MTB Race Entry Fees....

[mecheng89]

14 hours ago, Block said:

I was also complaining about high entry costs untill I got involved in the planning of a potential multi stage MTB event. Once you take everything from entry system, registration, accomodation, trails, food, Marshall's, water points, medals etc etc into account, the true cost of presenting such an event is huge. If you don't have existing permanent facilities available and existing trails in place there is nothing in it for the organisers.Go do your sums and see for yourself

 

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

[Stockman]

There are many cost factors in setting up a race. I normally just compare it to a round of golf. Anything from R150.00 to R350.00. You lose balls, you get frustrated, there's usually some oke with a concocted handicap that wins the compo anyway. Rather ride my bike with a big group of likeminded individuals and get fit in the process even if it costs a few bob!😉

 

[Danger Dassie]

14 hours ago, madmarc said:

But then you get the events with huge Anchor Sponsers and the entry fee is still just stupid

We had a number of meetings to be the Anchor Sponser for J2C a few years back - Our company has a huge marketing budget, so they not scared to throw money at marketing campaigns focused in their industry - When we got to money it made our eyes water what they were demanding. Probably why the J2C has come to an end

Were they demanding or just put a proposal together, which was found to be too much?  Originally it was apparently because they refused to offer the VIP bubble like as other events. 

In reality without an anchor sponsor the last J2C prior to lockdown showed a success, and if it weren’t for the following two years it’s likely they would have been able to continue.

The events industry took a huge knock, and while the future looks brighter compared to other industries. They also have a huge recovery curve ahead. Unfortunately organisation costs have also soared through the roof, as everything has. So it’s likely entries are also going to become more prohibitive. Despite any form of anchor sponsorships.

[DieselnDust]

Many many service industries are taking a hit. Energy costs are high, local tourism is down. International tourism may give us a good summer but it’s unlikely as airline ticket prices have just about doubled in the last 6 weeks. Inflation is high everywhere , the brits and Europeans wee protesting high fuel prices. The USA heading into a recession some are saying will be bigger than the Great Depression and 2007. Event organisers need fuel and electricity. Generators are in demand so these costs have to be absorbed. If it can’t then the market has spoken 

[Headshot]

Then you have stuff like the Witfontein Enduro and WCDH events which cost peanuts in comparison, and in some cases include shuttle rides all day over two days. I blame the Epic for the huge growth in over priced bike events. $$ signs were seen by many and the slope has been slippery. I find the so-called premium events like Val de Vie (which is/was a thinly disguised financial services marketing exercise and the Piket BoBerg 3 day luxo rip off especially irksome. Yuck.

[BaGearA]

Can't remember what i paid for Crank chaos in 2019 but it was like 5k max 

 

Lift pass , I stayed in A cabin that was cleaned every day , Food incl , we only paid for drinks 

 

and it was 4 days of crazy fun riding with more gees than a local bokke game 

Backpackers was just over 3k for the same thing minus the cabin 

 

 

There are good events out there but I can't help but think i could've had even more fun with 5k and just arranging everything myself with some friends 

[W@nted]

Interesting topic. Apart from the multi stage events which average above R1000 pp per day, these include some sort of catering and accommodation.

 

What’s up with all the “extreme” one day events that are priced above R1000 for the event. No accommodation, lunch, nothing. Just a race entry and maybe a t shirt.

 

Will events be able to grow in numbers at these entry fees, or are organisers making enough profit/breaking even as is? Personally I need to choose my events way more carefully, as a weekend (single stage race) can easily cost R5000 taking fuel and accommodation into consideration. Really is becoming a luxury sport. 

[sias]

I can't wait for all the events the armchair specialists are going to put up for us! The best manicured tracks, expert medical services, the best food etc. etc... All at the bargain price of R50!!! 

Some people here need a real reality check - go out there and do it yourself, it's mos really easy? And it is really cheap? Come and report back when you are done and tell us if you would do it again. 

[Thermophage]

2 hours ago, Headshot said:

Then you have stuff like the Witfontein Enduro and WCDH events which cost peanuts in comparison, and in some cases include shuttle rides all day over two days. I blame the Epic for the huge growth in over priced bike events. $$ signs were seen by many and the slope has been slippery. I find the so-called premium events like Val de Vie (which is/was a thinly disguised financial services marketing exercise and the Piket BoBerg 3 day luxo rip off especially irksome. Yuck.

Shuttup! No more people need to know about the best trails in the country.

[gemmerbal]

2 hours ago, Stockman said:

There are many cost factors in setting up a race. I normally just compare it to a round of golf. Anything from R150.00 to R350.00. You lose balls, you get frustrated, there's usually some oke with a concocted handicap that wins the compo anyway. Rather ride my bike with a big group of likeminded individuals and get fit in the process even if it costs a few bob!😉

 

When I was retrenched in 2016 I could no longer afford to play social and competitive golf. I then dusted off my mtb and decided to cycle in stead as I, like most Saffas, am an outdoor person (a factor that cost me my marriage).

