MTB Race Entry Fees....

[Frosty]

On 7/12/2022 at 1:38 PM, Duane_Bosch said:

30-40 euro for a day pass. Give or take depending where you are. But then it gets cheaper the more days you buy. 6 day pass +- 120 Euro. Around 5k would buy you a season pass in most resorts.

 

If you budget on 3k a day all in you can have a very very very very nice Alps biking trip. I'm off to cry myself to sleep now. chat later.

That 3k and 5k that you mention, is that ZAR or EUR?

[Matthys Beukes 87]

10 hours ago, SSCC said:

Totally. The race scene in SA (particularly the WP) is ridiculously good. It's crazy but the gravel / MTB races offerings are way better than the USA. No comparison. 

Around the Pot is outstanding value. So is the new Gravel DC, Swartberg etc. People need to realize that the subsidized PPA events that cost R350 are not a realistic benchmark. At the same time you don't need to pay R2,000 for a GPX file. Get some mates together and go do a big day out for free.

Thanks for the mention! Really excited about Gravel DC and what the future holds for it... 

Any Hubbers joining us for the #first50 Fondo, 10 Sept '22?

Going to be a proper days riding with a good vibe all round! 

https://www.graveldc.com/2022granfondo 

Edited July 14, 2022 by Matthys Beukes 87

[binxc]

11 hours ago, SSCC said:

The Munga is worth every cent IMO. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that has done the event that does not feel that way. 

There are maybe 6 people each year that enter the Munga for a chance to win some cash. Of those 6 perhaps 3 of them won't enter if there is no prize purse. Every other person that enters could not care less about prize money.

There is also no comparison between self supported races like TD or AZTR and the Munga or Freedom Challenge. In fact people used to the unbelievable level of service at those SA events would likely not dig the "free" self supported scene at all (for many reasons). BTW the TD will likely cost you about R40k to do excluding flights. That's just the cost of food and some accommodation on the route. You can do it for less but not many people camp out every single night. It's the most expense free race in the world.

What I feel is getting out of hand is self supported races that provide a GPX file and nothing else and charge a few thousand for entry. There is just no value in that. 

I don't doubt that the Munga is a life-changing experience and like I said, most people aren't there for prizes but that is true for all races, including the Cape Epic. Perhaps I should put it differently and ask how many other races cost that much to enter and still can't offer some prizes for the winners? I realise times are hard and sponsors are hard to come by.

Fully agree that self supported races that offer nothing but a GPX are ridiculous. A small nominal fee for a tracker and emergency response seem fair.

[Jewbacca]

50 minutes ago, binxc said:

I don't doubt that the Munga is a life-changing experience and like I said, most people aren't there for prizes but that is true for all races, including the Cape Epic. Perhaps I should put it differently and ask how many other races cost that much to enter and still can't offer some prizes for the winners? I realise times are hard and sponsors are hard to come by.

Fully agree that self supported races that offer nothing but a GPX are ridiculous. A small nominal fee for a tracker and emergency response seem fair.

RASA Freedom Challenge has no prizes. It costs more than Munga. 

Essentially you're paying for an experience. A very well organised and amazing experience. 

[binxc]

5 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

RASA Freedom Challenge has no prizes. It costs more than Munga. 

Essentially you're paying for an experience. A very well organised and amazing experience. 

I don't disagree about that. I think what blows my mind is that Munga had decent - albeit variable due to Bitcoin - prize money, and suddenly doesn't (I am sure through no fault of the organisers who I am also sure are working hard to find a new one). The Munga originally promised $1 million in prize money and therefore has created different expectations for me as a dot watcher versus FC, I suppose. 

[Duane_Bosch]

11 hours ago, Frosty said:

That 3k and 5k that you mention, is that ZAR or EUR?

ZARS. 3k a day will give you a nice euro biking trip.

A season pass for the Portes du Soleil (Morzine, Les Gets, Chatel, Morgins, Champery, Crosets) costs R5700 give or take. That's for 3 months access to 20 odd ski lifts which makes it the bargain of the century.

For the Alpe Du Huez area it's cheaper. I've not been there so I don't know the scope of the area.

Day passes to these ski areas cost a lot but that's the same for summer and winter.

My last trip cost 23k all in. That was for 8 full days and 2 half days on arrival and departure day (Flights arrived early and left late). This was shared accommodation. My mate's girlfriend sourced rockstar cheap accommodation in the middle of town. The only caveat was no booze. Bar bills can kill your budget. Properly!

Rough numbers.

Flights 10k

Accom 6k (self catered)

lift pass 2k

Airport shuttle R500

Spending cash. 5k (30 Euro a day)

Edited July 14, 2022 by Duane_Bosch

[dave303e]

You can cycle all the 'Great Ways' in Scotland. So 40-60km each day ending in a town. Backpackers and cheap accom with a good pub for dinner. I reckon 25k will give you an amazing week or 2... You could even time it to get into Fort William for the UCI WC downhill. You also don't need to stick to the great ways the roads are safe and there are some gems.

