Cape Town Cycle Tour 2024

[Bub Marley]

1 hour ago, Newbie321 said:

Maybe if they dropped the price to something reasonable, or make an option to drop the goodie bag, IE old stock Pick n Pay want to get rid off.

To be fair, in comparison to other cycling events the Argus is actually well priced for an event that has closed roads. I’m not saying it’s not expensive but its not much more than most road cycling events and even cheaper than a lot of off road events.

[Newbie321]

33 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

To be fair, in comparison to other cycling events the Argus is actually well priced for an event that has closed roads. I’m not saying it’s not expensive but its not much more than most road cycling events and even cheaper than a lot of off road events.

It's double what other events cost, while having probably 10x the number of participants to share the costs. Personally it's overpriced for me, and the value proposition is not really there. The best parts of the route you can cycle with a couple of friends and traffic is not really an issue. The gees and medal doesn't quite cover the price

[The Ouzo]

35 minutes ago, Newbie321 said:

It's double what other events cost, while having probably 10x the number of participants to share the costs. Personally it's overpriced for me, and the value proposition is not really there. The best parts of the route you can cycle with a couple of friends and traffic is not really an issue. The gees and medal doesn't quite cover the price

They basically shut down Cape Town for an entire day, that cant come cheap.

 

for me, i'll bitch about the cost, but I'll pay it anyway, it has become more than just an annual ride around cape town for me. Long may the race continue.

[Gr3mlin131]

I think the value is there, full road closure and an excuse to take a trip to Cape Town and do a scenic ride around it. But I suspect that for me and many others it will just not fit into the budget this year. Would rather spend the tavel and entry money to do several races and rides locally. 

[Mamil]

3 hours ago, Newbie321 said:

It's double what other events cost, while having probably 10x the number of participants to share the costs. Personally it's overpriced for me, and the value proposition is not really there. The best parts of the route you can cycle with a couple of friends and traffic is not really an issue. The gees and medal doesn't quite cover the price

You can cycle the route on any given Sunday for sure but there is value in the closed roads and riding flat out in a bunch without hassling about cars and robots. And it presents Cape town as a cycling city (although this is questionable given the state of the roads and traffic lawlessness).

 

[Jewbacca]

hahahahaha it's the same complaints every year

Shutting down the peninsula ALL day is quite something. Chappies get's rented as it's private.... The police presence is huge. 

IMHO the only reason CTCT is viable is due to historical precedence. 

Try to plan something like this now in Cape Town and you will get laughed out of the application centre.

Full road closure is something that most events don't ever see, never mind some of the busiest roads in the Western Cape.

You also CAN'T cycle the route legally on any given day. If I see you riding a bicycle up the elevated highway and down the M3 I would stop and give you a snotklap myself.

It IS a dinosaur of an event with absurd overheads and even more ridiculous expectations from those taking part. 

If it wasn't a non profit for charity event with historical relevance and precedence, it would be shut down faster than it takes for people to moan about the entry fee every year

[ChrisF]

4 hours ago, Mamil said:

The year of the fire, , the year of the big wind cancellation, COVID cancellations and rescheduling probably all play a role.

 

Probably much more impact than the "entry price".

 

The "real cost" for out of towners are SO much more than the entry cost.  Friends are talking of a R12k trip cost.

 

 

Comparing CTCT to 99er and other road events.  My entry costs about R350 more for CTCT .....

 

For this I get:

- Full road closure ... not with the cheaper events.

- a race vibe like no other

- water stations ... not that I use these .... I stop at Seattle Houtbay for coffee (some special memories with this particular outlet)

 

 

 

Knowing the money goes to Rotary is enough for me 👍

 

 

 

 

Forget the R350 extra for a moment .... ALL events are down in numbers.  Nobody is selling out in a matter of hours ....

[The Ouzo]

38 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

Friends are talking of a R12k trip cost.

you can do it alot cheaper than that with careful planning, sharing costs etc.

