by Alan M » Sat May 29, 2010 5:21 pm
[quote="Andrew G"][quote="Jojo"]I know it states on when becoming a member we are obliged to fulfil marshalling duties, but there is a big majority who just come out for the CR and have no interest in racing, TT etc etc and shouldn't have to be pressurised or made to feel they are not welcome because of this.
As you say it is an obligation when you sign up to be a member, whether you want to race or not. Addiscombe is not unique and you would find that if you joined just about any club in the country then you would have the same obligation, except as most of their memberships are smaller you would have to do more duties than that which Addiscombe require you to.
One of the principle reasons cycling clubs exist is to support grass roots cycle sport and without clubs promoting events then the sport would die off. It is due to the hard work done by cycling clubs and its members in promoting events that the likes of Wiggins, Cavendish, Boardman, and any other British pro (past or present) you mention have been able to get in to the sport and achieve what they have - supporting them in their early days. A lot of people take their first steps in racing after having been to an event having not realised that it interested them before, same as they didn't know they liked cycling as much as they do before joining a club and going on a club run.
I think it's very unfortunate that so many people just want to take from the club. When helping at a race you also get to mix with others with the same interest and can meet new friends, and with an early morning TT you could get a lift out from someone who's racing and then have a nice ride home afterwards taking in some new lanes and a different route as you are going pointy to point and not having to do a loop.
Sorry if this feels like a hijack Alan, but I think one of the main considerations to Addiscombe doing any new event is the how, and without people prepared to help out then that event is going to struggle and a Sportive would need a lot of helpers to do it properly. If labelling something as a sportive and charging that price then you need marshals at nearly all the junctions and turns to do them properly so that people come come back and write rave reviews on their club's forum.
Never fear Andrew I will use my personal charm and charisma to get helpers! - I thought that given your encyclopedic knowledge of country lanes that you might like to be my honorary Route Director?