Horribly Hilly Hundreds has gone to all lottery
 

We knew this day would come. Saying the demand for the 1300 spots was immense is an understatement. Should be interesting to see how this pans out. I'll toss my name in the hat.
Will you?

It's going to be a straight lottery process, with no preference for previous participants, correct?

Too big for its britches?

One thing that should not factor is previous participation. Previous participation sours new riders when the ride fills up those who have done it before.

If you've ridden it and want to ride it again, volunteer for this year's ride. That will get you a slot in next year's. And you'll be helping keep the ride rolling along.

Correct. Read the latest post dated yesterday. Lottery window is Jan 17-28th.

I see no updated comment on volunteering...if the old policy still holds true. It'd be suicide not to continue that.

maybe there should be a sunday ride as well. provides an opportunity for 1300 more people to ride it...

I was thinking the same thing.

Should be interesting. I wonder if you will be able to do groups so that if you are traveling from say Michigan with friends that if one gets in you all get in.

You never know they might change there mind again. I never thought copying anything off the HHH Blog or News page, but they had changed it last month and they deleted the old Blog or News post which gave past riders automatic entry in. They seem to turn this ride into more work for them selves than it has to, just to get it filled. I understand doing a lottery but don't post one thing and change your mind. If a person really wants to do the ride they should have to pay for the lottery spot up front. If you win a lottery spot and decide not to do the ride. You can't enter the lottery next year. It doesn't seem right that you take up a lottery spot if you might not want to do it. If people put the money in its a real decision I'm going to do the ride. Not well it depends if my other 7 friends get into. After just going back and reading the last blog on HHH site. I wonder why a high speed internet connection is such a huge advantage to enter the ride. They are giving a 12 day period to sign up for the lottery why? The same people that complain about high speed connection need 12 days to enter lottery? Then again why does it take someone 18 days to register on Active.com. Will they offer more spots up if 200 or 300 people that won in the lottery don't want to do it. I think if they required people to pay upfront it would cut down on no pays. I understand using active.com gives them all there info in a typed up DATA form, but if it was the old send your entry form way you could say max of six entries per envelope any overlaps in entries means automatic out of ride for both envelopes. With the mail in entry form include a self addressed stamped envelope and your check to pay for ride. NO CHECK NO ENTRY. With the self addressed envelopes of lottery winners they send a congratulations message with your registration card, non winners get the "Dear John Letter" and check. I just think a lot of people are going to enter lottery and not follow through with registering. Not sure if I'm going to enter lottery or not I might be blacklisted after this.

I spent so much time on my comments you posted before me. That is why there should be a way to register as groups. This is why I think this system isn't going to work out as great as they think. That is why an envelope method where they start at 1300 spots pull envelope. There might be a max of 6 per. team or just 1 entry. Work your way down to 0 then you know that the 1300 that got in will want do do it with some that they signed up with.

Hey Fred, I'd stay up there and ride your own hills if I were you, they are prettier anyway plus all the water! The Michigan Riviera, nothing like it!

I hope they do the group thing too. They could learn a thing or two from the folks at Ride the Rockies.

"Group Entries:
If you're planning to ride with friends or family, you may apply as a group up to ten people. If the group is selected, everyone in the group will be accepted."

and

"Lottery Amendment:
NEW! Beginning in 2011 a weighted lottery system will go into effect. This system gives applicants who have had the misfortune of never being selected or rarely being selected a greater chance/opportunity to eventually experience the wonders of Ride The Rockies."

Group entries invite the abuse of registering for more entries than you need.

and that's also another 1300 riders paying for registration. having two rides back to back seems like it would be relatively simple since the course is already marked...

I agree with you is some way, but it still comes down to pay for your spot to enter lottery. If you win your in. Max 6 entries per a envelope. I wonder why "Powerball" or "Megamillions" lottery makes you pay to enter. It would be so much easier just to see if you had the right numbers first then you could pay for the winning ticket. Right now a person could sign there whole family up for the "HHH" lottery with the intention they only need 1 spot. If you had to pay for the spot in the "HHH" lottery and you won 4 spots its your problem. You have 4 spots and are out the entry fee for those 4 spots. The "HHH" organizers would have all of there money the day they do the lottery. They could take there checks to the bank. No waiting to see how many that won lottery will register, not there problem. They could do transfers for the lottery winners for a fee.

