Your local club really does need YOU.
dennisn
Posts: 10,601
Our racing club(Maumee Valley Wheelmen) www.freewheel.com has one main rule at our club races. If there aren't enough volunteers to safely and properly marshall the corners and intersections of that days race course there will be no race. Usually takes about 6 people. We have never cancelled a race for lack of people. A little history. We race every Thursday night from mid April to late September, on a variety of courses, on public roads yet off main roads where possible. We do crit's, road races, time trials, and
omniums and at the seasons end have a banquet to award various riders titles they have earned racing. We have about 150 members(I think) and maybe 50 or 60 somewhat regular racers. Anyway, back to the reason for the post. Our club does not lack for racers although there is plenty of room for more. What we do have, on occasion, is a problem with getting people more involved with the club's inner workings. Racing is all fun and games for the racers but sometimes I think some people think that these races
appear out of thin air. No work involved, just show up and ride, then go home. There are people behind all of this doing the little details that keep our club running and the racing
on schedule. I have been with the club for years, in various capacities(President, race director, etc.), and can vouch for the amount of effort that goes into putting on a weekly
race schedule like we do. Add to that the fact that no one is getting paid for any of this.
Well, I did get a free club jersey once. I would urge all of you to get out there and support your local club in any way you can. If it means marshaling a insect infested corner in the middle of nowhere 3 or 4 times a year, well, don't forget the bug repellent. Forget about racing every once in a while and get into what it takes to keep the local club viable. You
will be welcomed with open arms by the club officers and probably put to some task immediately. You won't regret it. Give it a try - get involved.
Dennis Noward
omniums and at the seasons end have a banquet to award various riders titles they have earned racing. We have about 150 members(I think) and maybe 50 or 60 somewhat regular racers. Anyway, back to the reason for the post. Our club does not lack for racers although there is plenty of room for more. What we do have, on occasion, is a problem with getting people more involved with the club's inner workings. Racing is all fun and games for the racers but sometimes I think some people think that these races
appear out of thin air. No work involved, just show up and ride, then go home. There are people behind all of this doing the little details that keep our club running and the racing
on schedule. I have been with the club for years, in various capacities(President, race director, etc.), and can vouch for the amount of effort that goes into putting on a weekly
race schedule like we do. Add to that the fact that no one is getting paid for any of this.
Well, I did get a free club jersey once. I would urge all of you to get out there and support your local club in any way you can. If it means marshaling a insect infested corner in the middle of nowhere 3 or 4 times a year, well, don't forget the bug repellent. Forget about racing every once in a while and get into what it takes to keep the local club viable. You
will be welcomed with open arms by the club officers and probably put to some task immediately. You won't regret it. Give it a try - get involved.
Dennis Noward
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Comments
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At our club AGM in November, my attention drifted for a while, and when I thought they were ready to vote for adjourning to the bar as is the custom at the end of the meeting, I stuck up my hand confidently.................................and then realised I'd just volunteered to organise our club road race in August. So wish me luck!0
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Good luck.
Nicely versed Dennis, now all I've got to do is join a club!0 -
Bronzie wrote:At our club AGM in November, my attention drifted for a while, and when I thought they were ready to vote for adjourning to the bar as is the custom at the end of the meeting, I stuck up my hand confidently.................................and then realised I'd just volunteered to organise our club road race in August. So wish me luck!
That's how they get you to "volunteer". You got sucked in. Our club has taken the idea of
getting people suckered into volunteering and turned it into almost an art form.
Dennis Noward0 -
Races series over here usually involve a commitment to marshall or fulfill some other duty for at least one race. For that race you are credited with the equivalent of your best result in the series for the purpose of any league or championship points.
Dennis is right though, I think everyone has a duty to put something back in or someday it just won't be there.0 -
Yellow Peril wrote:Races series over here usually involve a commitment to marshall or fulfill some other duty for at least one race. For that race you are credited with the equivalent of your best result in the series for the purpose of any league or championship points.
Dennis is right though, I think everyone has a duty to put something back in or someday it just won't be there.
Same thing with our club. You need to help out with at least two races or you don't
get trophies and or awards. Or your name mentioned, for that matter. It's not that big a problem with us but we can always use more help.
