National MTB series (formerly Ashburton)

[Milkman]

So Ashburton did not renew their sponsorship for the national MTB series for 2018 , and so far it does not seem as if they have a new sponsor yet ?

 

Please don't tell me the series is not gonna carry on this year ??? This was a fantastic series in some of the nicest parts of SA for Joe Soap and his friend to ride lekke trails and it will be a huge loss to the SA marathon riders if it does not carry on .

 

Is there maybe a Hubber that has some good news for me regarding the series ? 

[nickc]

Wish I did . Not sure when this will be resolved and some of the races that are not owned by Advendurance are already going their own way like Sabie in Feb - running independently and entries already opened.

[Squier]

Nope, no announcement regarding a sponsor yet.

 

Opens up the opportunity for some smaller organisers to put something together at the different venues. Doubt that it'll have the same appeal without being part of a series unfortunately. Some great riding though. Would be sad to miss out completely.

[kosmonooit]

Its a stuff up - they kept toying with the format. Kept most  regulars away I reckon. Should have stuck with the marathon/utlra on the Saturday and the 40 on the Sundays.

[kosmonooit]

I hope it encourages more grass roots / community organised events.

 

I for one won't miss the VIP tents at the race village.

[Squier]

Its a stuff up - they kept toying with the format. Kept most  regulars away I reckon. Should have stuck with the marathon/utlra on the Saturday and the 40 on the Sundays.

 

I don't think the 2 day idea was a bad idea given the huge success of local stage races. It did however make the races even more expensive which must've played a role given the economic conditions.

 

At the end of the day it's those same economic conditions that make sponsors hard to come by.

[kosmonooit]

Maybe for some the two day format worked, but I am sure I am not alone in that I just want to go full t!ts on the Saturday, drive home Sat night when there is little traffic and chill out at home on the Sunday.

 

Maybe mtb is not the new golf after all?

[Squier]

Maybe for some the two day format worked, but I am sure I am not alone in that I just want to go full t!ts on the Saturday, drive home Sat night when there is little traffic and chill out at home on the Sunday.

 

Maybe mtb is not the new golf after all?

 

I get you. Did you not have the option to do that though?

 

Personally, I would rather see the return of the ultras than a two day thing. That being said, I still understand why they went that route. As a concept it does make sense, the timing thereof was possibly just not ideal.

[Skubarra]

So Ashburton did not renew their sponsorship for the national MTB series for 2018 , and so far it does not seem as if they have a new sponsor yet ?

 

Please don't tell me the series is not gonna carry on this year ??? This was a fantastic series in some of the nicest parts of SA for Joe Soap and his friend to ride lekke trails and it will be a huge loss to the SA marathon riders if it does not carry on .

 

Is there maybe a Hubber that has some good news for me regarding the series ? 

 

I agree that it would be a sad day if the series ends but the trails are still there for Joe Soap and his friends to ride and there are loads of other events, more so than when the series started way back?

[Fattyboom]

The wife and I enjoyed the 2-day format. Making a weekend of it at venues that we otherwise would not have visited.  Loosing these events could have a negative economic impact for these towns. Kosmonooit does have a point though: the number of riders on day 2 were less than day 1 and I thought the new venues like Champagne and Kaapsehoop (both had great routes) had less number of riders than the old venues (like Clarens).

 

Other parties could step in and host these events independently but would be stretched to meet the high standards of Advendurance (at least up here in the north).

[jcza]

Pity its gone but fingers crossed that it will be back at some point. 

 

I enjoyed riding Sat and Sun and when the 2 day format was introduced more people were riding both days. 

 

I don't think the price was unreasonable. R600 for marathon and R550 for half for 2 days riding. 

[kosmonooit]

I seem to remember a few complaining here that the two day format meant that the more laid back family ride on the Sunday was no more, which was a loss considering  for most the marathon was a big day out, the bulk of the participants were slacker recreational riders like myself and not racing snakes or Epic contenders, and the family ride on the 40 on the Sunday was more social and inclusive,

 

Also there did seem a pattern that once Adent. Inc took over an event, its morphed into something else and was no more after a while. Whether that was a corporate take-over/close down to increase their monopoly tactic or just bad planning I can't say.

[stringbean]

Maybe Ashberton had all their eggs in the Steinhoff basket

[BMWGSADV]

Just look at the range of comments in just 11 posts! Tells you everything you need to know.

 

With such STRONG opinions from both ends of the continuum, if you are able to be objective, you can understand how difficult it is for the organisers to please everybody all of the time.

 

Thinking objectively - sponsorships come and go. That’s business..... ..... commerce, not even the Springboks can get a title sponsorship.

 

If the course is not hard enough, a minuscule, irrelevant number of racing snakes complain, posting their vitriol on social media.

 

If the course is ‘hard enough’ then the mommies and daddies with their sprogs stay away because it’s just to difficult or dangerous...... taking the future of MTB with them.

 

If you think I am missing the point, go and read the SM comments on the Advendurance website and draw your own conclusion(s).

 

If there is a Race and there is a serious accident and no Paramedics, then the Organisers are castigated and open to civil liability..... ... but here is the conundrum.... emergency medical services, Marshall’s, water points, land permits, route maintenance (need I carry on).....are not for free!

