Fifty Plus (50+) - 50+ Second Annual Ride??

50+ Second Annual Ride??

You may have noticed that the sticky for the 50+ 1st annual ride is now gone.

The question arises - should we have a 50+ 2nd Annual Ride?

I know that the 1st annual ride was (at least for Nora and me) great fun, and that many folks who wanted to come couldn't, for a variety of reasons.

So, if you want a 2nd Annual 50+ Ride, thinking needs to start now.

However, someone besides me needs to take the primary planning responsibility.

I know that some of us on the 1st ride would have suggestions as to how to improve the ride for the next time.

Any volunteers?

Any reactions?



(I will be renewing this thread from time to time, if it does not get automatically renewed.

I think a second annual ride is a definite must!

I'm so glad I decided to do the ride. I didn't feel like I was riding with strangers - more like old friends I hadn't seen for a long time:)

I think a second annual ride is a definite must!

I'm so glad I decided to do the ride. I didn't feel like I was riding with strangers - more like old friends I hadn't seen for a long time:)

:thumb: Like being at our 50th high school reunion.

I'd love to do the ride. But this year's ride wasn't possible due to timing. We do come to Colorado every few months but it is a long, expensive trip. So, timing and sufficient advance notice is critical so I can lump other things into the trip. For a ride during tourist season knowing the dates well in advance is important so we can get reasonably priced tickets and coordinate with other people down in America.

For the first ride there was about 6 months advance notice. Latitude, is this appropriate, or is more needed?

Another question: for subsequent annual rides, would it make sense for the event to rotate around to different parts of the USA and/or Canada?

Road Fan

Another question: for subsequent annual rides, would it make sense for the event to rotate around to different parts of the USA and/or Canada?

Road Fan
Yes!:)

The First Annual Ride was announced, and the location had been decided, as of November 20, 2008, 10 months in advance of the actual ride.
don't really know how much more notice can be given, except if we set a regular date - i.e., last weekend in August or something like that.

Depending on the month we book anywhere from six months to a year in advance. Another factor is our short summer. We try to put our southern travel in the winter(fancy that).

Had I picked up on the ride when Denver said it was announced that would have worked fine. But I didn't until too late, I'd already used up my Time Away for this summer

Location can move. But I have family and a road bike that I keep in Denver. If it goes too far from there flying a bike from either here or there gets to be an expensive hassle.

Or, maybe y'all would like to come up here? I haven't researched it. But with the tourist decline it might be possible to put something fun together.

For the first ride there was about 6 months advance notice. Latitude, is this appropriate, or is more needed?

Another question: for subsequent annual rides, would it make sense for the event to rotate around to different parts of the USA and/or Canada?

Road Fan


Yes!:)

And another YES here:thumb:

Denver,
Just a humble suggestion I learned from tour operators.
You noticed that many potential participants bailed out? I and these tour operators know that and require a down payment for intent to participate. Perhaps if some have skin in the game they will be more likely to follow through?
Perhaps there is cost involved to organize such a get together and get favorable motel rates and just organize the event?

Denver,
Just a humble suggestion I learned from tour operators.
You noticed that many potential participants bailed out? I and these tour operators know that and require a down payment for intent to participate. Perhaps if some have skin in the game they will be more likely to follow through?
Perhaps there is cost involved to organize such a get together and get favorable motel rates and just organize the event?

Interesting suggestion, which I hope the person(s) who organizes the 2nd annual ride might consider. It won't be me, however.

Hmmm, this thread seems to be the one for brainstorming what to do next, not the one about lessons learned.

Hmmm, this thread seems to be the one for brainstorming what to do next, not the one about lessons learned.


One thought might be to form a group of 4-5 folks who might jointly plan the next ride. As is pretty obvious so far on the thread on "lessons learned" there is a lot to be considered, a lot of different thoughts, expectations, ideas, desires, etc.

This way more input can be gained in terms of what folks really want and expect from a ride, the blame and/or praise can be shared amongst several folks, etc.

Nice idea, Dr. Fox. Not related to what I meant to say, but nice idea.

Nice idea, Dr. Fox. Not related to what I meant to say, but nice idea.

You mentioned brainstorming, or so I thought?

