FHAB Fall Fling – We Need You!

A message from the FHABclub President.

Dear Fellow FHABers,

We have long talked about doing a “big ride” in the fall as the final kick off for our first year! After serious consultation of when other rides are scheduled (and a peek at the K-State Football Schedule!), we have found Saturday October 16th as a possible ride date for the FHAB Fall Fling.

How many of you think we can put together and host a ride between now and October?  As Uncle Sam says, “We Need YOU!”  We’ve broken the tasks to do down into a manageable list, and have some ideas about ways to keep the ride from being too big for us to handle the first year. Some of the tasks that would need done are listed below. After you read through them, please e-mail us and tell us whether you (yes, YOU!) would be willing to volunteer some of your time to help us put this on.

If we don’t get a response, we won’t be able to do it. If, however, you think it would do our club good to host a real ride in the Flint Hills, and you want to put in a little time to help make that happen, we need to know.

Let us know, if you are interested in helping with any of the activities below.

The FHAB Fall Fling To Do List

1. Find two to three routes (or varying lengths of the same route) that will showcase the Flint Hills and be safe for cyclists. Line up volunteers to ride the route ahead of time.

2. Publicity: we will need to contact bicycle clubs in the surrounding area (Wichita, Kansas City, Topeka, Lawrence, Lincoln, Hays, Salina, etc.) as well as local newspapers (Manhattan, Junction City, Fort Riley) with press releases and news about the ride. This will happen after we develop a route, signup sheet, cost, etc.

3. Line up sag support, possibly the local ham radio club.

4. Line up bicycle shops (Big Poppi and Pathfinder) to be at the beginning of the ride an hour or so ahead of time for last minute repairs, etc.

5. Line up food stations for the ride. Get food donated from local businesses (Dillons, Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.). Bananas, m&ms, water, and other caloric snacks are common.

6. Line up a start location and a place where people can check in, park their cars, get changed, use the bathroom, pick up their jerseys, if they ordered them, and visit the mobile bike shops if needed.(possibly get help from the City Bicycle Commission on this).

7. Create maps, photocopy to give to people, and make signs needed to mark the route(s). Someone will have to drive the route(s) the morning of to make sure it is clear of obstructions and put out signage.

8. Have a volunteer (or several) who may be the same as the sag, or other people to ride the route at the end and make sure no one is left out on the route. Have people sign in at the end if possible.
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