The death of mass ride events in Australia?

[Mububban]

An interesting and worrying article about the decline in participation numbers, and cancellation of, several mass ride events in Australia:

https://escapecollective.com/things-are ... ndo-scene/

TL;DR - inflation driving up costs to host events, reduced government funding, and declining numbers since COVID that haven't recovered even though most now consider COVID to be "over".


Personally, it's cost of living pressures that make me not participate. Dropping over $100 on a one day event just feels selfish for my family's finances. I love the energy and buzz of mass ride events, and I hope to do more, but I find myself skipping them lately

[bychosis]

It’s a shame. It looks like a combination of factors hurting the event scene. I’m gonna guess that the biggest factor that’s changed for cycling events is the amount of work and money involved in setting up an event on roads. Traffic control is expensive. Road safety standards have been upped and upped.

Our local ‘loop the lane’ event lost its ‘loop’ status a few years ago and I haven’t been back after completing it several years in a row. They stopped going all the way round the lake because of traffic control issues and narrow roads. I doesn’t have the same draw to not complete the loop for me.

[g-boaf]

Almost certainly the difficulties in getting access to roads for the event organisations.

I can go do a big ride on Saturday or Sunday so the local "mass ride" events are no interest to me (they used to take the local routes I can ride on for free) and for the others, I'd prefer to just go overseas and do Haute Route 7 day event which is very well organised and very well supported in countries where cycling on the road is normal.

Where I was recently (France), in nearly every town I was in the local residents were very interested and supportive. Even the towns I road through (not stopping) they were all very happy and supportive. Lovely people.

Here in Australia, it will just be cranky residents complaining in the local newspaper or ringing up 2GB for a whinge to Ben Fordham or someone else or dropping tacks or smashing glass on the road or paths.

[jasonc]

Dropping over $100 on a one day event

tour de brisbane is $240 or $260...
brisbane to gold coast is $120
toowoomba ride the range is $120
around the bay in vic is $310 (for the 300km) - the 200k with no ferry ride is still $200.
peaks falls creek is $385

tour de brisbane is on closed roads
around the bay has a ferry ride

sadly these organisations used to be about trying to make life better for cyclists. now they are just there to run events and make money from them

[AndrewCowley]

Some of the downturn must be attributable to Zwift and the like. You can now 'ride' iconic climbs and routes from your living room.

But yeah the costs are crazy. $200+ is madness. You might be able to justify $385 for Falls Creek but then you have to pay accommodation as well. It's gonna cost you well over $1000. For a bike ride. And it's not like you can easily make a family holiday out of it.

Also the article does not mention L'Etape which is now gone after a failed attempt to move to the Kiama / Shoalhaven area.

[jasonc]

You might be able to justify $385 for Falls Creek but then you have to pay accommodation as well. It's gonna cost you well over $1000. For a bike ride. And it's not like you can easily make a family holiday out of it.

peaks cost me flights and transfer fees as well. happy i've done it. don't ask me to do it again, thanks

[g-boaf]

Some of the downturn must be attributable to Zwift and the like. You can now 'ride' iconic climbs and routes from your living room.

But yeah the costs are crazy. $200+ is madness. You might be able to justify $385 for Falls Creek but then you have to pay accommodation as well. It's gonna cost you well over $1000. For a bike ride. And it's not like you can easily make a family holiday out of it.

Also the article does not mention L'Etape which is now gone after a failed attempt to move to the Kiama / Shoalhaven area.

For a one day bike ride as well, that's expensive. Let's say it was $3500 overseas plus international flying of say $2500, yeah that's expensive but it's a big overseas holiday with 5-7 days of riding and the accommodation (7 or 9 days) plus all the support from Mavic, the feed zones, the massage each day, meals at the end of the stage, transfers (for you and your luggage), that's an easier sell than something locally. It's a lot of money but you also get a lot as well.

Here it's just a country that hates cycling, hates people riding on the road, hates people riding on paths, riders should just play their games on the local velodrome and basically be invisible to everyone else, or and riders should have rego too so they can be reported.

[Cyclophiliac]

I did ATBIAD once in 2010, and wondered why I spent any money at all. Earlier that same year, I did my own personal around the bay ride, complete with bike on ferry, but it was just on a normal day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I did the official ATBIAD, it was quite disappointing, and not worth the price.

[wongaga]

I did ATBIAD once in 2010, and wondered why I spent any money at all. Earlier that same year, I did my own personal around the bay ride, complete with bike on ferry, but it was just on a normal day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I did the official ATBIAD, it was quite disappointing, and not worth the price.

I have to agree. I did ATBIAD twice years ago and was appalled at the risks of riding near people who had never ridden in a group or peloton before. Then there was the traffic, the wait for the ferry etc etc before we even get to the cost.

