The leaders of the 2 A STS have noticed a swing in riders on Saturday, March 5th. Many riders who were doing the A19 ended up riding the A Classic. We have reasoned the shift was due to 2 factors.
The first being that the A19 took a bold move and tried a train ride early in the season. This put off some riders who were uncomfortable traveling on a train then doing unfamiliar roads so early in the season.
The second factor was someone was doing a sweep of the A Classic which allowed us to post the ride at a low of A18. This opened the door into thinking that both venues could accomodate riders in the A19 range. We could and did. But things are soon to take a turn. This coming Saturday the A Classic will do a train ride, going to Garrison or Cold Spring, depending on conditions. Then cycle home. That should shift riders back to the A19. But the basic nature of these 2 groups are about to emerge. The A Classic will get faster and the hills will become ubiquitous. So the shift will be towards A21/22 with lots of vertical. If you are about to bond with ride leaders, you should know which way the wind is about to blow. It is not that the A Classic is trying to limit its membership. It is just that most riders find the rigors of the pace, distance and vertical a bit daunting. And that is why Russ Berman and Robert Gray stepped up to the plate and formed the A19. The A Classic leaders looked deep into their souls and honestly said that there is a place for their kind in the NYCC and feel comfortable with their agenda.
Attention STS A 19 and A Classic riders, not SIGS
How far off was Saturday's ride from where you want it to be? Is it the fact that there were a number of groups, and the slower groups would have been better catered for at A19? Or is that the pace of even the faster group just wasn't up to standard? Speaking as someone who was comfortable with Saturday's ride (stayed in the faster group), but new to the club and no Lance Armstrong, just seeking clarity.
BTW Another potential reasons for the split was the indication that the A19 STS would be building up to A19/A20, rather than starting there.
The swing in demographics was obvious. If Wal-Mart changes its price on an item and all of a sudden the number of orders drops the answer is that they have priced themselves out of the market. When riders saw there was a train involved in the A 19 they moved to what they perceived to be a ride of equal value for less effort. The A Classic went as planned as it was only a prologue ride. When both ride leaderships compared riders who were on the first rides and then saw a shift which had not happened in the previous STS rides, the point was taken.
In the past, prologue rides were done in the same venue. Thus riders could see which pace was best. If they fell out of one group they could pick up by the next slower group. If they arrived at lunch with too little effort they could leave with a faster group. This year we feared too many riders at one lunch stop might overwhelm the facilities so we segregated the rides.
This problem will sort itself out as riders find their place in each of the 2 STS groups. This post was intended as a Noto Bene to participants to chose their path on paper before trying it out on the road.
Thus, seeds might look alike but the plants that develop from them will differ.
