Northeast - Volunteers make the wheels go 'round at Tour du Port!

Tour du Port is short on volunteers so they really can use your help.
http://www.onelesscar.org/support/volunteer_waiver.php

But if you really want to ride:
http://onelesscar.org/TDP/2007/index.php


Volunteers are needed to be route marshals, ride marshals, registration workers, and for other jobs. If you have volunteered before we hope that you will join us again. I have heard from some of you who wish to volunteer during Tour Du Port 2007. All those interested in volunteering for Tour du Port, please take a moment to complete our online volunteer registration form.


First review the volunteer activities listed below, as some may have changed since you last served as a volunteer with One Less Car's Tour du Port


Copy this link http://www.onelesscar.org/support/volunteer_waiver.php to complete our volunteer application form.


Benefits of volunteering include a colorful Tour du Port t-shirt (select shirt size on volunteer registration), food, one-year complimentary membership in One Less Car, and a fun time!

Do volunteers ride free?

It'd be nice if you could do events like these without all the fluff they tack on which results in high prices. $50 for a t-shirt and cue sheet? Bah. Give me a $25 same day registration fee, keep the shirt and food and I'll wear the same stuff I rode in with and finish the event with lunch off the McDonalds dollar menu.

Having said that, who wants to race the 40 mile route without registering? :)

Do volunteers ride free?
There are volunteer opportunities that will also give you time to enjoy a free ride. For example helping with setting up, post ride clean up and ride marshals. If you don’t mind getting a late start, helping with registration could also squeeze in a ride.

Something screwy happened to their database and they are having trouble contacting previous volunteers so things are more desperate this year then previous years so if I can persuade some people on the edge to come out and help please do so.

It'd be nice if you could do events like these without all the fluff they tack on which results in high prices. $50 for a t-shirt and cue sheet? Bah. Give me a $25 same day registration fee, keep the shirt and food and I'll wear the same stuff I rode in with and finish the event with lunch off the McDonalds dollar menu.

Having said that, who wants to race the 40 mile route without registering? :)
On one hand I know how you feel but on the other hand this is a fund riser for One Less Car. Some things that One Less Car has had a significant hand in recently (reverse chronological order):

Reversing MDOT decision for no more bike racks on MTA buses
The hiring of Baltimore’s Bike/Ped coordinator
The adoption of Baltimore’s Bike Master Plan
Retaining the hiker/biker trail along the ICC
And their most recent update can be found here: http://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20071010141245648

Now keeping in mind that I have no official ties with One Less Car, I am just one of their supporters. With that being said if you are a One Less Car member and wanted to do as you say I personally would not be offended but still I would not like to encourage it. If someone is under finical distress and wants to do the ride PM me and I’ll see what I can do for you as I would like to keep things on the up and up.

And if other people would like to see a low cost no T and post ride lunch feel free to discuss here and I’ll mention the option to Richard (Exc Director of One Less Car.)

$25 to $30 for day-of registration would be reasonable. If I hadn't already registered early, the $50 would probably keep me away (or I'd crash the ride)
Skip the shirt, or make it optional. Only one of the last 5 year's designs was one I'd wear. Maybe have an outside food vendor selling instead of providing sandwiches.

I'm glad they added a longer route. 24ish miles was always too short, so I had been going around the route twice to make it worth while. I'm hoping to see some new neighborhoods, maybe Hamden or Druid Hill.
With good, visible arrows they shouldn't need as many route marshals as they usually have had. The NY Century gets by with very few and DC 50 State ride with none (and no arrows). Just need better road arrows.

I'll have to pass on volunteering this time. I need to make an early start so I can ride another 20-30 miles after the tour is over. Want to do at least a metric for the day.

+1 on the costs being too high. I forgot to register in time so now I look at $100 for my wife and I to do the 24mile route (I would love to do the longer one but she doesn't). I don't need a rest stop for 24 miles and I prefer to get something yummy from harborplace for lunch.

I'd rather just give them a donation at a later date and crash the party.

