VicanZA Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 they cost way to much for what you get, the sani is still the same race i did 4 years ago just that now its 4k more..., the route doesnt seem to change much but choppers do cost money.
DIPSLICK Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 No no no...I think you misunderstood. Here is the deal. Get a rigid SS that is near on maintenance free and ride your local trails you havent before with some buddies, call it a recce session(those are best, you almost always get lost and have a beer somewhere and of course great humor) That there puts just as big of a smile on my face than someone enjoying a stage race on his 130k bike. You dont have to have an Sworks with XX1, riding the epic to have a good time, in fact I bet you might have a better time if you have a cool group of mates riding out to gatgoggaslaagte without knowing where you actually should be going, instead of suffering to beat X time at the epic. If you want the convenience of support(water tables and race villages) well then hoes...its your choice. Doesnt mean it is more fun thoughdutchie,,,, my best rides are out of stage races with my mates,,,every ride i have done with a group of mates has more single track fun,,, yes i do stage races just saying if you want to play get a group of " semi equal skilled" mates and go play,,,,the best 20km of single track in SA means nothing if you have a pusher in front of youclearly there is a huge market for stage races myself included BUT MAN I HAVE HAD FUN WITH MATES FOR THE HUGE COST OF A ROUND OR TWO BEERS
jcza Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 DIPS don't let rouxtjie fool you. Factoid He loves stage races with mates.
edgarblount Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 I put it to you that what if the TdF was open to amateurs (not that a lot will be able to finish it) and the entry fee was R50k or R100k per person, will you enter?
Prophet Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 Erm, not really dude. You don't have to do any races. You can still ride the trails on offer without paying the exorbitant fees the organisers charge. So no, in order to "do what you like" you do not have to pay a lot for it. In order to do what you like as part of an organised event, however - that's a totally different kettle of fish. no argument. I did earlier go somewhat off topic by including the price of gear into the equation of total cost of riding in general and that as a whole the cost of the sport is getting excessive hence my statement of paying a lot. There are still stage rides that offers value within my reference framework for the convenience of booking, paying and rocking up to ride. these however do not in my opinion include any of the "classics" and therefore i do not even try to scrounge entries to them.
Prophet Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 No no no...I think you misunderstood. Here is the deal. Get a rigid SS that is near on maintenance free and ri............hey bru, this sounds more like punishment than fun to a (i prefer) heavy, only partially fit, mid forties individual living in the mountains such as myself!!!!! I do like the "low maintenance" idea tho can't complain, you did provide a solution to my rant.......
Hackster Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 I'm leaning more and more towards the do-it-yourself method. Got a lekker three route picked out and all, just gotta get a time that suits all the riding mates. It'll cost less than our airfare to J2C. The only problem with this, is that our route will be gravel roads all the way. Lekker mountain pass gravel roads, but roads all the same, i.e. no single track. This is a long way of saying that I think what you actually pay for on stage races is the priviledge of riding single track that is ordinarily closed to the greater public.
DIPSLICK Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 I'm leaning more and more towards the do-it-yourself method. Got a lekker three route picked out and all, just gotta get a time that suits all the riding mates. It'll cost less than our airfare to J2C. The only problem with this, is that our route will be gravel roads all the way. Lekker mountain pass gravel roads, but roads all the same, i.e. no single track. This is a long way of saying that I think what you actually pay for on stage races is the priviledge of riding single track that is ordinarily closed to the greater public.Don't be so sure of too much single track
rouxtjie Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 DIPS don't let rouxtjie fool you. Factoid He loves stage races with mates. Indeed oom, but the key word there is mates, the event just brings us together. I would hate to ride the best trails on earth alone, but would still like the worst if I had humor with tjommies
rouxtjie Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 hey bru, this sounds more like punishment than fun to a (i prefer) heavy, only partially fit, mid forties individual living in the mountains such as myself!!!!! I do like the "low maintenance" idea tho can't complain, you did provide a solution to my rant.......Lol, prophet you will be surprised what you can do when you know you have only one gear and no suspension. It's uncluttered and creates a certain dejavu taking you back yo your childhood, this is over and above the fact that you need almost zero maintenance. Sure it's not as fast, but fun, plenty which is why we ride afterall.
MTBeer Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 I put it to you that what if the TdF was open to amateurs (not that a lot will be able to finish it) and the entry fee was R50k or R100k per person, will you enter?If I wanted to be ride a bicycle with loads of people on drugs, I could spend a fraction of that and fly to Amsterdam.
Squier Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 The demand is there so there is no reason for an organiser to keep the prices low. I'm sure if Farmer Glen doubled the price of the 2015 event he would still have had a sell out. Race organisers are not running NPOs. That being said, it is really expensive. The fact that there are four and a half thousand other people that are willing to pay that much, doesn't make it any easier on my pocket. (Using sani as reference.)
RastaMan Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 I agree some stage races are high but what would work if there was some standard or norm for the pricing to prevent some companies from exploiting people, but still be able to run a business I take an exampleJock tour 3 Stages R4000 more than 1k a day, with some goodies blah blah we are already racing so we don't need them5 Day Clover tour R1200 How do you justify that?
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 I agree some stage races are high but what would work if there was some standard or norm for the pricing to prevent some companies from exploiting people, but still be able to run a business I take an exampleJock tour 3 Stages R4000 more than 1k a day, with some goodies blah blah we are already racing so we don't need them5 Day Clover tour R1200 How do you justify that?So, collusion is your answer? It's a business. People are willing to pay for the experience. Don't complain that something that you aspire to do is outside your affordability or value scale, when it's someone's product. That's what it is. It's not a national park, which is subject to fair pricing etc, it's a product. The owners can charge what they bloody-well like. As long as people want to ride and pay for it, they'll continue to do so.
cat-i Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 I agree some stage races are high but what would work if there was some standard or norm for the pricing to prevent some companies from exploiting people, but still be able to run a business I take an exampleJock tour 3 Stages R4000 more than 1k a day, with some goodies blah blah we are already racing so we don't need them5 Day Clover tour R1200 How do you justify that? No need to justify. Do enough people enter at this price to make the event viable? Yes? Continue. No? Change product or price or target market.
taito Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 We have a bunch of riders about 12 to 14 that orginise our own tour every year,we start in Uniondale and ride the back roads to De Rust,Swartburg pass,montagu pass and back to plett via Knysna`s best routes. All accom in B&B and all food and fuel in.The cost is about R3500 PP. Great fun and lekka social with full back up. SA has such great back roads to see the rural Africa -get out there.
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