 

So we have a choice to make - a Hobson’s Choice: a 70km MTB Race with no water tables, medics, goodie bag, timing system, start line rah rah.... and all on public gravel roads with no road closures ( sorry - but the Traffic Police have jumped on the opportunity to charge extortionist prices for road closures to supplement the gratuitous waste of taxpayers money) as the Landowners will not permit access to their trails ( it cost money to drive to all the Landowners and negotiate access / permits).....all this for the pricely sum of say R75 ( to cover admin costs) and a tin medal. Whose in? Too much perhaps??

 

Here are my personal (non-objective) observations ( I don’t particularly care one way or the other whether you agree or not):

 

- How many of you pay the ‘exorbitant’ entry fee for 94.7.... a 2h30 ride and ditto for Argus? No Race village for the family to gather around, just dusty parking areas.

 

- Those that complain about the Sponsor’s tent are just jealous because they have never been inside or are ever likely to be invited inside. Neither have I.

 

- To cut costs the Organisers give you an option to not take a medal... how many took up the option? More importantly, what have you done with ‘all’ these medals ( mine lie in drawers all over the house).

 

- But just let them dare to cancel medals all together!

 

- I am a racing snake that has supported ALL the Nissans and Ashburtons, traveling to Ballito, Clarens, and Dullstroom ( excluding W Cape)....each one being the highlight of a family weekend..... gone!

 

- I have bitched about routes and route markings but, I have never posted it on SM, I shared it directly with the organisers so, believe it or not, they can do something to make it better for ALL of us...... not just me!

 

- I am not one of the organisers!

 

- Advendurance is a business and like any business constantly needs to work on their value proposition, improve their product offering and service.

 

- On the balance of things I think they have got it right BUT can and should do better...

 

Regardless of whether you are a perennial ‘moaner’ or just sharing your constructive thoughts, the BROADER MTB community has lost a great initiative.....it’s not about the race per se, it’s about the sum of the parts of the whole experience!

 

We are without a National Series and four Nissan races in Gauteng. There are no winners!

 

So bike parks filled with Weekend Warriors holding up the trail awaits us.

 

Cheers

[jcza]

Just look at the range of comments in just 11 posts! Tells you everything you need to know.

 

With such STRONG opinions from both ends of the continuum, if you are able to be objective, you can understand how difficult it is for the organisers to please everybody all of the time.

 

Thinking objectively - sponsorships come and go. That’s business..... ..... commerce, not even the Springboks can get a title sponsorship.

 

If the course is not hard enough, a minuscule, irrelevant number of racing snakes complain, posting their vitriol on social media.

 

If the course is ‘hard enough’ then the mommies and daddies with their sprogs stay away because it’s just to difficult or dangerous...... taking the future of MTB with them.

 

If you think I am missing the point, go and read the SM comments on the Advendurance website and draw your own conclusion(s).

 

If there is a Race and there is a serious accident and no Paramedics, then the Organisers are castigated and open to civil liability..... ... but here is the conundrum.... emergency medical services, Marshall’s, water points, land permits, route maintenance (need I carry on).....are not for free!

 

So we have a choice to make - a Hobson’s Choice: a 70km MTB Race with no water tables, medics, goodie bag, timing system, start line rah rah.... and all on public gravel roads with no road closures ( sorry - but the Traffic Police have jumped on the opportunity to charge extortionist prices for road closures to supplement the gratuitous waste of taxpayers money) as the Landowners will not permit access to their trails ( it cost money to drive to all the Landowners and negotiate access / permits).....all this for the pricely sum of say R75 ( to cover admin costs) and a tin medal. Whose in? Too much perhaps??

 

Here are my personal (non-objective) observations ( I don’t particularly care one way or the other whether you agree or not):

 

- How many of you pay the ‘exorbitant’ entry fee for 94.7.... a 2h30 ride and ditto for Argus? No Race village for the family to gather around, just dusty parking areas.

 

- Those that complain about the Sponsor’s tent are just jealous because they have never been inside or are ever likely to be invited inside. Neither have I.

 

- To cut costs the Organisers give you an option to not take a medal... how many took up the option? More importantly, what have you done with ‘all’ these medals ( mine lie in drawers all over the house).

 

- But just let them dare to cancel medals all together!

 

- I am a racing snake that has supported ALL the Nissans and Ashburtons, traveling to Ballito, Clarens, and Dullstroom ( excluding W Cape)....each one being the highlight of a family weekend..... gone!

 

- I have bitched about routes and route markings but, I have never posted it on SM, I shared it directly with the organisers so, believe it or not, they can do something to make it better for ALL of us...... not just me!

 

- I am not one of the organisers!

 

- Advendurance is a business and like any business constantly needs to work on their value proposition, improve their product offering and service.

 

- On the balance of things I think they have got it right BUT can and should do better...

 

Regardless of whether you are a perennial ‘moaner’ or just sharing your constructive thoughts, the BROADER MTB community has lost a great initiative.....it’s not about the race per se, it’s about the sum of the parts of the whole experience!

 

We are without a National Series and four Nissan races in Gauteng. There are no winners!

 

So bike parks filled with Weekend Warriors holding up the trail awaits us.

 

Cheers

 

Nissan Trailseeker still happening in Gauteng 

[wolver]

It seems like the sponsorship money is the biggest issue.  Pity they can't get a series sponsor and then a headline sponsor for each round similar to what they do in the US for the motocross championship. It's the "Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship" but each round has a headline sponsor eg the Budds Creek round is the "Geico Budds Creek National".

Downside to this is that the sponsors have to split the attention they get and its more work for the organiser in finding more sponsors, but that structure could work. Just my 2c