West Malaysia loop ride

Now that the ride is just three weeks away, it was time for us to have a meeting to share details with each other. One of the biggest difference in this iteration is the choice to meet remotely. I spent quite a bit of time figuring out the best way for us to meet virtually and still be able to do video and share notes with each other.

The biggest challenge, other than trying to find a time that worked for everyone, was the choice of platform for the meeting. I started by looking at LiveMinutes. Unfortunately, this required everyone to have a computer and internet connection. This requirement was not too much to ask in this day and age. However, one of the guys just moved and did not yet have a home broadband connection. So this option would not work. I also looked at Google Hangouts but that requires everyone to have a Google account. Unfortunately, one of the guys do not have a Google account. I looked at several other options (e.g. Meetings.io) but each one had a limitation given our unique requirements. So I finally settled on using WebEx which allowed everyone to get onto the call easily with a Windows machine, a Mac or a phone. Bingo!

The time was set and the invitations sent out. But as usual, my good friend Murphy decided to pay us a visit and some of the guys were not able to connect, while others were stuck in meetings. We eventually manage to get connected (though strangely we were only using voice) and covered quite a few topics including the route, the destinations, the accommodation options and what we might be doing at each destination. We also covered what we should pack and a high level budget to prepare for the ride. There were also a number of questions around details on the route, what to do if somebody is lost and what tools we should have with us on the ride.

All in all, I felt we had a good meeting and many questions were answered. One of the key things we need to do next is to arrange for a shake-down ride so everyone is familiar with the formation, structure and steps to ensure a safe and enjoyable ride. I am very much looking forward to the shake-down ride…woohoo!