Vosges Mountain ride – Summary

This ride has taken place
– either in 2 days (8 and 9 July), 2 circuits of about 115 km coming back to Remiremont, circuits ridden by 320 people,
– or in one day Sunday 9 July on the circuit of 225 km ridden by 80 people.

During the event, I set up a stand with 2 tables and a display rack.
One table was covered with the Club’s revues and flyers and the Club’s jerseys were displayed on the rack.
I had my laptop and a GPS. I used the account 108 « Gaston Lagaffe » to demonstrate several of the site’s tools.

The best exchanges with the riders were concentrated into Saturday afternoon, some returning from the first half of the circuit and others coming to get their numbers for Sunday.

Contacts can be divided into 2 groups :
– Club members, and others.
The Club members had rather come to find information concerning their lists of cols and the tools available on the site site (cols sur trace, ccway, col claims, brevets)
– other cyclists, more used to a local club structure, were « reassured » by our organisation in the area. Others, mostly younger and more ‘connected’, were not surprised by our organisation. Everyone was impressed by what the Club had to offer, the quality of our site and its tools, the databases, the club holidays, the regional meetings (even though they ignored the clothing and the calendar) and the road brevets (those that had come were mostly « roadies »).
Almost all heard of the Club des Cent Cols either via a clubmate (who goes looking for cols everywhere) or by meeting club members during mountain rides.

Several wanted to buy my jersey (the new design) that they thought was great.

Concerning joining, many were surprised by the requirement to have climbed 100 cols (including 5 > 2000). Almost all the cyclists we met had climbed more than 100 cols, but without having noted them, they often asked how to make up this list, and what information was required.
Each time, I reminded them of the calendar (unknown to non members) of regional meetings and above all the possibility of them being welcomed.

A few suggested improvements :
– Make easier the data entry for cols for future members. Spell out what is required, simplify it and give examples.
Ed : A memo from the CA is being prepared follwing this recommendation.
– Improve the communication of our get-togethers on platforms that are accessible to non-members (there is an agenda on the FFCT site, but I haven’t found any information concerning us on it)
Ed: This is the Secretary’s job, he looks after relations with the FFCT. Without doubt he will take account of this possibility to make our regional gatherings known .
– Add a ‘what’s new’ column about the site in the annual revue and stress the tools that are available (Ccway, col sur trace, road brevets).
Ed : I will follow this up

Denis Mathieu – cc 6820 – DT 03 E