I really like the way this is developing. To me "central" has nothing to do with geography and everything to do with access. From where I am in Vermont it's easier to get to Seattle than it is to Ashville, even though it's three times as far. I like the idea of the PNW.
As much as I love the Bay area ( and have a son & granddaughter there) I think the Bay area crowd could also travel a bit. Weakening cliques would be helpful. To pull this off the destination will need 4 or 5 people in the area who are willing to put some significant amount of work into it. Lodging - getting a group rate at a local hotel or resort, prepared to deal with all the bikes, and a nearby campground would be ideal. People like Adventure Cycling or a tour agent might be helpful in this regard. I'm excited about the prospect of pulling this off. Michael On Thursday, August 1, 2013 11:49:12 AM UTC-4, Steve Palincsar wrote: > > On 08/01/2013 11:29 AM, Montclair BobbyB wrote: > > I think it's a great idea. > > > > Speaking from this person's perspective, the things (to me) that make > > for a good location for a rally: > > > > - First and foremost, the allure of the location (in terms of > > adventure, natural beauty and rideability). If it lacks grandeur, so > > will the ride (I'm afraid) > > Depends on what you mean by "grandeur." There's certainly nothing like > the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls (both high on the "grandeur" scale) in > Salisbury MD, but the League Annual Rally in 1989 was one of the most > successful bike rallies of all time, and the riding was so well regarded > the Seagull Century kicked off shortly afterwards. I wouldn't consider > the Great Allegheny Passage to be especially rich in scenic grandeur > either, but it's one of the nicest places to tour that I know of. > > > > - It's driveable (which we of course can't expect for a national > > rally)... some will obviously be able to drive; others will need to > > fly and ship bikes. But if we can somehow maximize attendance with the > > least amount of travel hassle, that's important > > - A location with basic amenities (ie lodging/camping, > > restaurants/provisions, emergency services, etc.) > > And note that "lodging" is NOT synonymous with "camping." For some, > clearly camping is the way to go, but there are many others whose > camping days are long since over. > > > > - Location is well suited to serve either as a hub (for out and back > > day-rides), or can accommodate point-to-point, self-supported travel > > (with provision for shuttle service IF necessary, or a route that > > loops on itself). Logistics cannot be the weak point; one poorly > > coordinated shuttle pickup can ruin your whole day. > > - It's great to have local help from someone who knows the area and > > who has connections to help out in a pinch. > > > > I stand by the first rule... The location must be outstanding and > > offer adventure, beauty and rideability. Let's kick around some ideas. > > And "adventure" doesn't necessarily mean you have a good chance of dying > and being eaten by wolves. We're not talking Rapha-style "epic" here. > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
