Author Topic: [LEL17] LEL Suggestions Box  (Read 48838 times)

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #50 on: 04 August, 2017, 07:38:50 pm »
As a rider with a diminishing cognitive capability along the ride, only being able to track individuals and session security errors etc was a real pain.  I wanted to know where the rest of my team was as a minimum, were they alright? Were they asleep and if so for where/how long? (could we all catch up?) etc  It felt like all the components were there to resolve some real world user needs - at the moment, just less than 12 hours after finishing, the rider tracking has been taken down, luckily I have  a screen grab, but I can't check if friends made it etc.   (**ETA** Phil has now put up a provisional finisher's list :thumbsup: )

Having not seen the tracking in action as a rider I was disappointed not to be able to see my own tracking when I got home this afternoon  :-[ . I guess it will be available again at some point once the dust has settled :)

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #51 on: 04 August, 2017, 07:52:00 pm »
I confess to yelling out things along the lines of "FFS" a few times myself.

I swore like a bitch along there. The road was so bad it could have thrown riders under vehicles as they tried to remain upright. I must have caught it at rush hour as well as it was very busy. One of my worst cycling experiences. There was some moaning about the cycle path route into the control, I thought it was OK but the weather meant it was very muddy in places, I saw an Italian rider who had cycled into one of the bollards and broken his leg/collar bone, don't know how.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

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Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #52 on: 04 August, 2017, 08:24:44 pm »
I thought about providing cake at St Ives, but the sheer logistics of the number of tray bakes that we would have had to work on to feed 1500 riders twice (baking is labour intensive both in the cooking and the cleaning) put me off.  We settled for fruit salad instead which was still labour intensive but less than baking.  We did buy in flapjacks which we did ration (we didn't ration any of the hot food) as from past experience this was essential in ensuring that the later riders had a choice. 

Another thing we were asked for a lot was eggs, which again I shied away from in terms of labour intensity (at peak times controls can turn over 200 riders an hour which even with simple one pot food required 10 - 12 kitchen helpers (and more people even in a secondary school kitchen would be a challenge).  But my wife came up with the suggestion of Spanish omelette - Tortillas - which can be prepped in advance.
Eddington Numbers 130 (imperial), 182 (metric) 571 (furlongs)  114 (nautical miles)

CrinklyLion

  • The one with devious, cake-pushing ways....
Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #53 on: 04 August, 2017, 08:30:07 pm »
We had sponge most of the time in Barney, with optional custard.

One rider was distinctly grumpy with me that we only had one sort of cake.  As I say - can't do right for doing wrong.

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #54 on: 04 August, 2017, 08:36:57 pm »
We had sponge most of the time in Barney, with optional custard.

One rider was distinctly grumpy with me that we only had one sort of cake.  As I say - can't do right for doing wrong.

Yes, I had chocolate sponge at Barney, it was ace!! And thinking back I had fruit salad at several controls. So there were plenty of sweet things, I just remember thinking as I went round that there wasn't for some reason! I was craving sweet things at times TBH!! I can recommend the bakery in Barton upon Humber where I stopped at both directions to buy pastries and sweet goodies :)

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #55 on: 04 August, 2017, 08:41:32 pm »
One suggestion from me:

Presumably menus are agreed well in advance(?) and some labels to be placed in front of the pots would reduce the need for the volunteers to repeat the same information countless times.
Doesn't have to be translated into multiple languages - many of our foreign visitors understand the printed word more quickly than the variety of british accents from our 'United Nations' of volunteers.
Information about spicy/not spicy and which kind of dead animal/vegetarian/vegan would be a bonus.

Obviously no need to label single ingredient dishes like a tray of potatoes, rice, bacon or whatever - just the compound dishes.

I was next in the (very short) queues for food (at several different locations) to a foreign rider who struggled to understand the components of some dishes despite a few repeats; and I'm wondering if this idea might help keep longer queues to a minimum or whether the volunteers would find it reducing their interaction with riders too much?   

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #56 on: 04 August, 2017, 08:53:54 pm »
After the problems this time, I would suggest keeping the bag logging separate from the rider check in logs. The tracking system is brilliant, but perhaps it got a bit too integrated for its own good.

