NSW Big Ride

Spiny Norman said:

Has bicycle NSW abandoned the Big Ride?

It looks like the next one in NSW is organised by Bicycle Victoria -
or am I misreading this?

Regards
Prickles

Timendi causa est nescire
This message only uses recycled electrons

BNSW has done a deal with Vicbike for them to run the ride. Logically it
makes a lot of sense to just have one group running these rides. However
having entered all the BNSW rides and done a few Vicbike rides (one
Vic, several Tassie, WA and NZ) I always felt the NSW orginisiation was
better so I fear the worst. I expressed these views to Alex Unwin (BNSW)
but understand the reasoning and will probably give it a go next year.

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Jack Russell said:

BNSW has done a deal with Vicbike for them to run the ride. Logically it
makes a lot of sense to just have one group running these rides. However
having entered all the BNSW rides and done a few Vicbike rides (one
Vic, several Tassie, WA and NZ) I always felt the NSW orginisiation was
better so I fear the worst. I expressed these views to Alex Unwin (BNSW)
but understand the reasoning and will probably give it a go next year.

</Rant>
After my first and last Big Ride two years ago- organisation was terrible.

We were freighted via coach from Sydney to the start, where the the bus
driver's first words were "Does anyone know where we are going?". After a few
giggles in the audience, he said "I'm serious".
Apparently, the wonderful organisation that is Bike NSW, forgot to tell him
where to stop. We made him stop at a park that had open toilets. The first
choice was a muddy carpark (the main field was fenced) with locked toilets.

The people who wanted short range transportation between the finish and the
start points had no dramas. Till they were left with a busload of passengers
and no more busses. Someone ordered one too few buses for that trip. Oops.

If you arrived early for weigh-in/registration, no problems. If you were
late for whatever reason, you were waiting in line, outside the hall, across
the driveway, onto the footpath about a block down. Simply because they
couldn't handle the numbers.
That year was reputed to have the fewest numbers yet.

By the time they cleaned up their act well into day four or five, we stopped
expecting anything to work properly. Including the "1/3 corn on the cob"
lunch. We ate out and had pizza that night.

The daily morning gruel they called porridge, was the butt of my jokes being
called "ground up old gym mats" no really, I really believed that. One of the
Big Ride veterans said you have to mix it with the brown sugar to taste good.
While it's true that if you put enough sugar in it, anything will taste good
(the plethora of breakfast serials out there proves that correct), I really
can't see how putting oneself in a diabetic coma is worth eating that stuff-
so I didn't
I settled on the two squares of fruit and if we were lucky, it was a yogurt
day too.

If Bike Victoria is worse than this, thanks, but they can keep it.
<Rant>
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John,

There were certainly a lot of problems on that ride and that is why they
are (to coin a politicians phrase) outsourcing. Most of those problems
were due to a lack of volunteers (and riders causing a shortfall in
funds). The lack of both was caused by the Commonwealth games and
Vicbikes WA ride taking place at the same time of year.

However if you want to see a real shambles go on a Grate Vic ride!

Jack

John Tserkezis said:

Jack Russell said:

BNSW has done a deal with Vicbike for them to run the ride. Logically
it makes a lot of sense to just have one group running these rides.
However having entered all the BNSW rides and done a few Vicbike
rides (one Vic, several Tassie, WA and NZ) I always felt the NSW
orginisiation was better so I fear the worst. I expressed these views
to Alex Unwin (BNSW) but understand the reasoning and will probably
give it a go next year.

</Rant>
After my first and last Big Ride two years ago- organisation was terrible.

We were freighted via coach from Sydney to the start, where the the bus
driver's first words were "Does anyone know where we are going?". After
a few giggles in the audience, he said "I'm serious".
Apparently, the wonderful organisation that is Bike NSW, forgot to tell
him where to stop. We made him stop at a park that had open toilets.
The first choice was a muddy carpark (the main field was fenced) with
locked toilets.

The people who wanted short range transportation between the finish and
the start points had no dramas. Till they were left with a busload of
passengers and no more busses. Someone ordered one too few buses for
that trip. Oops.

If you arrived early for weigh-in/registration, no problems. If you
were late for whatever reason, you were waiting in line, outside the
hall, across the driveway, onto the footpath about a block down. Simply
because they couldn't handle the numbers.
That year was reputed to have the fewest numbers yet.

By the time they cleaned up their act well into day four or five, we
stopped expecting anything to work properly. Including the "1/3 corn on
the cob" lunch. We ate out and had pizza that night.

The daily morning gruel they called porridge, was the butt of my jokes
being called "ground up old gym mats" no really, I really believed
that. One of the Big Ride veterans said you have to mix it with the
brown sugar to taste good. While it's true that if you put enough sugar
in it, anything will taste good (the plethora of breakfast serials out
there proves that correct), I really can't see how putting oneself in a
diabetic coma is worth eating that stuff- so I didn't
I settled on the two squares of fruit and if we were lucky, it was a
yogurt day too.

