Thursday Thoughts ~~ I think I’ll have a Contest…

That’s right.  A Contest!  With prizes and everything.

Now I know I’m going to be letting myself in for a bit of work here, so I’m also going to have some serious fun with it.  It’s my contest, so I get to set the rules.  And yes, there will be rules.

Why should you care?  Because there will be real, Prizes.  That’s right.  Real, honest-to-goodness Prizes.  Cool stuff that you can hold, touch, and even…  ride.

Grand Prize:  A real converted fixed gear, singlespeed bicycle.  Built up from my very own parts bins.

First Prize:  One slightly used Rigid, 29er mountain bike.

Second Prize:  One used but serviceable generic mountain bike.

Third Prize:  A “thing” from my home shop.  (Yes, it’s a bicycle “thing,” and no, it’s not another bike.)

Fourth through tenth prizes:  A tool.  Used and loved by me.  Suitable for framing, or for continued work in your garage shop.

So now you are wondering,  “What’s the catch?”  and,  “How much is this going to cost me?”  or,  “What do I have to do to win some of this stuff?”  and even, possibly,  “Is he nuts!?”

Answers: 

There are rules and conditions, and they will be made clear in the future.  So, in a sense, there is a “catch” or two.

It will cost you, but not much, and you won’t pay me a single red cent. 

You will have to do some stuff, some of it on bicycles, but don’t worry, I’m not asking anyone to do something dangerous, or superhuman.  (You won’t have to complete a 600K brevet or anything like that.)

And no, I’m not any nuttier than usual.

Here are a few hints about the stuff you’ll have to do.

1)  You must be on my distribution list for the Tuesday Tome.  And it has to be with an email address that doesn’t “bounce” on me.  This is your responsibility.  Contact me at Bicycles Unlimited (in person, not over the phone) or by email at The.road.dragon@gmail.com and give me a good email address.  If you are already getting the “Tome,” then you can relax on this one.

2)  You must be a dues paid up, member in good standing, of the South Side Cycling Club.   http://www.southsidecycling.com/    Said membership must be for the 2010 year, and dues must be paid by March  30, 2010.

3)  You must be logging miles on the Southside Cycling Club website, “Miles Tracker” feature.

4)  You should be getting very familiar with this blog.  It’s now searchable, and I’ve listed most of the labels I use below.

5)  You must reside on planet earth, and be capable of getting to Peachtree City Georgia from time to time.

6)  It would be a good idea (but not a requirement) to be a member in good standing, of Erin’s Fight, an MS fundraising team.  This could help you in the case of a tie.

7)  I am not going to incur any responsibility or liability for delivering prizes.  You can (if you win one) pick it up in person, or arrange for shipment, at your expense.  After all, the prizes are coming out of my pocket.  I’m not going to pay to ship a bike to Lower Nowheristan too!

8)  Understand that there is no warranty, express or implied, on any prize.  Prizes are warranted to exist, and to be pretty much what I described.  There will be no substitutions, so don’t even think of whining if something doesn’t fit.  That’s your problem.

Incidentally, I do have ways of tracking all of the information I’ve listed above.

One other little item:  I want this to be a fairly large event.  It will, no doubt, have occurred to some of you that the chances of winning are pretty good, if the “pool” is small.  But the thing is, I’m not going to go to judging, or awarding prizes until I have reached a sufficiently large number of contestants.  I’m thinking of a number.  Until I reach that number, it's no contest.  It will still be a fairly small pool.  So your chances should still be much better than most contests.  The thing is, it’s in your interest to get more folks into the running.  So tell your friends.  Get them to contact me and get added to the Tuesday Tome distribution list.  Get them reading this blog.  Encourage them to enter the contest.

Keep watching and reading this blog for updates, additional info, and entry requirements, rules, and conditions.

So get cracking.  Join the Southside Cycling Club.  Log your miles.  Start reading this blog.  In detail.  Carefully.  Read the Tuesday Tome.  Go ride your bike.  Come see me at Bicycles Unlimited.  This is going to be fun!

Labels:  Advocacy, Audax, Club, Cold, Commuting, Construction, Dawn Patrol, Economics, Equipment, Fixie, Fun, Gift, Grins, Group Rides, Humor, Joy, Lighting, Maintenance, Mountain Bike, Night Riding, Packing, Personality, Preparations, Randonnuering, Remodeling, Route Description, Tech, Technique, Thinking, Touring, Training, Tune Ups, Weather, Wisdom

One quick note:  I haven’t gone back and attached labels to all of the earliest posts.  I’m working on it.  Please be patient.