Dennis Noward0 -
Ah trophies ...I've heard of them. I like to think my main contribution is in bringing up the rear in order to save everyone else from the disappointment of coming last!0
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Yellow Peril wrote:Ah trophies ...I've heard of them. I like to think my main contribution is in bringing up the rear in order to save everyone else from the disappointment of coming last!
That makes two of us. As I recall we used to give out trophies for "best crash"(it was
a road brick), "biggest club hot dog"(showoff) who never won a race(it was a plastic
hot dog on a bun), and other weird things that elude me now. We also used to have a 5 mile "junk bike time trial" where you got a certain amount of seconds deducted for having
various items on the bike. i.e. fenders equaled minus10 seconds, rusty chain equaled
minus 15, and so on and so forth with no limit to the amount of time deducting "crap"
you could have on the bike. Even the bikes general condition could get your time
reduced. If you bike was judged to be in such bad condition that it might not make it 5
miles this was worth a minute or something like that. That kind of stuff even I could win.
Dennis Noward0 -
In reality, it was just a case of losing the shoe-gazing competition that happens every time someone is asked to take on the role of RR organiser. I really need to buy some nicer shoes. :oops:dennisn wrote:That's how they get you to "volunteer". You got sucked in.0 -
It isn't too bad Bronzie - I found it quite stressful but it more the unknown what might go wrong rather than anything that actually did - make sure you delegate as much as possible - get someone to take charge of course set up including HQ, someone to take charge of marshalls, someone to do food etc.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
Good topic.
In my club everyone races so of course everyone want's to turn out and race our own club event.
What happens though is you get allocated a marshalling spot on the route anyway - this is done by default just by being a member of the club - if you don't provide a stand - in you don't race.0 -
Bronzie wrote:
In reality, it was just a case of losing the shoe-gazing competition that happens every time someone is asked to take on the role of RR organiser. I really need to buy some nicer shoes. :oops:dennisn wrote:That's how they get you to "volunteer". You got sucked in.
I somehow got nominated onto the committee at our last AGM. Shouldn't of moved from the bar really
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craigenty wrote:Good topic.
In my club everyone races so of course everyone want's to turn out and race our own club event.
What happens though is you get allocated a marshalling spot on the route anyway - this is done by default just by being a member of the club - if you don't provide a stand - in you don't race.
In the course of our season our club is required by The U.S. Cycling Federation to put on
at least one USCF race in addition to our club races(which are for club members only).
Anyway the rule for this one is much like your's. You either work the race or provide a stand in. We tend to see a lot of wives on that day. Most of them looking glum and have a look on their faces of "I can't believe I'm up this early on a Sunday morning - how did I get sucked into this AGAIN?" They are not very friendly but realize that it's only once a year
and even though they "hate" the club they know it keeps their husbands out of the bars.
Well, most of the time.
Dennis Noward0 -
Our club has the opposite problem
we've got marshals and helpers in excess, but only a handful of "racing" members. We are suffering from being in the same area as another "team" who lure riders away with the promise of a free skinsuit and then do bugger all for the sport. It wouldn't be a problem if they were joining the "team" to race at a higher level, improve etc. but they're doing the same old races with the same old results...
Then the members of the "team" roll up to the start line of our club events and expect to ride as if nothing has happened :roll:0 -
MartinL wrote:Our club has the opposite problem we've got marshals and helpers in excess, but only a handful of "racing" members. We are suffering from being in the same area as another "team" who lure riders away with the promise of a free skinsuit and then do bugger all for the sport. It wouldn't be a problem if they were joining the "team" to race at a higher level, improve etc. but they're doing the same old races with the same old results...
Then the members of the "team" roll up to the start line of our club events and expect to ride as if nothing has happened :roll:
In the "for what it's worth department" no one races at our "club" events unless they are a member of the club. No exceptions(it's an insurance rule). Also no club member
will be credited with a race result unless they help marshall at at least two races that season. Not sure how this "team" and your "club" relate to each other but in the long
run you both should try to somehow "join forces". It would probably benefit everyone involved. Good luck.
Dennis Noward0
