[Event] Filthy Fondo Gravel Caledon

[HubArch]

Event Name: Filthy Fondo Gravel Caledon
When: 01/02/2026
Where: Jongensklip Primary School, Western Cape
Category: Gravel

Filthy Fondo Caledon. 100 and 50 Kilometer Route Options. Race 1 of the Cape Gravel Cup series.

Go to Event Page.

[wessie12]

Imagine asking R450- R 500 for a entry as apposed to R 820 and getting more than double the entries to ride a route that can be ridden anytime for free.  I  understand that organizers has overheads to cover but that is just to much. Good luck getting 50 riders

[guidodg]

yup , 😉

Edited January 9 by guidodg

[Sid the Sloth]

12 hours ago, wessie12 said:

Imagine asking R450- R 500 for an entry as apposed to R 820 and getting more than double the entries to ride a route that can be ridden anytime for free.  I  understand that organizers has overheads to cover but that is just to much. Good luck getting 50 riders

You can ride the better parts do the Cape Town cycle tour route any time of year, yet people happily pay for the experience. Paying for a race isn’t to do the route, it’s for the whole racing experience - the competition, the motivation of completing a challenge, and an incentive to train for something and try your best. Almost every race in South Africa can be done at any time. These races also have costs to ensure there is safety for the riders, they have to pay for csa to sanction the event, and have to eat. Putting on races keeps the local riding scene healthy and supports the industry. I’ll be there and I would put a wager on more than 49 others being there too. 

[Sid the Sloth]

Thanks @HubArchfor putting on so many races and growing the local gravel scene. These are also some of the more accessible races, not everyone can afford a weekend away, and a r2000+ entry fee as well as accommodation and transport for the bigger gravel races like The Ceder and Swartberg. There’s a space for everything. I think the price is pretty fair. 

[HubArch]

Hi Guys

Yes unfortunately it just isn't possible to put on a gravel race for much cheaper than this. If you charge in the R400 to R500 range, you need at least 500 to 600 riders to make the event possible, and we definitely won't get those numbers out to a destination venue like Caledon. We've had quite a lot of trial and error over the past 7 years in putting on these types of events, and the Filthy Fondo entry fees are pretty much as low as we can make them to put on an event that's worth it for the organizers and riders. 

That said, we do try to accommodate those people who are really not comfortable with the higher fees by usualy having early bird entries avaliable at discounted rates. Also, Coffee and Rusks, Beers and Boeries are on us at Filthy Fondo Caledon,  so no need to bring the wallet!

Cheers guys, and see you there @Sid the Sloth!

 

 

[mikkelz]

Filthy Fondo Malmesbury and Hermon last year were awesome events. Great organisation, nice routes and a lekker vibe. 👌

Looking forward to Caledon. 🥳

[christovdw]

I've done a number of events by @HubArch and every single one has been a blast!  Fun bunch and great organisation! Thanks Archie 😎

[betaboy]

450-500 seems the stable price,,these smaller events are great soft intro’s into the gravel scene. Anybody growing the sport has to be supported. The more they grow, the better the events can. It’s a new year so let’s rather be positive and consider what you want to share on socials. Cycling as a sport had lost huge numbers and here we are sitting with a golden opportunity with a compete new discipline, we are loving in exciting times. No other sport has reinvented itself like riding a bike. Let That motivate you to support the amazing people who are prepared to put there hands up and say.. yeah we got an event, it’s not Gravel Burn mortgage pricing but still a day out of soaking up the atmosphere. Hands down will get more than 50 riders. Please someone do a report on the event so we can squash the negative vibes.💪🏻🇿🇦✅

[Jbr]

On 1/9/2026 at 7:55 PM, wessie12 said:

Imagine asking R450- R 500 for a entry as apposed to R 820 and getting more than double the entries to ride a route that can be ridden anytime for free.  I  understand that organizers has overheads to cover but that is just to much. Good luck getting 50 riders

Have you head of the Ceder ? 🤣🤣

[bleedToWin]

On 1/10/2026 at 11:17 AM, HubArch said:

Also, Coffee and Rusks, Beers and Boeries are on us at Filthy Fondo Caledon,  so no need to bring the wallet!

You should punt this hard with images from your race villages at other evens 👏

[no calves]

21 hours ago, Jbr said:

Have you head of the Ceder ? 🤣🤣

Just got their mail about the accommodation packages as well. Take everything into account( entry fee, accommodation, travel, service etc.)... that's R7500+ for the weekend. 

 

I don't even spend that much on anniversary weekend..... 

[Jbr]

13 minutes ago, no calves said:

Just got their mail about the accommodation packages as well. Take everything into account( entry fee, accommodation, travel, service etc.)... that's R7500+ for the weekend. 

 

I don't even spend that much on anniversary weekend..... 

to ride a course you can 100% ride any other day in exactly the same conditions, and, the one time I rode it getting to a water point that barely had enough water for the first 5 riders leading the race (not to mention the fact that there was only beer at the finish, for one of the hottest race I've ever raced).

In comparison, R500 for a gravel race, regardless if the roads are open all year long or not is a bargain. If people want to spend 0 then they can just go ride on their own. People take their time organising events, promoting them, getting ambulances there on the day, markings/marshals, etc etc and factoring the risk that the even might be cancelled last minute... that has to be worth something...

[herrowpreeze]

On 1/9/2026 at 7:55 PM, wessie12 said:

Imagine asking R450- R 500 for a entry as apposed to R 820 and getting more than double the entries to ride a route that can be ridden anytime for free.  I  understand that organizers has overheads to cover but that is just to much. Good luck getting 50 riders

Imagine commenting on an event, telling them how cheap you are!

[wessie12]

16 minutes ago, herrowpreeze said:

Imagine commenting on an event, telling them how cheap you are!

What a idiotic comment. My post was a honest observation specifically for the Caledon event. Is it sustainable? The last event was changed to a ride because of poor ticket sales.If it's a boutique event and it is advertised as one then I can understand but it's not. There is at least 20 to 30 gravel riders in the Overberg that asked the same question on various cycling groups in the area. At the end of the day the decision lies with the riders , some like myself considered cheap will pass. Good luck and enjoy

[Shebeen]

On 1/9/2026 at 7:55 PM, wessie12 said:

Imagine asking R450- R 500 for a entry as apposed to R 820 and getting more than double the entries to ride a route that can be ridden anytime for free.  I  understand that organizers has overheads to cover but that is just to much. Good luck getting 50 riders

I'm confused!!! are you saying because it is too cheap no one will come?

Is it like perfume, because even though it costs R10 to make, you will not sell it at R20? You need to put it in a fancy spray bottle, give it a foreign name and throw marketing money and the same thing flies off the shelf at Edgars for R250?

 

 

Dirty south are awesome! keep it up @HubArch