Eroica Brittania Rules

Montello":12ugra74 said:
Lets break it down.

A bog standard uninspiring sportive run out of a school or sports centre with minimal event atmosphere will cost you £35.

A premium sportive like the Dragon Ride is £57.50 or the Etape Caledonia £65 ...

Given what these guys are putting on as a start finish village and the food I'd say the ride on it's own would justify say £55 fee in the current market, so if you'd have pre-registered to ride only I think that would be fair.
it's amazing what people have been conditioned to accept since the rise of the sportive.
 
mattr":1tou2uf1 said:
Montello":1tou2uf1 said:
Lets break it down.

A bog standard uninspiring sportive run out of a school or sports centre with minimal event atmosphere will cost you £35.

A premium sportive like the Dragon Ride is £57.50 or the Etape Caledonia £65 ...

Given what these guys are putting on as a start finish village and the food I'd say the ride on it's own would justify say £55 fee in the current market, so if you'd have pre-registered to ride only I think that would be fair.
it's amazing what people have been conditioned to accept since the rise of the sportive.

For the record I don't ride sportives ... I agree I think they are poor value.

I think what these guys are attempting to pull off hopefully will be a great festival weekend ... perhaps a bit like a retro road version of Mountain Mayhem ...
 
mattr":32uu0wod said:
Montello":32uu0wod said:
Lets break it down.

A bog standard uninspiring sportive run out of a school or sports centre with minimal event atmosphere will cost you £35.

A premium sportive like the Dragon Ride is £57.50 or the Etape Caledonia £65 ...

Given what these guys are putting on as a start finish village and the food I'd say the ride on it's own would justify say £55 fee in the current market, so if you'd have pre-registered to ride only I think that would be fair.
it's amazing what people have been conditioned to accept since the rise of the sportive.

Maybe I am spoiled from living in Belgium. The Paris-Roubaix challenge only costs 30 euro - and that's hardly what I'd call a bog standard uninispiring Sportive out of a sports centre.

But that's what puzzles me - how can the French and Belgians manage to run something like that at those prices, while the British are prepared to cough up twice as much for much much less?
 
Woz":2fpyh5m3 said:
Surely it would have been simpler to do a blanket cut off ..... something like "Complete and authentic road bikes pre-1990"
but allow a very practical exemption for consumables such as tyres, chains, brake blocks, etc. for a wider appeal.

My point exactly - and the fact you've suggested 1990 lets my '89 bike slip in under the wire...
 
Being interested in older bikes (why else are we on this website ?) I have always been attracted to riding L'Eroica but doubt I will get to the original in Italy. So when some one takes the time and effort, whether for pecuniary reward or not, to put on an event I want, you have to support them. Will I enjoy it; will I think it good value for money ? I don't know but at least by supporting it in its first year I am helping to stop it being a flop. If I come away thinking it was rubbish well at least I know for the future and need not attend next year assuming it continues to run.
The Italian L'Eroica started in 1997 and in the intervening 17 years nobody in the UK has bothered to put on anything similar so give the organisers credit for taking the risk. I don't know how the bookings are going but there is no guarantee that it will be a sell out or financial success. If, however, they get near their 1500 riders that is an awful lot of extra income for Bakewell and the surrounding area which I am sure will be much valued, unlike the Nimby's of the New Forest.
Much is being made of cost. Anyone tried booking for the T de F, Grand Depart ? There we really are talking big numbers - and we don't get to ride the event either !
 
Montello":38bcqifc said:
pigman":38bcqifc said:
It is also generally banded about (as a business they are predominantly not into cycling, that became a sideline) that they have a reputation for being well presented up front, but with rogueish business practices behind the scenes. ....

.... none of this is categorically proven to me, ....

So you are just spreading nasty gossip then ...

in a sense, yes. And for a few days, it was a reason I thought about whether I should post or not. But it was a bit more than heresay as I read it in the paper too (no, not some DailyMailyish tat either). The fact that their place is not my sort of place anyhow (and that's not a criticism, just different tastes) means I wasn't a creditor who lost out, so I do no more than tut. But remember just because you weren't there, doesn't mean its fabricated gossip. If you lived here and were locally aware you would have stronger feelings than what I am prepared to write. Whatever you choose to believe on this, its best I say no more. And again, if mods want to pull it in the best interests of this forum, then please do.

TBH, good luck to those organising and those riding, I hope it works well. Its a big undertaking, so I don't expect all that risk and effort to be done for no reward. The point I was trying to make is that I feel the Primary motive is the money,with retrobiking secondary. Others on here believe that its all about retrobiking and camaredrie & that with a bit of luck there will be a small surplus at the end. We can be positive and blinkered or negative and cynical. Take your own stance.
 
Montello":1xvygp3m said:
I think what these guys are attempting to pull off hopefully will be a great festival weekend ... perhaps a bit like a retro road version of Mountain Mayhem ...
:LOL: no chance. A large chunk of MM costs are related to the course and the experience of riding a shortish course with many others. This has no course, just a map (and maybe some signs).

Also, these large festival type mtb events charge most/all of the trade/display stands.The last major event I dealt with in the UK, it was a grand a pop for 2 days as a trader. 250 quid for non-trade IIRC.
And it sold out in no time. So I don't know why these guys seem to think it's a big deal having lots of things to do/buy, and using it as justification for higher prices, unless of course they are expecting half the trade area to be empty and need to subsidise it.
 
FWIW, if you want retro bikes, just go to either the York rally or the ctc birthday rides, most of the bikes there are ancient, and the riders are even older (and crustier in many cases!)
 
mattr":7lg15hd1 said:
FWIW, if you want retro bikes, just go to either the York rally or the ctc birthday rides, most of the bikes there are ancient, and the riders are even older (and crustier in many cases!)

:LOL: :LOL:
yep the older i get the crustier i get . Combined age of me and my 63 Carlton is over a 100. :shock: :?
S happens :facepalm:
 
bagpuss":zwgpxn45 said:
Combined age of me and my 63 Carlton is over a 100. :shock: :?
:

Is that all!!

Whippersnapper.

My Williamson and I total 129. :roll:
 

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