"If you don't know where you are going, any path will lead you there"

From: Richard Simpson <Richard.Simpson@...>
Subject: RE: [Edinburgh_CTC] CTC run leaders wanted for 'Summer 2012'
To: "Liz Farnworth" <eafarnworth@...>
Cc: "CTC - Group" <Edinburgh_CTC_Riding_Group@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, 14 February, 2012, 13:50

You might find it easier to read Liz’s email below first.

 

 

Further to your email below…

I beg to differ on the reason for the lower attendance on last year’s summer runs. In my personal opinion there were multiple reasons.

1) The weather was un-seasonably wet and windy (remember those 60mph winds in July) and that’s a fact.

2) Saturday runs tend to be longer 60 to 90+ miles by mid-summer and if the weather has not been great and/or you have not put in the miles earlier in the season then sure the runs are going to be more daunting or off-putting and hence lower attendance. But for the those enthusiastic members who cycled all the way through a wet, freezing, howling winter this is the highlight of the year, so why should they change their runs when there are other existing group rides more suitable for the less enthusiastic or capable rider.

 

3) There was definitely some politics coming in to play regarding Start place/time and other issues regarding group behaviour which caused some individuals to ‘stand their ground’ and ‘on point of principle’ do other things with their Saturdays.

 

There were a number of new younger visitors who came out a few times and disappeared. Well, no they didn’t all disappear quite a few joined the Edinburgh Road club. Now there’s a lot that could be read into that including the popularity of road racing and sportive and associated media coverage. Also time pressures from family and work meaning they have less time to commit. So depending on their perspective we’re too old, too slow, the rides are too long or take up too much time or we’re just not sexy enough!!!

The Wednesday rides do indeed have higher attendance but you also need to consider who goes on the Wednesday runs… and predominantly the regular riders are retired and therefore do not having to juggle careers, family and make that coincide with a half decent weather pattern before they decide am I going out riding today.  They have some subtly different needs and aspirations from their cycling to the typical Saturday cyclists.

Despite the changes made to start place/time, the Saturday runs have latterly gained quite a few new faces, new people that regularly come out on the Saturday and even Monday runs (when their work allows and I’m not referring to myself). Speaking to them individually not one said hey I’m put off by having different start places and times. Quite a few did struggle with the distance but that’s a moot point, it takes time and mileage to fix that and the easy Sunday runs are the perfect format for that.

 

Whenever you change things there are always going to be those that resist and the most vocal are those that are most comfortable with their peers and that have been around the longest. Their voices appear to be much ‘louder’ than others but that does not necessarily mean they represent the overall feeling.

 

‘The idea is to attract new people’, does not mean only listening  to what existing members say and then presume what potential members are looking for.

 

I think perhaps some have missed the point entirely regarding the starting point/time debate. Many of the runs I did last year did start from CP @ 10am. One started from the Cramond brig (which has free parking) because I was going over to Fife and another started at Hermiston because the weather pattern was much better out west than it was out east as those that attended will attest. It gives flexibility if it is required.

 

Visitors from abroad or for that matter anywhere out with Edinburgh will not necessarily know where the CP is any more than they would know where Kingston crossroads are.

 

The start time is largely immaterial to a visitor or anyone for that matter… are you really saying that if you went to a Glasgow CTC event you’d tell them their start time is wrong because it’s not the same as our traditional time of 10am. I prefer 10am because I like to make breakfast for my wife before deserting her for the day!!! But for others who have been awake since 5am half the day has been wasted. There is no right or wrong time, only one that the run leader says is the start time, they are the ones that have volunteered their time, not those that rarely attend the runs but are quite happy to express their opinion (that was not aimed at anyone in particular, honest!!).

 

I’m in agreement that the groundswell opinion is for 40-60 mile runs and so the groundswell of members who prefer these type of runs have a choice thanks to your Easy Sunday run and many others including the Spokes runs and even within the CTC Sat and Wed runs there are sub groups that go a different route but meet at the same lunch stop.

 

As you stated yourself Liz, having different start places and times does not make a difference, as the Wednesdays runs prove. All that has been done is to allow the Run Leaders more flexibility and if the members want to ensure the runs start from CP @ 10am then they can volunteer their services as a Sat Run leader!

 

Some would argue that not everyone has email and internet access. Yep and there was a time not everyone had a phone and before that there was a time when not everyone could read and write. To those that continue with this argument… evolve!!!

