Author Topic: The End of Hibernation 200 (Read 18656 times)

JJ · « **on:** 06 January, 2009, 12:45:19 am »

My first attempt at organising, so a quick question for the experienced orgs.... and the opinionated others.

-Is it usual to send out route sheets as soon as the first entries come in, or alternatively to wait until a couple of weeks before the ride, when the route sheet has been re-re-checked and there's a batch to send? Oddly I don't remember what has been done on rides I've entered. I could ask my mentor, but I thought it would be more fun to ask here first.

-And a quick but shameless plug. It would be lovely to meet some of the Yackuf brotherhood and sisterhood in Haslingfield in March.

I'm petrified. Thank you for asking.

RichForrest · « **Reply #1 on:** 06 January, 2009, 01:05:45 am »

Not an organiser myself, but I'd wait as there maybe problems with the route nearer the time and it'll save re-sending them.
And I'll be there riding from MK, but you know that already

Rich.

phil d · « **Reply #2 on:** 06 January, 2009, 08:28:20 am »

I prefer to send them out after my final checking ride, about 2 weeks ahead. Even then I've been caught out with a removed signposted (which happened to be an info control). I think most organisers follow this approach, though some do seem to send the sheets out very early.

I always get some entrants who ask for a routesheet earlier - I email a copy clearly marked "draft".

eck · « **Reply #3 on:** 06 January, 2009, 08:34:47 am »

I've only organised one event, so I'm hardly "experienced", but I'd agree with phil d. Leave it until you're as sure as you can be that it's 100% correct. Having a blunder in the routesheet was my biggest worry as far as organising was concerned.

I got a few entries about five months beforehand: I emailed them with a brief description of the route and a link to it on bikely, and said everything would be sent out a couple of weeks before the event. People seemed happy with that.

slowfen · « **Reply #4 on:** 06 January, 2009, 10:13:27 am »

Its nice to see this one back, I looked on the AUK site and couldn't find it, when is it?

Any way good luck, I hope it all goes alright

SF

Martin · « **Reply #5 on:** 06 January, 2009, 10:16:31 am »

Quote from: JJ on 06 January, 2009, 12:45:19 am

My first attempt at organising, so a quick question for the experienced orgs.... and the opinionated others.

-Is it usual to send out route sheets as soon as the first entries come in, or alternatively to wait until a couple of weeks before the ride, when the route sheet has been re-re-checked and there's a batch to send

it varies; it's less hassle nearer the time to send them out as you get entries. If you are taking Paypal I believe you have to put the route online anyway so you might as well send out the same version (I'm not doing that this year but doing what follows)

It probably makes more sense to wait until you've route checked a couple of weeks before and just e-mail entrants to inform them to this effect as you get entries so they know they are in. I belive that info controls are locked up once the event has been approved and published so you may need to write new ones in if the ones you originally specified have changed.

chris · « **Reply #6 on:** 06 January, 2009, 10:22:36 am »

Only just noticed this one in the calendar. Has it only just been added? Where does it go?

Quote from: JJ on 06 January, 2009, 12:45:19 am

It would be lovely to meet some of the Yackuf brotherhood and sisterhood in Haslingfield in March.

I hope to be there.

Quote from: slowfen on 06 January, 2009, 10:13:27 am

when is it?

22nd March - Mothers day. I know what to tell the kids to buy Mrs Chris for Mothering Sunday now!

Greenbank · « **Reply #7 on:** 06 January, 2009, 10:42:49 am »

The ideal situation (in my personal opinion anyway) would be the calendar/website to contain a rough outline of the route (i.e. not much more than a list of 5 or 6 towns/villages that it passes through to give a general idea). That being said (and there's a bit of a crossover with another thread) I happily enter events where I have no idea where they are going. It's part of the fun receiving the routesheet and finding out whether I'll be going to familiar places or somewhere new.

And, as others have said (I'm not an organiser), two weeks before the event is fine for any participant. It gives them enough time to familiarise themselves with the route (be it tracing it on a map or GPS-ing it) whilst you get to give it a final check.

I'm hoping to be able to enter this though. I'm doing the Dean on the 28th, which may not leave me enough brownie points, but I'll try and convince my wife that she needs to visit her sister in Cambridge for the 21/22 weekend and I'll bimble down to Haslingfield for 8am on Sunday.

P.S. I used to deliver the Town Crier and CEN around Haslingfield about 18 years ago. *suddenly feels old*

Martin · « **Reply #8 on:** 06 January, 2009, 01:48:25 pm »

Quote from: Greenbank on 06 January, 2009, 10:42:49 am

The ideal situation (in my personal opinion anyway) would be the calendar/website to contain a rough outline of the route (i.e. not much more than a list of 5 or 6 towns/villages that it passes through to give a general idea).

agreed; I put a bikely route up as a guide

JJ · « **Reply #9 on:** 06 January, 2009, 02:01:43 pm »

Quote from: chris on 06 January, 2009, 10:22:36 am

Only just noticed this one in the calendar. Has it only just been added? Where does it go?

Haslingfield*, Stradishall*, Stowmarket*, Sudbury, Finchingfield* Newport, Hare Street, Haslingfield*
* are controls. I've straightened out the old route a bit, to reduce the overdistance.