Also we had a few instances of having to contact other controls to get DNFs taken off of records. Perhaps that could be allowed by any control rather than just the one that DNF'd the rider?
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

ElyDave

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Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #57 on: 04 August, 2017, 08:54:24 pm »
I thought about providing cake at St Ives, but the sheer logistics of the number of tray bakes that we would have had to work on to feed 1500 riders twice (baking is labour intensive both in the cooking and the cleaning) put me off.  We settled for fruit salad instead which was still labour intensive but less than baking.  We did buy in flapjacks which we did ration (we didn't ration any of the hot food) as from past experience this was essential in ensuring that the later riders had a choice. 

Another thing we were asked for a lot was eggs, which again I shied away from in terms of labour intensity (at peak times controls can turn over 200 riders an hour which even with simple one pot food required 10 - 12 kitchen helpers (and more people even in a secondary school kitchen would be a challenge).  But my wife came up with the suggestion of Spanish omelette - Tortillas - which can be prepped in advance.

I'm amazed how much food we got out so quickly there, particularly on sunday where the kitchen was working flat out from before I got there at 0830 to when i left at 19:30 with 4 or 5 of us serving almost constantly.  Hope it all carried on smoothly through into Friday as well, I'd have liked to stay longer but just couldn't I'm afraid.

There was a lot went very right at St Ives from what I saw, thanks to great organisation by Phil, and yourself in the kitchens. 

We had a a regularly updated flipchart with a menu at st Ives, but still had to keep repeating everything. Some riders even struggled with "do you want that on a plate or bowl?". 
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Mr Larrington

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Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #58 on: 04 August, 2017, 09:00:32 pm »
We did put labels on the counter top at Barney, but seeing these would have required hungry riders to lift their eyes from the sight of large platters of nosh, so the experiment was not entirely successful ;D.

Apropos the Brampton water: I'd been chatting with a very polite and personable German chap during a quiet period on Tuesday afternoon before remembering that "Time Is Miles" and chasing him out of the control.  Two minutes later he was back asking where he could empty his bottles of foul Brampton-juice, and seemed quite taken aback at my helpful suggestion, viz. "Anywhere you like!"  I expect there are Rules about That Sort of Thing in Germany.
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Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #59 on: 04 August, 2017, 09:56:50 pm »
I reckon the event entry could be improved, rather than places being allocated to whoever could type the fastest to fill out the checkout forms the fastest I wonder if having entry via a ballot (a bit like RideLondon 100) would be more fair?

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #60 on: 04 August, 2017, 10:26:16 pm »
I reckon the event entry could be improved, rather than places being allocated to whoever could type the fastest to fill out the checkout forms the fastest I wonder if having entry via a ballot (a bit like RideLondon 100) would be more fair?

I think asking for one qualifying ride (not 4, just 1) would solve a great part of this problem, with the added benefit of filtering out many of the obviously unprepared riders that we had.

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #61 on: 04 August, 2017, 10:49:03 pm »
I reckon the event entry could be improved, rather than places being allocated to whoever could type the fastest to fill out the checkout forms the fastest I wonder if having entry via a ballot (a bit like RideLondon 100) would be more fair?

The guaranteed entry for Audax UK members worked well  :)

Mr Larrington

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Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #62 on: 05 August, 2017, 02:46:10 am »
Volunteers who get guaranteed entries next time round should:
  • Be allowed to carry over unused entries, and
  • Be allowed to flog them on ebay
I've got three now :demon:
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Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #63 on: 05 August, 2017, 08:45:31 am »
In addition to the volunteer t-shirts, a fleece or sweatshirt for those outside jobs when it's chilly.
I could have usefully used GlowSticks at the entrance to Spalding when the street lights went out.


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Fidgetbuzz

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Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #64 on: 05 August, 2017, 12:18:57 pm »
In addition to the volunteer t-shirts, a fleece or sweatshirt for those outside jobs when it's chilly.
I could have usefully used GlowSticks at the entrance to Spalding when the street lights went out.


Tapatalk puts this signature here, not me!

Do you not own a fleece or sweat shirt ?

Glowsticks .. that is for each control to organise .. not centrally .. but we might try to remember to remind them .
I was an accountant until I discovered Audax !!

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #65 on: 05 August, 2017, 01:34:32 pm »
Quote
Be allowed to carry over unused entries

Excellent idea. My 16 year old son volunteered with me and he'd probably prefer to use his entry at age 24 rather than 20.

Mr Larrington

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Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #66 on: 05 August, 2017, 02:49:28 pm »
In addition to the volunteer t-shirts, a fleece or sweatshirt for those outside jobs when it's chilly.
I could have usefully used GlowSticks at the entrance to Spalding when the street lights went out.

