Has the MTB Stage Racing bubble finally burst?

[lerouc]

I did my first race this past weekend (50 miler) since W2W in 2016. I am also probably only doing one other event this year (K2C).

 

2/3/4/5 years back i did every event i could get to but now i have a yearly permit at 2 different places and go ride there and then the odd weekend at another place where i will pay my daily fee. This works out way better for me. If you look at the STB 50km entry fee, thats R300 for 50km which is half of most places yearly permits.

 

It just does not make sense to me to do alot more events.

[NicoR]

I’m not in it for a goodie bag.

I will pay for the trail maintenance, event organisation, medics, timing, and overall good time.

 

There are a few bucket list races I have on my list. Sani, W2W, TransBaviaans, To Hell and back.

I am sure this will be once offs. No way I will be able to afford this list of races annually.

 

I was able to do the Cradle Traverse (2017) on a sponsored entry. Although classed as a premium event and hospitality, the entry fees are also very steep. +-R5800 per team of 2 for 3 days of 60km per day.

 

I take my annual leave every year in September and go and do the K2C, take the family with and have some “rest”. Quiet time of the year. Flights not too expensive. Roads are quiet. Just very relaxing.

I put the “ball and chain” on a flight to George and I take the car and bike for a road trip.

 

Locally I try and do all the Trailseekers. Well priced and well organised.

Add some spur of the moments entries combined with 947 and you have a full race calender.

 

In short, we are spoilt for choice and each to his own on deciding what they see as expensive and what not.

[LongDonkey]

Very expensive and now re looking at entries. Some organizers (some definitely not the best reputation here) seem to be ripping the bum out of races, organising then, pushing advertising etc, then next year terminating races as it is not economic for them. They are spending too much money on BMW's, or costs are just prohibitive for "management" . Everyone want a "living wage" etc. and it is not sustainable unless you have a solid support base and a GOOD reputation.

 

JUMA too expensive for me for what you get so i am out as well right now.

[Slowbee]

There are a few threads now talking about the number of entrants that are down.

 

I also think that paying good money to use public roads without any real benefit is always going to be tricky. But there is a space for these. Folk like the challenge of riding with others, they wont necessarily ride on their own.

 

And now we have a thread on the LBS survival.

 

Cycling in RSA is sure in an interesting space!

[GrahamS2]

10 years ago I was happy to pay whatever was asked to enter races. These days I'm happy to pay whatever is asked to avoid riding with a 1000 other people on groomed trails. I'm not alone in this school of thought either it seems.

[porqui]

There is a Bell for 800 bucks in the classifieds. If someone’s paying that for a bell, then the bubble hasnt burst.

(No offence to the seller)

 

Some of us buy that very same bell on ebay for R120 and that includes shipping.

 

I love all the events - means that my favourite trails are quiet as everyone is riding elsewhere.

 

I think that everyone is feeling the squeeze and events are not cheap.The way prices of bikes and parts are going dealers will feel it too.Prices are just too absurd.Sometimes you need to offend the seller.

[leeubok]

10 years ago I was happy to pay whatever was asked to enter races. These days I'm happy to pay whatever is asked to avoid riding with a 1000 other people on groomed trails. I'm not alone in this school of thought either it seems.

I live in a remote place so all of my riding is on my own. I thus enjoy races just to be able to ride with other people for a change! There's usually a lekker vibe at races, I enjoy parking off before/after a race and just watch people and all their cool bikes. The family also enjoy the day out cause there's usually jumping castle and so on to keep kids busy. It's just the cost that make it difficult these days

[s14phoenix]

I have not entered a single MTB event this year and only 1 road event ( And missed 1 due to logistics)

 

I am not being funny but I am not paying the amounts they think they can ask for events these days. Have you seen how much the Juma costs - they should change it to Zuma as they seem to be stealing as much of the publics money...

 

I am very selective of which events I am now going to be paying for - especially these falsely advertised "full road closure" events. Seems its a term being very loosely thrown around by the events organisers - if its not kurb-to-kurb its not full road closure.

[Mamil]

Meal for 2 at a medium good restaurant - 400 bucks including a bottle of wine.

 

Movie, coke and popcorn for 2 - 250 bucks

 

Entry fee to Kirstenbosch (assuming no annual membership) and a coffee at the tea room for 2 - 180 bucks.

 

A 70k mtb ride in the countryside with refreshment station, ambulance on standby, excellent trails with people marshalling ... 250 - 500 bucks ....

 

cheap at the price if you ask me.

[The Ouzo]

Meal for 2 at a medium good restaurant - 400 bucks including a bottle of wine.

 

Movie, coke and popcorn for 2 - 250 bucks

 

Entry fee to Kirstenbosch (assuming no annual membership) and a coffee at the tea room for 2 - 180 bucks.

 

A 70k mtb ride in the countryside with refreshment station, ambulance on standby, excellent trails with people marshalling ... 250 - 500 bucks ....

 

cheap at the price if you ask me.

cheap to do once in a while but not every weekend. And its the same for the other examples you used for comparison.