 

Please bear in mind that originally Neil and Norma’s Saturday run was not a ‘CTC members only’ run, but their run, of which many of the riders were also CTC members and which was specifically for those of a like mind to do longer more adventurous runs. Similarly with Jimmy Kerry’s runs, which are even more so. The Sat run is not about ‘attendance’ but a type of run. Indeed the higher the attendance on a run, the slower and more chaotic it becomes with every crest, dip and corner becoming a five minute rest stop and with it, for many, the frustration grows and debates develop about what should be done about it all and then rules have to be made and then rules get broken and before you know it’s all got political and your just getting frustrated!!! Sound familiar???  This rant is not about right and wrong, I just want to get out and ride, enjoy the countryside, vent some steam sometimes and forget about my other worldly woes. I’m sure you do too.

 

The Sat runs are traditionally longer and possibly more arduous and I personally like it that way, but at the end of the day the run leaders decides where, when, how far and how hard the run is.

 

Liz, I hope you don’t mind me replying to the whole group. As I sat here bashing away at the keyboard in response to your email, I realised that I wanted to cover more of the broader issue that have and are continuing to influence the runs.

 

Richard Simpson

He who is about to be char-grilled

 

 

From: Liz Farnworth [mailto:eafarnworth@...]
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 11:00 AM
To: Richard Simpson
Subject: Re: [Edinburgh_CTC] CTC run leaders wanted for 'Summer 2012'

 

Hi Richard I am not writing to volunteer but to comment about one aspect of your email.  Being aware of the fact that the Wednesday runs do start at different points and still manage to attract a fair number of folk and this does not seem to make much difference, other than this is advertised on a rotational basis.  There were objections from a great many about changing the start time and point, and contrary to some people's belief, this is largely the reason that numbers on a Saturday have seriously declined.  The idea is to attract more people out and this has not done the job, and we have not captured significantly more members.  Whilst I appreciate that you, for instance, may prefer to start from Cramond Brig at 0930, because you live in Corstorphine/Clermiston and that to get to the CP is about 8 miles distant for you, it was mooted at one point that a 10 am start is fine, and that it could be from two venues, Slateford viaduct and the CP.  Also visitors from abroad wishing to come out and experience a ride in the Scottish countryside in the past would join such a run because the start point was easily located at what is perceived as a sensible time.  There was a great deal of dissent at the time and you can see for yourself the lack of numbers now because the feeling was that no-one was listened to at the time and they have voted with their wheels, and this was also one of the reasons why the easy Sunday runs were set up.  The groundswell opinion is that if you aim for a ride of between 40 - 60 miles you will attract more people and for those who wish to do more miles they can go off and do so after lunch, and if you as leader wish to do so as well will always find those who are happy to lead the remainder back to Edinburgh   Good luck on the recruitment front.   Regards Liz "If you don't know where you are going, any path will lead you there" --- On Tue, 14/2/12, Richard Simpson <richard.simpson@...> wrote: From: Richard Simpson <richard.simpson@...> Subject: [Edinburgh_CTC] CTC run leaders wanted for 'Summer 2012' To: "CTC - Group" <Edinburgh_CTC_Riding_Group@yahoogroups.com> Date: Tuesday, 14 February, 2012, 10:01   After many years of quietly organising the very popular Saturdays runs, Neil & Norma have decided to pass on their organisational hat to me. So, I would first of all like to thank them for all their hard work in making the Saturdays runs such a success for more years than I’m sure they care to count.   So, I’m looking for all existing and new run leaders to volunteer (re-volunteer) for the summer Saturday runs. Training and advice will be provided for those wanting to have a go, so if you have a route in mind but don’t fancy being a full on ‘Run leader’ just yet please let me know and we could organise an experienced leader to advise and back you up whilst you lead your route.   I’m intending to continue on the same basis as last year namely the Run leader chooses the start time and place for the Saturday runs, which will be announced just prior to the run date so as to enable the run leader to take best advantage of any weather, events etc. So if you want to start 10am at the commonwealth pool then that fine or if you want to start at the Cramond Brig 9:30am that’s fine too just so long as the start place/time are announced at the very latest Friday evening. Therefore it would be very advantageous for run leaders to have access to email and the internet.   If you have any questions and or are interested in leading one or more runs this summer please let me know by the end of February 2012.   I am also happy to advise and train all run leaders on using the online route planners and have a large number of routes in gpx format which can be published online or printed out should inspiration/time found to be lacking. These days even if you don’t have a GPS or smartphone you will nearly always find someone within the group who will have one to keep you right should you umm.. digress from your plan.   When volunteering please advise any dates you are not available (within reason J). As usual if after being delegated a run date and you are not able to make it I would ask you to arrange swapping with another leader and then advise me of the change ASAP.   Well, I hope I’ve covered the bases and look forward to hearing from you.   Richard Simpson Apprentice Saturday runs organiser