Events are getting too expensive

[GrumpyOldGuy]

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.

 

Hmm, a stereotypical view of golfers.!

 

I have played golf for 30 years, cycled for close on that, run for more, swum for less and even done the odd triathlon.Strangely I have never drunk brandy.

 

Golf is a game, not a sport, once you understand that basic differance between the two activities, it becomes obvious they are not comparable.

 

Anyway, back to the op's question. I think pricing is at its max right now but its still affordable for sufficient numbers of people to keep it viable to run the event.

 

Of course like anything, there is a tipping point and I have seen a number of small events disappear from the cycling calender, wither this has artificially kept the bigger events viable for longer as people migrate to them is debatable and there is definatley a price point where people will stop participating, it varies between individuals, but it appears, currently, the price of bigger events is still largely acceptable.

[LazyTrailRider]

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.

 

Exactly!

 

I recently bought a Wildcard which gives me an entire year's access to Tokai for R225. Races/funrides are overrated, unless you're actually competitive...

[Willehond]

Oi!!! You know the rules, no logic allowed here.

Sorry. Did I ever mention that I'm a slow learner?

 

I pop my head in here and it's the same ol'shite. It's like deja vu all over again and again and again...

[reteid]

I have been a mtb rider for 15years plus.My son has now taken to the sport.Instead of renewing my PPA membership as I have done for the last many years and going to races all over the place,I have now joined Tygerberg Mtb club and I ride the trails around Durbanville area with my son.(majik forrest/hillcrest/contermanskloof/meerendal)I have found that I am enjoying this much more than being one of thousands of riders jockeying for position on race days.As for the costs,I think it is getting expensive if you include the travelling, accommodation,and everything that goes with it.I personally get more value(not necessarily measured in money) when I see my son full of mud and tired as a dog telling me this is the life when sitting at the top of majik forrest.If the entry fee can be justified for what you get from the race,it is still acceptable for me as most forms of entertainment is expensive.I just do not enter races anymore as I found what I am looking for on my own with my son.To each his own though.

[Dirt*girl™]

Sorry. Did I ever mention that I'm a slow learner?

 

I pop my head in here and it's the same ol'shite. It's like deja vu all over again and again and again...

Yes, I totally agree...do a search, every now and again, someone feels the need to complain about this.

 

I agree that some events are out to make money, point is, these are still well attended....and..ag nevermind.

 

Next thing you'll prolly bring up goodie bags again. And then who needs to stop first, the guy going up the single-track, or the guy coming down.

 

yaawn.

[covie]

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.

 

lol dangle im just messin with you a bit, I only mentioned it becuase i use to see bruce fordice running up that mountain when i was a kid, and i couldnt even walk the bloody thing.

[covie]

Exactly!

 

I recently bought a Wildcard which gives me an entire year's access to Tokai for R225. Races/funrides are overrated, unless you're actually competitive...

 

 

That still doesnt work out cheap

 

quick breakdown

Tygerberg MTB R450

CSA Licenese R300

Jonkers yearly R250

Tokai R225

Contermans yearly R200

Grabout R250 yearly?

 

Granted not a killer but still expensive.

[Nettie R]

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... Total no brainer in my book.

We race to enjoy safety in numbers, motivation to exercise, you get to ride in places that are off limits otherwise, to socialize, feel competitive. Enough said?

[Wyatt Earp]

lol dangle im just messin with you a bit, I only mentioned it becuase i use to see bruce fordice running up that mountain when i was a kid, and i couldnt even walk the bloody thing.

No harm taken, I would love to come and try it.

I don't know Cape Tune too well

[MariusL]

it's still cheaper than GOLF (which is just a nice walk spoilt by a small white ball IMO)

 

YAY - I've just become a "Champion Hubber"

[reteid]

According to their website the costs for Tygerberg Mtb is R250/year for this current year.If you join after 1 July 2010 you will pay a fee of R150 for the balance of the year on condition that you pay to be a member for the next year.The expected membership fee for next year is R300.You will therefore pay R450 for 18 months if you join in July 2010 and you will be covered untill 31 Dec 2011.This will then give you free riding in majik forrest/meerendal and hillcrest.I do not bother with a CSA license or PPA membership.

