The post-event survey results are in, and by all accounts, Wayne State University’s inaugural Baroudeur cycling ride on Saturday, Aug. 22 was a breakaway success.
A total of 421 people who participated in the 20-, 50-, 62- or 100-mile rides completed the survey.
When asked to rate the overall ride experience, 71 percent rated The Baroudeur as excellent, 26 percent thought it was very good and 3 percent considered it average. No one rated the event below average or poor.
“The Baroudeur accomplished our goals of showcasing our beautiful campus, giving people an opportunity to explore Detroit by bicycle, encouraging people to be physically active and raising money to support student scholarships,” said WSU President M. Roy Wilson. “I think this was a great launch to what will become an annual, signature event for the university.”
The event’s 1,100 riders raised approximately $10,000 to help economically challenged students complete their degrees.
Given a chance to provide additional feedback, survey comments included: “My only regret is not recruiting more people to do it. Outstanding event;” “The ride was so well run that it was hard to believe it was the inaugural Baroudeur;” and “Overall, I’d say it’s probably the best cycling event in which I’ve participated.”
“With 97 percent of participants rating the event as excellent or very good, it feels good to know all of the hard work and planning paid off,” said Matt Lockwood, ride director of The Baroudeur. “We’ve set the bar, but also identified several things that we need to improve upon for next year.”
Eighty-four percent of survey respondents said they are very likely to ride in next year’s Baroudeur, and 12 percent are somewhat likely to sign up again. A date for next year’s ride has not yet been determined.
President Wilson and his wife, Jacqueline, are hosting an ice cream social on Friday, Sept. 11 on the Jacob House front lawn to thank the 300 people who volunteered for the Baroudeur and helped make it such a success.
Check out photos from The Baroudeur here.