People at the golf club were saying "but cycling is more expensive than golf bla bla bla" to which I replied BS. If you have a bike and clothing, riding your mtb will cost you an annual subscription of ±R800 (Bottelary) whereafter you are not paying a cent, except for the odd maintenance issue if you cannot repair it yourself of course. Wear and tear on a budget bike is minimal as the parts just last. For a roadbike, it is my epxerience that that is even cheaper to run (having bought and ridden my trusty Swift Carbon R825 for the last 2yrs and all had to replace was the BB and the tyres).

The Golf vs Cycling debate around cost is stupid. Golf equipment and apparrel is on par (pardon the pun) with cycling equipment and apparrel. But, with golf you have greenfees on top of your subs, the halfway house and of course the 19th hole. Granted, these aren't a neccessity, but it is much like the coffee stop during a ride and the beers thereafter. For me golf was way more expensive. I calculated that a Saturday on the golf course cost me around R500 (R250 greenfees, R100 halfway, R150 for a round of drinks); a 100km ride costs me R100 for a coffee stop with a samie.

The fact is, it costs nothing to ride your bike on your local trails/raods, even if you wonder out to other trails for the day, a day pass is R60 at most. Road cycling is free.

People like to have a medal on their wall for which they paid R5000/R10000/R50000 etc. I tell you what, go down to your local trophy store and buy one for far less if that is why you ride. And if you ride to be pampered, well...

An event like the Munga is R30k. That is to feed ±200 riders and to keep the feeding stations operational for the 5 days, its marginal but the expenses almost makes sense. Then you have the Silk Road, which carries a ± R6000 entry fee. I am reliably informed that to travel to and participate in the Silk Road costs less than the entry fee for the Munga. Tour Divide is free (what I am told). These are medals worth having on your wall, not a R600 medal for going around Cape Town on public roads which you could do an most days for free, or some R50000 medal for riding most of the trails in the WC with some sections being only available for the event.

But hey, that's just me. I ride to be healthy, both mentally and physically.

[BaGearA]

1 hour ago, sias said:

I can't wait for all the events the armchair specialists are going to put up for us! The best manicured tracks, expert medical services, the best food etc. etc... All at the bargain price of R50!!! 

Some people here need a real reality check - go out there and do it yourself, it's mos really easy? And it is really cheap? Come and report back when you are done and tell us if you would do it again. 

I'm not saying I can do it better.... I'm just saying I'm not doing it at all 

 

 

and still having more fun

[NotSoBigBen]

Like with most things everyone has their own reasons or wants and available cash, jeez just live and let live I say ... if you want a 50 grand medal go get it, if you want to ride the trails in your 'hood go do it

Ek skud maar net my kop 😤

[lechatnoir]

I ride to clear my head and be on my own in my happy place. Paying for an event, even @ 1999 prices is too high if there is more than just me there. If that means I can't ride specific trails or on closed roads, then that's the price I must pay, as I have made my choice, which is what this is all about...

[Mamil]

2 hours ago, sias said:

I can't wait for all the events the armchair specialists are going to put up for us! The best manicured tracks, expert medical services, the best food etc. etc... All at the bargain price of R50!!! 

Some people here need a real reality check - go out there and do it yourself, it's mos really easy? And it is really cheap? Come and report back when you are done and tell us if you would do it again. 

Noone is saying it's easy and 50 bucks isn't enough to start the car and get to the corner cafe. But over 1300 rand for a days riding, however lekker the event is, seems more than a little high.

Of course there are expenses and everyone needs to make a living but I do think think the points about some of the more expensive events are valid. 

 

 

 

 

[Dicky DQ]

5 hours ago, sias said:

I can't wait for all the events the armchair specialists are going to put up for us! The best manicured tracks, expert medical services, the best food etc. etc... All at the bargain price of R50!!! 

Some people here need a real reality check - go out there and do it yourself, it's mos really easy? And it is really cheap? Come and report back when you are done and tell us if you would do it again. 

Well there's the rub (Manicured tracks) who wants these, why spend money creating them There are more than enough of these in bike parks. 

All you need is a route with a bit of gravel and a bit of donkey trail and you are sorted. You enter, you look after your medico etc. Why should there be huge medical facilities etc. you know what you can ride and how far/hard.

sort your own food. Damn MTB has become a sissy sport with everyone needing to be pampered.

All that event organizers should be catering for is land access and a bit of water along the rout. Back to basics and volumes will grow again.

Then again I an from a time when things were different.

 

[Trashy]

The reality is that I have access to 100's of km of superb trails, and it only costs me R1000/year.

A mate and I were thinking of doing W2W this year but decided he will just fly down from Jhb for a weekend in the Cape and we will do 3 lekker rides on the Winelands trail network, from Wellington to Banhoek.

His cost for 3 days will be R180 in trail fees and we can eat at the best wine farms around.

We've invited a couple other mates to join. Wives on standby for emergencies.