We also thought of glowsticks or, for directing riders into the control, those illuminated wands used by airport ground crews for telling A380s where to park.  We also had some solar-powered garden lights to guide people to the overspill sleeping hall, but I think these came out of alfapete's garden.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #67 on: 05 August, 2017, 03:04:37 pm »
We had led torches with an orange plastic cone on the end which did a good job of making them into the airport thingys. They worked well, especially on the 2-6am shift where I was pointing people at a gate set back from the road and in pitch darkness.
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

mmmmartin

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Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #68 on: 05 August, 2017, 03:30:52 pm »
Qualifiers: Nope, daft idea. Ain't gonna happen. Danial won't wear. End. Of.

How do you check? Some sort of document written in a language? किसी प्रकार की एक विदेशी भाषा में लिखा हुआ दस्तावेज़? Κάποιο είδος εγγράφου γραμμένο σε ξένη γλώσσα; เอกสารบางอย่างที่เขียนในภาษาต่างประเทศหรือไม่? Nithean seòrsa de sgrìobhainn sgrìobhte ann an cànan cèin?

It'd destroy the culture of plucky rider on their first audax. And don't try to tell me the problems come from newbies - some of the worst offenders are the arrogant elite alpha males with many victories under the belt who expect to be treated like royalty and get very uppity when their wheel can't be fixed quickly or the breakfast isn't up to five star hotel standards. Please - give me the enthusiastic amateur with dreams greater than their abilities and who is being very audacious.

And which problem are you trying to solve here? Reducing the problems faced by riders on a 1,400k trip to Scotland? Get outta here.

Entry: LEL is the easiest long audax to enter. It really is. All you need to do is volunteer and you have guaranteed entry. Easy. We'll have an event where most riders have volunteered and most volunteers have ridden. That's where we're going and it's a brilliant atmosphere. And the international flavour has been created by putting aside places for Johnny Foreigner. And many volunteers are linked to foreign riders so there's a foreign flavour to volunteering as well.

It ain't broke. don't fix it.
Besides, it wouldn't be audacious if success were guaranteed.

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #69 on: 05 August, 2017, 04:12:44 pm »
In addition to the volunteer t-shirts, a fleece or sweatshirt for those outside jobs when it's chilly.
I could have usefully used GlowSticks at the entrance to Spalding when the street lights went out.


Tapatalk puts this signature here, not me!

Do you not own a fleece or sweat shirt ?

I certainly do - I was thinking of the corporate style making it easier for riders to identify volunteers in the scrum that the bike parking / control entry could be on occasions.
I tried to wear a red long sleeved polo with the T-shirt over, or a red woolly jumper for this reason.


Tapatalk puts this signature here, not me!
Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

CrinklyLion

  • The one with devious, cake-pushing ways....
Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #70 on: 05 August, 2017, 04:18:10 pm »
Nobody seemed to struggle to identify that I was a volunteer despite my lack of corporate branding - I failed the size limit test, but stuck on a lanyard and a name badge and mucked in anyway :D

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #71 on: 05 August, 2017, 04:25:46 pm »
A few riders mistook me for a volunteer in my (partly red) Dennis the Menace top. Even when I didn't have a camera round my neck.

My favourite was at Innerleithen: a rider came in and said "no more. Kaput." I said "No - food there, then you go to Eskdalemuir". I saw him finish yesterday morning.

CrinklyLion

  • The one with devious, cake-pushing ways....
Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #72 on: 05 August, 2017, 05:18:40 pm »
And don't try to tell me the problems come from newbies - some of the worst offenders are the arrogant elite alpha males with many victories under the belt who expect to be treated like royalty and get very uppity when their wheel can't be fixed quickly or the breakfast isn't up to five star hotel standards.

One particular example springs to mind for me who took (probably literally) hours of volunteer time during his northbound visit.  I'll not name names cos he's probably mates with half of youse.  But I thought he was a complete nobber and therefore in my mind he will forever be "Mr High Maintenance".

Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #73 on: 05 August, 2017, 05:33:27 pm »
Oooh - do name names. We love to point, laugh, and tell people they're nobbers - especially when it means we're agreeing with you ...

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: LEL Suggestions Box
« Reply #74 on: 05 August, 2017, 05:36:28 pm »
Oooh - do name names. We love to point, laugh, and tell people they're nobbers - especially when it means we're agreeing with you ...

Much though I enjoy bitching, it lacks the excellence we strive to maintain here. Bitch in private if you must.