Every year brings a new fun adventure for the staff at Bike Virginia. All during the year we plan the event, creating the best experience we can. Crafting a fun and safe ride that has lots of options and is big on relaxation are our goals.
Planning includes: Routes, Permits, Safety, Facilities, Sanitation, Food, Rest Stops, SAG Support, Volunteer Coordination, Entertainment, Transportation, Hotel Services, Vendors, Parking, and Community Engagement.
During the event, much of our time is spent addressing things that pop up, outside of the carefully laid plan for all the above topics. Little things and big things come up. Here are some of the stories from behind the scenes at the 2013 Bike Virginia Tour.
We’ve got a few stories starting with the first Shower Truck adventure below. More to come soon.
Stuck In Traffic and Exploding Shower Woes- By Kim Perry, Executive Director
If there’s one thing that keeps me awake at night going into the tour it’s showers.
It seems like there are always MAJOR obstacles to having the showers on site at the various locations we occupy. Let me start the story with what happened in 2012.
One week before our 2012 tour I get a call that the town hosting our first headquarters was not going to allow us to run our shower trucks off the public water supply.
Yes. You read that right. No water for showers. One week and counting.
I sprouted a headful of gray hair by the time I hung up from that phone call.
Okay. Water… How do you get lots and lots of water to a site where you have no access? I made some quick calls. Did a few internet searches and learned that yes indeed, I could rent a tanker truck. With some quick calculations between the tanker company and the shower company we came up with a total need of 14,000 gallons for 3 days. That’s a lot of water. More than one truck full. So ultimately we would need two tanker trucks. Thankfully I got that arranged and we were set. Unfortunately the price was high, but it had to happen.
All was going well at the event on Friday afternoon when the event started (besides a pretty gigantic thunderstorm). The shower trucks were on site. The first tanker was parked nearby. Things were being connected and plugged in. Then WHAM.
I get the call, “um… the pump that is supposed to move water to the shower truck from the tanker will not start…” I jogged over for a look. The little pump sat lifelessly on the ground beside the tanker. A rider came by and heard the distress in our voices. He grabbed tools from his truck and got right to it. So, with the help from Ken, the rider and the shower truck operator and some greasy hands the three of us got the pump started and water flowing.
By 8pm we had showers running. Only 4 hours past our deadline. 
Every year it’s the shower problem. Manifested in some new way.
So this year when I get a call from the company that the trucks are stuck in an accident nearly 2 hours away from headquarters I am not surprised. Horrified, yes. Surprised, no.
Thankfully we had several on site showers that could hold us over following the Friday riding, but this had to be resolved ASAP.
Me calling the driver over and over was pointless.
When I finally saw the trucks arrive about 5pm I was joy-filled.
Then came the call to my phone….”Can you please come over to fire hydrant by the showers, ASAP?” This was about 7pm.
Oh, Boy. When I arrived on the scene, there were lots of worried looking men pacing around. Some were in work coveralls, some in business casual, a few in muddy shorts and t-shirts. Not good, I quickly deducted.
As things go, the fire hydrant had ruptured.
That’s a new one on me. I admit.
I’ve scrambled to buy adapters, I’ve bought tankers full of water, I’ve worked on pumps, reworked plans at the last minute, heck I’ve even crawled on top of the tanker to check the water level of our water supply, but rupturing a fire hydrant was a first.
Little did I know it was only the first of 2 major problems with water in 2013.
“We might be able to pump a little water from it, but if we hook both trucks up and turn it on full force this thing could go off like a bomb.”
Really not good.
My first question was, “where can we get to more water?” I was having nightmarish visions of the closest water supply being a mile away in town. Maybe I should start calling tanker companies?
“At the other end of the park,” came the reply of the town’s director of Economic Development, Brian Brown. Brian was looking rather exhausted, he’d been helping park cars in the heat for about 8 hours already. I wanted to hug him for his answer. Some quick discussion was had and a decision was made to move the second truck to the far end of the park, near the bus loop.
