Events are getting too expensive

[Squier]

I think it's still reasonable, as long as it is well organised. I do agree that the CSA licensing fees are unnecessary though... If you saw something for that money it would be a different story.

[udxcob]

The one day events have been getting a bit pricey but what would you pay for a round of golf?

[TNT1]

what would you pay for a round of golf?

 

Dude, you would have to pay me to play a round of golf.

[Reden]

Yes, the big sponcered events are getting expensive but there are still some cheaper ones.

Just have a look at the club type cross country events that are held at Groenkloof regularly

and there are not that many entrants too.

[TNT1]

Csa taking money for nothing and then building pools.

 

Again? I thought they all had pools by now...

[Reden]

Dude, you would have to pay me to play a round of golf.

Golf for Dummies.

 

Hit the crap out of a little white ball and take some of the planet with.

Walk 20meters. Do the hitting part again.

Now do this 10 times before you get to the fancy flat (expensive)piece of lawn.

In the end you still win a prise for playing the most golf.

A toilet brush to get your arse in order and bottle of Brandy to down your sorrows.

 

Cycling much better not matter how much it costs.

[TNT1]

Golf for Dummies.

 

Hit the crap out of a little white ball and take some of the planet with.

Walk 20meters. Do the hitting part again.

Now do this 10 times before you get to the fancy flat (expensive)piece of lawn.

In the end you still win a prise for playing the most golf.

A toilet brush to get your arse in order and bottle of Brandy to down your sorrows.

 

Cycling much better not matter how much it costs.

 

Exactly. I did get chased off a golf course once... I was riding my mtb across it at the time... These fancy new "golf estates" are a lot of fun...

[Mechanick]

You cannot compare the price of a "Soccer World Cup" or a "Concernt at Grand West" ticket - Those are international events where most of the stage, artist, band and equipment is shipped along to the respective countries. Most of the MTB events are in our back yards firstly, and secondly, when you pay and they state that you get water along the way, which in most cases is warm and in a lot of cases, the back riders are not even getting water to say the least, well thats where is starts getting over priced. I dont think that anyone will mind paying for the events if you get what you pay for.

[RudoJ]

I agree that it's getting expensive. BUT... Before I started with MTB I played golf quite often. Now if you consider that for a relatively cheap membership you pay around R1500-00 per annum, it's still R100-00 per game (average). Then take into acocunt your halfway house munchies as well as the customary few beers at the 19th hole. I havent even mentioned your accessories like clothes, shoes, balls, tees etc etc etc.

 

That's why I made a decision at the beginning to do only one race per month, and choose the races I do carefully. Most are between R90 and R120. I liked what the guys at the Redstone MTB series did. If you enter for all three upfront you pay for example R215 for the three 30km races. I know it would change when I upgrade to the longer distances next year, but this is my situation now. And most of the Gautengers would agree that not all the races are on boring public dirt roads. We are quite lucky here, in that we ca easily do races in North West and Limpopo provinces with not much travelling.

 

What I dont understand however is the fact that some races require certain numbers for seeding AND then you can purchase a CSA Lisence as well. What are the purpose of all of these? What is the money we pay used for? I would like to enter a stage race as well sometime in the next year. Then you must look at the alternatives as well. Some are over 3 days and are in the region of R3500-00 per team.

[GLuvsMtb]

You cannot compare the price of a "Soccer World Cup" or a "Concernt at Grand West" ticket - Those are international events where most of the stage, artist, band and equipment is shipped along to the respective countries. Most of the MTB events are in our back yards firstly, and secondly, when you pay and they state that you get water along the way, which in most cases is warm and in a lot of cases, the back riders are not even getting water to say the least, well thats where is starts getting over priced. I dont think that anyone will mind paying for the events if you get what you pay for.

Exactly! The trouble is that while we moan because we have to pre-enter for events we expect orginisers to miraculously know how many riders are going to enter for a particular race. Experienced orginisers have a better chance to get it right. I'm sure we all have thought at one stage "Hey, how difficult is it to orginise a race - I can do it" until you start to talking to the orginisers and see the amount of the hard work involved. I certainly wouldn't do it for what they make on an event.

[Sarge]

Hi all,

This is a topic that will go on for ever. The bottom line is that entertainment is expensive and if that is what you want you must pay or do as more and more of us do, arrange your own rides in the week ends.

Running is also expensive, not only cycling because although there are no trails to build, they have to arrange watering points every +/- 3 km for water and coke/energade etc for all the runners.

Regards

Sarge

[AndreZA]

I want to know how this whole sponsorship deal work. Surely if stuff gets sponsored the price must go down. I did a inaugural MTB race a few months back and it was really cheap and you did not just get a great route but a t-shirt and lunch. Now they got sponsorship for the event and the price almost doubled. An personally I don't see when the price for a half distance lap event is reasonable they have to double it for the full distance. It's the same course so it's not like you need double the marshals or double the drinks tables. They should be the same price at the half distance price not same at the full distance price.

[Wyatt Earp]

*** en betaal is die wet van Transvaal.

 

All sarcasm aside, I do feel that sometimes we pay and not get what we payed for and at times I have entered events and felt like I have ripped off the organizers.

The 24 hour is a case in point, these blokes design and craft a course weeks before the race, they set up a timing tent and then have staff rotating the whole day and night taking our laps and manning the computers.

Running repairs to the course as well as getting medics and marshals for the full 24 hours.

Running events are a lot cheaper, but then they get bigger numbers.

Those up for a challenge come and join us in Midrand on Sunday for the toughest 15 km. run in the country.

[covie]

*** en betaal is die wet van Transvaal.

 

All sarcasm aside, I do feel that sometimes we pay and not get what we payed for and at times I have entered events and felt like I have ripped off the organizers.

The 24 hour is a case in point, these blokes design and craft a course weeks before the race, they set up a timing tent and then have staff rotating the whole day and night taking our laps and manning the computers.

Running repairs to the course as well as getting medics and marshals for the full 24 hours.

Running events are a lot cheaper, but then they get bigger numbers.

Those up for a challenge come and join us in Midrand on Sunday for the toughest 15 km. run in the country.

 

Tougher than running up devils gorge on table mountain?

[Wyatt Earp]

Tougher than running up devils gorge on table mountain?

Don't know the gorge ,I must say though, this is a beast of a race with a 3km. hill finish.

Two kays of that at around 10 to 12 %.

That's not including all the hills prior to that.

[TYGA]

I battle to understand the fascination people have (especially in the Western Cape, I can't comment about trails elsewhere in SA) with "doing races" when you have renowned MTBing areas like Jonkershoek, Grabouw, Tokai etc to name only the better known ones which you can ride at any time of the week or weekend, UNCONGESTED, for as long as you want, looping as much singletrack as you desire, re-doing the sections that make you go Whoopee and shooting the breeze with your buddies. Total no brainer in my book.