If Bike Victoria is worse than this, thanks, but they can keep it.
<Rant>

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Jack Russell said:

However if you want to see a real shambles go on a Grate Vic ride!

So they're hoping that by joining two incompetent organisations, they hope
to create one good one?
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John Tserkezis said:

Jack Russell said:

However if you want to see a real shambles go on a Grate Vic ride!

So they're hoping that by joining two incompetent organisations, they
hope to create one good one?

That is a worry, I guess we will find out next year. Actually the
smaller Vic rides (Tassie, NZ) have been well run, it is their desire to
get world record crowds that seems to create the shambles

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On Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:51:08 +1000, John Tserkezis
<[email hidden]> wrote in aus.bicycle:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

BNSW has done a deal with Vicbike for them to run the ride. Logically it
makes a lot of sense to just have one group running these rides. However
having entered all the BNSW rides and done a few Vicbike rides (one
Vic, several Tassie, WA and NZ) I always felt the NSW orginisiation was
better so I fear the worst. I expressed these views to Alex Unwin (BNSW)
but understand the reasoning and will probably give it a go next year.

</Rant>
After my first and last Big Ride two years ago- organisation was terrible.

Interesting comments

I have never actually ridden a big ride but was a volunteer on a
couple (Cowra to Bega and Tweed to Sydney) and had thought of taking
part in one before I get too bloody old.

I thought the organisation was OK and likewise the food. I had the
impression that getting volunteers was not a problem indeed on a later
application form they sent me they implied they could and would pick
and choose.

If I had any concerns it was that there seemed to be a bit of a gulf
between the organisers and the volunteers in that that the former
seemed somewhat aloof and superior. Perhaps I am being over sensitive.

Have the numbers on the rides dropped off in recent years?

Regards
Prickles

Timendi causa est nescire
This message only uses recycled electrons

Spiny Norman said:

On Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:51:08 +1000, John Tserkezis
<[email hidden]> wrote in aus.bicycle:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

BNSW has done a deal with Vicbike for them to run the ride. Logically it
makes a lot of sense to just have one group running these rides. However
having entered all the BNSW rides and done a few Vicbike rides (one
Vic, several Tassie, WA and NZ) I always felt the NSW orginisiation was
better so I fear the worst. I expressed these views to Alex Unwin (BNSW)
but understand the reasoning and will probably give it a go next year.

</Rant>
After my first and last Big Ride two years ago- organisation was terrible.

Interesting comments

I have never actually ridden a big ride but was a volunteer on a
couple (Cowra to Bega and Tweed to Sydney) and had thought of taking
part in one before I get too bloody old.

I thought the organisation was OK and likewise the food. I had the
impression that getting volunteers was not a problem indeed on a later
application form they sent me they implied they could and would pick
and choose.

If I had any concerns it was that there seemed to be a bit of a gulf
between the organisers and the volunteers in that that the former
seemed somewhat aloof and superior. Perhaps I am being over sensitive.

Have the numbers on the rides dropped off in recent years?

Regards
Prickles

Timendi causa est nescire
This message only uses recycled electrons

Generally the numbers have been stable, just a blip in that one year. I
have heard your comment from other volunteers, I suspect it is more of a
case that the organisers are so flat out they do not have the time!
The food has always seemed ok to me, I actually look forward to the
porridge.

You should do one as a rider I suspect you get a totally different
perspective (I go by the old army adage "never volunteer"😉

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John Tserkezis said:

Jack Russell said:

However if you want to see a real shambles go on a Grate Vic ride!

So they're hoping that by joining two incompetent organisations, they
hope to create one good one?

The real problem is that "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch"
Riders expect a cheap ride, but great service. Then both organisations
try to provide this on volunteer labour and make money from it.

The end result is a disaster waiting to happen.

Your average joe blog is flat out cooking for themselves. A few people
can manage a dinner party for a dozen people successfully, although if
your friends drink, any disaster is recoverable with another beer or
wine or two,,, three,,,hic {;-).

Once you get above that number, you need specialised experience and the
correct equipment (another major problem because these events only
happen once per year) and lots of it.

Then you have to pack it up each day, load it into vehicles, then
travel, then unload, set it all up (bloody again, where is that #$%$#%#
thstime) and get the meal prepared and cooked on time. Oh, did I mention
the gallons of water you need to boil for drinks, preparation, washing
up, etc, etc, etc. "wadda you mean you didn't refil the gas cylinders"

To make this happen, you need a capable, well working team, or it
doesn't. It is so easy to screw up it up.

And I haven't mentioned the toilets, showers, campground layout,
security, etc, etc, etc.

My 2c is that both organisations would be far better running smaller
rides more regularly, but for political reasons they insist on these
massive show pieces and grind their volunteers into the ground.