So I took up Audax and did many sublime 200's out on quiet country roads with experienced, skilled, friendly cyclists for company. Never went back to ATBIAD or any other mass rides.

Cheers, Graeme

[AndrewCowley]

I have to agree. I did ATBIAD twice years ago and was appalled at the risks of riding near people who had never ridden in a group or peloton before.

Same concern here with the big event rides I've done in Sydney.

The Gong Ride is appalling in this regard. Too many nutters.

[Dave_rh]

Also the article does not mention L'Etape which is now gone after a failed attempt to move to the Kiama / Shoalhaven area.

Letape was in a no-win situation. I believe the NSW Govt, as main sponsor, largely dictated to the organisers they should move the event from Jindabyne to near Wollongong.

The route chosen was quite picturesque. However, it had higher density population and critically some very powerful self-interested people. Once the kangaroo valley 'locals' found out that they would have roads blocked for 3 hours one Sunday morning of their life, they were in revolt but were initially not organised enough to stop letape.

The original Kiama Letape event was delayed by 6 months by crazy weather. This delay gave the Kangaroo Valley "locals" enough time to campaign their local council. The Greens majority council announced it was withdrawing support for a push bike race so fossil-fuel-burning car traffic was not impacted for 3 hours... The organisers then had no option but to cancel the rescheduled event.

The second attempt used a different, less interesting route which avoided kangaroo valley. But this time around they were unable to secure a guarantee that a subsided road would be repaired in time. Also they were forced to have the start and end in different locations which loses the event atmosphere.

Lesson here is that events in NSW that are too close to major satellite cities of Sydney are too hard to organise, have too much resistance from too many, often powerful people, cost too much money to run and just don't work.

[AndrewCowley]

So much for Wollongong being a 'UCI City' or whatever that was. A meaningless joke.

[g-boaf]

I have to agree. I did ATBIAD twice years ago and was appalled at the risks of riding near people who had never ridden in a group or peloton before.

Same concern here with the big event rides I've done in Sydney.

The Gong Ride is appalling in this regard. Too many nutters.

That mass ride event that used to go through Western Sydney was the same, some of the folks were very, very hazardous. And then you have all the squeaking and creaking two wheeled jalopies that only get wheeled out once a year that are probably barely fit for purpose because they don't get looked at much, they are on old chains, old tyres, old brakes, etc

At least in the serious big distance events most of the riders know how to ride in groups well.

So much for Wollongong being a 'UCI City' or whatever that was. A meaningless joke.

It helps when a Government can ram something through. I don't know if it could be called sports-washing, but the previous government was very hostile to cycling. The world championships didn't exactly change much.

[Dave_rh]

This road event somewhat mirrors the decline of mass MTB events in the last 10 years, at least in NSW and ACT

Several big name NSW and ACT events like the Highland Fling, Mont24, Kowalski challenge, Capital punishment. All folded.

Many reasons were similar. Increasing entry fees, organising cost and complexity, increasing regulation, insurance. Reduction of support by government and sponsors. Add in changing fashion away from XC towards different MTB disciplines. Like road vs gravel...

[MichaelB]

My ventures to the GF scene have mainly been with the TDU. I’ve done a few in the past but haven’t done one in quite some time.

There’s are two main reasons- one was the cost (and a “free” jersey didn’t sway me enough), but for m the bigger downside was the greater % of riders who thought they could flout the road rules (not closed roads) and for me created a stressful ride as I was wondering which idiot was going to cause the next accident.

Then I read the linked article from the OP and was dumbfounded when even the TDU ride was cancelled for ‘24. The number of participants has been dwindling though so not really surprised.

[WyvernRH]

Here it's just a country that hates cycling, hates people riding on the road, hates people riding on paths, riders should just play their games on the local velodrome and basically be invisible to everyone else, or and riders should have rego too so they can be reported.

Geez where do you live, I want to avoid it?
We get our share of drongos around here (often tourists) but nowhere near that bad.

Richard

[Cyclophiliac]

Here it's just a country that hates cycling, hates people riding on the road, hates people riding on paths, riders should just play their games on the local velodrome and basically be invisible to everyone else, or and riders should have rego too so they can be reported.

Geez where do you live, I want to avoid it?
We get our share of drongos around here (often tourists) but nowhere near that bad.

Richard

It's particularly noticeable how much this country hates cyclists, when you've spent some time riding in cyclist-friendly countries such as France. g-boaf and I have both mentioned in this forum how much more considerate the motorists there are to cyclists. Coming back home from that can be painful.

