We have Trail riders of all different abilities. Stronger riders can opt to ride on the more advanced Enduro sections, which are extensions of the regular trail routes.
All routes have a sweeper vehicle should you need or want to take a break from cycling at any point. Each route (other than Touring), will ride every day from approximately 8:15 AM to 4:15 PM. While every route has pit-stops and lunch breaks, you should be able to ride for 6-7 hours each day. We encourage you to train regularly in the months leading up to the ride. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy this incredible experience.
Kashrut policy All food provided on the ride is kosher and has valid kashrut certification. This includes fruit, all of which is purchased from suppliers who certify that their products adhere to kashrut requirements for מצוות התלויות בארץ (mitzvot teluyot b’aretz).
During the ride, kashrut certificates for items that are not prepared under the supervision of the kitchen are available from the staff upon request. This includes fruit and nuts served at rest stops. Dishes and spoons are disposable. Glatt kosher food for the five-day ride is available. Please let us know ahead of time so that we can best accommodate you.
Minyanim Daily minyanim are held at the hotels and at lunch stops. The hotels have synagogues on premises.
We know that for many of you, the thought of asking friends for money to fundraise for the ride is uncomfortable and might be uncharted territory. Don’t worry – fundraising is much easier and more rewarding than you might expect, especially when you are raising money for such an incredible cause.
ALYN Hospital is such a unique and special place, that once you share with others about the hospital and the children receiving rehabilitation there, people will be willing to support you. How do we know? We have nearly 20 years of experience and thousands of riders who have successfully raised money for ALYN as proof.
Remember, the people who will sponsor you will do so because of your relationship with them. They are YOUR friends and YOUR family! They trust what you have to say. The more personal you can make the request, the better.
Start by personalizing your fundraising page. You can login to your page and personalize the text and upload a special picture of yourself.
Once you have your page set up the way you like it, send the link with an email to your contacts. You can post it on Facebook or other social media. Again, the more personal you can make the request, the more likely you are to receive a favorable response.
Remember the four basic rules:
Thank you letters.
Make sure to send a short, personal thank you to each sponsor. Your sponsors will also receive an official thank you and receipt from ALYN, but they will appreciate the personal outreach and the sincere gratitude.
OTHER FUNDRAISING IDEAS
Corporate sponsorships. Wheels of Love offers public relations opportunities in exchange for corporate sponsorships. There are a number of underwriting opportunities. Please contact the office with questions.
Fundraising events. Fundraising doesn’t only have to include sending emails and letters. A number of our riders have come up with creative ways to engage their friends, family members and community to help raise funds for their ride. Things that have been done in the past:
If there is an event you would like to hold, the office would be happy to help in any way we can, including sending ALYN swag. We are here to support you in your fundraising.
Please contact us at any time for ideas or to edit your fundraising page online. Good luck with this important task and we can’t wait to see you!
If you use the letters below, make sure to personalize it with your name and the link to your fundraising page.
To send these letters automatically, just go to your funraising page, log in, and select the sponsors you wish to send the letter to.
Dear
This October I will be participating in the Wheels of Love Israel charity bike ride, to benefit ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel’s premier rehabilitation facility for children with disabilities.
Every year, over 3,000 children come to ALYN to receive best-in-class care. Money raised through Wheels of Love is critical to ensuring that ALYN can continue to do amazing work – turning disabilities into abilities! You can learn more about ALYN at www.alyn.org.
This year’s fundraising goal for Wheels of Love is to raise $3 million, to bridge the shortfall gap between reimbursements and the actual costs of the high-level services provided to the children. My personal fundraising goal is $XXXX. The financial toll of the global pandemic means that we need your support now more than ever. Thank you, in advance, for being as generous as you can be.
There are two easy ways to donate:
United States
American Friends of ALYN Hospital
122 E. 42nd Street, Suite 1519, New York, NY 10168.
The American Friends of ALYN is a qualifying 501(c)(3) organization, and your contribution is tax deductible in the US. If you work for a company with a matching gifts program, you may be able to multiply the effect of your gift.
Canada
Canadian Friends of ALYN Hospital
11 Townsgate Drive
Suite 103
Thornhill, Ontario, L4J 8G4
Donations to Canadian Friends of ALYN Hospital are tax-deductible in Canada.
Israel
ALYN Hospital
84 Shmaryahu Levin Street
Kiryat Yovel, P.O.B. 9117
Jerusalem, 91090
Friends of ALYN Hospital has a contribution certificate from the tax authorities according to section #46 of the Income Tax regulation. Donations are tax deductible under Israeli law.
If you live elsewhere, please email the office for options to donate in other currencies.
The work that ALYN does is inspiring. The more you can relate to your friends and family about the impact ALYN has on children, the more effective your fundraising will be. Here are three stories that demonstrate how important ALYN has been to so many families.
Roi is 9 ½ years old from Jerusalem, the second of four children. He likes to play games like Legos, marbles, chess, checkers and to draw. He is an excellent student and particularly good at math.
Roi was diagnosed in January 2017 with brain cancer and came to ALYN Hospital after beginning his treatment. From the Channel 2 news broadcast: Roi started his treatment at ALYN Hospital as an inpatient in our Rehabilitation Department and is now a patient in the Day Hospitalization Department, coming for intensive therapeutic treatments four days a week. After the removal of the cancerous growth from the back of his head, he experienced serious developmental decline and didn’t talk or move for a long time.
Roi now is still too weak to walk alone or without the assistance of a walker, and uses a wheelchair for longer distances. At ALYN Hospital, Roi benefits from hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and emotional support therapies such as music & art therapy.