It certainly gets bicycling noticed, but I'm not sure how much of a bad
legacy it also leaves;
1) "it's for charity", sheesh, I ride for fun,
2) the plague strips a town and the town suffers for weeks after.
3) riders who have a bad experience because there is just too many
people on the ride.
4) volunteers who get burnt out because they are either not supported
with good organisation or equipment, or abuse from tired riders.
5) suckered community groups (does this still happen? Incidents on the
first GVBR)

Spiny Norman said:

I had the
impression that getting volunteers was not a problem indeed on a later
application form they sent me they implied they could and would pick
and choose.

Success breeds success, so you always imply you can pick and choose.
Also makes it easier to reject someone who causes ruffles.

Quoted message said:

In aus.bicycle on Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:51:33 +1000

Terryc said:

Once you get above that number, you need specialised experience and the
correct equipment (another major problem because these events only
happen once per year) and lots of it.

Maybe they should try contracting out to the P&C or SES or
Lions in each town. The Lions did an amazing job of feeding a lot of
hungry bikers a massive dinner and a massive breakfast at the
Ruptured Budgie for about 8 bucks per meal. Probably not as many as
at a Big Ride, I think the Budgie runs to about 200-250 people.

Point is that service clubs and similay tend to have the expertise and
the kit as they do a lot of that sort of thing.

Zebee

Zebee Johnstone said:

In aus.bicycle on Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:51:33 +1000

Terryc said:

Once you get above that number, you need specialised experience and the
correct equipment (another major problem because these events only
happen once per year) and lots of it.

Maybe they should try contracting out to the P&C or SES or
Lions in each town.

You still have the same problem. Numbers and equipment. What about the
other services?

Quoted message said:

I think the Budgie runs to about 200-250 people.

Counts as a large family function where I come from.
Comparative breeze to thousands.
BTDT.

Jack Russell said:

Spiny Norman said:

On Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:51:08 +1000, John Tserkezis
<[email hidden]> wrote in aus.bicycle:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>BNSW has done a deal with Vicbike for them to run the ride. Logically it
>makes a lot of sense to just have one group running these rides. However
> having entered all the BNSW rides and done a few Vicbike rides (one
>Vic, several Tassie, WA and NZ) I always felt the NSW orginisiation was
>better so I fear the worst. I expressed these views to Alex Unwin (BNSW)
>but understand the reasoning and will probably give it a go next year.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

</Rant>
After my first and last Big Ride two years ago- organisation was terrible.

Quoted message said:

Interesting comments

Quoted message said:

I have never actually ridden a big ride but was a volunteer on a
couple (Cowra to Bega and Tweed to Sydney) and had thought of taking
part in one before I get too bloody old.

Go on, it's pretty good fun. Practice for it by riding in the rain. At
least that way it won't bother you as much if it does.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I thought the organisation was OK and likewise the food. I had the
impression that getting volunteers was not a problem indeed on a later
application form they sent me they implied they could and would pick
and choose.

Hey, they let me volunteer, so they couldn't have been too choosy 🙂

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If I had any concerns it was that there seemed to be a bit of a gulf
between the organisers and the volunteers in that that the former
seemed somewhat aloof and superior. Perhaps I am being over sensitive.

Yeah, I think they need to take a bit more care of their full time
volunteers. These people do a great job and come back year after year
for unpaid work. Having said that, I think they did a reasonable job
of organizing the volunteers this year, but maybe a bit more direction
would have been better?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Have the numbers on the rides dropped off in recent years?

Quoted message said:

Regards
Prickles

Quoted message said:

Timendi causa est nescire
This message only uses recycled electrons

Generally the numbers have been stable, just a blip in that one year. I
have heard your comment from other volunteers, I suspect it is more of a
case that the organisers are so flat out they do not have the time!
The food has always seemed ok to me, I actually look forward to the
porridge.

You should do one as a rider I suspect you get a totally different
perspective (I go by the old army adage "never volunteer"😉

Hey, come on it's not that bad! Without enough volunteers the ride's
not as good. I went on the ride as a rider for the 2005 one and felt
there were heaps of volunteers and I was surprised at how many water
stops were present and was impressed with the quality of the food.

This last year (2007) I went on the ride as a part-time volunteer/
rider. I think the number of volunteers was less than the previous
ride I did, based on the number of water stops and the number of
visible volunteers.

I signed up for working behind the bar in Cafe big and expected to
work in shifts and for a maximum of 4 hours. Instead, as far as bar
staff went there weren't that many and it was pretty much full on from
the the bar opening until the bar closed. If there were more
volunteers it would have made the experience a bit better (for me at
least) as the chance of getting a beer in a country town after Cafe
Big had closed was very marginal...

I can see that it would be a difficult task to organise these rides,
and without enough riders they can't commit enough resources ahead of
time. Maybe they should offer a greater discount for early entrants
well ahead of the event so that they can have much firmer numbers? I
was a last minute entrant, but I suspect most people plan these well
ahead.

Please, let's have more volunteers next year, at least in Cafe Big.
The last night behind the bar was the busiest night of the trip and
it's amazing how thirsty you can feel when serving beer to other
people and you can't drink any 🙂

Dale.

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