2023 Tour of lakes BLOG
HOW DO WE MAKE THE TOUR OF LAKES HAPPEN?
Tour of Lakes (TOL) is on again this year, June 3. People sometimes ask, how does TOL happen, what do we do with the registration money? Those are good questions. I will do my best to answer them here.
The Tour of Lakes is run by volunteers and club members who are not paid. And while we are working for free, we do have to pay for services from businesses that charge for what they do. Everything from porta-potties, food for rest stops, insurance, and bands for the post ride entertainment come at a cost. Like most things these days, they are more expensive than they were last year.
At TOL, we provide a total of three rest stops with good restaurant quality food, porta-potties, SAG services, entertainment, and, if you cannot finish, we will pick you up!
For comparison, I do several gravel road events each season. Registration fees for those events vary and run as high as $95.00. At a gravel event there is no SAG, so if you break down, you arrange your own ride. If you are lucky, you get one rest stop with basic provisions, not food cooked on site like we provide at TOL. You might get a band at the end, but that is about it. Our club, Paul Bunyan Cyclists, is not making a profit, we are not a business, and our goal is to make the Tour as fun and affordable as possible while still paying the businesses that we depend on to supply the event.
If anyone is having trouble affording the event let us know, our goal is for everyone who wants to ride to participate, regardless of how much money they have.
Enjoy your winter activities and training! See you in June!
Ed, Tour of Lakes Director
Tour of Lakes (TOL) is on again this year, June 3. People sometimes ask, how does TOL happen, what do we do with the registration money? Those are good questions. I will do my best to answer them here.
The Tour of Lakes is run by volunteers and club members who are not paid. And while we are working for free, we do have to pay for services from businesses that charge for what they do. Everything from porta-potties, food for rest stops, insurance, and bands for the post ride entertainment come at a cost. Like most things these days, they are more expensive than they were last year.
At TOL, we provide a total of three rest stops with good restaurant quality food, porta-potties, SAG services, entertainment, and, if you cannot finish, we will pick you up!
For comparison, I do several gravel road events each season. Registration fees for those events vary and run as high as $95.00. At a gravel event there is no SAG, so if you break down, you arrange your own ride. If you are lucky, you get one rest stop with basic provisions, not food cooked on site like we provide at TOL. You might get a band at the end, but that is about it. Our club, Paul Bunyan Cyclists, is not making a profit, we are not a business, and our goal is to make the Tour as fun and affordable as possible while still paying the businesses that we depend on to supply the event.
If anyone is having trouble affording the event let us know, our goal is for everyone who wants to ride to participate, regardless of how much money they have.
Enjoy your winter activities and training! See you in June!
Ed, Tour of Lakes Director