[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour 2018

[Slowbee]

I agree, it may be a bit of what happened last year, but think in general there is less and less people that is willing to pay for the costs involved (including the travelling costs).

I have been wanting to do the Attakwas for some time. The entry itself seems reasonable. But then I have to factor in accommodation for the family at the start, accommodation at the end and then throw in the time to travel and the maintenance costs on the bike and suddenly entering becomes an expensive exercise. So I have choose the one or two expensive rides. S2C takes most of the budget. Argus at R1000 for the family excluding the bits and bobs to get there and that is the cycling budget blown. Next year the Mrs is wanting to do the Desert Knights. Budget blown.

 

Personally if I did not live within driving distance of Argus I would only enter once or twice and only then with the view of going on holiday and making the most of it. Lucky I live here and can ride it more regularly. When they have it of course.

 

 

 

I would like to go to Amashova, but darn it is expensive. Can I take the entire family and go see uShaka and Northern KwaZulu? Nope, no school holidays.

[Skubarra]

I have been wanting to do the Attakwas for some time. The entry itself seems reasonable. But then I have to factor in accommodation for the family at the start, accommodation at the end and then throw in the time to travel and the maintenance costs on the bike and suddenly entering becomes an expensive exercise. So I have choose the one or two expensive rides. S2C takes most of the budget. Argus at R1000 for the family excluding the bits and bobs to get there and that is the cycling budget blown. Next year the Mrs is wanting to do the Desert Knights. Budget blown.

 

Personally if I did not live within driving distance of Argus I would only enter once or twice and only then with the view of going on holiday and making the most of it. Lucky I live here and can ride it more regularly. When they have it of course.

 

 

 

I would like to go to Amashova, but darn it is expensive. Can I take the entire family and go see uShaka and Northern KwaZulu? Nope, no school holidays.

 

Agree, like you posted earlier, so many options to do "rides" nowadays. I rarely do an "expensive" race twice because there are so many options to experience different things.

 

I actually find it a bit sad to see how some people do the same stage race year-after-year, even if it's one of the well-known ones. 

[hilton_]

S2C sold out all three on day one last year, IIRC.
Now five weeks later, and only one is sold out...

[Skubarra]

S2C sold out all three on day one last year, IIRC.

Now five weeks later, and only one is sold out...

 

wtf! ok now that is a far better example than Atta & Tankwa Trek...

[Jase619]

S2C sold out all three on day one last year, IIRC.

Now five weeks later, and only one is sold out...

 

Yip, everything starts to add up and get too expensive eventually. Laws of supply and demand are a painful reminder that what your think is a bullet proof plan can turn belly up at any time. . .  Bet if they lowered the price they would sell more, however they can't really do that without losing credibility for the prices that are and were being charged.

[Slowbee]

Yip, everything starts to add up and get too expensive eventually. Laws of supply and demand are a painful reminder that what your think is a bullet proof plan can turn belly up at any time. . .  Bet if they lowered the price they would sell more, however they can't really do that without losing credibility for the prices that are and were being charged.

Yep, and the corporates not giving away free holiday packages there are going to be some empty tents. As I said, races are going to have to work alot harder and think more "out the box" to give "value" for money.

[Meezo]

Yep, and the corporates not giving away free holiday packages there are going to be some empty tents. As I said, races are going to have to work alot harder and think more "out the box" to give "value" for money.

 

or, re brand and drop the price, see GR300 RE:CM200

[Pure Savage]

Yep, and the corporates not giving away free holiday packages there are going to be some empty tents. As I said, races are going to have to work alot harder and think more "out the box" to give "value" for money.

I know one tent that will be full but wont have much branding on it

[Stevief]

On that topic - I noticed yesterday that entries for 2 high profile mtb races, the Attakwas and Tankwa Trek are also still open - both events that sold out within weeks just a year or 2 ago.

 

Would be naive to think this year's cancellation didn't play a big role but I think there is a larger trend of less people entering races.

Case in point:  Myself and a good few of my cycling buddies who used to enter every event available when we started out about 10 years ago (mainly MTB events in the western CApe).

 

After a few years we dropped to one a month then a few a year.  Nowdays if i enter 1 race a year its a lot.  The novelty of events has passed me by and i way prefer the solitude of a few of us just hitting the trails, and the road on our own route and timetable.

[DJR]

I think that mtb is not growing as fast as it did a few years ago and that because there are fewer new entrants into the sport every year, there are fewer people who dream of riding the Sani, Epic or W2W for the first time. At the same time the old stalwarts have done most of the iconic races, some a few times, and they get bored and move on to new challenges. OK, perhaps that's just my story, but I cannot see myself doing the same mtb race over and over for ever.

 

However, the Argus, for me at least, is different. I live within easy riding distance from the start and the finish and that makes it almost like my local Sunday ride, but with road closure, a moerse peloton, Bar One Girls, music, spectators and a vibe that is unbeatable. Maybe I'll sing a different tune in a few years, but I feel like I can ride the Argus until I need an E-bike to do it. Maybe even when I'm in a hospital bed I can convince the doctors to add decent Campy components and lighter wheels? 

[Harryn]

Maybe this is a bit Mr X-ish, but perhaps last year’s cancellation, the shitty economy, the massive expense for out of towners, and fears for the worsening water crisis have all contributed to the reduced demand this year?

[Wannabe]

I can feel the pinch on myself personally. Where I used to do one two races a month, I'm now very picky as to which races I enter. 

I've done one race since this years CTCT non event, and have not entered for any other race other than next years CTCT. 

Edited October 12, 2017 by Wannabe

[dev null]

Will do W2W this year, and was planning for the Berg & Bush next year, but my son will be writing his Matric exams next year, which will cause problems.

 

Maybe we will see what will work for our calendar.

 

Definitely planning to do the Eselfontein next year.

Edited October 12, 2017 by Moridin

[Pure Savage]

I think cycling must be careful it does not go the way of Golf, where it is seen as cyclist going off for morning dumping family. 

 

Takes us back to our article on this, showing that less and less youth are cycling compared to the previous years. 

 

http://puresavage.co.za/2017/10/road-cycling-in-the-western-cape.html/

 

People are just spending their free time elsewhere now. There is much more to do than 15 years ago.

[HBO]

Maybe this is a bit Mr X-ish, but perhaps last year’s cancellation, the shitty economy, the massive expense for out of towners, and fears for the worsening water crisis have all contributed to the reduced demand this year?

Exactly what I've said in a earlier post. The fact that 2 CTCT's were affected by first the fire (2015) and then the riots/ wind this year, just made a lot of riders realise that there is a real risk it might happen again to any event. 

 

With the economy getting a bit tougher, people might get very picky about what races they want to do, especially races where you have to add travel and accommodation.

[Long Wheel Base]

The economy is clearly hitting a lot. My vets team used to have a smallish budget(compared to some of the bigger teams) that was cash from sponsors that couldn't provide us with anything cycling related(kit, nutrition, LBS servicing etc) and that has come to an end. We need to pay for our own entries and its a pity because the team doesn't race together as much anymore because some guys literally do 1 or 2 races now.