----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 5:23
PM
Subject: Re: [BBTC Ride_calendar]
Maybe?
BBTC
I have been a member
15 years plus. Presently I am the Annual White Rim Trip Ride Leader for
the 9 years in a row. I have taken riders to RAGBRAI on 6 different years and
rides to Solvang, CA, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Slick Rock. Each ride may
include 5 to 35 riders and half or more are BBTC
riders.
These rides have brought out of state
riders to become BBTC members because of this great organization. Lets keep
focus on bicycling adventure, friendship and health. McCool, I agree with your
statements. Set some simple rules for tracking and ride on.
Keep On
Bikin’
John Schwed
on 12/14/05 2:55 PM, Andrew McCool at mccoolthecyclist@yahoo.com
wrote:
Yo BBTC!
I have something for
everyone to chew on (high fiber). About out of state rides, I think that we
are all actually a lot closer to the same mindset then we might think.
Take a deep breath and lets have a group hug. Now, don’t you
feel better? (Boy, am I full of crap or what!)
We have a club mileage
contest. This is a competition, and for all competitions we must have
rules to keep it fair. But I think we are trying too hard to guard
against one scenario, and in doing so, reduce the opportunities for us to
explore some unique riding experiences. After all, our goal is to
provide opportunities to ride together. Can you say “Knee
jerk”.
What the rule is intended to do, is to keep one of
us from taking the winter months off, going to Bermuda, and riding 10,000
miles and claiming club credit. This wouldn’t be fair to those like
me, who are stuck with my miserable life in SLC. I also agree with
what was said at the last board meeting, you shouldn’t be able to plan a
week long vacation tour of the west coast, knowing no one else could go, and
put it in the ride schedule just to get mileage credit. I also can’t
schedule a ride every day that goes from my house to where I work, that’s
silly. I think Saturday rides shouldn’t count since I work. I’m
kidding, to make a point. The point is we all have constraints as to where,
and how much we can, or want to ride.
I think that the geographic state line may not be
the best criteria to determine if a ride is acceptable for the ride
schedule. Maybe some out of state rides should count, but only if they
satisfy a certain set of guidelines. As it is now, maybe LOTOJA should
count because it is in state. After all, it is Utah’s premier
bicycle event. But the upcoming Death Valley rides don’t count, but
maybe they should as many club members are going to ride together.
Some club members are going to great lengths to plan this event, and
provide it to members. If LOTOJA doesn’t count, maybe Cycle Salt Lake
Century shouldn’t count either. My point is, maybe they all should
count. It was pointed out to me that more BBTCrs went to do LOTOJA
then did the club ride that same day. Also, we had more in Tucson then
did the club ride last month. We are in the business of promoting
bicycling. We should allow as many rides to count as possible, short
of the absurd, like “my daily commute ride”, or “Tour of my grandma’s house
on thanksgiving”.
This is my suggestion-
Out of state, or event rides, or tours should count
if they meet these guidelines.
1. It is listed in the ride
schedule. (Obviously)
2. Because it may take more
planning for clubbies to participate, it should be listed in the newsletter
two months in advance.
3. Someone should step up as
a designated “ride leader”. Someone who can organize rendezvous points and
times, help with sign up info and so forth.
4. Maybe a ride should be
either a fee ride, put on by another club, or recognized by an official
cycling organization like LAB, UMCA, or USCF. Not just “I’ve always
wanted to ride around Minot, North Dakota”.
5. Lastly, and maybe a
little far out, Maybe we could get jerseys, “team BBTC” for members to buy
so we can represent!!! Maybe “BBTC century / Ultra distance team” or
“BBTC ULTRA tandem team”. Any excuse to buy more gear! (Yes clubbies would
buy it, no cost to the club)
Here is an example, our fictitious Club member
“Lance Lemond” is going to ride RAGBRI. He wants to make it a club
event, so he sends info about his plans, inviting everyone who is
interested, to that goof ball that does the newsletter. He provides
info about signup, transport, ride descriptions, and so forth to any members
who e-mail or calls. Mr. Lemond lists it in the ride schedule.
Our boy Lance handles the signup sheet just like a regular BBTC ride.
This would provide a great opportunity for us to maybe go on a great
new adventure! Maybe someone has always wanted to do that ride, but
didn’t want to go it alone. We should go, as a club to the LAB Rally,
and the Tandem Rally, and so on. At one of the hikes, we even talked
about planning a club adventure to Europe. Sound
fun?
I am glad that so many of us went to Tucson because
it is one of my two favorite rides of all time. The experience was
made better by sharing it with friends. I would also love to share my
other favorite rides with BBTC folks as much as I look forward to going on
adventures that someone else plans. Count me in, mileage credit or
not. That’s my two cents, no matter what, BBTC ROCKS! Group hug.
Ride on!
John Andrew McCool
Yahoo! Shopping
Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Yahoo!
Shopping <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/footer/shopping/*http://shopping.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTE2bzVzaHJtBF9TAzk1OTQ5NjM2BHNlYwNtYWlsdGFnBHNsawNob2xpZGF5LTA1
>
_______________________________________________
Ride_calendar
mailing list
Ride_calendar@mailman.xmission.com
http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ride_calendar
_______________________________________________
Ride_calendar
mailing
list
Ride_calendar@mailman.xmission.com
http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ride_calendar