Author Topic: Sportive Website Content – A Debate (Read 5152 times)

KidsCan · « **on:** 02 March, 2011, 10:30:38 am »

Hi Everyone,
As you know we’re organising PEAK 100 – Peak 100 Spring Classic Sportive | KidsCan Charity Cycling Event – a brand new spring classic cycle sportive. We have already had a great success with The Macc Monster in 2010 - The Macc Monster - Home - and we’re hoping to emulate that success with this event, before repeating The M.M. again.
As you can see both event have their own dedicated websites which I believe is the norm for sportives.
What I would love to know is this:
When you look on Sportive websites, does video content sway you into whether you sign up, or is it just a nice addition?

We’re hoping to shoot some footage of the route for PEAK 100, but I was just curious as to what keen cyclists such as yourselves thought about this!
I’d really appreciate some feedback.
Many Thanks,

KidsCan

vorsprung · « **Reply #1 on:** 02 March, 2011, 10:36:09 am »

I think that video is a good addition to an information site about an event

I am hoping to add a video to my event site (Avalon 400 audax)this year

Jaded · « **Reply #2 on:** 02 March, 2011, 10:53:37 am »

Looks like you have tall thin riders on your sportives!

KidsCan · « **Reply #3 on:** 02 March, 2011, 11:37:19 am »

Hi Jaded,

Is that us or Vorsprung who have tall thin riders?

AndyH · « **Reply #4 on:** 02 March, 2011, 12:43:55 pm »

I agree with vorsprung that it is a good informational addition, however it wouldn't really sway me one way or the other.

Ray 6701 · « **Reply #5 on:** 02 March, 2011, 12:54:12 pm »

Quote from: KidsCan on 02 March, 2011, 11:37:19 am

Hi Jaded,

Is that us or Vorsprung who have tall thin riders?

I think Jaded's remark was made to you KidsCan.

Jaded · « **Reply #6 on:** 02 March, 2011, 01:36:50 pm »

Yes, it was a reference to the incorrect aspect ratio

The compression is pretty harsh and I'd expect an event that was selling itself as slick to make a better fist of the video. How did you put it together?

KidsCan · « **Reply #7 on:** 02 March, 2011, 01:49:48 pm »

Quote from: Jaded on 02 March, 2011, 01:36:50 pm

Yes, it was a reference to the incorrect aspect ratio

The compression is pretty harsh and I'd expect an event that was selling itself as slick to make a better fist of the video. How did you put it together?

To be honest, we were trying to keep costs at a bare minimum in order to maximise the amount of money raised by the charity.

The video was created by me hanging out of my colleagues car window with a hand held camera filming Andy from Peak Cyclesport in Macclesfield as we went round the course! Not that you can tell of course...

It's not exactly Ridley Scott standard of production value, but it hopefully gave you a bit of an idea of the Macc Monster course!

I'm not too sure how else we could have filmed to be honest.
Any ideas?

mattc · « **Reply #8 on:** 02 March, 2011, 01:55:19 pm »

Anyone care to guess what %ge of Audaxes have been route-checked by motor vehicle?

(You can't start a thread with "Debate" in the title without someone having a dig of some kind

)

Jaded · « **Reply #9 on:** 02 March, 2011, 01:57:55 pm »

It isn't the footage, it is how it has been put up on the site. The aspect ratio is wrong and it has been compressed with the wrong codec, so looks poor. Unless the original footage is that poor, in which case i wouldn't use it.

DanialW · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 March, 2011, 02:30:01 pm »

How can something be brand new and a classic?

vorsprung · « **Reply #11 on:** 02 March, 2011, 02:40:15 pm »

Quote from: Danial Webb on 02 March, 2011, 02:30:01 pm

How can something be brand new and a classic?

In the context of sportives "classic" does not mean "of or adhering to an established set of artistic or scientific standards or methods" it means "of the first or highest quality, class, or rank"

It's a claim made that the sportive is really good, honest. Because we say so

The MDC "Dartmoor Classic Sportive" is the same, it's only been around a couple of years

Whereas you know that the Bryan Chapman "Classic" route is a classic in all senses

AndyH · « **Reply #12 on:** 02 March, 2011, 03:05:49 pm »

Quote from: mattc on 02 March, 2011, 01:55:19 pm

Anyone care to guess what %ge of Audaxes have been route-checked by motor vehicle?