 

 

For me I fall into the lower income category of rider.

Have been riding for 20+ years, but if I had to ride 5 road races a year the entry fees alone would = the cost of my bike. So I'm selective of which rides I enter.

And then lets not get into everything else that comes with riding the race, travel, nutrition, time off work getting race numbers (lets not start that debate again please), etc.

[Meezo]

There are a few threads now talking about the number of entrants that are down.

 

I also think that paying good money to use public roads without any real benefit is always going to be tricky. But there is a space for these. Folk like the challenge of riding with others, they wont necessarily ride on their own.

 

And now we have a thread on the LBS survival.

 

Cycling in RSA is sure in an interesting space!

 

indeed, its massive and growing rapidly...

 

the difference is, our salaries don't increase as fast as bike tech, bike pricing and race fees.

 

also, the masses are starting to learn and feeling comfortable buying and spending online and abroad... like many a said they'd rather spend monies on annual permits and various biking areas, than do events like w2w sani2c etc, also if you did these events twice maybe thrice you sort of know what its about, so you explore other options, guys are saying the event calendars are packed, but what new has come? if i look its the same events every year, which is cool but not much new...?

[Dusty]

The costs of events has pushed us in the direction of bike touring. We're enjoying the solitude of the vast spaces in our country immensely and this can be done at a fraction of the event costs.  Obviously there are not manicured trails, but those can still be ridden on weekends.

[Dubber]

Haven't had a chance to read the whole thread so bear with me if this has been covered...

 

One of the ironies is that for the first time in the history of the Joberg2C it was sold out over the last edition (maybe last 2?).  I say this is ironic for 3 reasons:  it bucks the trend of declining numbers, it is one of the more expensive events* and it is a big chunk of ones time - both in terms of training for and in competing.

(* expensive in outlay - not in value for money)

 

So why are their numbers going up and others down?  I think the answer for anyone who has ridden the event is straightforward.  For those that haven't, it's because the rider is treated like royalty and the route is king.  

 

Whether it is financially viable for other events to match this standard is debatable.  But I know, if I had to choose one event to do, Joberg2c would be where my cash goes...

[Grease_Monkey]

Haven't had a chance to read the whole thread so bear with me if this has been covered...

 

One of the ironies is that for the first time in the history of the Joberg2C it was sold out over the last edition (maybe last 2?). I say this is ironic for 3 reasons: it bucks the trend of declining numbers, it is one of the more expensive events* and it is a big chunk of ones time - both in terms of training for and in competing.

(* expensive in outlay - not in value for money)

 

So why are their numbers going up and others down? I think the answer for anyone who has ridden the event is straightforward. For those that haven't, it's because the rider is treated like royalty and the route is king.

 

Whether it is financially viable for other events to match this standard is debatable. But I know, if I had to choose one event to do, Joberg2c would be where my cash goes...

It's simple - these races will survive because they offer value for money. It's not so much about purely the rand value of the entry, but what I get per rand spent that determines whether I do a race. From what I jave heard Joberg2Sea is one of those races.

 

Another to add to the list is Berg&Bush, and on the single stage side is 36One - for just R1500 you get a superbly run event with great suppory and water tables that have a spread like no other - an event which will be on my calender annualy.

[Skubarra]

Cool thread Slowbee

 

My thoughts:

 

I don't think there is a bubble, I think it is just a case that just like everything else mtb'ing and the way we are participating in the sport is evolving.

 

In line with what others pointed out, the number of new trails available to the public(here in the WC) have exploded over the past few years.  You can literally go ride a different trail system every weekend without riding the same place twice for months at a time.

 

When I started out there were far fewer public trails and the best way to experience different places to ride were to enter funrides. That has certainly changed.

 

I think now we do funrides for different reasons - an event like Darling Brew sells out - it takes us on routes we don't ride often and the hospitality & vibe is great, while old established races like the Stellenbosch MTB are falling of the map.

 

I'm not sure the argument that races are too expensive is really true - the races that sell out are usually more expensive than average. I can list a number of cheap races that don't/didn't attract the numbers to survive. Despite moaning about entry fees people aren't interested in cheap races with just the vanilla offering. They are happy to pay more if the experience is unique and they feel they get treated. 

 

I also don't see entry fees coming down, to organise the type of events that are now popular incur massive overheads. (And I think cyclists in general underestimate how much it cost to host events, I certainly did)

[s14phoenix]

I think the issue is not the cost of the well organised expensive events that are well supported clearly anyway.

 

The issue for most is that the smaller events which should cost R200-R300 are now costing R450+ as well which is the same as a much bigger event. Then the issue of value also comes into it where the smaller events are not always very well organised and thus the entrants are feeling done in and stop supporting these events for those reasons.

 

On the other end of the scale there is a small mtb race here locally that is not particularly well supported but is a lot of fun and the proceeds go to charity - this event is not expensive to enter either and there are support from local business sponsors etc to make the event possible. Now why some other events that are basically the same in size and stature as this has to cost 2 or 3 times as much does not feel right to me.

 

I think this is why these events are falling off the calendar and fewer events are available.