High Entry Fees

[CommuteTooFar]

I think the cost of the Glamorgan Gloom is becoming too expensive.

The Pub at the first control has become expensive.  So if I keep the control as it is the price of entry will have to rise to £8.  I think this may deter entrants to a 100k particularly after the bridge toll.

Riders appreciate the 'Free' sandwichs and cake but I could remove this control from the route and replace it with a buy you own food control.  The entry fee could drop to £3.50.

So which would you prefer
£8 Entry with free food at first control.
£4 Entry with buy food and drink at cafe first control.

[urban_biker]

I would always go with the latter - but then I like to carry my own food on an audax anyway. At least the lower charge gives people the choice to carry food or to buy from the cafe.

£8 for a 100k ride is pretty off-putting I would think.

[vorsprung]

Call it a sportif and raise the price to £27.50

[Si]

I would always go with the latter - but then I like to carry my own food on an audax anyway. At least the lower charge gives people the choice to carry food or to buy from the cafe.

£8 for a 100k ride is pretty off-putting I would think.

+1

[MSeries]

£8 for a 100 would put me off, I'd prefer cheaper entry fee and no food.

[nuttycyclist]

...
So which would you prefer
£8 Entry with free food at first control.
£4 Entry with buy food and drink at cafe first control.

Not knowing the quantity or quality of food, I'd probably have my own as a backup anyway.  Therefore £4 makes more sense.

[nightrider]

The first thing I noticed when I started doing audax rides was how cheap they are.£8 entry for a ride is not excessive in my opinion , ;)if it helps keep the event running.I wonder how many organisers are getting rich out of running events ?

[CommuteTooFar]

This year the sums worked like this.

Finish Control £2.50 per rider
Llanwonno Control £4.50 per rider
2008 Entry fee £6.50

You can see my concern.
Fortunately I had a low entry and a few late entries who were not counted, so my loss was not too bad.

Option 3. Not run the event and just send people a pound coin.

[MSeries]

This year the sums worked like this.

Finish Control £2.50 per rider
Llanwonno Control £4.50 per rider
2008 Entry fee £6.50

You can see my concern.
Fortunately I had a low entry and a few late entries who were not counted, so my loss was not too bad.

Option 3. Not run the event and just send people a pound coin.

yes, don't run the event, I'll PM you with my address for my pound coin.

[CommuteTooFar]

I wonder how many organisers are getting rich out of running events ?

Not many.  The work that is put in is rarely compensated for. We just like to make happy auks.   Of course I do hilly rides because I enjoy torturing auks

[Dinamo]

The Pub at the first control has become expensive.  So if I keep the control as it is the price of entry will have to rise to £8.  I think this may deter entrants to a 100k particularly after the bridge toll.

Riders appreciate the 'Free' sandwichs and cake but I could remove this control from the route and replace it with a buy you own food control.  The entry fee could drop to £3.50.

An excellent control, one of the best feeds I've seen for such a small field ( 2007 ride ).
But obviously at a cost, so perhaps a cafe control is a better option.

[frere yacker]

For my events at the end of the month, the budget is:

Hall hire:  £125
Petrol & misc expenditure for route checking: £20
Brevet cards: £20
Food: £75

Entries are £5 a pop, so I need 48 entries to break even.  Have 25 entries already, 5 more have said they are "in the post" and 10 have said in advance they will enter on the line.  So looking promising.  Any "profit" will probably be donated to my cycling club for helping to put this on.

[Martin]

hall hire £70 for me; after that I simply base entry fee on what food and bribing helpers will be; it's the dns's that enable the event to return a modest surplus; I agree £8 is a bit at the top end for a 100 but doubt it will put anyone off in the scheme of things. I'd personally avoid all commercial controls as it's just another hassle when they change hands or indeed managers

[PatC]

 
I'm happy to be self sufficient on the shorter rides and think that the provision of food is only really a necessity on the longer rides. 