No idea. Would it be OK to do mine by Tractor ?

Quote from: Danial Webb on 02 March, 2011, 02:30:01 pm

How can something be brand new and a classic?

Or Fiat 500 perhaps ?

Tend to agree with Jaded. If you are to use video it'll only work if it's high quality. One of the best I've seen is a helmet / bike mounted cam of a recumbent doing the Llanberis pass in Snowdonia. It actually caught the feeling of being on the bike, so that may be something to try. Was that Charlotte? Hopefully someone will be along to post the link

EDIT - this http://bicycleslut.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/snowdons-pen-y-pass-on-a-low-racer-recumbent/. Took a few minutes to find because when I typed bicycle slut into Google my company's firewall through a hissy fit

SlowCoach · « **Reply #13 on:** 02 March, 2011, 05:23:27 pm »

Quote from: AndyH on 02 March, 2011, 03:05:49 pm

Took a few minutes to find because when I typed bicycle slut into Google my company's firewall through a hissy fit

You mean that someone has set the filter up to object to the word 'bicycle' !!! That's a pretty savage take on censorship

Euan Uzami · « **Reply #14 on:** 02 March, 2011, 09:11:22 pm »

Much as it would be a shame to sacrifice the amount of actual scenery captured on the film, I think the biggest single way of making it look more 'professional' without increasing the budget for making the video would be to have the camera stationary and filming riders going past.
Nice as it is to see the road, it would be more 'slick' if you eliminated the wobbliness caused by the fact that you are obviously holding the camera in your hand.
Either do that, or find a way of actually attaching the camera to the car in some way.
Don't get me wrong, what you've done is what I would prefer to see, but if you are trying to raise as much money for charity rather than attract the sort of people you want to attract then you need as many of the fickle proles as possible to enter which means you need to make it 'slick' and have 'wow' factor, rather than maximizing descriptive value to the connoisseur.

DanialW · « **Reply #15 on:** 02 March, 2011, 10:20:54 pm »

Quote from: vorsprung on 02 March, 2011, 02:40:15 pm

It's a claim made that the sportive is really good, honest. Because we say so

You can't really go wrong in the Peak District. Point your bike the right way and pedal. Voila! Classic bike ride. I've been pulling that trick for five years, and nobody's spotted it yet.

KidsCan · « **Reply #16 on:** 09 March, 2011, 01:29:33 pm »

Hi everyone

I just want to say thank you for all your fantastic feedback.

We've got over 50 riders so far and I'm sure we'll get the rush of riders like we did for The Macc Monster the closer we get to the date.

Here's to a great event!

Many thanks,

KidsCan

YahudaMoon · « **Reply #17 on:** 09 March, 2011, 01:37:27 pm »

Hi. out of interest Kidsscan" How much 'actual money' went to the charity after all the admin n wages were paid to organise the event ? Thanks.

Bendy Bianchi · « **Reply #18 on:** 09 March, 2011, 08:27:25 pm »

KidsCan,

Please PM me with a copy of Kidscans latest audited financial accounts so we can assess how much of the entry fee actually goes to charity.

thanks

Bendy Bianchi · « **Reply #19 on:** 09 March, 2011, 08:37:19 pm »

No need, I found the info. In the 2009 financial year they took in £184k and paid out £102k in payroll with a total cost base of £135k. So of every £1 entry fee then circa 60p goes straight down the toilet on costs.

Of the remaining £50k a further £21k was paid to the university of salford to also pay someones wages there.

Quote from: Bendy Bianchi on 09 March, 2011, 08:27:25 pm

KidsCan,

Please PM me with a copy of Kidscans latest audited financial accounts so we can assess how much of the entry fee actually goes to charity.

thanks

Author Topic: Sportive Website Content – A Debate (Read 5152 times)

AndyH

DanialW

AndyH

Euan Uzami

DanialW