The only thing that would be relatively simple is the course is marked and everything else that is set-up in the park. If there is another 1300 people there to preregister on Saturday. There will be how many people driving around looking at the course as the Saturday ride is going on. You would need the volunteers to give up another day of there time or twice as many volunteers. I am not sure how many people stay overnight on Saturday, but there would be that overlap. I don't think it is as simple as it seems. The "HHH" organizers put a lot of effort into this ride. They could still use some more help in certain areas. The ride is great, but the registration area is where they are struggling with. Keep it a 1 day ride.

This will happen, but will cause more problems than it solves. From the HHH blog ( http://horriblyhilly.blogspot.com/ ): "A GUARANTEE: If the routes of this event are overrun with a larger than approved number of cyclists, local authorities and townships will put an end to the Horribly Hilly Hundreds".

The real solution, if declined entry, is to ride the route on another day, I've done it solo & unsupported and putting together a group would not be that hard.

Also, remember that the Dairyland Dare Gran Fondo Wisconsin ( http://www.dairylanddare.com/ ) offers great routes in the same area, great support and has not turned away cyclist who register on time.

Michael

A nice thought since when doing the actual event, one has to use some restraint as it's easy to get caught up in the pace of the masses...one that may be out of your comfort zone thereby possibly setting you up to bonk.

That was my main reason for the solo ride. I used a heart rate monitor to develop a pace that would keep me going.

One solution seems obvious ... raise prices. demand exceeds supply.

I volunteered last year, so I plan to ride this year. I'll volunteer this year too, so ...

IMO, "joining in unsupported" in a paid/organized event is not cool. It's freeloading and taking advantage of the event, even if you don't use the rest stops. When paid participants see freeloaders wildcatting alongside them, it feels unfair. Like Barrett said, ride a different day. (BFNIC Double or Nothing?) If riding a different day is less appealing, that proves the "event experience" has value and should in fairness be paid for.

Blue Mound park is public. Festige park is public. The roads are public. The guy who owns the house at the Hwy K stop encourages riders to stop anytime.

If the organizers can't control the crowd and "freeloaders", that's their problem. Honestly, I don't know why that ride fills and others in the area don't. The food sucks.

Yes, it's an event people pay to participate in, using public roads and spaces.

In my book it's still bad form to freeload. Maybe it's principle or maybe it's just my "social inhibitions" that prevent me from considering it. I live around here, and I'd see people I know. For me, the fact that I would not want to get caught wildcatting means it's something I shouldn't do. YMMV.

Suppose you're picnicking in a public park and you see a big private party nearby (which someone got a permit to hold). If you go over and join it, sure you're in a public park, but you're still a party crasher.

Speaking of which, is BFNIC doing its Double or Nothing in Cross Plains on 5/28? That's a party I would like to crash again. And what about New Glarus in April?

I'm saying the organizers of the event are going to piss people off with the lottery and have a high risk of party crashers. And if I were throwing a large party with permits, i could care less about crashers as long as they are not eating any of my crappy food.

New Glarus sounds good. Much more casual though.

IMHO, A full lottery should piss off fewer people than the registration problems people have had over the last 4 years. Between spending 2 hours (2007) trying to register and the last 2 years where registration opened 5-10 minutes early and the event filled up within 10 minutes, I'd say those conditions would be more likely to make people angry than a lottery.

I'm also hopeful that the lottery will give the organizers more data about exactly how large the demand is for the HHH. Perhaps with that data, they can approach the communities (Vermont Township) and propose increasing the ridership from 1300 for subsequent years in exchange for $$$ or a county property tax credit.

One thing is for sure though, people NOT paying for the HHH will not improve the opinion of the event by the surrounding communities.

Agreed. The registration day website is kind of a lottery in itself. I've been on the losing end of that situation, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.