I was referring to my suggestion of moving the ride around the US and Canada from year to year. I made teh suggestion here, then I made it again in your other thread, having forgotten I made it here.

Maybe I'm missing something but I never see the annual ride becoming one that would be operated as a tour requiring pre -payment for participation. This year everyone made their own hotel reservations, provided their own transportation, etc. I see this more like a chance for people to meet, ride and enjoy each other's company and I hope we keep it this way.

I feel we learned a lot from this year's ride about riding styles and other preferences. You'll never be able to plan one program where everyone will be happy. I think the separate rides according to preferences and abilities was great. Meeting at breakfast and dinner to discuss plans or events of the day was great. Maybe we take these things into consideration when planning the next one.

Now if we could just decide on a location for the next one:)

Maybe I'm missing something but I never see the annual ride becoming one that would be operated as a tour requiring pre -payment for participation. This year everyone made their own hotel reservations, provided their own transportation, etc. I see this more like a chance for people to meet, ride and enjoy each other's company and I hope we keep it this way.

I feel we learned a lot from this year's ride about riding styles and other preferences. You'll never be able to plan one program where everyone will be happy. I think the separate rides according to preferences and abilities was great. Meeting at breakfast and dinner to discuss plans or events of the day was great. Maybe we take these things into consideration when planning the next one.

Now if we could just decide on a location for the next one:)

Hi Beverly,
The tour Organizer or Organizers can be sued in the event of an accident. Nobody starts out to want to do that but wait until some lawyer gets involved. Denver Fox alluded to that also and he is right. Some of us have an Umbrella Insurance Policy but why should I expose my Insurance to risk such as this?
---------------------
Getting a good motel rate requires knowing how many people attend and get a package. You can get a rate of 50% of normal if you plan ahead and book at one motel.
---------------------
Popping into a restaurant with a large group without reservations is asking for trouble. I do have a bit experience with that.
----------------------
Planning such things take time and money. Of course we can find some good people with time and money at their hands but I am suggesting to help them out a bit with financial commitment.
It may well be that many will not attend because of that but they dropped out anyway, did they not?

The timing was, if I recall correctly, the primary reason we didn't make it. Late August is after the public schools start. Mrs. Mono is a teacher.

Hi Beverly,
The tour Organizer or Organizers can be sued in the event of an accident. Nobody starts out to want to do that but wait until some lawyer gets involved. Denver Fox alluded to that also and he is right. Some of us have an Umbrella Insurance Policy but why should I expose my Insurance to risk such as this?
---------------------
Getting a good motel rate requires knowing how many people attend and get a package. You can get a rate of 50% of normal if you plan ahead and book at one motel.
---------------------
Popping into a restaurant with a large group without reservations is asking for trouble. I do have a bit experience with that.
----------------------
Planning such things take time and money. Of course we can find some good people with time and money at their hands but I am suggesting to help them out a bit with financial commitment.
It may well be that many will not attend because of that but they dropped out anyway, did they not?

I see your point, Will and I agree with many of them.

Our club often provides insurance coverage to non-cycling organizations when they hold a bike event. Many of the festivals in the area include a bike ride and the planning organization uses our insurance to cover any injuries on the ride. The only requirement is the ride must be listed with our club. I'm sure other members belong to a cycling club that could provide the same. Our club charges $2.00 per participant in the event.

Contacting a motel/hotel for a discount rate generally doesn't require any up-front money. They do want to know how many rooms since they need to block them during that time period. I'm not sure if putting down a deposit would result in a larger discount. Does anyone know if there was up-front money involved for the Caravan Inn?

I would never expect to take a large group to a restaurant without reservations....been there, done that:o

I think there have been some good suggestions from the group and I'm sure we can work out the details. Now....where will the next one be:thumb:

"Contacting a motel/hotel for a discount rate generally doesn't require any up-front money. They do want to know how many rooms since they need to block them during that time period. I'm not sure if putting down a deposit would result in a larger discount. Does anyone know if there was up-front money involved for the Caravan Inn? "

No up-front $$ was involved.

Personally, I would not want to take on the bookkeeping, potential tax (FICA, W/C, Unemployment, etc.) liabilities, etc., involved in receiving funds for any efforts put forth in advance for planning a ride.

It seems to me that if there is enough interest, the planning hat could be passed around.