Quote from: chris on 06 January, 2009, 10:22:36 am

Quote from: slowfen on 06 January, 2009, 10:13:27 am
when is it?

22nd March - Mothers day. I know what to tell the kids to buy Mrs Chris for Mothering Sunday now!

As org, I should have time to send the riders off, get home, do breakfast in bed for HRH, take the kids off her hands to "help with the bike ride" and earn brownie points enough for the Dean all in one go!

I have a track of it. If I can work out how, I'll put a gpx on the web and link it from the calendar. Anyone who wants an emailed copy of the route sheet, just pm me.

I'd also like to enable Paypal entries soon, time and technology permitting.

chris · « **Reply #10 on:** 06 January, 2009, 02:12:12 pm »

Quote from: JJ on 06 January, 2009, 02:01:43 pm

I have a track of it. If I can work out how, I'll put a gpx on the web and link it from the calendar.

Set yourself up a Bikely account. Import the gpx file, name the route and make it public, then link to the url of the route.

simonp · « **Reply #11 on:** 06 January, 2009, 03:59:19 pm »

<contentious>
Make the route sheet a list of control towns.

</contentious>

JJ · « **Reply #12 on:** 06 January, 2009, 07:07:13 pm »

yes, I rather like that style of ride. That way it's up to me whether I choose to ride A roads or cart tracks, but it can make for a lonely ride and for a first attempt I think I'll stay conventional.

In my madder moments I wonder if we couldn't revive something along the lines of Cambridge York Cambridge, or perhaps a bare-bones 400. Cambridge Reading Oxford Northampton Cambridge, say

Martin · « **Reply #13 on:** 06 January, 2009, 07:18:30 pm »

C-Y-C is still going as a perm; a few of this parish did it last year

simonp · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 January, 2009, 07:37:27 pm »

I was one of the CYC riders back in August.

Not my favourite 600 route by a long chalk - too flat.

I have been playing in Autoroute. How about Cambridge - Builth Wells - Cambridge?

Now I just need to sort out some controls for my 100k event as I have finally got access to the orgs gateway.

Chris S · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 January, 2009, 07:45:05 pm »

Quote from: simonp on 06 January, 2009, 07:37:27 pm

I have been playing in Autoroute. How about Cambridge - Builth Wells - Cambridge?

I could well be up for that - start another thread to spare JJ's from Uber-Hijack.

I've also pencilled in the Haslingfield 200. Sounds like an ideal ride for El Pomp.

Greenbank · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 January, 2009, 10:36:40 pm »

Entry will be posted Monday.

P.S. If the final leg is Hare St to Haslingfield I may take a small detour through Barrington and over Chapel Hill.

JJ · « **Reply #17 on:** 01 February, 2009, 12:09:57 am »

Online entry now enabled.
After MUCH wrangling with Pipex, route sheet and GPX are available here http://www.juckes.me.uk/ I'll be fascinated to know if anyone can see it!

RichForrest · « **Reply #18 on:** 01 February, 2009, 12:16:47 am »

Can get the routesheet but the garmin and gpx pages don't work "page not found"

Rich.

JJ · « **Reply #19 on:** 01 February, 2009, 01:14:51 am »

Thanks Rich, I'm baffled by that. I've put them in a zip archive now as well which seems to download fine.

Tomorrow I might try to upload onto Bikely too.

JJ · « **Reply #20 on:** 01 February, 2009, 11:29:13 pm »

And if the above link still goes to some poxy half-written page, try this one.
http://www.avdv69.dsl.pipex.com/

But I have made a bikely route of it at http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/End-of-Hibernation-200

With my web skilz, they'll probably both take you to a pop up ad for corn treatments.

-Heads off to The Knowledge in search of wisdom- ??

damerell · « **Reply #21 on:** 03 February, 2009, 02:59:42 pm »

I'm up for this - haven't posted the entry yet.

An early routesheet serves the purpose of letting worriers - like me - know their entry arrived OK. Suggest, therefore, late routesheets, but dropping emails to the entrants as their entries arrive?

Chris S · « **Reply #22 on:** 03 February, 2009, 03:03:27 pm »

Oooh - that 200 route looks not entirely flat...

Excellent

Greenbank · « **Reply #23 on:** 03 February, 2009, 03:19:46 pm »

Quote from: Chris S on 03 February, 2009, 03:03:27 pm

Oooh - that 200 route looks not entirely flat...

Excellent

Yep, and I will definitely be making a little detour at the end to add a completely unnecessary hill in:-

Just after Fowlmere turn L off route $ Foxton
R in Foxton towards the station
R onto the A10 for about 50 yards over level crossing (take care as the tracks are at 45^o to the road) shortly
1st L $ Barrington
R @ T by Church
Enjoy Chapel Hill
R @ T at end of descent
Follow road round and L to control

Chris S · « **Reply #24 on:** 03 February, 2009, 05:06:08 pm »

Goodness me - not only is it slightly lumpy (in itself - a neat trick for a ride that starts and finishes in Fenland) but it also manages to encompass one of the very few chevrons in Suffolk - at Hartest. Well done indeed to the route planner!

Author Topic: The End of Hibernation 200 (Read 18656 times)

Martin

Martin

simonp

Martin

simonp

Chris S

Chris S

Chris S