Your Suggestions Please – A New Club Event

Your ideas are needed to help shape an exciting new event, to attract new riders and raise the profile of the club. The aim is to create another annual event, similar but different to the long standing and much-loved Downhill competition, aka Freewheel Competition.

The Background

Several years ago the committee quietly formed a Marketing and Development subcommittee to look at ways to attract new members. The MaD subcommittee discovered that the Sou’Westers only serve one small segment of the market, which they describe as “cycling-mad people of a certain age”, and they have identified an opportunity to gain a foothold in a new market segment - younger adult riders. These riders are time-poor, affluent risk-takers, and they are primarily motivated by thrill-seeking and Instagrammable moments (in other words, taking selfies to put on social media).

The Plan

As a result, a new event is under development. In addition to the long-standing Downhill competition, there is a plan to hold a Slalom competition, where riders compete to be fastest down a course with various obstacles: gravel, sharp bends, wet drain covers, as well as the usual moving obstacles such as cars, pedestrians and tractors. To add a little spice to events, riders will be allowed to pedal but will not be allowed to use the brakes. The commissaires will disable the brakes at the pre-race inspection, possibly by removing brake pads.

The event will be held early in the season, balancing the late-season Downhill Competition – perhaps at the start of April. An attractive prize will be offered, such as a year’s entitlement to free hot beverages at our monthly elevenses at RBL Cobham.

We think this event could attract a lot of publicity for the club. It may even become as famous as the annual cheese-rolling competition in Gloucester, with lucrative worldwide TV rights. A subcommittee has been appointed to develop the idea, the Committee for Redevelopment And Sporting Heritage (CRASH), and they need your input.

Your Ideas Please

We need your suggestions about a suitable course. Routes so far considered include White Down (not enough hazards), Root Hill (too flat), and Bagden Hill, which has already proved how exciting it is on several occasions.  But an urban route might have more dynamic hazards, and also better access for ambulances. Do you have any suggestions that might help make this the standout event of the year?

Also, we need some volunteers to test-ride the course. If you, or someone you know, would be interested, then please do get in touch. You’d be foolish to miss this opportunity!