Future of MacRetro rides?

[firedfromthecircus]

OK. This has been split from the now cancelled GT anniversary ride thread. Think we can pick up discussion from here.

Question is what rides do folk want to do? Baltic Bawbags never happened, Pentlands wasn't exactly stowed out and now no anniversary ride. :?:

We tried the easier last year, and we've tried the harder. Still no great appetite to turn up. :?:

 

[kaiser]

Re:

Such a pity. Not sure what else you could have done. I know towards the end of my tenure as AEC it was hard to find the right way to pitch a ride. Maybe start a thread asking what folks want from the section? Personally between work, family and the type of riding I find myself doing I don't seem to be making it along to any rides.

 

[clubby]

Re: GT Annual - cancelled

I think it's just that people's live's have moved on. Jobs, family etc, no-one has the time. Even with lots of advanced notice we're not getting huge upfront interest.
Tried easy rides, harder rides, makes no difference.
Peoples interests have also changed, with other types of riding taking over.
Maybe time to bin the large group ride ideas and concentrate on the last minute local area rides that are better attended.

 

[DynaCol]

I don't necessarily think we need to do anything drastic like stopping the annual rides altogether. It's difficult when there's a fairly small group of us who actually ride, once one or two cancel (due to legitimate reasons) you soon have only 2 or 3 left to attend.
I struggle to get excited about going to Glentress these days as we've been there quite a few times since I joined Retrobike (no offence Boxxer as It sounds like you had a few secret trails up your sleeve and would no doubt have been an enjoyable ride). The thought of struggling past the Highland Show traffic was the nail in the coffin for my attendance.
As for Baltic Bawbags not happening this year it seemed like nothing was said about it until fairly late on at which point folk a had other plans and slowly one by one pulled out.

It may help if we firmed up the whole calendar earlier, although I appreciate most of you have been here longer than I have and have no doubt tried everything before but just a thought.

Ultimately though unless we have a larger rider base who are keen to attend then these cancellations are always likely. It may help posting up in the general forum areas about rides to maybe attract some of those who don't frequent the MacRetro section as often?

 

[firedfromthecircus]

Re: GT Annual - cancelled

Maybe time to bin the large group ride ideas and concentrate on the last minute local area rides that are better attended.

As long as we have a MacRetro section on this site we should have at least one ride per year which should be retro only, set at a level suitable for old bikes with even older riders. And as long as I am here and able I am happy to see that it happens.

Should we have more than that? I don't know. Probably not if people can't be arsed turning up.

We have tried to firm up the calendar earlier the last 2 years Col. If it hasn't seemed that way to you then perhaps we didn't do it all that well, but it has certainly been the intention.

It seems there is an appetite for retrobikes. Between here and Facebook and the other corners of the web there are plenty folk out there who have an interest in old ATBs.
There also seems to be an appetite for group rides looking at what is happening elsewhere. So why can't we tie it together?

 

[DynaCol]

Re:

There seems to be plenty of ideas for rides early in the year then things seem to peter out as we get in to the back end of the year with a few events usually left as TBC. So maybe 1 organised ride per season would be a good way to focus things (maybe we're trying to do too much considering our numbers)?
Baltic bawbags is usually well attended but this year it was left too late to firm up a date, from what I remember, and it's difficult for people to commit or plan for things like that. Of the rides I've attended the ones which have had the best attendance have been the weekend excursions to Aviemore etc. Because people have to commit to accommodation etc there's more incentive to stick to attendance. I for one enjoy getting away from the trail centres and doing some riding that we did back in the day on "natural trails". So I'd suggest maybe 4 "organised" rides per year 1 South, 1 North, 1 West and 1 East or something like that to give everyone a "home" ride so to speak having them at the same time every year but changing up the venues.

Just my thoughts.

P.S. I'm trying my best to get fitter so I'm up for attending more

 

[clubby]

Re: Re:

P.S. I'm trying my best to get fitter so I'm up for attending more

You don't need to get fitter. If intended routes are an issue, let us know and we can alter to take account of everyone.

As for the other points, I'll try to answer from my perspective as AEC. Not a personal attack or trying to cause an argument as I think some of your points are valid.