Since Roi has been missing regular school for many months, he also learns in our Learning Center so that he can keep up with his studies. “Hebrew and math are important to me” he says in the interview. His mother Gina says, “It wasn’t obvious that he would have his . . . anything. We had no idea what he would gain back, what he wouldn’t gain back. He loves math, so for me that’s amazing.” Later in the interview she says, “Every stage that he reaches, it’s simply a miracle.”
At the end of the interview, Roi says about his treatment at ALYN Hospital, “It helps me be myself and it helps me return to who I was before the surgery. A regular kid.”
Please help me help the kids at ALYN walk, talk, and go home to their families. I know what it’s like to be one of those kids. Because their story is my story”
Adina Elbaz was 16 years old when she was involved in a horrific accident. She was crossing the street on her way to school when a minibus hit her. She suffered a severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and multiple injuries and traumas.
After her life was stabilized at another hospital, she was brought to ALYN for rehabilitation. She was unable to walk, talk, or do any activities independently. In the beginning of her treatment, she lived at ALYN 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.
Her mother was with her every morning, her father every evening, and family friends around the clock so that she was never alone. ALYN provided her with hydrotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychological treatment, and a range of other therapies. A team of around ten doctors, therapists, and specialists worked with her every day.
Gradually she was able to go home for a few days every week. Then after 7 months, she was able to go home and continued treatment as an ALYN outpatient. Under the care of ALYN, her progress was dramatic and exceeded all expectations. Seven years ago, she rode a tricycle at the finish line of Wheels of Love to welcome the hundreds of riders who had ridden all week in support of ALYN.
Six years ago, she rode a portion of one day of the ride as a member of the “Swift and the Bold” a team of riders made up of kids who have received treatment at ALYN. The next year, she rode a full day on a tandem bike with veteran ALYN rider Rocky Brody. Every year, she has ridden more. For the past few years, she has been training on her own mountain bike, riding more and more on her own -something that would have been unthinkable just a short time ago.
This article is a summary translation to English by ALYN Hospital staff of extracts of the original article, which was written by Dana Ben Shimon. Photo credit: Yoav Dodkevich.
“It was a rainy and stormy evening, Yusef fell down an elevator shaft in the dark, like in a movie,” recalls his father, Kazem. “A neighbor said that there was a child from the Jardat family who fell in a lift,” says the father. “I went down quickly and realised that it was Yusef.
The doctors told me that they couldn’t believe that he was alive after what happened.” Yusef was taken by ambulance to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, with a large fracture that split his face in two. At Hadassah, they performed the unbelievable – they were able to put his skull back together during a complicated operation. He was later transferred to ALYN Hospital for rehabilitation, with his family accompanying him throughout the process.
“When Yusef came to ALYN Hospital, he was not able to get up,” says his father. “Twice a day he underwent physiotherapy. He also received emotional care and a lot of encouragement from the staff.
Yusef underwent rehabilitation treatment, during which he got back on his feet and began walking again. “We had to teach him how to walk again because he had a very complicated leg fracture. He also had difficulty speaking because of the fracture in his jaw and we helped him with that as well, in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and he was helped to eat independently”, explains Yusef’s accompanying physician in the rehabilitation department of ALYN Hospital. “His head injury was significant, but he was lucky that there was no brain damage. He also had fractures in his skull, and it’s very rare for someone who has experienced such an event to recover relatively quickly.
Recently, as the rehabilitation process progressed and his condition improved, Yusef began to go to the school that was established inside ALYN Hospital and learned Hebrew and English there.
Of course we’re happy,” says the father. “In recent months I have barely left Yusef’s side, I have been with him all along, and his situation has improved slowly, but now he will be able to return to his family. Lately, he was able to come home on weekends, but now he will finally be able to sleep at home every day. This is the biggest relief.”
This article has been summarized and translated to English by ALYN Hospital staff. The original article, written by Lior El Hai, appeared in Yediot Ahronoth on 13 March 2019. Photo credit: Alex Kolomoisky.
Tomorrow, three years after Aviel Avrahamoff’s leg was nearly amputated due to an accident, he will participate in the Jerusalem 5-K Run. The accident happened in Haifa during a fun day which he spent with his family when he was six years old. A driver who accidentally accelerated instead of braking, slid into a field near the road where Aviel was walking with his family and hit him.
Aviel was seriously injured. He was transferred to Rambam Medical Center and was rushed into the operating room. “The doctor told me that the situation was complicated, and it could be possible that in the middle of the operation he would ask me to sign an agreement to amputate Aviel’s entire leg. It was shocking to me that Aviel could return home with only one leg,” recalls Aviel’s mother, Vered.
Fortunately, the operation was successful. From that point on, Aviel began a long and difficult rehabilitation process at ALYN Hospital, in his home town of Jerusalem, which is a facility designed for rehabilitation especially for children and youth.
In the beginning, Aviel couldn’t even stand on the injured leg and found it difficult to move it. Thanks to the intensive and devoted care of the team, slowly but surely he made progress. He was eventually able to stand on both legs and even joined the running group of hospitalized children.
Nurit Stern, a senior physiotherapist at ALYN Hospital, said: “We are not satisfied with the fact that the children will only learn to walk again, therefore we are instilling in them the value of sport, training and overcoming difficulties.” At the end of the rehabilitation period, Aviel returned home, but continued to train with the running team.
Update: Aviel completed the Jerusalem 5-K last year!
Corporate Sponsors’ logos are prominently featured on the Wheels of Love jersey according to the above designations.
Sponsors’ logos are also featured throughout the ride and in media coverage of the event. Most importantly, the corporate sponsors’ brands are recognized as supporting Israel’s premier rehabilitation facility for children with physical disabilities.
Download our corporate brochure here.
If you are on Strava, go to “Explore-Clubs” and request to join the club for your route. If you are not yet on Strava, go to Strava.com and open a free account. When you upload your rides, they will appear here. (You will need a GPS device to record your activity.)
