Hi all
Good to see a bit of discourse or discussion over the competition.
This has been an issue a few times over the last few years. It has also been the reason where in the past couple of years the competition has skipped the odd month, maybe it looked a bit random or as though it had been forgotten but it wasn't. Have been doing it a few years now and you can see the pattern where there is a boom month or two and then it tails off which is where I would think, OK lets rest it for a month and then see where we are.
This year I have tried to do as I said earlier in the year and run it each month regardless. It has been a great year with only one or two months that have low entry numbers but high quality entries like this month. My opinion is it's the quality not the numbers.
MY thoughts on it are that if avoidable, I wouldn't want to carry over entries as those that have entered have made the effort, also to enter on time.
I have tried various themes and always really grateful for ideas, we have tried to do every second month a theme but when numbers start declining, themes don't always help because we are then reducing the pool to draw from, though most entries still came from the small pool of supporters.
I tried prizes for a while and we had some really cool prizes for a short while but a change in work at the time meant I really didn't have the time to devote to it. I have thought of doing it again and maybe trying to find someone who might sponsor it, but very hard to do for a prize for such a varied background of cycling interest. I thought about maybe a Chain Reaction type voucher each month and see how that goes and then maybe ask them for help with it. I once thought of an Amazon voucher but was told that some people may be against that, to be honest when we did put the prizes from Bob on here like the Huret T shirt etc and when Reynolds sponsored the Reynolds Tubing month and Mike Jane won their T shirt it certainly helped those months, as I think the Reynolds one was huge from memory, but overall a lot of those supporters drifted away. Maybe it is time to look at that again, but it is hard to keep that fresh and I much prefer to do it with something cycling related rather than a voucher, though a cycling book. I did once have the idea that I would buy a stack of interesting, good condition second hand cycling books, diverse range from touring to marque specific to technical and then each month the winner would get a random, unknown until it arrived, book. If you didn't like it or already had it, then pass it on
So after that long ramble which doesn't really help with anything other than distract from this months competition, so apologies, it is to say that I do try and think of ways to keep it fresh and interesting but have been doing it for many years and am aware that I may be missing something fresh and obvious. It is Retrobike members competition so it goes in the direction you want. So any ideas for themes etc just drop me a message.
I think we keep going each monthly until the end of the year and then see where we are when we review for bike of the year. Maybe I will dig up some prize or such for that one
Thanks for the support
Jamie