Gauging Interest in a Pleasing Saddles Competition

[Henry]

I realize that by September riders may have competition fatigue (Freezing Saddles, 30-Days in April, National Bike Challenge, etc), but I’ve been toying with an idea for a way to leverage all the enthusiasm in the cycling community. Warning, it would require you to talk to non-biking people about biking in ways that don’t scare them or make us look & sound freaky.

With BikeArlington’s goal of getting more people to ride more often, there is great potential to grow our numbers by tapping into the sizable Interested but Concerned population, many of whom simply need a little one-to-one encouragement from a Confident and Enthused rider.

So with a format similar to Freezing Saddles (virtual teams, leader boards, beginning and ending happy hours, meaningless prizes, etc) I’d like to know who would be interested in Pleasing Saddles, where you get points not for riding massive miles in ungodly weather, but for getting a reluctant rider to do a 10-minute ride (A Please Sleaze?) on a nice sunny day.

Tentatively I’m thinking Sept 1-30, (moderate weather, NBC is over), with points (10) awarded for each new rider (defined as someone who has not ridden in more than a year), plus one point for each additional mile. Emphasis is on getting new riders, so you wouldn’t get 10 points if they rode again, just the mileage points.

Bonus points could be awarded for behaviors we’d like to see, or barriers removed, things like:
Performing a simple repair to make their bike rideable. (Barrier)
Stopping at an LBS. (Behavior)
Spending money on the ride. (Behavior)
Showing them how to get to a point of interest. (Barrier)
Doing the ride in “normal” clothes and shoes. (Barrier; as people feel they need special equipment to ride)

I’m also exploring hosting it on the site Love to Ride which has hosted other community Let’s Get People Riding competitions. It also has built in tools to help new/reluctant riders address barriers.

Any and all of the above is negotiable. So, would you participate? Be interested in helping organize? Have other thoughts, suggestions, ideas to make it better?

[PotomacCyclist]

I would really worry about competition fatigue by that point. The National Bike Challenge also continues through Sept. 30.

[Henry]

Oh. I thought it was over by then. What, do these guys own the whole summer? Sheesh!

[PotomacCyclist]

I’ve had the idea about having a more low-key version of Bike to Work Day throughout the spring and summer. Maybe the 2nd Friday or Tuesday of each month, to stay away from the Independence Day and Labor Day holidays. Perhaps the 2nd Friday in June, July, August and September. It wouldn’t be as big an operation as the standard Bike to Work Day. It could be a simpler gathering at a few locations, with breakfast, bike info, giveaways (which could be donated by sponsors) and so on. This would help to continue the momentum of the main BTWD.

The Monthly Summer Bike Day, or something similar? If local bike stores or even non-bike businesses wanted to sponsor something like this, there would be more coverage. Maybe the usual BTWD locations in Arlington (assuming the BIDs want to do it), a few locations in central DC and maybe in Old Town Alexandria and any other areas with a willing organizer.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Henry 116616 wrote:

Warning, it would require you to talk to non-biking people about biking in ways that don’t scare them or make us look & sound freaky.

That’s unpossible.

[dasgeh]

@PotomacCyclist 116622 wrote:

I’ve had the idea about having a more low-key version of Bike to Work Day throughout the spring and summer.

This would be awesome. I talk to tons of people who couldn’t or didn’t do the btwd but want to bike to work and having the extra kick in the pants would help.

If monthly is too big of an ask for this summer, at least doing a 2nd, fall btwd in september or October (time it with the other bike to school day) would be smart. Lots of families are breaking in new routines in the fall so doing a bike day early on might get people biking at least through the fall

[Henry]

Bump. Posted this just before the holiday weekend.
Henry

[Terpfan]

@dasgeh 116655 wrote:

This would be awesome. I talk to tons of people who couldn’t or didn’t do the btwd but want to bike to work and having the extra kick in the pants would help.

If monthly is too big of an ask for this summer, at least doing a 2nd, fall btwd in september or October (time it with the other bike to school day) would be smart. Lots of families are breaking in new routines in the fall so doing a bike day early on might get people biking at least through the fall

Ditto.

I think the other helpful factor may be people willing to do a smaller caravan of sorts. Or riding pairs/tris/whatnot. I think a lot of people are leery because they don’t know the route, are afraid of being on the road at all (even if it’s just crossing it), and so forth. I think it’s literally the hand-holding and getting them to do it a few times that will enable them to see it as far easier than they imagine.

I also think it’s a matter of publicizing the ability to ask questions about it. With BTWD, it seemed like we recieved some new posters who are effectiving using the forums. When I started riding, just coming to here to learn things about basic maintenance or proper trail etitiquette was helpful. It’s a good crowd of folks.

[PotomacCyclist]

Even if there isn’t a formal Monthly Bike Day, maybe we could set up these caravans on the forum for one day each month over the summer. While people can always form caravans on any day, I think the idea of having a bigger promotion might get the notice of more people. It could be a forum-based Monthly Summer Bike Day on the 2nd Friday of June, July, August and September. There could be caravans from a few key locations to office centers (or more locations, if there are enough people volunteering). There wouldn’t need to be any formal tables, breakfasts or giveaways to set up something like this. We already have this forum, which draws in people from all over the region. Then we just start up a thread and put out the word somehow. Social media is an inexpensive way to do that.

If the first Monthly Summer Bike Day doesn’t bring in that many new people, well, not a problem. There’s no money going out the door, so it doesn’t matter how many people it brings in. But if we keep it going and turn it into an annual tradition, as a supplement to the formal Bike to Work Day, then it would still serve a purpose, in showing newcomers the benefits and enjoyment of bike commuting (except for those people who live in areas with really poor bike infrastructure and dangerous routes).

[Mikey]

How about bike to bar week. or bike to coffee week, with a week of social gatherings and teams get points for visits to the social event. Kind of like coffeeneuring or beereneuring but less Ntisocial. Put the sites throughout the metro area and you have yourself a challenge.

[Henry]

@Mikey 116988 wrote:

How about bike to bar week. or bike to coffee week, with a week of social gatherings and teams get points for visits to the social event. Kind of like coffeeneuring or beereneuring but less Ntisocial. Put the sites throughout the metro area and you have yourself a challenge.

Yes! Yes! Yes! It is the hand-holding nature of rider encouragement that I’m going after. But Coffeeneuring works for some; Beereneuring works for others. With Pleasing Saddles, I’m hoping members of this community will create DIY recruitment initiatives over a 30-day period. Keep the ideas coming! And as PotomacCyclist says, if we get 10 regulars from here to do it, we’ve lost nothing.

Henry

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