How to get more cyclists at Road races?

[DroppedRider]

Recently the Tour Durban organisers have mentioned due to the low turnout they may reconsider hosting the event next year. If I am not mistaken the turnout at most road events have been down post Covid. Looking at overseas events this looks like a common trend globally.

What strategy would you use to get more people at road events again? Put down even your bad ideas. 

Here are my (might be terrible) ideas. 

- A problem is that many possible entrants are too scared to train on the road. They also not that invested in the sport to get a R10K smart trainer. A possible solution is for event organisers to partner with gyms such as Virgin Active, Planet Fitness and encourage them to get Wattbike Atoms or cheap alternatives so more non cyclists can get into Zwift Racing and structured training. This will hopefully lure people into entering races. Spinning classes tailored for specific events could also be used 

- Another problem is what are the actual benefits of getting into Road Cycling considering the constraints (Roads are dangerous to train on, equipment is expensive, cyclists are perceived as not being very open to new comers). A possible solution is for Event Organisers, Local Bike Shops and Local clubs should sit down together with a marketing agency in a workshop to look at common strategic messaging to put out on social media in getting more people into cycling. 

- Lastly, and I know this might be a terrible idea. There are some very scenic roads around the country to do long ride training on the weekends. Could clubs not sit down on a WhatsApp group and pool their resources to say right this Sunday all clubs in a city are encouraged to do x,y,z route. We will have 5 follow cars for different average speeds once a weekend say on a Saturday. This way people might feels safer on the roads and be encouraged to take up cycling. 

What are your ideas? 


 

[Thomo]

Drop the entry costs.

That together with travel/accommodation costs have become a massive barrier to entry.

Tour Durban and similar events add further logistical and cost considerations where the start and finish are in two different towns/cities. So perhaps reconsider that too.

 

[Bub Marley]

10 minutes ago, Thomo said:

Drop the entry costs.

That together with travel/accommodation costs have become a massive barrier to entry.

Tour Durban and similar events add further logistical and cost considerations where the start and finish are in two different towns/cities. So perhaps reconsider that too.

 

I dont think its as simple as that.

 

I think people are just bored of doing the same thing over and over. I honestly think event organizers should consider changing the routes just to make things interesting. If I take the Argus for example. I remember a time where if you didn’t enter within the first couple of days you wouldn’t stand a chance. I haven’t entered for next year but im pretty certain i can still enter now if I wanted to. That shows the interest is just not there anymore. I think a new route, perhaps even a tougher route will spark more interest again. Let’s be honest for us capetonians, a 110km ride around the peninsula these days is almost a weekly affair. Make it tougher and dont charge us more. If i want to do a double Argus why must i pay twice? Doesn’t make sense to me. SO yeah for me newer routes and tougher routes.

 

Another thing which puts people off is no refund when events are cancelled. Surely there must be a way around this?

 

 

[madmarc]

1. reduce entry fees.

2. start and end at the same place.

3. permanent number boards that mount on the frame

4. dump the race number collection and goody/junk bag

Oh! and lastly a downhill route from start to finish.

[Jbr]

1. give medals

[Ispeed_V]

Primarily cost and safety.

For your non main line events, you are still paying upwards of R400 to ride on roads that are full of potholes etc and playing dogems with all the taxis/trucks/cars/breakfast run motorbikes etc.

 

[Gr3mlin131]

Getting some group rides to get people used to riding with other people and the feeling of the extra speed while drafting will gain a couple of extra entries. I started doing races when I was young and stupid so did not care wat happened really. But now just being stupid and not riding in groups a while, it is quite scary to join these bigger races. Especially since indoor has made everyone fit with little skills, me included. 

Also traveling sucks post Covid and Kulula death. So will rather join a local races than travel to any of the bigger ones across the country. So might be worth it to focus marketing more on the locals that do not have to travel.