[Shebeen]

6 hours ago, Mamil said:

The year of the fire, , the year of the big wind cancellation, COVID cancellations and rescheduling probably all play a role.

massive. people are lank fickle. it takes three good years for people to forget about a single bad one

There used to be about 10 000 people coming from gauteng to do it too. Airline prices are not what they were when mango and kulula were klapping racing each other to the bottom.

 

I for one don't think the price is mainly what is scaring people away, it's just inline with plenty of other cycling events struggling to remain relevant. All the big city ones like Herald, tour d'urban 94.7, the bloem one are down on the peak of the mid noughties. the entire road funride season is a fraction of what it was.

Two oceans 56km @ R790 sold out local entries so you go into a lottery. much easier closing the roads for this event than argus! The 21km with a field of 18 000 has also sold out local entries @ R420. You can raise cash with a charity entry or use your UK passport and pay R2k for the international entry . That's not cheap compared to the 109km Argus at R850 

 

 

 

 

[Shebeen]

2 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

hahahahaha it's the same complaints every year

Shutting down the peninsula ALL day is quite something. Chappies get's rented as it's private.... The police presence is huge. 

IMHO the only reason CTCT is viable is due to historical precedence. 

Try to plan something like this now in Cape Town and you will get laughed out of the application centre.

Full road closure is something that most events don't ever see, never mind some of the busiest roads in the Western Cape.

You also CAN'T cycle the route legally on any given day. If I see you riding a bicycle up the elevated highway and down the M3 I would stop and give you a snotklap myself.

It IS a dinosaur of an event with absurd overheads and even more ridiculous expectations from those taking part. 

If it wasn't a non profit for charity event with historical relevance and precedence, it would be shut down faster than it takes for people to moan about the entry fee every year

Also think CoCT sees the massive indirect benefit to these events. If it ever came down to Argus running at a loss and needing to shut shop the city tourism guys would step in and wangle the numbers on their input side to make it fine again. Helps that Alan winde is on his bike driving this too.

 

but you're right on the same complaints. 

 

 

[Jewbacca]

4 hours ago, Shebeen said:

Also think CoCT sees the massive indirect benefit to these events. If it ever came down to Argus running at a loss and needing to shut shop the city tourism guys would step in and wangle the numbers on their input side to make it fine again. Helps that Alan winde is on his bike driving this too.

 

but you're right on the same complaints. 

 

 

I agree, that kind of aligns with my point.

Historical precedent. It's a showpiece that people like to believe brings large amounts of money into Cape Town.

I don't think it does in the grand scheme of things Tourism over a calendar year.

20000 families or travelers for a handful of days is a penny in the ocean, especially for the furor it causes by shutting down the peninsula.

I love the Argus. But that doesn't mean it isn't an event that exists mostly because it exists.

[The Ouzo]

9 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

But that doesn't mean it isn't an event that exists mostly because it exists.

and long may it continue to  exist

 

Cape Town has a habit of keeping traditions alive, think noon canon, that other new year celebration that I can remember the name of now

['Dale]

It's a privilege to participate and complete the biggest timed cycling event on Planet Earth on what is quite a beautiful peninsula.

If you can't make it, maybe every 2nd year? Turn it into a mini-holiday if you are from the North.

 

[Andreas_187]

£35 for CTCT, Ride London is £100 stop moaning!

[Spinnekop]

Barrier to entry?
For me, having done moer plenty races over the past 28 years?

• Traveling cost.  R8k fuel.  R8k sleep over (4 days Thursday to Monday).  But like 'Dale said above....you can fling it into a mini holiday which is always nice and in the past I have done so.......but........this presents second barrier 
• Not in a school holiday or long weekend.  Which means I either do it alone (forking the traveling cost out just for myself is selfish IMO)  or not do it at all.  The latter have been chosen the past 7 years.
  24 March would have worked PERFECTLY.  Long weekend and in the school holidays.

This first point I can still bend my head around.  Save up.  Go look at the stunning country we live in.
The second point is going to keep me from going for another 3 years minimum.

Edited December 22, 2023 by Spinnekop

[Bub Marley]

2 hours ago, Andreas_187 said:

£35 for CTCT, Ride London is £100 stop moaning!

To add to this, Unbound (I know a gravel event) is $300.