Checklist for national/local organisers

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE BIKETOUR

WHAT IS A NATIONAL COORDINATOR? National coordinator (NC) is a person (or few persons) who is responsible for the route in one country or at least a part of it. See Guidelines for being a NC on: [1] You will coordinate:

• the planning & testing of the route
• the search for sleeping-places, actions, events, fellow organizers, participants
• having meetings with local volunteers and international coördinator
• produce/translate bt-material like flyers or poster
• press-work
• fundraising
• write invitation letters for visa for Biketour participants
• guide the tour through your country
• what ever else you take on during meetings.

CHECKLIST NC

• A: Preparing the route
• B: Publicity
• C: Media strategy
• D: Local attention/welcomes for biketour
• E: Practical stuff needed for Biketour

A: Preparing the route (see general information “BIKETOUR ON THE ROAD” for tips)

• Finding locations to sleep and arranging a contact person who communicates with hosts during the biketour and informs when we will actually arrive. We will probably stay longer in some places where we can learn/help out/do actions. It will be nice to have space to meet, do workshops, prepare banners etc. Especially where many people start the tour it will be nice to organize a bike repair workshop or other group activities…
  • Planning and checking out the route: important to check is actual state of the road (asphalt is best); enough possibilities to get drinking water and food supplies; and to make a list of bike shop addresses.
    • Cooking on open fire is the fastest and most convenient for BT. It needs to be checked if open fire is allowed in particular country (otherwise there’s need to arrange a gas cooker).
      • Besides this it’s good to check natural park policies and possibilities of wild camping with a group.
        • list of hospitals along the route and alarm numbers of all countries we pass.
          • Overview of a general plan for actions and campaigns with dates (this plan can be talked through and adjusted with all participants at the starting point of the tour and in daily meetings). It’s good to leave space for people to take part in actions they are interested in (don’t expect all actions planned will happen… sometimes though there can be spontaneous actions be set up by participants).
            • A contact person who communicates with local action groups…

B: Publicity

• To reach out to participants you can send a call out via email to all friends, action groups, NGO’s and whoever interested. There's need for translated versions (local languages).
  • Also BT flyers/stickers can be printed to hand out during the Biketour (also translated in local languages).

C: Media strategy

• prepare a list of press contacts
  • a general press release about the Biketour (that can be send to local press before/on day of arrival by a contact person in the office)
    • and maybe there should be a press spokesperson on the spot!

D: Local attention/welcomes for biketour Local hosts, action organizers, local authorities (in villages etc) will always expect a group of fresh sporty activists, full of interest in everything local. *This is the rule!* They sometimes organize events to welcome us. We need someone to talk to them and explain (before we arrive) that sometimes we need to rest first…

E: Practical stuff needed for Biketour (checklist for National + International coordination)

• Trailers: The Biketour possesses 2 BOB trailers. Participants will carry this in turns behind their bikes. They are used for kitchen equipment; tools; extra water and food for the way (especially in deserted area); and one trailer (one with less load) is always engaged in food shopping (when group is bigger). If the group is very small (under 10 people) two trailers can be a burden, because not enough people can exchange them (people with road bikes or too narrow frames, people with private trailers), especially in tough areas with hills. There is need to test them out before starting the Biketour!!! (get some spareparts: especially extra spokes for attaching them to bikes!)
  • BT phone numbers: one mobile phone number per country, better 2.
    • Kitchen equipment: There were discussions on what pots are the best to get, and summary is this. Aluminum pots are heavier and slightly poisonous. Only good side is - they are thick, so food doesn't burn on open fire. Tin pots are light and healthier but food often burns on the bottom of a pot. Light stainless pot are usefull too. Maybe pots of last year are still stored with the trailers.
      • T-shirts: Popular and nice to have, because of several reasons: it gives some sort of "group look" for the actions, can also give nice identity feeling. The map of the tour on a t-shirt is noticed to be particularly popular and also useful in different situations too (think situations with language barrier!). Technically: t-shirt pdf or tiff file has to be send to some place where local BT organizers can manage cheap printing. If it is tour's starting point, it would mean that some 10 or more t-shirts have to be carried on the trailer. The better solution would be to print them (again)in the middle.
        • Communication on the road: more and more mobile phones are used to coordinate people in different situations: catching the group, getting lost, having bike malfunctions, etc. Even a web service with network distribution of sms texts is available nowadays (www.twitter.com). This service shows messages on web too, so it's great for people catching biketour.) Anyway, this habit of sending texts all over Europe to be received by person only 3km away is expensive. So introduction of walkie-talkies is long awaited!
          • Guidebook with info for participants: This will be a booklet with information on biketour and given to participants when they start (could also be send to them beforehand…). The international coordinator can collect texts written by local organizers concerning: information on route, places we will visit and where we will stay, general information about the country (political, historical, geographical, social and rights of citizens to demonstrate and what to do when arrested!) and language.
            • Maps for participants: with route and possibly description of the route…
              • First aid kit and it is recommended to arrange a (few) participants who have first aid knowledge/or would like to do a course before hand.
                • (A back up car/van for emergencies in deserted area´s and (in every country) a person, outside the biketour, to call in case of accidents)