I volunteered today for pre-registeration for the Annual Spin the Lakes bicycle ride here in Muskoka. It’s a pretty low-key event – but does keep growing each year with about 400 cyclists taking part this year. The routes are 170km, 110km, 50km, and 20km (for families) – and they take you around the lakes of Muskoka. Such a gorgeous route – highly recommend it to anyone who loves to cycle.
The ride is $50 and that gets you support vehicles, water stations (fully equipped with bananas, granola bars and cookies), door prizes, and a luncheon. If you want a technical tee, it is $35 more and a jersey is $65 more. (or you can volunteer and get yourself a tee for free!). It is not a timed event so there are no chips, or bibs or anything like that. So, the registration is basically this: Fill out your waiver form, get your door prize ticket, get a copy of the route map, your wristband and ask all the questions you could possible want.
I spent five hours at the registration desk and probably registered about 75 people. Everyone jammed the registration table the day of the ride, but, you can’t make people plan ahead (I know, I’ve tried). Anyways, each of the distances started at different times so the riders would arrive back generally about the same time (ie, 170km at 8 am, 110km at 9:30 am, etc).
These were the most popular questions I had to answer:
Is it going to rain?
Do I have to start at my start time? ie, My friend is doing the 170km, and I want to start at the same time. Is that okay?
Do I have to wear this wrist band?
Oh, there is a lunch included?
Fair enough about the rain – thunderstorms were predicted, so I could answer that (good news, the forecast was wrong and it was the perfect day for cycling). But um, you just paid $50 to be here. If you don’t leave with the rest of your group, there will be no support vehicles for you and the water stations may not yet be set-up. If you don’t wear your wristband, the water stations, restaurant, and support vehicles will not know you are a participant. You paid $50 without understanding what was included in your price? Yes, lunch is included.
If you don’t like the start time, or the wrist band or the rules and didn’t care about the lunch, what are you doing here? Why don’t you just pick a convenient weekend, head to Muskoka, pack a lunch, hit the road and do a ride on your own? Save your $50. Yes, no support vehicles, but you are willing to forego that anyways by trying to leave at your own time. People!
Spin the Lakes is an exceptional event and I was proud to help support it. If you are a cyclist, check out the 2013 event – yes, lunch is included!
May 26th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: Confounded by the illogical.
Maintenance May Day 26:
Up at 7:30 am – OMG! – to drive to Gravenhurst to make 45 fresh spring rolls for a Vegan Catering Event. (friendship/connection)
The Daily EO 