The New Golden Apple
September 5th, 2010
By Kate Marshall - updated 1/13/10
For almost 30 years, the Golden Apple has been the season highlight for many local and regional cyclists. From the 25 mile to the 125-mile ride, everyone has a great time. The Golden Apple Tour is made possible through the dedicated work of WCC volunteers. For the past several years, we have donated a portion of its proceeds to Friends of Karen and New York Bicycle Coalition. Last year, we received great feedback from riders and volunteers and we have already begun planning and working to make the 2010 Golden Apple better than ever.
Labor Day weekend turned out to be a very favorable day for the ride. 99% of the folks who responded to our survey stated that they liked having the ride on the holiday weekend. For a few, having the ride on Labor Day creates conflict and means they will miss the ride, but for the vast majority it fits in nicely with weekend plans and gives a day to recover. So, Golden Apple 2010 will be on Sunday, September 5th.
Key to improving the event is getting more volunteer participation. The work begins now. We are updating the routes and looking for ways to make the ride safer, such as fewer left turns and less overlap. We want to make sure everybody gets lunch at Golden’s Bridge, so we hope to create more options. Signs will be used in addition to road markings. Maps and cue sheets will be available online.
Registration will be open earlier for century and 125mi riders so that they can be on the road by 7:00. Lunch tickets will be required to ensure that everyone gets a delicious sandwich. Food will be abundant at all rest stops, and we plan to have more food and beverage choices including the very popular baked potatoes.
At Golden’s Bridge we hope to enhance the post ride experience with more vendors, music and activities. While we will not be raising the price for the Golden Apple 2010, we will no longer be giving away shirts. We will give away reusable tote bags full of valuable items and coupons. WCC merchandise, including Golden Apple T shirts will be available for purchase at Golden’s Bridge.
The Golden Apple 2009 was great thanks to near perfect weather. With your feedback we hope to make 2010 better yet. Please put the Golden Apple on your cycling calendar now. If you are a member, please contact me, Kate Marshall, to volunteer kttrue@gmail.com. If you are planning to ride, please register early online. Consider joining us on some training rides. See you on the road!
Golden Apple Photos
See how we ride!
By Kate Marshall - updated 11/10/09
Golden Apple Photos are available on our Photographs tab. We had wonderful volunteer photographers, including Trish Spano and James Deighton. Some of the photos are still being loaded, so please be patient and check back soon. Grab what you like and enjoy. One rider made this great slideshow- check it out! http://picasaweb.google.com/ktm882/GoldenAppleRide2009#
We have gotten some important feedback from our survey, and will be posting results soon. Thanks to your input, next year we can make improvements that will make the Golden Apple even better. Thank you.