However, I strongly agree with Will abaout the liability issues. We had made arrangements for LAB to cover us, and it would have been a relatively easy thing to do, at less than $5.00 per person.

At the last moment, the person in charge of this aspect could not make the ride (and bring the paperwork), and I was swamped with a lot of other things going on in my life, and did not follow through, preferring a simpler route. However, that was not the best route, and was a calculated gamble.

On the other topic, (where will the next ride be) there are lots of other options here in Colorado.

1. Basing at Frisco (9,000 feet), and riding the many mountain paved trails. Keystone, Breckenridge, Loveland Pass, Vail Pass, all the way past Vail and out to Avon - all on trails (except Loveland Pass, which is a low use road, heavily frequented by bicyclists).


2. Basing in Denver, and riding the hundreds of miles of interconnected trails - including a Century with only a few street crossings, etc.

There are also trails in Winter Park - Berthoud Pass, etc.

ANyway, one might want to keep these in mind for future rides.

The timing was, if I recall correctly, the primary reason we didn't make it. Late August is after the public schools start. Mrs. Mono is a teacher.

Same situation for Mrs. Road Fan, but my reason for backing out was the increased activity in my job search - higher priority.

I love Denver, CO and will probably retire there if we have any $$ left, and I know there are hundreds of ride options available associated with the city, the Parker area, down towards Castle Rock, and really all over the Front Range. I know travel distance can be a major factor. I may or may not have a job, and if I do it may or may not afford me adequate time off to drive there and back with bike(s), ride, socialize, enjoy et cetera. Having the next one in the Midwest, Ontario, Smokies, Appalachia, or the Northeast would afford me a much easier (8 hr one way) travel proposition this time, but of course it shifts the burden others will experience. I also hesitate to call this a proposal because I need to think about if I am volunteering to be the central organizer.

I completely empathize with Denver. I've been part of groups that put on national and international conventions. The myriad of details can almost literally drive one crazy. With that foundation may I make a couple suggestions?

-Have a committed committee to do the work. The committee needs to include Denver unless he can resolve all his decision making to paper.

-While I did invite y'all to come up here and I'm sure others would like the ride in their locale the Denver area is probably the best geographically and for ride selection.

-Late August, but before school starts, is a wonderful time both for weather and for fitting into most people's plans.

-Regardless of age different folks have different abilities and desires. Those need to be accomodated.

-It is important that two things be known in advance. First, that the ride is actually going to happen. Second, that the number of participants be known. That means there needs to be an advance financial commitment by the participants. That way the participants know that the event will happen and the planners know that all the fixed expenses will be covered. Plus, the psychology is that if people put up some money they are more likely to actually show.

-Denver has done, from what I can read, a wonderful job of getting the event started. Now maybe it is time to formalize it a bit, eh?

I will help with the planning of the next annual ride if it is in Florida in the Winter. As I said on the other thread I think during the winter close to Christmas would be a good time as it would give those from cold climates some winter riding in nice weather. I am located near the Withlacoochee trail and have plenty of planning knowledge and help here locally if you all are interested.

I will help with the planning of the next annual ride if it is in Florida in the Winter. As I said on the other thread I think during the winter close to Christmas would be a good time as it would give those from cold climates some winter riding in nice weather. I am located near the Withlacoochee trail and have plenty of planning knowledge and help here locally if you all are interested.

Just for myself, driving across the country from Colorado in December can be a bit dicey. Also, Christmas time is extremely busy. My singing group will be doing about 12 performances in December, and we always want to be with family around the Christmas time.

We would prefer spring, when flowers are blooming and we could do a pretty tour through Kentucky and some other pretty southern states.

However, others need to speak up.

And, we may not be able to come, anyway.

I understand that near Christmas may not work, I was just thinking a lot of people vacation then. Maybe Late February or early March would work for more people. Denver, Why don't you do one of those polls that you are so well known for and maybe find out where, when, people would be interested in the 2nd annual 50 plus ride.

I understand that near Christmas may not work, I was just thinking a lot of people vacation then. Maybe Late February or early March would work for more people. Denver, Why don't you do one of those polls that you are so well known for and maybe find out where, when, people would be interested in the 2nd annual 50 plus ride.