[Spirog]

1 hour ago, DroppedRider said:

Lastly, and I know this might be a terrible idea. There are some very scenic roads around the country to do long ride training on the weekends. Could clubs not sit down on a WhatsApp group and pool their resources to say right this Sunday all clubs in a city are encouraged to do x,y,z route. We will have 5 follow cars for different average speeds once a weekend say on a Saturday. This way people might feels safer on the roads and be encouraged to take up cycling. 

Cycle Lab offer this every Saturday morning out into the Cradle. And, we often have Sunday rides as well.

I am a regular road rider but won't do races that are not full road closures. The number of accidents I've seen caused by some idiot cyclist overtaking into the oncoming traffic, then cutting in front of the group is scary...

947, CTCT and Amashova - that's my race calendar.

[Jase619]

9 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

I dont think its as simple as that.

 

I think people are just bored of doing the same thing over and over. I honestly think event organizers should consider changing the routes just to make things interesting. If I take the Argus for example. I remember a time where if you didn’t enter within the first couple of days you wouldn’t stand a chance. I haven’t entered for next year but im pretty certain i can still enter now if I wanted to. That shows the interest is just not there anymore. I think a new route, perhaps even a tougher route will spark more interest again. Let’s be honest for us capetonians, a 110km ride around the peninsula these days is almost a weekly affair. Make it tougher and dont charge us more. If i want to do a double Argus why must i pay twice? Doesn’t make sense to me. SO yeah for me newer routes and tougher routes.

 

Another thing which puts people off is no refund when events are cancelled. Surely there must be a way around this?

 

 

Not sure if a different route is always the answer, the comrades has been the same forever, there is a lot of people that test themselves on the same route/distance and use it as a measure of fitness. I think the cost of travel and accommodation is 99% the massive issue here. For out of towners the cost of the event is a small percentage of the total cost of the event. 

Also, while I envy you and your ability to ride that route often, although technically not all of it, and I look forward to my planned move to the cape, please NEVER discount the absolute privilege that you have of being able to do that, and that most cyclists in the rest of the country come just to ride that route. 

[The Ouzo]

here's a question, have running races seen the same decline in entrants ? I'm not talking park runs but proper races, 21km plus ?

[Vetplant]

17 minutes ago, madmarc said:

2. start and end at the same place.

SNIP

Oh! and lastly a downhill route from start to finish.

Like one of these...?

Edited October 27, 2022 by Vetplant

[DroppedRider]

2 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

here's a question, have running races seen the same decline in entrants ? I'm not talking park runs but proper races, 21km plus ?

Doubt it. It looks like more and more people are attending running races from what I have seen. 

[The Ouzo]

1 minute ago, DroppedRider said:

Doubt it. It looks like more and more people are attending running races from what I have seen. 

so then we need to look at why ?

Comrades is a point to point race. So same logistics as Amashova.

Its also out of town. So accommodation costs travel costs etc. Granted you dont need to take a bike with though.

 

Do we have to many cycle races ?

Not enough marketing ?

Not enough live coverage ?

Maybe we need some shorter races with added incentives ? Hill climb events ?

[SoloCyclist]

Simple really

1. Lower entry fees

2. Scrap late payment fees

3. Scrap CSA day license nonsense

4. Have after events that actually make you wanna stay

5. Reduce the amount of events, less is more.....theres like 2/3 races per month who can afford that

[Shebeen]

cleavage

[Jbr]

Although the topic is more how to bring people who don't race to the races, here's what would definitely make my life easier :

- the 6am starts in the middle of nowhere are a bit of a pain. 

- road races the same day/weekend as major MTB races

- the numbers nonsense has to stop, different numbers for every race that we have to go collect halfway accross the world the day before...come on

- the same loop with the same bump over and over again... would be nice to have a bit of a variety in courses (I must say the timing for this complaint isn't great as the last few races were actually perfect, but soon enough we'll be back to racing 5x paarderberg loop every weekend)