Author Topic: Choice of day for weekend events (Read 3089 times)

MAC · « **on:** 17 August, 2021, 11:09:34 am »

Hi all. I am planning a new, hilly (hopefully 4 AAA) 200km event, to take place on a Saturday or Sunday in spring/summer 2022 around the Trough of Bowland and Lancashire Moors. Concious non local riders will likely need accomodation for one night at least, i am looking at a start/finish venue with a nearby camp site and hostelry on site as well as a nearby Travelodge and Premier Inn. So, my question is: would you prefer a Saturday or Sunday ride? Cheers.

quixoticgeek · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 August, 2021, 11:34:50 am »

Quote from: MAC on 17 August, 2021, 11:09:34 am

Hi all. I am planning a new, hilly (hopefully 4 AAA) 200km event, to take place on a Saturday or Sunday in spring/summer 2022 around the Trough of Bowland and Lancashire Moors. Concious non local riders will likely need accomodation for one night at least, i am looking at a start/finish venue with a nearby camp site and hostelry on site as well as a nearby Travelodge and Premier Inn. So, my question is: would you prefer a Saturday or Sunday ride? Cheers.

Saturday. That gives a Sunday to recover before work on a Monday.

J

JonB · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 August, 2021, 11:48:13 am »

I always favour Saturday rides for the same reason as QG (this one isn't in my neck of the woods so it's unlikely I'll be riding it)

JanineDay · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 August, 2021, 12:09:45 pm »

Definitely Saturday for the same reasons above.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ivo · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 August, 2021, 12:48:42 pm »

Don't forget that there are also a lot of people who work on saturday so there also have to be sunday brevets.

Notfromrugby · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 August, 2021, 02:15:56 pm »

Down to control points... many businesses operate reduced hours on Sundays, making for a harder choice. If you don't have this problem, then Sundays are good. Less traffic, more chances of free parking in towns and at train stations and generally preferred by riders with young families.

RichForrest · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 August, 2021, 02:31:52 pm »

Don't think it really matters.
Some riders like the recovery day afterwards, some work Sat's, some work Sun's, some work nights and can't do Sat unless they take a Fri night off.
Some are lucky and work 9-5 Mon - Fri or are retired and can do all a lot of rides.
Trains are often better on a Sat for those who use them.
If a rider fancies doing the ride they will find a way and work round the Org.

Questions like this will give you an answer from all of the above groups and not likely help in your planning

Thank you for being an organiser though

Kim · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 August, 2021, 03:33:01 pm »

Venue availability may also be a factor...

I think if there wasn't a logistical reason for me as an organiser, and assuming the event isn't a one-off, I'd alternate days to make it accessible to more people.

Lightning Phil · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 August, 2021, 03:38:27 pm »

Some thoughts to add to above

Train tickets are often cheaper on Sat compared to Fri as generally less demand
Same with travelodge or Premier Inn. Cheaper on Sunday night.
Roads are quieter if someone has driven up Sat and drives back Mon morning. But Sat evening or Sun morn drive back quieter but busier if driving there Fri night.
As above if someone working Monday they might prefer a Sat. If they don’t work Monday then Sun might better suit. As per Rich, not everyone works Monday to Fri. So Sat may work or Sun may work or even mid week for them.

Organiser hat on. I prefer Saturdays as generally better train options / no engineering works and shop / food options are better.

Lightning Phil · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 August, 2021, 03:40:40 pm »

To add if making it a camp before / after option. Then it’s more of a full weekend anyway.

citoyen · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 August, 2021, 07:28:58 pm »

I don’t really mind - if the ride appeals to me, I’ll make the effort to get there either way. There are pros and cons with both options.

My limited experience of organising tells me the best policy is to put on the event I would want to ride, rather than try to guess what other riders might want.

That said, for my own event, it has to be Saturday simply because the ride hq isn’t available on Sundays.

markcjagar · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 August, 2021, 07:31:02 pm »

Sounds good. Probably Saturday so I've got a recovery day on Sunday after ECEing home

postie · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 August, 2021, 08:13:55 pm »

As a organizer i put events on at a time/day that work best for me, there are 7 days in a week which ever day you run a event riders will turn up.

MAC · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 August, 2021, 08:38:48 pm »

Thanks for all the replies. I can run this easily on either day for the controls as well as my time. Saturday seems a popular choice so will go with this. Now to decide which weekend...

telstarbox · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 August, 2021, 09:34:00 pm »

I don't think the old assumption that roads are quieter on Sundays is always true. Yes for club runs on Sun mornings but lunchtime / afternoons can be very busy now.

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 August, 2021, 09:47:18 pm »

Saturday, for reasons of trains (i.e. there are generally fewer on Sundays, and often they don't run early enough to get to the start).

Kim · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 August, 2021, 10:40:30 pm »

Quote from: telstarbox on 17 August, 2021, 09:34:00 pm

I don't think the old assumption that roads are quieter on Sundays is always true. Yes for club runs on Sun mornings but lunchtime / afternoons can be very busy now.

Anecdotally, I find that urban roads are a lot less busy (I won't say quieter) on a Sunday, but the B-roads and country lanes that you generally want to cycle on are often not much different, and in touristy places can be worse.

Outtheback · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 August, 2021, 09:12:50 pm »

I am lucky enough to only work part time now. But in my days working for "the man" I would generally prefer to undertake exhausting activities (in those days for me this would usually be long distance canoe races) on a Sunday so I could recover in company time. In much the same way I preferred evenings out to be Thursday rather than Friday, so as not to spoil my weekend with a hangover.

Karla · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 August, 2021, 10:09:48 pm »

Saturday, so I can still get to church.

John Stonebridge · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 August, 2021, 10:18:00 pm »

Saturday, for as long as Third World Scotland has no train service on a Sunday (6 months and counting)

drossall · « **Reply #20 on:** 22 August, 2021, 02:10:46 pm »

Quote from: Karla on 21 August, 2021, 10:09:48 pm

Saturday, so I can still get to church.

+1 if everything is being done to suit me. Which it's not of course

frankly frankie · « **Reply #21 on:** 23 August, 2021, 11:43:23 am »

Quote from: quixoticgeek on 17 August, 2021, 11:34:50 am

Saturday. That gives a Sunday to recover before work on a Monday.

Surely recovery is what a work day is for.

L CC · « **Reply #22 on:** 23 August, 2021, 11:48:42 am »

I'm generally in favour of a ride Saturday, lounge around Smug Sunday kind of weekend.
I'm not in favour of spending Mondays failing to concentrate on work with a dehydration headache and aching thighs.

grams · « **Reply #23 on:** 23 August, 2021, 11:52:16 am »

The need to (in times past) respond to an alarm, drag yourself to an office and generally wear trousers greatly outweighs any benefit of convalescing on company time.

Perhaps the calculus is different now.

Ivo · « **Reply #24 on:** 23 August, 2021, 09:37:16 pm »

That fully depends on your work.
In my postal days, recovering during work hours was something to only dream of.

Author Topic: Choice of day for weekend events (Read 3089 times)

Notfromrugby