Jesus dude you have worked in a shop for 15 years and you still don't understand how the sport can't get cheaper. Please enlighten us how to make cheaper parts, bikes and races. In what areas can the companies cut costs to? I'm serious.
Is racing committing suicide?
- Thread starter Electric_City
- Start date
I really don't think you're worth wasting my time. Especially since I didn't mention anything about the cost of bikes or parts in this topic.
I don't love the costs, don't get me wrong. I agree with your take. I'm surprised the cost of gas and the 16-24 hours in a car each race weekend hasn't caught up to me or my wife faster than it has.....
I do agree with you though that it doesn't seem to be growing. I mean we know the numbers are way down from over a decade ago. But in the last 5 years they seem to be decent.
The mountain biking sport as a whole however, although it's growing, I could not agree more about the cost involved. I probably make less money than most in the sport, but I love it so I sacrifice to do it. That said, it is killing me to maintain bikes for 4 racers under one roof. Without having joined a team this year, and being able to sell a fair amount of used stuff over the winter, there would be no way.
We're on the same page. I don't like the costs, but I understand them. I just hope it doesn't get too much higher because I'll have to bow out.
Speaking of costs, be glad you aren't Pro. My wife upgraded to Pro and her license is $100 more than mine, and her registration is higher at every race.
Racing isn't commuting suicide. A $300+ enduro race sold out in less time than it takes me to rub one out. You're just a fucking cheapskate. And probably broke as shit because you've spent 15 years working in a bike shop instead of getting a better paying job elsewhere so you can afford parts without having to rely on a shop discount.
I have a full time job. It pays well for where I live. My wife too. The bike shop is just because I love bikes. I love working on them, staying up to date on them, selling them, meeting new riders... I even volunteer over 400hrs annually building and maintaining trails in 4 different parks near us.
It's OK that you lash out on forums and act tough. It's easy to do. Plus it gets you one post closer to 39, 000!
Norbar, if you were a competent reader you would understand that I said due to the cost of DH bikes, it's hard to get new people into the sport. "people have a hard time throwing out $150 for a day of riding to try DH. Bikes are outrageous to buy too." Nowhere did I say I couldn't afford one. Oh well, keep nitpicking!
It's OK that you lash out on forums and act tough. It's easy to do. Plus it gets you one post closer to 39, 000!
Norbar, if you were a competent reader you would understand that I said due to the cost of DH bikes, it's hard to get new people into the sport. "people have a hard time throwing out $150 for a day of riding to try DH. Bikes are outrageous to buy too." Nowhere did I say I couldn't afford one. Oh well, keep nitpicking!
Last edited:
Strange, you seem to be relatively close to your local community and yet you think someone can organize a race cheaper than they do. Again, tell us about those secret savings an organizer can make. I don't know if us advice will apply in yurp but i will gladly see it, maybe it's good advice and we can all enjoy cheaper races.
I can see both sides of the argument very clearly. Both sides have very valid points, and depending on my mood and/or how much cash I have just shelled out will determine which side of the fence I am sitting on that day.
Likely an apples to jellyfish comparison, but I'm always shocked at how much the half-marathons my wife runs cost. Usually $100 or more...to run...wait, let me rephrase that: to fucking run.
Now I realize they have to close down the street and sometimes pay for cops to direct traffic, but there's hundreds if not thousands of these fools willing to shell out the cash to plod along on a street they could (fucking) run for free a few hours later. So $75 or whatever for a lift ticket/shuttle, insurance, timing, EMS staff etc...seems like a helluva deal to me, if for no other reason that its bikes and not (fucking) running.
Now I realize they have to close down the street and sometimes pay for cops to direct traffic, but there's hundreds if not thousands of these fools willing to shell out the cash to plod along on a street they could (fucking) run for free a few hours later. So $75 or whatever for a lift ticket/shuttle, insurance, timing, EMS staff etc...seems like a helluva deal to me, if for no other reason that its bikes and not (fucking) running.
formula 1 is expensive to get into as well. you should start a thread about that.
Maybe going a bit off topic here, but lately I've noticed the usually witty and humorous opinion exchange here in RM has progressively gotten moar and moar harsh. Aren't you guys in the northern hemisphere happy with the snow melting? Or isn't it melting fast enough? I believed these kind of internetz warz were a natural attribute of PB...
