water tower challenge – feedback

as i have mentioned, this was a test event for the club to see how well we can run an open participation event.  for those that participated, volunteered, or even just took photos, i would like you to have a think about what worked and what we need to work on.  this includes, the course, the navigation, the provided directions, feedzones, distance, team size, finish location, time of day and anything else you can think of.

i am after feedback, both positive and negative so we can make this event better.  the intent is to open it up to the public in the future and maybe act as a conduit to get more people into the club.  again, it is a challenge, not a race, so people come into it with different expectations.  were yours met???  please add your feedback to the comments below or send me an email if you want to leave less public feedback.  thanks.

16 thoughts on “water tower challenge – feedback”

  1. Positives – well organised. Feed zones well spaced and well stocked. The lunch time finish was ideal. Directions provided were a godsend.

    Negatives – Gnagarra road was a bit hairy. I believe there are plans for this to be made into 2 lanes each way. Until this happens, maybe we can consider going from Joondalup back to Koondoola, then come into Ellenbrook via Marshall Rd and Lord Street and exiting via West Swan Road and Benara Rd.

    Definitely should look at this again next year. I’m in already.

  2. Very happy with the route aside from Gnangara Rd.

    Maybe a more flexible number of team members say 2 to 6 will get more participants

  3. Very happy with the route aside from Gnangara Rd.

    Navigation was a nice part of the fun

    Maybe a more flexible number of team members say 2 to 6 will get more participants

  4. First let me thank you Pete and all the volunteers for organising such a fantastic event and making this day run so smoothly. The Imperial Stormtroopers team had a blast and will definately be back next year!!

    Positives – Really well organised,great concept and route with the towers being at top of hills, maps, fantastic generous people, good timing, feed stations were right distance apart and well stocked, Rob in the SAG wagon – just when we needed him on Gnangara Rd to help get fix a flat, finish with cofee and food at Dome, Toby’s photos, a great challenge!!!

    Possible Improvements – As the others have said a bit hairy around Gnangara Road with traffic and road conditions. We had a near miss and resulting in a bit of cross country when greg got a flat!! Would be worth looking at Julian’s suggestion for alternative route. Better to make route a bit longer to avoid the bad stretch. Also perhaps consider teams of 5 or 6.

  5. Agree with the comments about Gnangara Road and a possible re-routing as Julian suggested.
    I think 3 or 4 per team is about right. I wouldn’t mind seeing 4 per team – fits in with many other team cycling events.
    Absolutely loved the support from the feed zones, especially the waving welcome at Feed Zone 2 😉
    Agree that they were almost perfectly spaced for the Imperial and well stocked. Thank you to those responsible for set up and manning.
    I’d suggest contact with WA Main Roads and a possible motor vehicle course inspection on the morning to check for things like the road works that made it difficult to get onto Cape Street. You’d then be able to brief everyone on last minute obstacles and how to navigate them. There was also one left turn on the course that didn’t have a street sign and would have been very easy to miss.
    Great idea, great event and great effort from everyone involved. Very enjoyable!

  6. Nothing but positives as far as I am concerned. A great alternative to Sunday hills. Excellent organisation and support makes it more than just a club training ride, thanks Peter. 100kms seems ideal for M2/M3 to push themselves a bit more than usual. I agree 4 in a team would be good.

  7. Thought the day was very well run. Great opportunity for people that dont want to race to do something different. The volunteers did a great job and their efforts were appreciated. The directions were helpful. We lost half a page of directions and nearly miised the last water tower. Luckily they can be seen from a distance and we found our way there. The metric was a good challenge for a main 2 rider, especially with the climbs. Time of day was fine and ending at the Dome was great, the coffee was very much enjoyed. A larger team could work. I am keen to do something like that again.

  8. Yes, vote 1 for avoiding Gnangara Road, it still has part of my elbow and I have no interest in going back to get it!

    Overall, a great event, and a great day. The course was the right length…longer than you would normally do on your own, and different with the little diversions to the water towers. I note that Team Triple A didn’t get lost at all, didn’t accidentally take a wrong turn, and was able to work out how to use the Garmin route function….we are happy to pass map riding advice onto other male members who struggled with this at future events…for a small fee!!

    The volunteers were brilliant and a great support. Toby the photos and caffeine fix was super and Peter what a fabulous idea you had that has come to fruition. Thanks for all of the hours you spent in ensuring the day ran so smoothly. See you all around a water tower next year!

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