At the start of the year I try to get a consensus of what we want to plan. I personally would love to chuck the old stale rides and do new ones. Problem is, when I tried with the Glen Doll and Ballater rides, there was little interest. By contrast there is always good initial support for the annual rides such as Baltic and GT annual (which yes is at Glentress every year, but this is to mark the initial Macretro ride which took place there). Boxxer did offer to do us an Innerleithen locals special instead, but there were moans about riding that on retrobikes.

We try to set a firm date, but ride organisers have a life outside this site and if is often difficult to get a days that suits.

Bawbags was a disappointment for me this year, but TK has huge work commitments, a never ending house renovation and a busy family. I completely understand how organising a bike ride is bottom of the list. It's also not fair for me to harass people to sort things out or to butt in an take over.

The GT ride was a late announcement due to FFTC having to pull out as organiser due to injury. Boxxer stepped up and we had at least months notice of the date.

As for the TBC dates. I have relatively few commitments but even I can't say six months in advance that I'll definitely be free on a particular weekend.

As FFTC said, we have tried the last few years to plan in advance but there's always the slow drain throughout the year. You mentioned Aviemore, but look at last year. The room at the bunkhouse should have been full but drop outs took their toll again.

This year I'm trying the Macduro idea as something different, but even that's not sparked huge interest outside the usual gaggle of Fifers.

The NSEW idea is good, but we need riders to step up and commit to organising not just waiting for others to do it. This comment isn't being levelled at you (Colin), but to everyone.
I've said this before but I'll repeat it again. Rides don't have to be epic or huge, we just need to get out as a group on our old bikes somewhere, anywhere.

Unfortunately, as it is, the current format isn't working, hence my suggestion for not wasting time with yearly planning and moving to more rides, with say a months notice.
If we'd rather try to stick a planned calendar then please everyone take note that August, and the entire end of the year are empty.

 

[epicyclo]

Re: Re:

...hence my suggestion for not wasting time with yearly planning and moving to more rides, with say a months notice...

I think that's a good idea. I really can't commit months ahead because my weekends are at the disposal of my wife. She works, I don't, so weekends are her time. If I get out at the weekend it's because she hasn't any plans other than shopping.

Jamie and I organise rides between us, and usually they are only at a few days notice and a route not decided until Jamie gets down here or me up there. We should start posting them.

Ex tempore works best for me.

PS we are doing a road ride on Sunday. Classic road bikes preferred, anything welcome, but you're likely to get your tyres dirty at some point. Start point Dingwall. (It will be easy. I am not fit yet.)

 

[jimo746]

Re:

I'm all for keeping the organised Macretro rides, the more the merrier, and the more rides on retro bikes the better imo as I don't get out on mine enough! Retro rides should be something a bit special, a bit different, more on the retro bikes... I can go ride my modern bike any day of the week.
I think there's several factors affecting turnout , the usual pressures of work/family/life balance, the distances some people would have to travel to a ride (can't be helped I know, compared to when I rode with the West Yorkshire retro lot where everyone lived within a couple of hours drive at most from the vast majority of rides, and a higher number of members/retro biker population density ), there's a small hard-core of regular riders on here who attend many of the rides but not many newer macretro riders (?), being an internet forum there are a lot of "silent" members, those who have an online presence but don't attend rides, I wonder if anything might convince them to join the Macretro clan on a ride?

I think 4+ riders is ok for a retro-ride given the member numbers and distances involved , I think the ride calendar for this year is a good mix of rides, but there's nothing wrong with looking at new options (I'm looking forward to the MacduroTM event coming up. :mrgreen:
There's been a couple of hiccups this year, a few rides postponed or cancelled, but the rides I've attended have been great/classic/epic, so nothing much wrong as such, just an unfortunate mix of circumstances that meant numbers for some rides were reduced.

 

[kaiser]

Re:

I'm not wanting to chime in too much as I've already explained my predicament with actually getting to rides. But I'd agree that maybe GT is getting a bit old hat and the MacDuro ride sounds great. Maybe one ride a year with a bit of focus and try to do a bit more in the local threads? I will try to post now and again in the West coast rides thread.