Passing the baton / taking a year off

[Judd]

Sad! But also thank you for all of the work you’ve done to build, maintain and sometimes I crash the site. Freezing Saddles couldn’t have happened without it and I probably wouldn’t have had most of the friends I have today without Freezing Saddles, so your efforts have at least made my life better.

[jrenaut]

I knew this day would come. I was just hoping it would come after we’d found a suitable replacement. I’m happy to continue in my role as support for the person running the site, but I don’t think I can step in and fill your shoes. First, you’re a better coder than me, and second I’m busy, too. Also I’m likely to arbitrarily change the scoring system halfway through if one team is running away with it like the last 3-4 years, so we should find someone else to be the hozn this year.

Anyway, your work is much appreciated. Like Judd, Freezing Saddles has had a great positive impact on my life, and the website is a big part of what makes the game work. Thank you for all that you’ve done.

Also, stop pretending that you haven’t been here forever – OF COURSE it’s time to start bickering about the rules.

[hozn]

Thanks, guys. Yeah, FS has been very positive, which is why I’ve kept doing it even though I haven’t really played myself since burning out year 1 . I do really want to see it keep on, so I hope that someone takes over. The volunteer idea seemed like a good one, but no one actually did anything — so it actually was a net loss of productivity on the website . But it did make me take some time to clean up and document some of the interworkings.

Jon, you could definitely take it over from technical perspective, but obviously I understand if you don’t have time. I also can spend some time providing additional documentation before it is launch time, should that be needed. This is why I am mentioning this now. The running has gotten easier, though there are always a bunch of leaderboards etc. that need to be created. At this time that does not require any code changes — just need someone to write the SQL and then put it in a yaml file to make the custom scoreboard.

[SolarBikeCar]

Several years ago when I registered for Freezing saddles I volunteered to help out with the programming, DB and website maintenance since I’m pretty good at that sort of thing and have many years of hands-on experience. I never got a reply back and I assumed it was because I was also banned from participating in FS as punishment for owning and riding a velomobile in the area.

Maybe if you charged FS members dues you could afford to off-shore support.

[Sunyata]

As I was telling the folks on the alphabet soup ride on Saturday… Maybe it is time to retire Freezing Saddles and just play Calvin Ball all winter.

[Steve O]

@Sunyata 180909 wrote:

As I was telling the folks on the alphabet soup ride on Saturday… Maybe it is time to retire Freezing Saddles and just play Calvin Ball all winter.

Steve O weighing in here (Gasp! Shock! Awe! Who’da thunk?!)

This is actually a pretty good idea, but perhaps expanded. After all, FS is essentially a collection of winter riding games. This is what I did last year: I played the games but didn’t participate in the days/miles one. We’ve used the days/miles/teams conceit as the glue, but there’s no reason we cannot find other glue. I think there should be teams, because it strongly supports the social-network building objective. But instead of a single over-arching prize, teams can compete for multiple prizes. Best would be prizes that support the overall goals of FS: encouraging people to ride in the winter and building friendships & the biking community.

Notionally the following games could serve as a starting point:
Team beerneuring/Individual beerneuring
Team coffee clubbing/individual coffee clubbing
Team Days Ridden
Every Day Riders
Team/Individual Sleaze
Team/Individual #kidical
Team/Individual Hains Point
Team Calvinball/Individual Calvinball (acknowledging that rcannon or someone is willing to organize)
Other games TBD

What I’m suggesting I guess is that the Pointless Prizes become the point, with an added emphasis on teams and multiple ways they can win.

[hozn]

Honestly, I think the games are what make it fun. The leaderboards maybe get people to go out when they “shouldn’t” (or maybe really shouldn’t) but the games are great. Even from the sidelines.

[chuxtr]

@Steve O 180915 wrote:

What I’m suggesting I guess is that the Pointless Prizes become the point, with an added emphasis on teams and multiple ways they can win.

I think this is a GREAT idea! And the more social, the better!

[CBGanimal]

I like the thought of just games…
Thanks Honz for all you’ve done!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dbehrend]

I really enjoyed my first Freezing Saddles last year.

I found the team competition (points for days and miles) to be incredibly fun. I hope it will be among the games that make up Freezing Saddles 2019.

Thank you to Honz and jrenaut for all the hardwork that went into the website and IT.

[accordioneur]

@Sunyata 180909 wrote:

As I was telling the folks on the alphabet soup ride on Saturday… Maybe it is time to retire Freezing Saddles and just play Calvin Ball all winter.

If we don’t have points then we’ll miss out on one of the central activities of Freezing Saddles – arguing over the points scheme (which apparently we’ve already started doing).

Seriously, even though I’m a middle of the pack rider who is never going to win anything pointswise, points get me out there riding on days when I otherwise would wimp out. Ultra-stupid rides motivated by points are among my favorite FS memories.

[hozn]

There’s certainly nothing to stop anyone from taking over and running the leaderboards this year.

[hozn]

There’s certainly nothing to stop anyone from taking over and running the leaderboards this year.

[dbehrend]

@hozn 181089 wrote:

There’s certainly nothing to stop anyone from taking over and running the leaderboards this year.

Regrettably, I lack the skills to be any help with the awesome leaderboards you’ve built. If the leaderboards end up taking a lower tech format this year, I’d certainly be willing to help.

[Nadine]

@Judd 180898 wrote:

Sad! But also thank you for all of the work you’ve done to build, maintain and sometimes I crash the site. Freezing Saddles couldn’t have happened without it and I probably wouldn’t have had most of the friends I have today without Freezing Saddles, so your efforts have at least made my life better.

I’m with Judd 1000%. I LOVE freezing Saddles. And I don’t like winter, otherwise. And I’m so grateful to Hozn & Jon for everything you guys have done to make it happen.

I love how it’s somehow competitive and non competitive at the same time. The support! The comMUnity! I feel like I get out of FS a lot of what religious people get out of religion. A vibrant supportive community – and we even worship a common icon! [emoji16][emoji468]*♀️[emoji38][emoji322][emoji323]

I’m not in a position to offer to take over for hozn (I’m only just passable at strava) but I hope someone will step up. I could offer non computer support of some kind….. but I hope we can figure out a way. I’ve never figured out Calvinball, and I only found you guys 3 years ago, and I just recruited awitt last winter and she loves it too…. Sigh.

And if we do, Hozn, since you won’t be on computer duty, maybe you’ll be able to play this year?

I’m a middle of the road player, btw, like Accordioneur. The highest I’ve ever been on a team is 4th, and I’ve been pretty happy with that actually….

♥️

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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