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So everyone agrees competing in sport at high ish level is expensive and time consuming.
Does mtb have more of an issue because it’s a middle aged mans sport that no one is interested in?
As touched on in previous comments, a major part of the cost is the lack of club infrastructure in the MTB "scene". I do a fair about of running and road stuff, and a lot of the smaller, low-key events are supported by the clubs, they will provide the marshals and at least some of the kit too (timing kit, course marking, etc.) and will likely have local contacts to help with the bigger stuff. This keeps the cost down significantly.
Does mtb have more of an issue because it’s a middle aged mans sport that no one is interested in?
There may be something in this too. We are in a bit of an echo chamber here which can make MTB, and cycling in general feel much bigger than it is. The fact is that it's a minor participation sport and racing is an even smaller part of that.
minor participation sport
Is it? All of the events I attend down hear in the S/SE are very well attended with hundreds or participants, which of course will be the tip of some size if iceberg.
Is sponsorship so rare? The actual bike manufacturers must be making millions!
2 times a national champion, gets on the RB live feed. Races with phone in pocket in case work calls him.
Is it? All of the events I attend down hear in the S/SE are very well attended with hundreds or participants, which of course will be the tip of some size if iceberg.
hundreds of people for the 'local events' to 1/3 of the UK population.
Is it? All of the events I attend down hear in the S/SE are very well attended with hundreds or participants, which of course will be the tip of some size if iceberg.
Aye, compared to say, running, it's very much a minority sport. Participants in the hundreds in running terms is a small local race.
All competitive sport is expensive and a lot of those costs are due to the organisation that goes into it.
Even charity/voluntary events take a huge amount of planning and recruitment.
Take the London Marathon, they use a lot of volunteer marshals, but recently some of them - only a minority - were found to be abusing some runners by calling them fat.
If a lot of sponsorship money is on the line, you can't really tolerate stories like that.
I assume you all have heard of the Parkrun events that happen at 9am every Saturday across the world, for free? Wouldn't it be awesome if this was possible with mountain biking. I can't imagine it would be doable due to the added complexity but think what it might do for the sport at a grass roots level.
"goes off to ponder"
I think cycling is the biggest sport for girls under 12 (or it was).
The scene isn't dead, but the choice has increased hugely, so the numbers available are restricted.
That's a vague stat though Dick, probably just because most girls that age have been bought a bike for Xmas.
My 12 yo daughter is the only one of her large peer group that cycles, and we live in a fairly flat area well served by shared use paths.
Parkrun events that happen at 9am every Saturday across the world, for free? Wouldn’t it be awesome if this was possible with mountain biking.
I'm an Event Director at our local parkrun and I'm just not sure you could do it for mountain biking. It's partly the numbers, we get 250 runners every week and need 25 volunteers to make it happen and it's hard work some weeks to get that number some weeks. Bear in mind that's just for a 5k course, any mtb event needs to be 4 or 5 time longer and so needs a real increase in the volume of volunteers just to make it happen each week. Also, the course itself, the joy of parkrun (and arguably running in general) is that everyone can happily get round the same course, be that in 15 minutes or in 45, it doesn't need to be technical to challenge, but for an MTB course to be usable for everyone it'd need to be very easy and so anyone quick or skilled would get very bored very quickly.
@lunge - you have just ruined my days pondering right there with that one post. Yes I would have ended up where you are anyway but where is the fun in getting there now. 🙂 🙂 As a english songwriter once said "If it's all about the destination then get a ****ing flight"
*goes off to ponder the demise of lunge*
I think cycling is the biggest sport for girls under 12 (or it was).
Going by my kids' school I'd guess gymnastics far outweighs cycling.
Parkrun events that happen at 9am every Saturday across the world, for free? Wouldn’t it be awesome if this was possible with
mountainbiking.
single timed segment of a fitness based timed event taking in the region of a bit less than half an hour - think you've invented the mid week road time trial.
Doing it off road with anything like the same numbers (even if sufficient interest) and basically you're limited to a fire road loop - the first bit of single track on any mass start race or mtb sportive should be enough to convince you that its not possible to do an "MTB parkride"
Parkrun events that happen at 9am every Saturday across the world, for free? Wouldn’t it be awesome if this was possible with
mountainbiking.
It does, there are club club runs all over the country. Granted, not necessarily for kids.
*goes off to ponder the demise of lunge*
Sorry!!! As someone heavily involved in this parkrun thing I tend to just pop answers off quickly on the subject, annoying I know!
Isn't this the equivalent to park run?
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/197313/SRC-MTB-XC-Go-Ride-series-race-4
And, of course, CX needs a mention. It happens most weekends locally through the winter, with numbers well into the hundreds, and costs about £15 per race.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if this was possible with mountain biking
Sounds like a nightmare.
If you think competitive mountain biking is expensive for children, have a look at junior horse riding events.................. (not that my kids ride, friend of a friend and all that)
And, of course, CX needs a mention
Good point but actually a great example of a cycling club structure working.
MTB just doesn’t have it
Must admit laddos first ever race was an xc race at cannock which was really cheap, well attended and well organised. It was just an intro for him to see what racing in general was like. He hated it as on the only enjoyable downhill bits he got held up by people who wouldn't let him by "one was even a girl" 😂. He apparently got his phone out mid way through the 2nd lap t9 take some pictures, still finished mid table but threatened to never speak to me again if I entered him in to another xc race. 😂
And, of course, CX needs a mention
Good point but actually a great example of a cycling club structure working.
MTB just doesn’t have it
It used to. I used to race for a club and we'd put on events as part of the Welsh series and nationally, throughout the summer. Then moving to CX in the winter. I haven't been involved in XC for a long time so don't know what happens anymore.
One obvious difference is that back then we weren't aiming to make a profit from each race, just balance the books by the end of the season. If we made a few pounds profit that would subsidise our club kit or Xmas dinner or something. These days it feels like everyone needs to make money.
I think there has been a trend away from racing for a lot of MTB clubs, or perhaps of more relevance a trend of divergence between XC and trail riding.
This probably explains why a lot of clubs aren't involved in running races any more, but having said that, I don't believe either SXC or SDA are run to make any sort of profit.
Enduros don't seem to be run by clubs, and are pretty similar to the way most people ride trails these days, not sure what that says! Has BC got involved in enduro yet? I know a couple of years ago they stopped supporting it but haven't had my finger on the pulse.
Has BC got involved in enduro yet?
No and since they pulled out it has gone from strength to strength:
-Broke 10,000 racers mark for the first time in 2018 (2018 74 Races, 2017 71 Races, 2016 88 Races)
-Best male to female ratio since the start of enduro
-Set of guidelines for new organisers
-All the organisers working together (BEMBA).
-A proper national series and nation champs.