I am honestly, in one of the foulest moods I have been in, in a very long time. Last winter was much longer and colder for us than this winter, so I don't know what has crawled up my ass and tickled my crabby spot.
@Electric_City if you want reasonably priced racing and bikes, get into BMX racing. you can get a good (complete) bike for less than the cost of a DH frame. racing is a bunch cheaper, and many venues have weekly races in season.
It's snowing today. I have one day free extra thanks to easter and it's +3C and snowing. So probably even worse than sub zero and snowing. So not really spring for now. Mother russia to close to poland.
"tl;dr" that was funny. It's 2 paragraphs! 9 sentences!
Hey, you got in 3 more post though!
EMS here gets paid for by the person getting a ride to the hospital and/or their insurance. As for BLS, plenty of them are voluntary. ALS/paramedics get paid if they're on call or not. Again though paid for by the injured/insurance.
Hey, you got in 3 more post though!
EMS here gets paid for by the person getting a ride to the hospital and/or their insurance. As for BLS, plenty of them are voluntary. ALS/paramedics get paid if they're on call or not. Again though paid for by the injured/insurance.
Last edited:
Again. Where can you save money to make races cheaper?
Ain't that the truth these days
Saved me a hello of a lot! My 'bling' build cost me maybe 1 grand. Racing fees are maybe $25-35 tops for State races or Gold Cup Qualifiers, but you have to multiply that X2 with das kid.
Edit: AND WHEEL SIZES SEEM TO NEVER CHANGE IN BMX!
Last edited:
Just about everywhere, costs are going up faster than pay, so people have less purchasing power.
This means luxuries are getting harder to justify -- such as paying hundreds of dollars to race a $5-10k bike once down a hill for 3-5min.
It's not racing that is commuting suicide, it's the decline of western civilization. Too many people, too few resources.
This means luxuries are getting harder to justify -- such as paying hundreds of dollars to race a $5-10k bike once down a hill for 3-5min.
It's not racing that is commuting suicide, it's the decline of western civilization. Too many people, too few resources.
It's not a decline of the western civilisation. It's the death of middle class and the centralisation of wealth. As much as people like to say the emerging economies will overtake the west that will not be the case for a long time and even then remember Japan? Whenever a country trully becomes developed it stops to grow as fast. Purchasing power drops because people vote like idiots for morons who preach the rich are jurb creaturz.
Too much politics going on here. I wonder what would be saved if it was a non usac race at a resort that's already insured. Nothing against ges, always enjoyed when they came to launch, just thinking of ideas for those on stricter budgets.
Given all the people running this race, they will be lucky to walk away with $100 each on average probably. If that makes you feel any better haha.
I drove a truck for a ride day years ago at Reading - after all was said and done we didn't really make anything, and that was a rogue/under-the-radar event with no insurance and a handshake with the lady in charge of giving us the 'OK' to host such an event haha. Add all the legal stuff necessary for a real race like this and the price adds up!
Our truck had a pretty rough day too, I'll just leave it at that... haha. I think it was like $350 all said and done.
Put into contrast the cost of a typical 'Color Run' 5K event - Pay $50 some of which is a questionable 'donation'. Run 5K on a hard paved surface, get corn starch thrown at your face.
-Or pay $100 for a DH race, ride with some cool dudes and dudettes, drink good beer, in good company. No corn starch, but plenty of gnar and a sweet trail.
I drove a truck for a ride day years ago at Reading - after all was said and done we didn't really make anything, and that was a rogue/under-the-radar event with no insurance and a handshake with the lady in charge of giving us the 'OK' to host such an event haha. Add all the legal stuff necessary for a real race like this and the price adds up!
Our truck had a pretty rough day too, I'll just leave it at that... haha. I think it was like $350 all said and done.
Put into contrast the cost of a typical 'Color Run' 5K event - Pay $50 some of which is a questionable 'donation'. Run 5K on a hard paved surface, get corn starch thrown at your face.
-Or pay $100 for a DH race, ride with some cool dudes and dudettes, drink good beer, in good company. No corn starch, but plenty of gnar and a sweet trail.
that sounds eerily similar to the shuttle day that i organized that was "unsanctioned" (ha) but we didnt need a permit since we didnt do it for a profit as per Corey's words.