Entry fees

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You can never just look at an ENTRY FEE as your actual cost - there are a whole host of EXTRAS the organisers would rather you forgot about as Sammajoor has pointed out' date=' a big one now been the extra cost of collecting your number, some folk end up driving 40 -50 kms to do so and the waste of time and extra effort is unacceptable.

[/quote'] Exactly the reason why I'm not doing the Amashova this year!! Catch me once as they say... and the trip was 180km so that they could get us to go to some silly expo!!!

 

Yes Ditto, and the same reason I and my training partner didnt enter last year either.

 

To be honest, time is also a factor, and niether of us could be bothered to waste four hours driving to Durban from Pietermaritzburg and back just to see a hodge podge of raggedy retailers selling tyres, gels and tubes at elevated prices.

 

[steve]

With these new number boards with the embedded timing chip, surely it would be possible to by a number for the year and be registered to that number. By doing that we could do away with this number collection stuff which is not only expensive, but time consuming. Try get from the airport to Cyclelab anytime of day never mind a Friday. You write off half a day!!

 

Most of us have Champion Chip or Winning Time already and then the onus would be on the competitor to make sure he has the correct timing device for a particular event.

 

Surely this would simplify things and organisers would not have to supply number boards for each race which could help reduce costs. I know there's a bit of advertising on these boards but there's ways around this.

 

Thing is ......... do they wan't to make events cheaper?

[Gumpole]

picking up numbers:

Except for the painful BIG events, I usually arrive at the start on race day 10 minutes earlier and pick up numbers instead of spending 2-3 hours trekking to F*ways to pick the same from Cyclelab.

 

For me its not the entry fee that is the problem (I dont race often enough) its the time that the race takes up...

 

eg typical club ride - 5:30 am from my house to club, club ride, back to house. 1150m ascent, 94kms back home just before 8:30 am. - 3hrs total

 

Cradle Classic - 5:00am pack up bike and drive to race, start 7:10, finish 10:20 (97kms, 1160m ascent), back home 11:15am - 6h45 + 2 hours to get numbers = 8h45... thats almost day of my life!!!!

[Buffwhack]

My pet hate, however with a twist aimed at the race organiser of the SOUTH. Whilst it is only fair to make some profit we should at least feel the races worth our while. Almost every weekend you will find a race on in the Vaal. Now how can you explain that one can do a 50km race for less than you pay for a 40km race and then the race. The more expensive 40km race is not even arranged on such a big scale, I am talking Campus to Campus. You get no official timing and sometimes you get a medal and in some instances it is not even for the race you have just done. I have complained to SGC but nothing gets done. Needed to get that out...........Thanks

[Buffwhack]

Sorry there is more - the number collection story - cycling is an environmentally friendly activity HOWEVER we have to trek miles to pick numbers up, time money plus pumping more noxious fumes in to the air. I actually asked the guys at Cycle lab this one day and they just laughed thinking nothing of it.

[No Name Funrider]

Have any of you done any of the organised rides in Europe ie Campag Fondo etc?organisation is brilliant and cost minimal(if you compare apples for apples in SA) as usual we get ripped here and accept it ,cos most do not know how it works in other countries. NNF

[quinton]

I think the entry fees for a race is peanuts if land up having an accident at the race and you did not have insurance and can't claim for the dumb ass that cut you off.

 

If you are not happy with entry fees, don't enter. If you don't enter, numbers decline, race organizers making to much money revise next years costs or those that are not breaking even cancel next years race.

 

 

 

[butafly]

- the number collection story - cycling is an environmentally friendly activity HOWEVER we have to trek miles to pick numbers up' date=' time money plus pumping more noxious fumes in to the air. I actually asked the guys at Cycle lab this one day and they just laughed thinking nothing of it.[/quote']

 

rip off

[Tumbleweed]

With these new number boards with the embedded timing chip' date=' surely it would be possible to by a number for the year and be registered to that number. [/quote']

 

mazda series did just that this year! R30 if memory serves

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There are lots of ways to cut costs to the cyclist, however no organiser in SA has bothered to make an effort to do this.

 

I lived in the USA for many years and "TARGET" a retailer similar to Pick and Pay used to also sponsor a number of events both running, cycling and my fav, an all wheel event, (ie) you could do the ride (note its a ride not a race) from Miami to Key West on any human powered means, bicycles, roller blades, skate boards, push carts etc - anyway, one of the ways Target makes it almost negligable as a cost to enter is when entering ON LINE, you pay full price, then you take your race entry to any TARGET store, purchase goods to the value of $20.00 or more and recieve a scaled discount on your purchase, (ie) The more you spend the bigger the discount - up to an agreed maximum.

 

Usually you could recover at least 80% of your entry cost and as you would have bought the products anyway............!!

 

Another way they made it easy was by giving everyone a small "stick on soft plastic button" with a fixed number, so every race you entered which was sponsored by TARGET you just used this button, no fetching numbers etc..................!!

 

Theres lots of ways, it just takes some foresight and thought, but why should organisers here hassle, we all just go along and do the thing and nobody complains - a typical SA attitude.!