[TYGA]

We race to enjoy safety in numbers, motivation to exercise, you get to ride in places that are off limits otherwise, to socialize, feel competitive. Enough said?

 

Where do you usually live / ride?

 

Apart from riding the off-limits areas which usually constitute boring vineyards / orchards / fire roads there are more than enough dedicated MTB trails to keep the most avid explorer / trail rider happy. As for exercise, socialising and especially a healthy dose of competition...if you don't get that riding with your buddies you need new friends.

[River Rat]

It's interesting to note the refrain from some of the old hubbers namely it's the same pooh different day and it got me thinking why has this not changed?

 

As someone new to Mtbiking what struck me was the fact that most races are organised by people / organisations with a profit motive (I don't know the landscape well enough but I have struggled to find a race organised by a club or the cyclists themselves). Please don't read this as a criticism of those with a profit motive as they are simply filling a gap and they will continue to do so while cyclists are responding by doing the races. We could respond by boycotting races but my guess is that the response from the current race organisors would be to take their labour elsewhere and we would have less race options.

 

It is useful to reflect on the structure in other sports such as road running and canoeing. In both of these disciplines the majority of weekend races are organised by clubs with the premier events being organised by professional race organisors but under the auspices of the provincial body. The provincial and national bodies also play a vital role in determining the race calendar for the year and ensuring a logical spread of races with a minimum of date clashes which would split the potential participation. In canoeing, the members through their clubs elect the office bearers on the provinical bodies and therefore have a direct say in the affairs of the sport.

 

Having being part of the organisation of a number of weekend races I can tell you that it is hard work and almost without exception the organising club loses money unless there is a generous sponsor onboard. So why do we do it - well because we know that we are ensuring the future of the sport by keeping the costs as low as possible by donating our time and collective efforts.

 

Coming back to mtbiking I cannot see how the current scenario is going to change unless we create a structure that allows us some say. As I see it nobody sees any value in CSA or PPA, the % of club membership very low and most of us (myself included) are quite prepared to just do the races and pay someone else to organise our sport for us. In the meantime we see the likes of PPA /CSA trying to force our hand by imposing a license fee on us without first offering value andmy response has been to do less races and if I am a reflection of the prevailing attitude this cannot be healthy for the sport.

[Nettie R]

We stay in Jhb. It's proven that even 3-7 cyclists riding together,is not of a deterrent to hijackers. They come armed. So even if that's the only reason for racing, my odds of not being hijacked wil be better with some 400 other riders around me.

[j'sbella]

We stay in Jhb. It's proven that even 3-7 cyclists riding together,is not of a deterrent to hijackers. They come armed. So even if that's the only reason for racing, my odds of being hijacked wil be better with some 400 other riders around me.

 

Agree, we pay to enter all the closed off parks for weekend rides so if I pay a little extra for a race to ride a new route, that is fine by me. If I can't afford the race then I don't entry, but generally you get what you pay for.

[covie]

According to their website the costs for Tygerberg Mtb is R250/year for this current year.If you join after 1 July 2010 you will pay a fee of R150 for the balance of the year on condition that you pay to be a member for the next year.The expected membership fee for next year is R300.You will therefore pay R450 for 18 months if you join in July 2010 and you will be covered untill 31 Dec 2011.This will then give you free riding in majik forrest/meerendal and hillcrest.I do not bother with a CSA license or PPA membership.

 

 

Yeah thats what it says but if you fill in the form it goes up to R700 pp, you have to then pay upfront this year and next year. Unless i missed something on the registration form. but i would assume its 150 this year plus the 300 for next year plus the 300 for CSA. that alone for me and my girl is already 1400 spent, though i will join them i supppose but still want to go check out their tracks as i spent most of my time in jonkers. and grabouw