Darkness had fallen by then. The trucks were rearranged and when I was wrapping up other work at headquarters the lights on the ball field popped on. Right before quiet hours were to begin.
I just shook my head. I presumed the lights were to let the workers see to set up the relocated shower truck and after a trip to the worksite my suspicion was confirmed. I could only hope that didn’t take all night because the camping field was as bright as a sunny afternoon, there wouldn’t be much sleeping going on.
By 11:30 pm all was well. Lights out. I could finally head off to catch a few hours of sleep before the next day’s work.
Part 2- Day 4 of the 2013 Tour
This year we took a more aggressive approach on addressing the shower truck relocation move to second camp. Moves days had always been challenge for trucks getting set up and operational on time for the rider’s arrival.
This year one truck closed early on the night before the move, closed at 9pm. This let the truck get cleaned and packed for the next day’s move. On move day morning that truck was to go ahead for location set up at camp 2 while the second stayed behind to serve morning shower takers.
The first truck left camp at 6am for the 3/4 hour drive to our second location. I received a verification call from our advance team that the truck had arrived at camp 2 right on time. I felt relieved.
A bit prematurely as it turns out. The real problems had just begun.
The location for the truck had been scouted out months in advance. All parties had approved the location. Water had been verified. Check. Check. Check. It should have been a green light experience.
Sadly, once the water lines started to be laid out there was a call on my phone. The park director could not let the hoses be put down as planned because the hoses would block and emergency route needed to get to the vendor/food service area.
Hm… hadn’t we been clear about the hose locations before?
That didn’t matter. This was a no go. No one could drive over the hoses, I was informed, or there could be an explosion.
Okay…. We’ve gone from exploding fire hydrants to exploding water hoses. Neither of which I wanted to see.
Again, a lot of people standing around trying to come up with a plan. Here were the options: 1. Dig a trench and cover it so cars could go over. 2. Build a bridge that cars could drive over. 3. Relocate, but there were no other hydrants on the property….
“Where’s the shovel?” I remember asking. And someone held one up. I’m a person of action so to me that looked like the shortest distance between two points. If that means me digging a trench, then so be it.
Then my phone rang. I took the call and knew I had to go. I got pulled away to handle an emergency and left Shane to help resolve the matter. Time was ticking though and riders would be arriving soon.
See, that’s the way of Bike Virginia. It starts at 4am and once that magic hour hits the day is going to unfold and our job is to stay one step ahead. Signage goes up. Meals are served. Rest stops open. Routes open. Lunch starts. Entertainment starts. Routes close. Dinner’s served. We work all day long to stay one step ahead of the rider’s needs.
When I got free to check on things again an hour later a plan was in action. Dig a trench and build a bridge. We were getting the building supplies needed. The trench digging was under way.
The clock kept on ticking. Riders had started to come in now, hot and ready for a rinse. No showers yet.
The second shower truck was on it’s way to the 2nd camp to join the set up, but until the ditch/bridge was finished there would be no showering.
More gray hair. Yes, it’s happening again! Despite best laid plans the showers are delayed.
By 11am or so the problem had been resolved thanks to a lot of hard work. Manual and mental. People were showering, I could hear the water from outside and a few people stood outside the trucks waiting their turn. I felt a profound sense of relief.
Kim (left), enjoying a moment of fun with riders on the last day at the event in 2013
We tried so hard to make everything smooth, to make it easy and enjoyable for the participants. Only once again we’re punched in the gut by Murphy’s Law.
And while most of the riders never even knew about this problem, we’ve gotten a fair share of complaints on the surveys and by email. It’s a valid complaint, we know.
And once again in 2014 we’ll do everything possible to have the services on hand that you need and want. I just thought it was fun to share what was happening “behind the scenes” and why I might walk around camp looking so harried on any given day of the tour.