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Re: [RC] Ride amenities (was "Patriot Day Ride") - Sharon Levasseur

I'm a brand new ride manager, and let me tell you, it was hard enough to provide
even food/drinks for volunteers and a burgers/dogs BBQ on ride day.  In fact, I
ended up several (many) hundreds of dollars short of breaking even.

Yet I found that lots of riders who I would have called experienced had NO IDEA
what kinds of costs are incurred in putting on a ride.  (I won't go into detail
on what their comments were, as much as I'd like to.)  My costs for a 30/50 ran
over $3000 even though most of the awards were donated, and I only had 23
riders.  Sure, next year will be better because I'll have already purchased a
few of the things I'll need, but it won't help THAT much.

Just a dose of reality for those who may not know...

-Sharon L. in Maine (Hot Toddy Hustle manager)



Quoting Barbara McCrary <bigcreekranch@xxxxxxxxxxxx>:

It sounds like it was a great event!

While I am not disparaging this event in particular, I also realize that some
ride managers are unable, for one reason or the other, to provide such
luxuries.  Nowadays, it almost seems like the rides that provide more goodies
draw the riders more than the ones with spare amenities.  I can't say I blame
the riders, but it seems that the focus is not on the trail and the
adventure, but on the luxuries that are provided.  I hope I'm wrong, because
there are a lot of good rides offered that do not have all the frosting.
Could this trend also be the reason that 100-mile rides are diminishing?  The
original idea was to endure a tough ride, discomfort, and challenges.  Are we
now gravitating to rides that are shorter, and ones that offer refreshments
at every corner?
Please do not interpret this as criticism of the Patriot Day ride, but as a
philosophical discussion.
I'd like to hear other opinions on this.

Barbara
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: amber applegate
  To: PNER ; ridecamp
  Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 8:14 AM
  Subject: [RC] Patriot Day Ride



  The local people from Greenville are wonderful! The local Grocer set up a
lemonade stand at one junction where there was a water stop. He had the best
ice cold lemonade, iced tea, organic bananas, apples for the riders, they had
alfalfa for the horses at this stop. Amazing!

  Off to VC where so many people that were not even horsey people were from
the town and volunteered to help. This was incredible to me to see coffee,
buckets of iced drinks for the riders, food out in abundance for the riders,
luscious alfalfa hay everywhere for the horses, candy, cookies,  I felt I was
at a party.


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Replies
[RC] Patriot Day Ride, amber applegate
Re: [RC] Patriot Day Ride, Barbara McCrary