Calendar Days

 

The calendar for events on gravel was started here in 2008 or so when I got the idea the 'somebody' should do a list of the then current events specifically aimed at gravel riding. There weren't many, I can tell you that, but the list was growing then, and being able to keep track of the budding scene was getting harder to do. My thoughts were centered around just making a list so people could be aware of what was happening.

Well, obviously, no one back then was going to do it, so I did it. This continued into becoming "Gravel Grinder News" and that folded into RidingGravel.com at the end of 2014. All along I kept cataloging events. Hundreds of events. Events I had to, for the most part, track down, update, and modify on my own time. 

Then COVID came along and pretty much upset the apple cart, as it were. Trying to keep tabs on what was cancelled, postponed, or still going to happen was just far too much for one guy to ride herd on. Of course, no events ever really submitted anything to me, not in the past, or during the pandemic. A few here and there, yes, but that was a drop in the bucket when we are talking between 500-600 events throughout the calendar year. This meant that I let the calendar go. Think of a garden with a major weed problem let go for the majority of the growing season. Yeah...... Things were a mess. 

So, I contacted my partner in Riding Gravel, Ben Welnak, and I stated that this situation was not tenable. The calendar was going to be shut down. We decided to leave up what is there as a reference, and if you go look, that message is there. However; people, being people, don't seem to take the time to read that, or even land there to see that message, and I still am getting inquiries as to when such-and-such event is happening, or if I can transfer entries, or if there is camping, etc. As if I were running all these events. It's nonsense, but I still get the emails. 

So, no more. I'm done with the calendar of events. Really, there is no need for it anymore and others do it better than I do. Facebook is a defacto "gravel site" for events, BikeReg.com is searchable for gravel events, as are other event registration services. You don't need me to be doing a list of events anymore, and since it was taxing, and really difficult, with no recompense, why should I keep doing it? I haven't come up with a good answer for that, so the calendar thing is off my plate. 

And I will say that I am quite happy to not have to worry about that anymore. I can now focus that energy elsewhere and get a more rewarding result for my efforts. I felt an explanation of this was necessary and so here that is. 

Thanks to all who relied on that early list and to those who enthusiastically contributed to that list back in the days gone by. To those who looked to that calendar as a reference, I thank you as well. I hope that you all understand where I am coming from now and I am confident that going forward you will all have no problems finding events to attend and support in the future. 

Now, on to bigger and better things......