Carbon Neutral Award

[Jaded]

Thee following posts have been split from this topic

thinks; maybe we should have an AUK Carbon Neutral award to the event with the most riders who avoid car journeys to do it...

That's quite a fun idea!

[Kim]

thinks; maybe we should have an AUK Carbon Neutral award to the event with the most riders who avoid car journeys to do it...

That's quite a fun idea!

Or something riders can earn points for?

Although it would be heavily biased against ride(r)s in the wrong geographical (in the Beeching sense) areas or with time commitments.

Be quite good for those without access to cars, though, who often have to literally go the extra mile to do calendar events.

[Uncle Eric]

thinks; maybe we should have an AUK Carbon Neutral award to the event with the most riders who avoid car journeys to do it...
[/quote]


Sounds like a good idea! Or an individual award badge/medal for riders who would achieve at least, say, 25 points from the extension parts of ECEs in a season. Where each 50k of extensions would give 0.5 point.


And with variants for fixed, AAA, RTY, AAARTY etc. Nah, just kidding. Just a basic one would do! 

[Somnolent]

an individual award badge/medal for riders who would achieve at least, say, 25 points from the extension parts of ECEs in a season. Where each 50k of extensions would give 0.5 point.

That seems like a good idea to me... a lot simpler than trying to award points to events where things are going to be "skewed" by their locality.   

[Martin]

a bit of background;

I suggested ECE's as a means of

1. Reducing the heavy workload on the regional events secs who also handled DIY+calendars (which ECE's evolved from)
2. Keeping the AAA points on shorter events to keep the incentive to ride them rather than losing them when the whole thing got assimilated by the Borg into a DIY
3. Keeping things simple for calendar organisers so they had no extra workload dealing with extensions
4. Keeping the finish numbers up on calendar events which had been extended

the Carbon Neutral bit was the icing on the cake. Ok have a bit of a fun challenge to encourage as many riders as possible to leave their cars at home but keep it outside the AUK awards structure I'd say 

[mattc]

Although this is a beautiful idea, the actual admin/enforcement would be a nightmare. I guarantee SOMEONE would drive their car 50km from an event on their doorstep at some point

I think the existence of the wonderful ECE is already a great incentive for car-free Audaxing. (Could organisers make a bit more of their finish food available at the start? Pretty please? )

[Martin]

(Could organisers make a bit more of their finish food available at the start? Pretty please? )

wimp  never done a reliability trial? shed loads of food at the end and absolutely sod all at the start and en route (apart from Lewes Wanderers)

[mattc]

wimp 

Heh!

Have you tried riding the home-leg of an ECE after a really good spread at the finish? Actually getting out of the hall and onto your bike is mental torture!

[RichForrest]

Have you tried riding the home-leg of an ECE after a really good spread at the finish? Actually getting out of the hall and onto your bike is mental torture!

After sitting too long at the weekend it took me 5hrs to cycle the 75km home compared to the 3hrs to get there 

[Chris S]

Have you tried riding the home-leg of an ECE after a really good spread at the finish? Actually getting out of the hall and onto your bike is mental torture!

After sitting too long at the weekend it took me 5hrs to cycle the 75km home compared to the 3hrs to get there 

We didn't envy you AT ALL - as we drove away in our cosy warm car  .

[Martin]

wimp 

Heh!

Have you tried riding the home-leg of an ECE after a really good spread at the finish? Actually getting out of the hall and onto your bike is mental torture!

nope only  ever done a return ECE from Rainsham, still hard to drag yourself out of the warm and the company of Phixie et al though

[Uncle Eric]

wimp 

Heh!

Have you tried riding the home-leg of an ECE after a really good spread at the finish? Actually getting out of the hall and onto your bike is mental torture!

Yes...after Hereward The Wake 300, which had a 9pm start and finish in Tomsk's garden. Sunny pleasant
around noon. Sitting in a comfy chair after riding the whole night. Being served nice refreshments by Tom and his
helper son. After more than an hour at the finish it was quite hard indeed to set off for the final 60k!

[Kim]

Of course, if there were to be such an award, it shouldn't have "carbon neutral" in the name.  I can't think of any aspect of Audax that's carbon negative...

[PloddinPedro]

.......... Could organisers make a bit more of their finish food available at the start? Pretty please?

Oooh yes, seconded, big time. Scoff when I need it, molto helpful. And saves having to divert to Red Lodge for breakfast on the way to Mildenhall!

[mmmmartin]

Does this mean those on carbon bikes would be ineligible?

[mikewigley]

Yes...after Hereward The Wake 300 ...

Great article in Arrivee, made me look at the Calendar for the 2012 date but I failed to spot it.  Is it there and I've overlooked it?  Anyone know when it's on?

Mik

[PloddinPedro]

Hereward The Wake 300 was a great ride indeed. Tom ran it as a one-off experiment, intended also to be a bit of practice for PBP i.e. starting in the late evening and riding through the night a goodly distance.

So far as I am aware he has no firm plans to run it again in the near future but I believe has been heard muttering along the times of "perhaps I'll think about it"!