I would start in inverness, pop across to kinlochewe and torridin. From there applecross has Bealach Na Ba which is an epic pass. Back across to Fort Augustus(beautiful little town) and the great way to Fort William. From there you can get to Glasgow and Edinburgh if you wanted, but there are a shed ton of open free trails with bnb's associated and equipped along the way.

https://www.scotlandsgreattrails.com/

[The Ouzo]

6 minutes ago, dave303e said:

You can cycle all the 'Great Ways' in Scotland. So 40-60km each day ending in a town. Backpackers and cheap accom with a good pub for dinner. I reckon 25k will give you an amazing week or 2... You could even time it to get into Fort William for the UCI WC downhill. You also don't need to stick to the great ways the roads are safe and there are some gems.

I would start in inverness, pop across to kinlochewe and torridin. From there applecross has Bealach Na Ba which is an epic pass. Back across to Fort Augustus(beautiful little town) and the great way to Fort William. From there you can get to Glasgow and Edinburgh if you wanted, but there are a shed ton of open free trails with bnb's associated and equipped along the way.

https://www.scotlandsgreattrails.com/

My 2 female cousins have done multiple self supported backpacking adventures through scotland on their own. (They both live there). They never speak of feeling unsafe.

But, the weather looks absolutely horrendous everytime they post pics and the insect are so bad in places they wear special nets over their heads and cook inside their tents.

[dave303e]

10 minutes ago, ouzo said:

My 2 female cousins have done multiple self supported backpacking adventures through scotland on their own. (They both live there). They never speak of feeling unsafe.

But, the weather looks absolutely horrendous everytime they post pics and the insect are so bad in places they wear special nets over their heads and cook inside their tents.

Ya the midges are real, they can be a pain, but a midge net is dirt cheap and there are sprays etc.

The Scottish weather is Scottish, but really it is part of the experience, ask the guys about going up Lehana's in the snow at Freedom a few weeks ago, the weather is part of the experience. Also why I recommended bnb/backpacker options.

[gemmerbal]

anyone seen this?

https://www.go2berg.co.za/ride-2023-overview/ride-2023/

[Skubarra]

On 7/14/2022 at 8:22 AM, binxc said:

I don't disagree about that. I think what blows my mind is that Munga had decent - albeit variable due to Bitcoin - prize money, and suddenly doesn't (I am sure through no fault of the organisers who I am also sure are working hard to find a new one). The Munga originally promised $1 million in prize money and therefore has created different expectations for me as a dot watcher versus FC, I suppose. 

At the time the million dollar prize money was promised the entry fees were also something like R100K per person (and they had that weird raffle thing where a random person would win their entry fee back?) - those ideas never took off

[madmarc]

13 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

At the time the million dollar prize money was promised the entry fees were also something like R100K per person (and they had that weird raffle thing where a random person would win their entry fee back?) - those ideas never took off

haha - I went to the launch event at some fancy hotel near Rosebank - We all got a bottle of wine and a Munga buff - when they presented the prize money USD 1.0 mill we were all like really ! WTF ! seeing is believing ! its probably a conn ! - One point most of us picked up on was, there was no sponsors at the event, only the wine estate that sponsored the free wine.

After some big names from overseas had already entered and paid the entry fee, the rattling's started in the corridors and the event never happened - Never found out why, but I assume their anchor sponsor never came up with the money they promised and they pulled the launch trigger too quickly.

Then it morphed into what it is today - With all due respect to those that have done it or even attempted to do it - I don't see the value in the entry fee.

Personally i see these multistage events busy pricing themselves to failure - remember when there was a 3 year waiting list for Sani2C and even 1 day events when ARGUS was sold out within 24 hrs of online entries opening. Today you could probably still enter up to a week before the event starts.

And then you see events like the upcoming GARMIN MTB Classic at modders on 10th Sept - entry fee is 60 ronds which is basically what you pay to ride there anyway - so why can GARMIN do it but 947 MTB event is over 300 ronds with even bigger sponsors 

 

[ChrisF]

35 minutes ago, madmarc said:

.... even 1 day events when ARGUS was sold out within 24 hrs of online entries opening. Today you could probably still enter up to a week before the event starts.....

 

 

I enrolled 2 weeks before race date, ample entries left at the time.  You are spot on !

[Hairy]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

 

I enrolled 2 weeks before race date, ample entries left at the time.  You are spot on !

I love it when people still call it the Argus :), make me feel warm and fuzzy inside

[ChrisF]

23 minutes ago, Hairy said:

I love it when people still call it the Argus :), make me feel warm and fuzzy inside

Be gentle with us >50 omies ....

 

Resistance to change and a short memory span allows little room for such silly name changes

[Hairy]

Just now, ChrisF said:

Be gentle with us >50 omies ....

 

Resistance to change and a short memory span allows little room for such silly name changes

No really, I like it and can never bring myself to call it anything else.