Western Cape Road Cycling

[daniemare]

My take, firstly MARKETING, secondly REPITITION.

 

Take the cycling sportif #5 on PPA website - Date and estimated distance is available, but hardly any other info. So you expect me to plan for a race that I do not know where it will start (definitifely) and whether I can afford it, or whether I like the route? And it is 5 weeks away

 

Look, I love races. Not having access to large groups for training rides, I feel they are generally safer than cycling on my own.  But jeez, MAKE IT EASIER to plan and enter.

[Pure Savage]

I grew up in the Cape many moons ago.

 

Moer but you guys can moan.

 

In JHB we also have the same races, same routes, same potholes, same wind, same great scenery (sarcasm), same hills, same mine dumps. Year in and year out. Attendances is not great, but not bad either.

 

I drove nearly 300 km this weekend to do 2 smaller races.

 

What is also the same? Good hard racing.

 

Are you guys getting soft of what?

You obviously didn't read the article, the old toppies are still doing the rides, it's the loss of the youngsters that is worrying.

 

It's not about racing, but road riding. With a large decrease in juniors, in 10 years time there will be a weaker sub vet and vet categories etc.

[Pure Savage]

Too many events competing for the purse of the average rider. And let's be honest, most cycling enthusiasts have both a road bike and a MTB, so they are spreading their funds and then select a few favourite events to do for the year. We currently only have budget for one race per month.

 

As noted above, the attendance in MTB events have also gone down, except for some 'must do' events where the organisers goes out of their way to create a nice after race vibe (Fine Breede, etc).

Yeah, agreed on price, would be lekker if for the same money the whole family could do 2/3 races a month etc.

 

Would be interesting to look at numbers and see it would increase numbers. Kids could be free with two paying adults.

[Pure Savage]

My take, firstly MARKETING, secondly REPITITION.

 

Take the cycling sportif #5 on PPA website - Date and estimated distance is available, but hardly any other info. So you expect me to plan for a race that I do not know where it will start (definitifely) and whether I can afford it, or whether I like the route? And it is 5 weeks away

 

Look, I love races. Not having access to large groups for training rides, I feel they are generally safer than cycling on my own. But jeez, MAKE IT EASIER to plan and enter.

Agreed, for the last one I missed the cut off for early entry, it also didn't have the amount on web site like round 3 did. Bit of lucky roulette.

[dev null]

Yeah, agreed on price, would be lekker if for the same money the whole family could do 2/3 races a month etc.

 

Would be interesting to look at numbers and see it would increase numbers. Kids could be free with two paying adults.

 

Attending one race for our family now cost us on average R1000. Sometimes more if you need to travel far, and if other consumables are needed for the race.

 

Sometimes we make exceptions, and let the boys do an extra race in the month and we sit out.

 

But then also I must mention that road racing is poorly marketed under the school riders, were the focus is mostly on the Spur MTB races.

[andydude]

I really think the cost complaint can't count. Your average roadie must be spending around 25k for bike and kit and so 1% to participate is really not bad.

 

Coming from Jhb, I haven't done a Cape Town road ride yet. First reason, I never know when or where they are! The advertising and hype is completely absent bar CTCT.

 

Secondly, PPA and CSA really need to get their **** together, because having to pay and belong to a whole **** ton of organizations gets a bit too much hassle. Id rather just have my enjoyable weekend rides on and off road.

 

Thirdly, and no offense, but I've found that the roadies in cape town are super snobbish and it really harshes the vibe of rides. There aren't really any big training groups and the clubs are extremely cliquey and it's very unfriendly when joining for a ride. This has to be fixed but honestly that's every aspect of Cape Town.

 

Drago it's really not that complicated 

 

I can explain in a PM to you if you want?

 

Regarding the license, like in Jozi, in the Cape you have to belong to one club and also to CSA (whether annual license or day license).

 

Hope to see you at the next race. It's a WPCA league event in Piketberg 

 

Edit: Can't comment on the Cape snobs, but if you are ever in Hout Bay, let me know!

[Pure Savage]

Attending one race for our family now cost us on average R1000. Sometimes more if you need to travel far, and if other consumables are needed for the race.

 

Sometimes we make exceptions, and let the boys do an extra race in the month and we sit out.

 

But then also I must mention that road racing is poorly marketed under the school riders, were the focus is mostly on the Spur MTB races.

Yeah, that's why I gave mention to the Spur series in article.

 

Just did some quick "math" but if PPA offered buy 2 adult entries get 2 U18 free, I doubt they would have lost any child entries, would have gotten a few more adults entering possibly.

 

Will right another article as a follow up with a collection of the best ideas from all the comments, pm, dm and whatsapps! (Spoiler: kids ride free with paying parent) (also, expect more pictures of Savage in article randomly)

[babse]

still feel most vote with their wallet... at R250/R300 an entry depending when you enter its not easy to commit to all the road races which offers very little.

 

I personally am a PPa member (because i would like to believe they are doing something good for community) and chose my races like OneTonner, SCT and CTCT and maybe a race in feb just before the CTCT.

 

I prefer MTB and feel these races have much more to offer.

For eg. the Trailseeker event @ R300. You get a goodie bag which included, biogen Gu & bar, tube of electrolytes, event sox, waterproof Cellphone pouch, and some sunscreen, proper trails and stocked up water stations. Not to mention the recovery drink at the end instead of a 120ml cup of coke (you dare try and take a second cup the volunteer worker is ready to bash you) like at the road races.