Nope but thanks for the suggestion. I am formally bowing out of the process. I will be pleased to offer what I have learned (in fact, I already have in another thread).

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=582491

My thought is that there has to be more than one person willing to take the leadership, or the activity will neither be worthwhile nor successful - nor much needed.

I sincerely hope the rides continue, and that there are folks willing to step forward.

Thanks for your interest and input.

I will help with the planning of the next annual ride if it is in Florida in the Winter. As I said on the other thread I think during the winter close to Christmas would be a good time as it would give those from cold climates some winter riding in nice weather. I am located near the Withlacoochee trail and have plenty of planning knowledge and help here locally if you all are interested.

Well, if nothing works, you and I can get together and have a mini meeting. We are residing in Hernando from December until end of March.
Perhaps we can get some others to join us?:)

I understand that near Christmas may not work, I was just thinking a lot of people vacation then. Maybe Late February or early March would work for more people. Denver, Why don't you do one of those polls that you are so well known for and maybe find out where, when, people would be interested in the 2nd annual 50 plus ride.

Florida in December sounds good but it's a busy month with the family and friends.

Will, I live 7 miles from Hernando straight down the path on 486 so we can get together for sure and talk about the next ride. Maybe coffee at the chicken king.

Beverly, you could bring some of them with you.

I will start a new post with a poll in it later on and get more ideas from others.

Will, I live 7 miles from Hernando straight down the path on 486 so we can get together for sure and talk about the next ride. Maybe coffee at the chicken king.

Beverly, you could bring some of them with you.

I will start a new post with a poll in it later on and get more ideas from others.

The plot thickens. Artmo lives in FL and I am sure would be interested. I think we can get a bunch of Floridans and Snowbirds together.:D

Beverly, you could bring some of them with you.



A few friends and I are hoping to do Bike Florida the end of March. It will be nice to get away from the midwest winter.

The only one in my immediate family who rides is my grandson and I wouldn't even try to keep up with him:( He and a friend often do 100 miles on the Little Miami Scenic trail.

I'm another teacher. That means I have time to drive to far-off places for events like this, but only between the middle of June and the middle of August. I'd like to see a ride in this time window out west somewhere. I'm on the central coast of California. I've gone as far as Seattle for a ride, and was going to go to Great Falls, Montana this summer for a tour until life's circumstances got in the way.

As for that, life often interferes with the best intentions, but if I decided to do something like a 50+ ride, I'd guess there'd be a 75% chance I'd actually show up. That's probably par for the course. If so, if 75% of the people who said they were coming actually showed up, it would probably be a pretty successful ride. How big would you want this thing to get, anyway?

So what are we really talking about here?

1. Two days' ride routes with maybe 30 and 50 mile distance options. Too short?
2. Lodging for out-of-town participants.
3. Meal venues for 2 full days + one evening and one breakfast.
4. Administrative - registration/insurance/legal requirements.

Have I missed anything?

An east coast gathering would be more doable for me.

There are a couple factors that probably should be taken into consideration:

-Just what kind of project should this be: Casual or Formal?

If it is a casual get together with everyone doing their own thing and just gathering for a meal or two and a ride that is a much different thing than a more structured event.
(From experience I know people are not as willing to spend time and money getting to a distant casual event because there is no assurance it will even happen. In another sport I once spent a good deal of time and money getting to such an activity only to find the locals had decided they'd rather do something else that weekend. Without them we were just a bunch of out-of-towners who didn't know our way around stumbling around trying to make the best of the situation.)


-What participants do you want?

As relative newbie to this cycling thing I have been amazed at the competitive culture and how pervasive it is. Being "dropped", whatever that is, seems to be a sin ranking up there with stealing the Pope's ring. On the other hand I've been able to find people to ride with who like a bit friendly competition but for whom the real core is the fellowship while getting some good exercise. These are two different rider populations.

-Geographical location will have a major, if not deciding, effect on who can participate.

As I posted earlier due to logistics of moving bikes around I'm pretty well limited to where it makes sense for me to ride. While the magnitude may be different I'm sure the same factors impact others.

-Timing

Generally speaking July and August are The Months for this kind of recreatiional activity.

