Existential Thread: Or What is Freezing Saddles Really All About

[jrenaut]

I'm not sure how much larger this competition can grow without more sophisticated technology (making it possible for groups/teams and individual riders to self-diagnose problems about why rides aren't syncing, etc.)

This is an important point that I can relate to as a small-time contributor to the running of the FS website. If we expand much (any?) more, we need more help for hozn. I can help with mucking with data once it's in the system, and tweaking the front end (I made the top 10 individual riders' names bigger on the leaderboard and no one noticed), but I haven't had the time (nor do I expect to have the time) to get far enough in to understand pulling the data from Strava. I know hozn isn't going to just leave us stranded, but at the same time, real life has to come first, and if we don't get more people contributing to the backend of the site, we can NOT get much bigger.

[hozn]

Yeah, all true. There are also API limits at play. We can't fetch much more weather data than we are now, for example. And Strava increased the limits for this app, but that is also a factor. And Instagram API has limits, though I don't know that we are hitting those.

I also wanted to mention that I like the role that FS has/could play in simply building community around winter cycling. That has been why I like the idea of a sidelines (slackers) team that wants to be part of a community, but not a competition. I don't know that FS needs to be both, but I know I am always interested in seeing the snow ride pics even if not interested in playing.

[Bob James]

.... (I made the top 10 individual riders' names bigger on the leaderboard and no one noticed),...

I noticed and is one of my vain (err.. main) motivations to try and stay in the top 10 Thanks so much for yours, Hozn's and anyone else contributing to the technical and administrative efforts of making this such a fun challenge.

[Trailofgears]

Rod, I was only ahead of you in the standing very briefly and I had to bike at 2am just to have a few hours of glory before your next ride. As to the James boys, there should be a BAFS prize for the surname with the most points. You might think it would be the more common "Smith", but no, it's the James gang.

Don't Be a NEWB: Where there are gathered two or more individuals with the last name James, they shall be refered to as a gang; i.e. "The James Gang". Failure to do so is punishable by immediate train robbery - per American lore and tradition.

To Your Oh So Existential AF Point: I cherish this community and consider myself a virtual "keeper" or "troll" in this and similar bike-related mediums. And I do not feel wholly comfortable in this internet-based persona. I do however feel comfortable on a bike, which is where you'll find me - year round - and it's never been easier to find me thanks to BAFS.

Reach out any way that makes you feel comfortable. Strava, Twitter, IG, FB, email, text. Late

P.S. I gave this disclaimer to my team in like our first week of existence, but we communicate primarily via Strava.

[sjclaeys]

I can understand the frustration with people who sign up but then don't participate in any way with there teams on or off the Forum. Maybe we should just have an "individuals" team for those who like the data and the competition but are not interested in team building. I think that a bigger problem is people who sign up and then hardly ride. It isn't fair to those on the waiting list and makes the team competition a crap shoot over who are unfortunate to get such people on their team. I think that there should be a ride/milage cut-off maybe at the end of each month. If you don't meet it, you are dropped. I have ideas on how to keep things fair for the teams who has a dropped member. For those who haven't ridden due to medical/work/family, then there could be an appeal process through the team captain.

[jwetzel]

FS is about about winning the beerneuring sidebet.

[consularrider]

Rod, I was only ahead of you in the standing very briefly and I had to bike at 2am just to have a few hours of glory before your next ride. As to the James boys, there should be a BAFS prize for the surname with the most points. You might think it would be the more common "Smith", but no, it's the James gang.

Well, I think there should be a team composed solely of those riders with some derivation of the name Chris. We'd be kicking you know what.

As far as the existential meaning of Freezing Saddles, I never studied philosophy, so I can't help. On a practical note, if there is any discussion of capping participation, I think out-of-area riders like me should be dropped to being only slackers or some sort of emeritus status.

[hozn]

(I made the top 10 individual riders' names bigger on the leaderboard and no one noticed)

(I also noticed! and appreciate the work!)

[hozn]

I can understand the frustration with people who sign up but then don't participate in any way with there teams on or off the Forum. Maybe we should just have an "individuals" team for those who like the data and the competition but are not interested in team building. I think that a bigger problem is people who sign up and then hardly ride. It isn't fair to those on the waiting list and makes the team competition a crap shoot over who are unfortunate to get such people on their team. I think that there should be a ride/milage cut-off maybe at the end of each month. If you don't meet it, you are dropped. I have ideas on how to keep things fair for the teams who has a dropped member. For those who haven't ridden due to medical/work/family, then there could be an appeal process through the team captain.

One idea would be to have individuals make a minimum commitment and factor that in to team assignment. If they fail to meet it for X weeks, drop them from the team and sub in someone else from the waiting list team with a similar commitment.

Things come up, but there are a handful of contestants who have ridden less than 5 days over the past 2 months (and aren't on the slackers team).

[Sunyata]

It has been interesting to see people's thoughts and ideas on this.

From a "team assignments" point of view, the amount of participants this year was pretty staggering. I agree with capping the competition. But honestly, I would say cap it at 200, not 250.

I also feel that having some sort of minimum requirements for both the social aspects (for teams) and mileage/ride aspects is a good thing. There were far too many people that signed up then never responded.

At this point in the games, there are 18 people who have less than 10 ride days: 41 that have less than 20 ride days. And with the exception of one big snow storm, this has been a pretty mild winter.

For me, getting involved with Freezing Saddles last year was a way for me, as someone who was relatively new to the area, to meet other (non-mountain biking) cyclists in the area. I am a very socially awkward individual who has trouble meeting new people without some sort of activity involved. (I know it may not seem like it, but I was SO anxious to go to the opening happy hour last year, I knew NO one!) Freezing saddles opened me up to an amazing community and I made some pretty awesome friends. Before Freezing Saddles, I would give a head nod to other cyclists that I saw. Now, I get called out by name and can often say hi back with a name. That to me is the point of Freezing Saddles: expanding MY cycling community. Well, that and riding more during the winter.

So, for whatever my opinion is worth, I really think that the social aspect of BAFS is the most important thing. But, I honestly do not care one way or the other if the social part comes from the forum, from Facebook, from Strava or in all three places. Just as long as it happens and people get together to ride their bikes and have a beer or coffee or cupcake or whatever.