 

Again i vote with my wallet but that's just me 

[Pure Savage]

still feel most vote with their wallet... at R250/R300 an entry depending when you enter its not easy to commit to all the road races which offers very little.

 

I personally am a PPa member (because i would like to believe they are doing something good for community) and chose my races like OneTonner, SCT and CTCT and maybe a race in feb just before the CTCT.

 

I prefer MTB and feel these races have much more to offer.

For eg. the Trailseeker event @ R300. You get a goodie bag which included, biogen Gu & bar, tube of electrolytes, event sox, waterproof Cellphone pouch, and some sunscreen, proper trails and stocked up water stations. Not to mention the recovery drink at the end instead of a 120ml cup of coke (you dare try and take a second cup the volunteer worker is ready to bash you) like at the road races.

 

Again i vote with my wallet but that's just me

Totally agreed, they need to look into the value offering at the road events.

 

Major reason I do them is because of the think bike marshal, improve some of the teams bunch skills and the fact that I have moaned at PPA to host such events.

 

Maybe a decent discount 30-40 percent if do all 5 events, like entering a full series.

 

Ps: the guys at the coke stand on Sunday gave me 2 cups of coke and even offered to fill up a bottle with coke. So they have been listening

[babse]

Q; Is the roadworks in main road still the reason for no races in the south? 

 

Any idea when they plan to finish? its been eons already 

[mtgoat]

I really think the cost complaint can't count. Your average roadie must be spending around 25k for bike and kit and so 1% to participate is really not bad.

 

Coming from Jhb, I haven't done a Cape Town road ride yet. First reason, I never know when or where they are! The advertising and hype is completely absent bar CTCT.

 

Secondly, PPA and CSA really need to get their **** together, because having to pay and belong to a whole **** ton of organizations gets a bit too much hassle. Id rather just have my enjoyable weekend rides on and off road.

 

Thirdly, and no offense, but I've found that the roadies in cape town are super snobbish and it really harshes the vibe of rides. There aren't really any big training groups and the clubs are extremely cliquey and it's very unfriendly when joining for a ride. This has to be fixed but honestly that's every aspect of Cape Town.

Drago, the cost point of view is not race specific but more to the budget. R300 for a race entry, petrol to the event, food etc after and it becomes and expense not many can afford. Think of the other cost incurred for a family and you will note my point. The cost of the race is not the main reason, more the balancing of a home budget with 2 kids and the like.

 

B.t.w would be happy to introduce you to our club and the group rides I know of in the south 

[mtgoat]

Was wondering what the actual state of road cycling was in the Western Cape, compared to the past.

 

There has been many a topic around it on the hub in the past but no actual data, so this weekend did some data mining and found some pretty interesting stuff. 

 

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

 

Long and short, road riding getting old, fast.

 

Let us know what you think can be done and if there are any other issues we missed?

 

Number Entrants.JPG

Hey PureSavage,

 

Suggested to the PPA that they create a club on Strava and map the rides and routes accordingly, even offered to do this in my spare time. This way people could subscribe to the club see the route and it sends auto reminders of the event if the person notes that they will be attending.

 

Have heard nothing but perhaps they have bigger fish to fry. 

 

Edit: I am not a race snake nor have i even ridden league, just love riding 

[Pure Savage]

Hey PureSavage,

 

Suggested to the PPA that they create a club on Strava and map the rides and routes accordingly, even offered to do this in my spare time. This way people could subscribe to the club see the route and it sends auto reminders of the event if the person notes that they will be attending.

 

Have heard nothing but perhaps they have bigger fish to fry.

 

Edit: I am not a race snake nor have i even ridden league, just love riding

I know they are working on something like that. I know the Savage club now has a following on strava greater than just our riders, so we post the PPA events there. Will add entry details and info to it as well until PPA start doing your suggestion.

[s14phoenix]

I think the "cool" factor has worn off and now it is all the old cyclists that are left again.

 

There was a huge surge in people cycling and the amount of cycling shops that opened (especially mtb ones) proves that.

 

Now however the market is saturated and the interest is dwindling away as the cycling craze dies off...

 

many people who bought bikes and started now have very dusty bikes they don't ride anymore...

part of this in my opinion is the amount of tech that flooded the market and made people's brand new bikes old and uncool overnight. (thinking of 9sp to 10sp to 11sp to 12sp and the 26er> 29er> 650B> Fatty  etc etc)

 

Entry fees are also getting too expensive on some events and thus also not helping the situation.

And then the fact that some events have some sort of elite nature where you got to apply for an entry is kind of stupid if they are not making up the numbers any more and it is also scaring people off.

 

generally just less people cycling and wanting to cycle at all...

[Pure Savage]

Hey PureSavage,

 

Suggested to the PPA that they create a club on Strava and map the rides and routes accordingly, even offered to do this in my spare time. This way people could subscribe to the club see the route and it sends auto reminders of the event if the person notes that they will be attending.

 

Have heard nothing but perhaps they have bigger fish to fry. 

 

Edit: I am not a race snake nor have i even ridden league, just love riding 

 

https://www.strava.com/clubs/21210/group_events/223451

 

Here is the Durbie dash one, have emailed for the route for Sportif 5.

[Pure Savage]

Q; Is the roadworks in main road still the reason for no races in the south?

 

Any idea when they plan to finish? its been eons already

 

This is not going to help the cause, this sounds like it will be ages longer than main road.