What's up with you Cali types??

Quoted message said:

Subject: What's up with you Cali types?? From: [email hidden] (TritonRider) Date: 11/18/03
6:43 PM Pacific Standard Time Message-id: <[email hidden]>

cyclingnews.comnewsOpen ↗

Solano Bicycle Classic needs volunteers The Solano Bicycle Classic (SBC), a four-day event in
California which consistently draws a top domestic field, is in dire need of volunteers for 2004.
Event organizers have already been forced to drop the amateur and public races from the schedule,
leaving only the pro races. Now the entire SBC is in jeopardy due to lack of logistical support.

Is this race's organization that screwed, or are there too many stage races out there? If you
can't give up a couple days of racing to keep a good race going by volunteering you ARE the
problem. I don't know if cyclists who race, not competitive cyclist, they aren't always the same,
are the most selfish people on the planet, but they are definitely in the running. Everyone talks
about getting people involved, especially kids. You wouldn't believe how many people running races
I've heard say that if it was up to them they wouldn't do kids, or young juniors stuff. Short
sighted egocentric, instant gratification [censored]. Grow the sport! Bill C

Northern California clubs have been promoting races for juniors.

I think the SBC may be having problems getting people to help out because a four-day event
necessarily includes weekdays. I'm not sure how the SBC is put on logistically, but if it's not put
on by a particular club, then I could see how that would make it harder to get people. I'm not sure
how other clubs do things, but on SGW, everyone has to work our race weekend. Josh Zlotlow
[email hidden] Sacramento, California Sacramento Golden Wheelmen www.sacgw.com

In article said:

cyclingnews.comnewsOpen ↗

Solano Bicycle Classic needs volunteers The Solano Bicycle Classic (SBC), a four-day event in
California which consistently draws a top domestic field, is in dire need of volunteers for 2004.
Event organizers have already been forced to drop the amateur and public races from the schedule,
leaving only the pro races. Now the entire SBC is in jeopardy due to lack of logistical support.

Is this race's organization that screwed, or are there too many stage races out there? If you
can't give up a couple days of racing to keep a good race going by volunteering you ARE the
problem. I don't know if cyclists who race, not competitive cyclist, they aren't always the same,
are the most selfish people on the planet, but they are definitely in the running. Everyone talks
about getting people involved, especially kids. You wouldn't believe how many people running
races I've heard say that if it was up to them they wouldn't do kids, or young juniors stuff.
Short sighted egocentric, instant gratification [censored]. Grow the sport!

It's a stage race for the pros. The amateurs get one criterium. I've been to that race twice and the
crowds are tiny considering the caliber of the pros. I suspect poor visibility/promotion in an area
(AFB) that doesn't care about bike racing. It's about 45-60 minutes drive from other metropolitan
areas. Except for the criteriums the other races are all in remote areas. I think you also have to
remember that the promoter gets volunteers so he can improve his own bottom line. Volunteers are
much easier to come by when there is reasonable compensation, perhaps to their youth group,
community organization, etc.

-WG

In article said:

In article <[email hidden]>, TritonRider

Quoted message said:

cyclingnews.comnewsOpen ↗

Solano Bicycle Classic needs volunteers The Solano Bicycle Classic (SBC), a four-day event in
California which consistently draws a top domestic field, is in dire need of volunteers for
2004. Event organizers have already been forced to drop the amateur and public races from the
schedule, leaving only the pro races. Now the entire SBC is in jeopardy due to lack of
logistical support.

Is this race's organization that screwed, or are there too many stage races out there? If you
can't give up a couple days of racing to keep a good race going by volunteering you ARE the
problem. I don't know if cyclists who race, not competitive cyclist, they aren't always the
same, are the most selfish people on the planet, but they are definitely in the running.
Everyone talks about getting people involved, especially kids. You wouldn't believe how many
people running races I've heard say that if it was up to them they wouldn't do kids, or young
juniors stuff. Short sighted egocentric, instant gratification [censored]. Grow the sport!

It's a stage race for the pros. The amateurs get one criterium. I've been to that race twice and
the crowds are tiny considering the caliber of the pros. I suspect poor visibility/promotion in an
area (AFB) that doesn't care about bike racing. It's about 45-60 minutes drive from other
metropolitan areas. Except for the criteriums the other races are all in remote areas. I think you
also have to remember that the promoter gets volunteers so he can improve his own bottom line.
Volunteers are much easier to come by when there is reasonable compensation, perhaps to their
youth group, community organization, etc.

-WG

In Northern Calif. we already have more races than available weekend days. This coming year will see
more occurances of 2 races on the same day than ever before. Also there isn't a large racer base
local to the SBC race to support an event that big. The race is located between two rider
populations ( the one in the Bay Area and the Sacramento area). The type of volunteers the SBC race
is looking for are people who can attend weekly meetings and stuff like that to deal with the
logistics of putting the race together. The problem at this point isn't a lack of volunteers to run
the actual races. This isn't a question of riders giving up one day of riding to marshall a race.

Casey

[email hidden] (TritonRider) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

From: Casey Kerrigan [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

I suspect poor visibility/promotion in an area (AFB) that

Quoted message said:

doesn't care about bike racing. It's about 45-60 minutes drive from other metropolitan areas.
Except for the criteriums the other races are all in remote areas. I think you also have to
remember that the promoter gets volunteers so he can improve his own bottom line. Volunteers
are much easier to come by when there is reasonable compensation, perhaps to their youth group,
community organization, etc.

-WG

In Northern Calif. we already have more races than available weekend days. This coming year will
see more occurances of 2 races on the same day than ever before. Also there isn't a large racer
base local to the SBC race to support an event that big. The race is located between two rider
populations ( the one in the Bay Area and the Sacramento area). The type of volunteers the SBC
race is looking for are people who can attend weekly meetings and stuff like that to deal with
the logistics of putting the race together. The problem at this point isn't a lack of volunteers
to run the actual races. This isn't a question of riders giving up one day of riding to marshall
a race.

Casey

That answers my question nicely. Thanks Warren and Casey. Bill C

Boycott because of the Hillclimb TT.