The cost aspect of a fee increase on a ride wouldn't necessarily put me off entering if I thought it was justified. If I didn't think it was justified then I probably wouldn't enter. I think Audax rides are good value for money and should remain that way. After all if I wanted to be ripped off I'd enter sportives.

[border-rider]

I'd rather pay more and be fed - on longer events at least

Maybe on 100s and summer 200s I'd bounce controls so it'd be money wasted, but on longer rides the expenditure at cafes and service stations can be extraordinary.

[Martin]

On longer events it's not the cost that bothers riders IMO; the ability to pitch up, be fed , do a bodily function and move on with minimum hassle is paramount (IMX controls manned by the organisers and their helpers do this best; we're a pretty niche market; but there are many many excellent commercial controls who know exactly what we need). Controls are an important part of an event as we all know that you don't ride n x 100 km you just ride to the next control, what you spend there (if anything ) is secondary.

there's a world of difference between the shorter and longer events on this score; shorter events can manage with a couple of people driving locally between controls; longer ones need a lot more thought. Fortunately the only 200 I've ever considered organising has so far been rendered superfluous by someone who knows a lot more about it.

[John M]

I have organised a few AUDAX events (and still do) and I have always found that the highest expenditure is the hall fees..they seem to be going up a each year.

Maybe I should put my events out to tender with the local churches and WIs???

£5 - £8 is not an unreasonable entry fee these days.

If people don't want to pay it then just don't turn up, but please do not moan that it is too much and say that they will not turn up for that level of entry fee.

Be positive!!

yours in cycling
John M

[DanialW]

The entry fee for my Cambrian events in April was originally £7. I had someone send me a rather tart email asking me if this was a typo.

Cyclists. Last of the small spenders.

[hellymedic]

The entry fee for my Cambrian events in April was originally £7. I had someone send me a rather tart email asking me if this was a typo.

Cyclists. Last of the small spenders.

Agreed. Meaner than  Ebneezer Scrooge on an economy drive.

Danial, I think you were at the Audax UK AGM last year. (I'm sure you were at the Dinner.) Can you remember how one chap reacted when the proposal to raise AUK's annual subscription to a whopping £14? I keep wondering why grown-ups spend hours debating Bank of Toytown sums yet spending realistic amounts on many apects of their flush lifestyles.

[MSeries]

£5 - £8 is not an unreasonable entry fee these days.

Your customers will decide that.

I appreciate your points about costs though.

[Chris S]

TBH, £150 is prohibitive for me for LEL. That said, I probably wouldn't enter it if it was half the price, as it's not really my scene.

But - £150 represents a lot for a four day tour. To my mind anyway.

[MSeries]

TBH, £150 is prohibitive for me for LEL. That said, I probably wouldn't enter it if it was half the price, as it's not really my scene.

But - £150 represents a lot for a four day tour. To my mind anyway.

even better value if you ride slower and take 5 days

[nightrider]

Surely the expensive part is the travelling to and from the event,the accomadation and the money for the controls.I for one would pay a bit more for the chance to sleep in a village hall for example.High entry fees are not really an issue in my oppinion.

[hellymedic]

Surely the expensive part is the travelling to and from the event,the accomadation and the money for the controls.I for one would pay a bit more for the chance to sleep in a village hall for example.High entry fees are not really an issue in my oppinion.

I think this may be the case for day rides, especially the longer events.
Higher fees on rides that 'support' a longer ride might deter local riders.

The LEL fee is an order of magnitude more than just about anything else on the AUK calendar. I suspect this may be deterring some British entries.

[tonyh]

I'd very happily pay the possible £8 for the delights of "Glamorgan Gloom" entry!
Yes, our entry fees (even if increased) are scarcely significant compared to the other expenses involved. One of the many attractions of AUK.

If a lower entry fee (and less provided luxury) attracts a larger field though, I'll be very happy with the greater prospect of company.

Agree about the attractions of the floors of halls. A way of reducing the other expenses, too.

The LEL fee looks very good value. I wish I had the riding ability to take it up.