I missed this one due to health and if my problems persist will miss the next one. Did several casual get togethers for many years on MC's and they worked great. Only injuries stopped the MC about 4 years ago. I live North West of Chicago but distance isn't a problem thats what carriers are for LOL.
Mostly we operated out of camp grounds then it was much cheaper and fun when we were younger
The wife now demands a warm bed and restruants lol.

Well just rambling but if there is anyone in the group from the wisc or minn area , two area's we did then were kettle morain in wisc and lake superior area in minn. both have a lot of trails available.

I'm hoping they get me back riding, sitting on my back side is not at all fun. If I do and get back in shape will look forward to meeting everyone.

Will, I live 7 miles from Hernando straight down the path on 486 so we can get together for sure and talk about the next ride. Maybe coffee at the chicken king.

Beverly, you could bring some of them with you.

I will start a new post with a poll in it later on and get more ideas from others.

Just want to add my 2 cents worth here. I live in Altamonte Springs (just NW of Orlando). I think the Withlacoochee Trail is by far the best trail in Fl. For some variety people could ride The James Van Fleet (flat stright but lots of wildlife early in the morning) and The South Lake Trail/West Orange (pretty scenic). Some driving would be involved to do these trails (my guess is about one hour or less to the South Lake Trail and less than that to the James Van Fleet). Another possible ride would be the Sugar Loaf Mt road ride for those who have a need to climb. Depending on the time of year a ride to the Lake Ridge Winery is a good ride. At any rate that is just my thoughts for now and i would be available to assist in the planning and development of a ride in Florida.
:cheers:

Sounds like a 50+ "Snowbird Rendesvous" is developing down south. As a veteran of "Ride One" I do think it might be better to think of these things as multi-day gatherings (where rides might break out) than "rides". Or maybe gatherings with intent to ride? Just a thought....

The plot thickens. Artmo lives in FL and I am sure would be interested. I think we can get a bunch of Floridans and Snowbirds together.:D

Oh, darn, Will, you noticed where I live:) We finally arrived home last evening.

Yes, I would be willing to get involved in the organization in FL, but my preference would be around April/May when it's not too hot and there's no risk of frost!! My asthmatic lungs don't work too well in cold air. Organizational meetings would give me an opportunity to ride the Withlacoochee with you. I'll start training now:)


I like the Mt. Dora area which has a mixture of flat and hilly areas (yes, we have hills) with quiet roads, and Mt. Dora itself is a nice little town with a number of hostelries and shops. http://www.whattodoinmtdora.com/?gclid=CPq8zv2g6JwCFQtM2god5HmDjA

Oh, darn, Denver, you noticed where I live:) We finally arrived home last evening.

Yes, I would be willing to get involved in the organization in FL, but my preference would be around April/May when it's not too hot and there's no risk of frost!! My asthmatic lungs don't work too well in cold air. Organizational meetings would give me an opportunity to ride the Withlacoochee with Will. I'll start training now:)


I like the Mt. Dora area which has a mixture of flat and hilly areas (yes, we have hills) with quiet roads, and Mt. Dora itself is a nice little town with a number of hostelries and shops. http://www.whattodoinmtdora.com/?gclid=CPq8zv2g6JwCFQtM2god5HmDjA



Artmo, you have your work cut out.
Withlacoochee State Trail is my speciality. I trained on it for both CC tours. I get 19 MPH average biking time on it for the 96 miles round trip. That includes slowing down for all the intersections. My friend Don down there (lives on the trail in Floral City) has no trouble dropping me with a Madone and his Recumbent both. He is an animal.:D I clocked him at over 27 MPH repeatedly.
Regarding the temperature. The mornings can be nippy. Noon temperatures are never below F60 in March. You should be able to do the 100 miles from noon to 6:00 PM. Just a little guideline for your training on your island with your buddies.;)

Okay, here are some ideas for the next ride. this is not an all inclusive list or complete plan, just some ideas

Pre-ride:
Make arrangements with local lodging establishments for out of town guests. This would include a reduced rate and a choice of price ranges. Also would include local B&B and nearest campground for any campers.

Make arrangements to assure we have proper and affordable insurance coverage.

Send all prospective attendees lists of route options including pace options.
This would include some nice hilly rides through pleasant neighborhoods on great roads.
It would also include some rides with the local club on their regular scheduled rides and with the riders you would feel comfortable with their pace.
There would of course be a century option.

