Has the MTB Stage Racing bubble finally burst?

[Slowbee]

Different classes of entry, like different classes on an airplane. One gets you champers, the other gets you a cold coke and the lowest gets you water.

 

There will be takers I'm sure.

The more I look at how our industry is moving the more I realise that the "this is what we offer take it or leave it" principle is not going to work in the future. Customised experiences are what the clients want.

 

Getting this into cycling is going to be the way to go. Smaller numbers, different packages from bare bones to full on catered.

 

As Skub's says, bells&whistles all the way to blue bells and blue whistles 

[Headshot]

Well as the pool of punters dwindles as the cost of living rises and salaries not fast enough, the bubble must contract, surely? 

 

I for one like value for money events which capture the feel of the early days of MTB - when it was relatively cheap fun and most races were just fund raisers. You get the social side of things at both kinds of events at a fraction of the cost.  Even if the cost was far less I'd probably still save my money rather than enter every  second event like some people do.

 

There is after all a heck of a lot more to MTB than riding marathon bike on trails crowded with other riders...

[Kranswurm]

The more I look at how our industry is moving the more I realise that the "this is what we offer take it or leave it" principle is not going to work in the future. Customised experiences are what the clients want.

 

Getting this into cycling is going to be the way to go. Smaller numbers, different packages from bare bones to full on catered.

 

As Skub's says, bells&whistles all the way to blue bells and blue whistles

That's what it is now

Have a look at the schedule of events

The selection is huge and growing

The reason for the drop is more events

[Breezer]

Nearly June and still Karoo to coast entries availble.

[flymango]

Maybe it's a generational thing?

 

10 years ago, there was a generation of 30 - 50 year olds with buying power who gave up golf (or whatever they did) for cycling.

 

These same 40 - 60 year olds today have now all got their t-shirts (and kit bags) and are bored with the same offering for a "4th or 7th time".

 

And today's 20 - 30 year olds are either smaller in numbers and/or have lower buying power given rising costs and tough economic conditions.

 

Pure speculation.

[Skubarra]

These same 40 - 60 year olds today have now all got their t-shirts (and kit bags) and are bored with the same offering for a "4th or 7th time".

 

 

Just my example this week. Was planning to do my 3rd Hell&Back this year. Love the event but I started doing the math. R2.5K entry fee + R1k fuel + R1k accomodation = R4.5K for a weekend ride on district roads I have done before.

 

From a pure cycling perspective not worth it for me, might still do it if in a group of friends and it is a social occasion. Most likely though I will save the money to experience something new.

[Mongoose!]

Just my example this week. Was planning to do my 3rd Hell&Back this year. Love the event but I started doing the math. R2.5K entry fee + R1k fuel + R1k accomodation = R4.5K for a weekend ride on district roads I have done before.

 

From a pure cycling perspective not worth it for me, might still do it if in a group of friends and it is a social occasion. Most likely though I will save the money to experience something new.

 

cannot agree more

[VicanZA]

burst for me 2 years ago, just wanna ride with mates now. the effort of getting there and back for some events took longer than the event itself.

[Slowbee]

Skubs, to turn it around. Just bashing things around.

 

What would make it attractive for you to do ? just over 50% of your cost is entry. How much does the cost need to come down by in order to for you to enter ?

 

OR, what could the organisers include to make it worth it ?

 

OR, having got said t-shirt and bag and photo's, is there nothing really attractive left in the event for you ?

 

Having never done the event before, I would consider paying that amount of money to enter and experience the ride.

 

But, R16k odd for s2c is a bit much as I have numerous shirts and photo's of the event and it does not appeal to me as much as a few others. And I doubt the organisers can do much to get me back. The event is great, it is just it is time to explore other events with my limited budget. For others, R16k sounds about right for the event.

[VicanZA]

Skubs, to turn it around. Just bashing things around.

 

What would make it attractive for you to do ? just over 50% of your cost is entry. How much does the cost need to come down by in order to for you to enter ?

 

OR, what could the organisers include to make it worth it ?