[g-boaf]

Here it's just a country that hates cycling, hates people riding on the road, hates people riding on paths, riders should just play their games on the local velodrome and basically be invisible to everyone else, or and riders should have rego too so they can be reported.

Geez where do you live, I want to avoid it?
We get our share of drongos around here (often tourists) but nowhere near that bad.

Richard

Australia. Go ride in somewhere like Saint-Chaffrey and you’ll see the difference in traffic behaviour. I feel very safe riding on the road in France, even a main road is no problem. Not so here.

[jasonc]

We're getting way off topic but the myopic car centric lifestyle combined with the disdain for cycling of any kind means that the gran fondo take a crap load of push to get up and keep going. I recently rode in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany. Gave up using my cameras. Don't need them

[elantra]

My ventures to the GF scene have mainly been with the TDU. I’ve done a few in the past but haven’t done one in quite some time.

There’s are two main reasons- one was the cost (and a “free” jersey didn’t sway me enough), but for m the bigger downside was the greater % of riders who thought they could flout the road rules (not closed roads) and for me created a stressful ride as I was wondering which idiot was going to cause the next accident.

Then I read the linked article from the OP and was dumbfounded when even the TDU ride was cancelled for ‘24. The number of participants has been dwindling though so not really surprised.

Quite sad that this event in particular has perished.
Yes, the jerseys were underwhelming but I had some memorable times at a few of these events.

The first and most memorable one that I did was 2010.
It was a (deleted) long way and it was (deleted) hot.
On the final run into Goolwa there were heaps of us weekend warrior types stationary beside the road with legs against gum trees, combating vicious cramps.
Then in little Goolwa it was pleasant mayhem with voices resonating from the public toilet block “bring me some toilet paper, there’s none left in here “ !!!
You can’t buy experiences like that …

I think that it’s just a sign of the times.
The event management protocols and insurance premiums are unworkable now.
Participant numbers are down, people either can’t afford it or have too many other distractions in their life.
It’s unfortunate but things could be worse.

Up here in Qld some of my favourite events fell by the wayside during or before the COVID years and have not re-emerged.
Such as Tour de Tamborine and Noosa Strada Bianche.
Just as an indicator of how the situation has changed, the B2GC event had 10,000 entrants in 2010.
In 2023 there were about 5000 I think, and only achieved this number with very heavy promotional efforts.
One of my favourite local events is the Ipswich 100. I sincerely hope that it continues.

[P!N20]

I was talking to one of the Maldon Classic organisers (another event which has been 'postponed' until 2025) and the costs to put a few people in hi-viz at intersections was astronomical. This is a charity event that raises money for the local hospital. Not much money gets raised when you're forking out thousands for traffic control.

[blizzard]

Dropping over $100 on a one day event

tour de brisbane is $240 or $260...
brisbane to gold coast is $120
toowoomba ride the range is $120
around the bay in vic is $310 (for the 300km) - the 200k with no ferry ride is still $200.
peaks falls creek is $385

tour de brisbane is on closed roads
around the bay has a ferry ride

sadly these organisations used to be about trying to make life better for cyclists. now they are just there to run events and make money from them

Cost is definitely one aspect, I've done B2GC, Brissy to the Bay and Tour De Brisbane. TDB is definitely my favourite due to the close roads and riding through the tunnels, but it's a tough ask to pay that much for a single ride.

[g-boaf]

I was talking to one of the Maldon Classic organisers (another event which has been 'postponed' until 2025) and the costs to put a few people in hi-viz at intersections was astronomical. This is a charity event that raises money for the local hospital. Not much money gets raised when you're forking out thousands for traffic control.

Even racing (if it's on road) has to have these traffic controllers and the requirements are strict.

[MichaelB]

…

The first and most memorable one that I did was 2010.
It was a (deleted) long way and it was (deleted) hot.
On the final run into Goolwa there were heaps of us weekend warrior types stationary beside the road with legs against gum trees, combating vicious cramps.
….

Oh yes, that one.

After Fox Creek Road, the run down to the lake was quick due to the tailwind. And then came that LH turn …..

I remember doing about 15-18km/hr at about 20 degrees lean into a nasty front cross wind at a stinking hot temp for what felt like 30km !!!

Nasty as !!

[queequeg]

Dropping over $100 on a one day event

tour de brisbane is $240 or $260...
brisbane to gold coast is $120
toowoomba ride the range is $120
around the bay in vic is $310 (for the 300km) - the 200k with no ferry ride is still $200.
peaks falls creek is $385

tour de brisbane is on closed roads
around the bay has a ferry ride

sadly these organisations used to be about trying to make life better for cyclists. now they are just there to run events and make money from them

Audax Sydney to Newcastle Overnight - $6