"Survey Says...."
The 2024 Skagit Spring Classic was a blast!
It's pretty interesting, and sometimes a little scary, what folks will tell you when you ask their opinion, so this year we decided to do just that.
We sent a simple survey to the 600+ registered riders and almost 60 Classic volunteers who helped out. We asked for some feedback on what they thought of the various aspects of The Classic; what they liked, what they thought needed some improvement, how far they traveled to get here, what route they rode, what they liked to munch on while they rode around, etc. We are still collecting responses and it will take us a while to analyze them but so far they have been really interesting. As of this writing we have 186+ rider responses which represents about 30% of the registered riders.
So here are a few highlights at this point:
- • 52% have ridden in prior Classics
- 48% found out about it through social media, other websites, friends or flyers
- 57% traveled over 50 miles to attend
- 18% stayed overnight in the area
- 12% rode the 25 mile route; 38% rode the 45 mile route; 33% rode the 65 mile route; 16% rode the 100 mile route (and a few reported riding a hybrid route by adding some extra miles here or there)
- 7% rode an e-bike
- 47% used paper maps and/or route markers on the roadway (which got lots of praise by the way), while the rest used an app on their phone, a dedicated navigation device or just followed the pack
- When asked if they had any problems navigating the routes, the vast majority reported that all routes were extremely well marked (comments like "the best ever", "excellent markings" are common). There were, of course those who noted some issues, which is great information for future Classics.
- When asked to rate the various food offerings at the Rest Stops the "Cookies" got a standing ovation (except for when we ran out!). Folks also had plenty of great suggestions for future offerings. One rider thought a cold beer at the rest stops would be nice! All in all their thoughts about food gives us food for thought!
- When asked what they liked the most about their experience many mentioned that the weather, routes, scenery, rest stops, SAG’s and our cheerful and helpful volunteers made this event the best around! I would have to agree!
I have counted about 60 volunteers and I am certain that I have missed a few. And not all were club members as we had help from former SBC members plus some relatives, good friends and neighbors who just liked being part of hosting this fun and special event. We’d like to thank our Sponsors for their generous support, all of our cycling friends who rode in the 2024 Classic, those who took the time to respond to these surveys and a very special THANK YOU to all of those who volunteered to make this event one for the record books.
Ride your joy!
--Ray Desy