-D

T-shirts with nice designs
Speaking of bad designs did you see last years bike to work day t-shirt? There should be a law that says you can’t give out a cycling t-shirt that’s dark brown.

I think it would be cool to put a pro bike slogan predominately on the back of an event T, something like “Zero CO2 emissions vehicle” would be cool, might get some double takes when climbing out of your SUV though.

Anyway I’ve got way too many bike even Ts. I think I have enough to wear one a day for the whole warm weather riding season and never have to do laundry. I really would like to see the T offered as an option with a picture for those pre-registering could decide if they would want one or not.

Interesting point about arrows on the NY Century any pics? As far as I am aware all the bike events around here use the same technique and similar markings. I think the route marshals are added for an extra level of safety more then wayfinding.

FWIW Frugal cyclists eat at the Cross Street Market.

Anyway interesting discussion about prices (for me at least since I just joined two event committees, Civil War Century and Tour dem Parks.) What do you think about a family rate? What would be too high for a couple? Would $60-$75 (on day of the event) still be too pricy?

Another thought I had is pre-registration is mostly about getting an idea of how many people are coming. What do you think about a $5-$10 deposit to hold the pre-registration price for the day of the event and if you don’t show the money goes to a good cause.

T-shirts with nice designs
Speaking of bad designs did you see last years bike to work day t-shirt? There should be a law that says you can’t give out a cycling t-shirt that’s dark brown.

I have yet to receive an event t-shirt that I would wear. I always end up giving them away or using them to clean my chain. Seriously, that's no joke.


I think it would be cool to put a pro bike slogan predominately on the back of an event T, something like “Zero CO2 emissions vehicle” would be cool, might get some double takes when climbing out of your SUV though.

I like the idea, but that's a bad example. We humans produce a lot of carbon dioxide. :)


Anyway I’ve got way too many bike even Ts. I think I have enough to wear one a day for the whole warm weather riding season and never have to do laundry. I really would like to see the T offered as an option with a picture for those pre-registering could decide if they would want one or not.

Absolutely.


Anyway interesting discussion about prices (for me at least since I just joined two event committees, Civil War Century and Tour dem Parks.) What do you think about a family rate? What would be too high for a couple? Would $60-$75 (on day of the event) still be too pricy?

I can't really comment on family stuff as I always end up going solo then jumping on pacelines as they roll by, but selling double admission is a logically good way to go, discounting is a fantastic way to sway people into doing it.


Another thought I had is pre-registration is mostly about getting an idea of how many people are coming. What do you think about a $5-$10 deposit to hold the pre-registration price for the day of the event and if you don’t show the money goes to a good cause.

If it were a nominal portion of the fee, then definitely.

Also consider giving people that enter an incentive to hook them for the following year. Enter one, get a second free or $10 off a single entry if pre-registered by X date.

I have yet to receive an event t-shirt that I would wear. I always end up giving them away or using them to clean my chain....
Bike New York has really good shirts, jerseys and other stuff, but you have to buy them separately.



Interesting point about arrows on the NY Century any pics? As far as I am aware all the bike events around here use the same technique and similar markings. I think the route marshals are added for an extra level of safety more then wayfinding.
New York Century had a few route marshals in Manhattan, at the Brooklyn and Tri-borough bridges, at the Grand Army Plaza, at a couple of dangerous crossing, and that was about it.
No pics of the arrows on the NYC (have a nice one of the Manhattan Bridge at sunrise) The street arrows were green with a "C" thru the base. They worked well most of the time. This year I only missed two, one where a food truck parked over it and at the other another rider saw it and called me back. Not bad for having an 8 page cue sheet.
There are a lot of places along the TdP route that I have seen road marshals where they really aren't needed. In some areas almost every turn had one. More ride marshals would be more useful for safety.

Discounts for multiple riders are a good idea.

added - Reston Century does their ride with no route marshals. The arrows they use for marking are very good and very clear - 3 colors for the three routes. Even a month after the ride I was able to follow them back to Lovettsville.