 

OR, having got said t-shirt and bag and photo's, is there nothing really attractive left in the event for you ?

 

Having never done the event before, I would consider paying that amount of money to enter and experience the ride.

 

But, R16k odd for s2c is a bit much as I have numerous shirts and photo's of the event and it does not appeal to me as much as a few others. And I doubt the organisers can do much to get me back. The event is great, it is just it is time to explore other events with my limited budget. For others, R16k sounds about right for the event.

 

I would agree with you and extend that "rat race" events have no appeal to me, when you on the starting line with thousands i think that MTB event lose some magic of being out in the wide open spaces.

[myveonix]

Just my example this week. Was planning to do my 3rd Hell&Back this year. Love the event but I started doing the math. R2.5K entry fee + R1k fuel + R1k accomodation = R4.5K for a weekend ride on district roads I have done before.

 

From a pure cycling perspective not worth it for me, might still do it if in a group of friends and it is a social occasion. Most likely though I will save the money to experience something new.

 . . . and on top of that all, you still have to have your bike serviced/fixed

[Yo-Yo]

Just my example this week. Was planning to do my 3rd Hell&Back this year. Love the event but I started doing the math. R2.5K entry fee + R1k fuel + R1k accomodation = R4.5K for a weekend ride on district roads I have done before.

 

From a pure cycling perspective not worth it for me, might still do it if in a group of friends and it is a social occasion. Most likely though I will save the money to experience something new.

 

Now I'd rather take that money and head somewhere unique with a group of friends and ride new trails. Up north, Garden Route Trail Park, Trails End, Stellenbosch the areas opening up now are a lot. Single track is the best but single track with 500 others just becomes rush hour traffic and defeats the objective. 

[Skubarra]

Skubs, to turn it around. Just bashing things around.

 

What would make it attractive for you to do ? just over 50% of your cost is entry. How much does the cost need to come down by in order to for you to enter ?

 

OR, what could the organisers include to make it worth it ?

 

I don't think the organisers are doing anything wrong. It's just that I now we have so many options. With the Hell & Back example, Origin of Trails is the weekend after, Sanlam Invitiational on the same weekend, Eselfontein Stage race few weeks earlier so even just on "budget" events we are spoiled for choice. Maybe if it was like a few years ago when these options didn't exist I would have been happy to pay & do it again?

 

But in general I am maybe the wrong person to ask, many people are happy to do the same W2W/S2C events year after year. Personally I have never done an event that is so outstanding compared to others that I would spend a significant portion of my cycling budget to repeat every year.

[Chris NewbyFraser]

Reading the comments from Cape based Hubbers makes me envious. You folk have a fabulous collection of trails and open roads -all within reasonable reach from CTN city. We Jo'bergers don't have the same blessing (although we have bigger crime and better weather for the criminals..!), so for me, organised events are the better option. Riding alone in Jozi is a high risk game. Riding the same old open trail over and over is, well, for the less imaginative or the desperate. So, in my personal capacity, I am stuck with paying the occasional high'ish entry fee in order to get my cycling fix. But some events, like the Magalies, cannot, in any way, justify their price tag. Like Stuttafords, they will go out of business.

[Kranswurm]

Just my example this week. Was planning to do my 3rd Hell&Back this year. Love the event but I started doing the math. R2.5K entry fee + R1k fuel + R1k accomodation = R4.5K for a weekend ride on district roads I have done before.

 

From a pure cycling perspective not worth it for me, might still do it if in a group of friends and it is a social occasion. Most likely though I will save the money to experience something new.

Does not seem to have lost its popularity

I see the overnight accommodation is fully booked.

I have only done it once some time ago and would consider doing it again

[Skubarra]

Does not seem to have lost its popularity

I see the overnight accommodation is fully booked.

I have only done it once some time ago and would consider doing it again

 

Saw this yesterday on Facebook - Clearly my opinion is out of sync with the average cyclist out there 

 

I am glad they are doing well - think a few years back entries were down when the W2W boom was in full swing but now they are back up there

 

So I guess this also answers Slowbee's question - There is no bubble and at least this organiser doesn't have to change anything