Cost of MTB racing....

[TSF]

With the amount of MTB stage races and one day events around the country and the costs of both our equipment and race entries, I use a simple calculation to see if a race is financially "worth" doing.  I take the cost and divide by the total distance to get a price per km.  It makes for some interesting analysis.  I know that event managers need to make money for organizing events but for me some races are out of my budget.....

 

Note: the entry cost indicated is on a team entry (divided by 2)

 

P.S. For those who did the Epic this year with the shortening of the route by 40km they lost R 2168 using this calculation. 

 

 

 

[Patchelicious]

Interesting way of looking at it.

 

Maybe we can contribute to his an expand it to all the other races.

[Grease_Monkey]

Interesting stuff - although we all know the Epic is stupid expensive, I would really like to know how R54,20 per km is justified as opposed to R20,77 for the Joberg2C. From all accounts I have heard the food, accommodation, race villages, and overall hospitality is much better at Joberg2C...

 

I would love to say I have done an Epic, but the price is just so ridiculous. My wife and I could rather do a Joberg2C and an overseas trip for the price of a single Epic...

[Ferro]

W2W = 201km,not sure what rider package you are using to compare so here are the options:

1. R 13 500 per team / R 6 750 per rider, which INCLUDES tented accommodation (plus a mattress) and three meals (breakfast,
lunch, dinner) at the Race Village;

2. R 12 000 per team / R 6 000 per rider, which EXCLUDES tented accommodation, but INCLUDES three meals per day at the Race Village;

3. R 18 000 per team/R 9 000 per rider, which INCLUDES luxury tented accommodation and three meals per day at the Race Village

[TSF]

W2W = 201km,not sure what rider package you are using to compare so here are the options:

1. R 13 500 per team / R 6 750 per rider, which INCLUDES tented accommodation (plus a mattress) and three meals (breakfast,

lunch, dinner) at the Race Village;

2. R 12 000 per team / R 6 000 per rider, which EXCLUDES tented accommodation, but INCLUDES three meals per day at the Race Village;

3. R 18 000 per team/R 9 000 per rider, which INCLUDES luxury tented accommodation and three meals per day at the Race Village

 

The stage races that I used for the calculation cost was just a plain entry with tented accommodation and 3 meals living in the race village.  Sorry for not putting W2W......so for W2W it would be your option 1 at R 6750.  Therefore to compare apples with apples it would be 6750/201 = R33,58 per km.

[Sparki 1]

With the amount of MTB stage races and one day events around the country and the costs of both our equipment and race entries, I use a simple calculation to see if a race is financially "worth" doing.  I take the cost and divide by the total distance to get a price per km.  It makes for some interesting analysis.  I know that event managers need to make money for organizing events but for me some races are out of my budget.....

 

Race entries.jpg

Note: the entry cost indicated is on a team entry (divided by 2)

 

P.S. For those who did the Epic this year with the shortening of the route by 40km they lost R 2168 using this calculation. 

you sure you dont work for advendurance?

[Joe Low]

That sure does suck the joy out of things....

 

....and that's me speaking as a CA.

[Skubarra]

That sure does suck the joy out of things....

 

....and that's me speaking as a CA.

 

Agree - and using km is also flawed.

 

A long race with tons of district roads will be probably be cheaper per kilometer than a short race with more singletrack - but does that make it better value for money?

[Patchelicious]

Agree - and using km is also flawed.

 

A long race with tons of district roads will be probably be cheaper per kilometer than a short race with more singletrack - but does that make it better value for money?

Of course is flawed, I don't think op was ever claiming anything else.

 

It was merely an interesting observation.

[100Tours]

Ronde ven Vlaanderen (in Belgium on cobbles)

 

R10,500 for 237km = R44.3 per km (including the flight and weekend accommodation, not including money spent on beer).

[Skubarra]

Of course is flawed, I don't think op was ever claiming anything else.

 

It was merely an interesting observation.

 

Personally I would go for entry fee per day for stage races and add the costs not covered by the entry fee to see if a race is good value for money.

 

My perception of value for money is not really linked to kilometers unless stages are ridiculously short.

[Eldron]

The problem is that "value for money" and "value for experience"are two different things...

 

Man oh man I need a benefactor. I wonder if Zuma needs someone to ride all of SA's stage races for him...

[BaGearA]

racing in general is too expensive , but I think smaller races just struggle to get sponsors.

 

 

USN race at big red barn is just boring

 

However I love modder fontein and always do that one ( bar rain) 

 

Can't remember what the winter/summer fast one costs but that race is boring as sh#t.

 

 

If you can get yourself out of the racing mentality and just go do trails on your own time it be cheaper and more satisfying.

 

IF you can get yourself out of that mindset.

 

I think i have been successful with that and now the 5/6 races I do every year give me great pleasure. 

 

 

The people who do like to race and enjoy it should not be complaining here and if you are ask yourself why you want to race in the first place ?

[ajnkzn]

60km Husqvarna Classic XTreme here in KZN in a month or so - R 190.

 

Excellent value for money @ R 3.17 / km haha

[Twaatie]

Ronde ven Vlaanderen (in Belgium on cobbles)

 

R10,500 for 237km = R44.3 per km (including the flight and weekend accommodation, not including money spent on beer).

Priceless

 

For everything else there's Mastercard [emoji6]

[ChrisF]

By this calculation kiddies races are very expensive .... R80 for a 4km ride ....

 

time he grows up so his R/km can come down.