Day 1: Meet for breakfast and introductions at restaurant.
Everyone split up into (prearranged) groups and ride the route they choose for the morning or entire day.
First evening meet for cookout.

Day 2: Entire group go out on Crystal River on rented pontoon boats and or kayaks for manatee watching, snorkeling and swimming.
Day 2 evening: go with local riders on choice of 25 or 40 mile ride with paces from leiserly to OMG I hope I can keep up or just enjoy the great trail on your own.

Day 3: travel about one hour or less and ride on another local trail or go on local back road tour, again with those you feel comfortable pace. You can even see where Ted Williams lived.

Day 4: Open day for whatever you wish.

Day 5: Repeat of day one with group farewell dinner.

Artmo, you have your work cut out.
Withlacoochee State Trail is my speciality. I trained on it for both CC tours. I get 19 MPH average biking time on it for the 96 miles round trip. That includes slowing down for all the intersections. My friend Don down there (lives on the trail in Floral City) has no trouble dropping me with a Madone and his Recumbent both. He is an animal.:D I clocked him at over 27 MPH repeatedly.
Regarding the temperature. The mornings can be nippy. Noon temperatures are never below F60 in March. You should be able to do the 100 miles from noon to 6:00 PM. Just a little guideline for your training on your island with your buddies.;)


I was just kidding, Will. I have no intention of killing myself just to stay with you. As previously discussed, you need rest days then you might go faster:D

Artmo, you have your work cut out.
Withlacoochee State Trail is my speciality. I trained on it for both CC tours. I get 19 MPH average biking time on it for the 96 miles round trip. That includes slowing down for all the intersections. My friend Don down there (lives on the trail in Floral City) has no trouble dropping me with a Madone and his Recumbent both. He is an animal.:D I clocked him at over 27 MPH repeatedly.
Regarding the temperature. The mornings can be nippy. Noon temperatures are never below F60 in March. You should be able to do the 100 miles from noon to 6:00 PM. Just a little guideline for your training on your island with your buddies.;)

Why, oh why, can't we all just be friends? :innocent:

I would like to 2nd billydonn.

The thing is, if you plan on attracting folks from the 50+ forum, there is a tremendous more amount of variability in skills, etc., than if one were to go on a typical group ride where folks self-select a ride because it matches their ability - or at least presumed ability. So, various ride options AND social periods of time are important, IMHO.

If you want to duplicate having a century or something similar for the 50+ forum, that is an entirely different matter.

I would think one would want to set the objectives of a 50+ "riding gathering" as a priority, prior to deciding on a ride/location/activity.

This has not yet been done.

Just my 2 cents. I will try to back out and shut up!!

Thanks

I agree with this, and I think it is much higher priority than whatever you were attempting to accomplish by backing out of the discussion several postings ago. I'm glad you haven't backed out yet.

I agree with this, and I think it is much higher priority than whatever you were attempting to accomplish by backing out of the discussion several postings ago. I'm glad you haven't backed out yet.

Hey, I can weazel out if I want to!! :)

Seriously, I need to reduce some stuff I am doing. I am sponsoring some significant legislative stuff in CO, and still doing volunteer work nationally. Our petition

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/noewait/signatures.html

just passed 10,000 responses, and we have over 200 poignant parent stories (selected from over 2,000) from across the country. Somehow we need to put it all together in a unique message to congress. Anyone out there got graphic skills, and need a volunteer opportunity?

We are actively seeking 100 volunteer state coordinators, developing a massive email list process, etc.

I think I have made my thoughts pretty clear, and, as previously stated, will be pleased to offer any suggestions.

Why, oh why, can't we all just be friends? :innocent:

Arthur and Don,
German Humor.:D

Why, oh why, can't we all just be friends? :innocent:

What gives you the impression that we are not?

I'm definitely out of the "organization" loop. I tried to organize a bikeforums.net 50+ ride in SoCal and while lots of folks said they'd be there, on the day of the event no one showed up (well, except me).

Of course this was just supposed to be one ride, so no motels or meals or anything else to set up.

Good to hear you had lots better results on your event! Next year is a maybe depending on when and where. FL is too far, but I'm open to other locations.

Rick / OCRR