The death of mass ride events in Australia?

[queequeg]

The Sydney to the Gong ride had 6531 riders this year, well down on the 10,000 rider cap that is set.
I stopped riding it a couple of years ago, partly because of general rider skills being poor, and more importantly, upon entry I was just getting bombarded with emails about fundraising. Information about the actual ride seemed to run a poor second to the fundraising.
The Sydney Spring Cycle has gone as well. Mass participation rides really are dwindling in NSW.
I might give the Bobbin Head ride a go next year.

At least they are not maintaining the myth that's a 100km ride anymore. I have only done it the one time, way back in 2012, and it scared the living daylights out of me with the displays of poor riding skills. I mean, I get it, it's aimed at the occasional rider, and it's primarily a fundraising ride, but once was enough.

I don't do the Bobbin Head ride because, well, it's local to me and I can ride it any time I want. My last mass participation event was Thunderbolt's Adventure, and that is more the type of event I'll do more of in the future. I had a rather off year with motivation, so just lowing getting myself fit again.

I am aiming to get back into Audax for 2025, as they have changed the ride season to align with the calendar year (starting 2025). i was so close to completing one of my major awards, then Covid kept messing everything up and the final events I needed to complete my rides kept getting cancelled.

The big thing with the mass event rides is that costs are really getting out of control. Peaks Challenge for 2025, unless you get an early entry, is just under $400 entry, and unless you get a fantastic rate on your accommodation, it's a very expensive weekend. I just can't look at my wife and with straight face and justify that kind of spend on myself on a regular basis. I can get away with it maybe once a year.

[am50em]

I got txt message today saying Bobbo registration open. I did it a couple of years ago and once was enough. Really just the descent into Bobbin Head was bit worrying but after that, with riders spread out due to climb, it was good. It local to me as well, can ride to and from start/finish. Just wanted to try a mass ride at least once.

[zebee]

I just did "volunteering" for the Huski running festival and the Huski triathlon the following day.

I put it in quotes because Elite Energy pay people to do this work and even with that they can't get enough people. Some of that is because they can't pay enough for non-locals to pay for accom even if you could book it given the attendance at these events. As a bike marshal I get paid just enough per hour to cover a night's accom in a cheap motel plus food and they pay my petrol but the pay at the running festival was 2/3 of the bike marshal pay. If I'd had to pay for accom I wouldn't have done the weekend. (I camped on someone's back lawn the Fri and Sat night)

Meaning if they can't get locals they don't have enough people to do the work mass events need. Locals aren't that interested in 5am starts and working all day for not very much to support a sport they aren't interested in. (and that takes over their town and roads)

That money is one of the reasons any big events cost lots. The traffic management has to be professionals, you have to pay the people who are marshalling and setting up briefings and packing rider packs and handling registration and marking the course and managing car parks and manning the finish and handling the rider tracking and so on. And the people who are managing the people managing this. And the medics which is not cheap at all.

I do the triathlon work cos I get to ride my motorcycle and have a day doing something useful. I did the running festival cos it was the day before the tri and they desperately needed people. I wouldn't do it normally.

I suspect if people want big bike rides they need to produce one or two "volunteers" each to get the work done. Who are willing to do 5am starts and work 8-12 hours for $20/hr and find your own bed and food.

[Arbuckle23]

Despite all this negativity around some friends have talked me into doing Around the Bay next year.
Haven't done it since 2019.

[foo on patrol]

I did the Brisbane MS ride about 4-5yrs ago and the level of skills by some riders was just horrid and I made a habit of going full tilt so that I could be past these riders and I had a few other blokes that did the same.

The one contributing factor to skills on bikes these day is all of this foolish indoor riding only and not riding amongst others for learning any handling skills, it's just crazy how bad the skill levels are these days.

Foo

[g-boaf]

The one contributing factor to skills on bikes these day is all of this foolish indoor riding only and not riding amongst others for learning any handling skills, it's just crazy how bad the skill levels are these days.

Foo

Blame some of that foolish indoor riding on the foolish people who won’t do anything about making a big stink about the shocking bad driver behaviour and lack of enforcement action against it. Or the “I’m a rider but” types…

You close pass a rider when there is another lane for you to use, or worse hit one, you should be in big trouble unless you’ve got a damn clear reason you weren’t at fault.

I know that’s a controversial topic here among our dedicated cyclists but we have to jump through hoops and hurdles to prove the driver did the wrong thing, while drivers get away with it.

It’s little wonder people do virtual cycling, and it usually happens once they get a close pass, or they lose a friend to bad driver behaviour. Not so foolish when you think about it that way…

Or they just stop riding completely. Even worse result.

[foo on patrol]

The one contributing factor to skills on bikes these day is all of this foolish indoor riding only and not riding amongst others for learning any handling skills, it's just crazy how bad the skill levels are these days.

Foo

Blame some of that foolish indoor riding on the foolish people who won’t do anything about making a big stink about the shocking bad driver behaviour and lack of enforcement action against it. Or the “I’m a rider but” types…

You close pass a rider when there is another lane for you to use, or worse hit one, you should be in big trouble unless you’ve got a damn clear reason you weren’t at fault.

I know that’s a controversial topic here among our dedicated cyclists but we have to jump through hoops and hurdles to prove the driver did the wrong thing, while drivers get away with it.

It’s little wonder people do virtual cycling, and it usually happens once they get a close pass, or they lose a friend to bad driver behaviour. Not so foolish when you think about it that way…

Or they just stop riding completely. Even worse result.

Those in authority are the ones to blame for this and action/proper action not being taken.

I'm more than aware of this and I've been hit by a truck, side swiped, T-boned a car that turned across in front of me and doored but none of them stopped me riding on the roads.

Too gain basic handling skills, you can do this with two riders bumping and leaning on each other on non traffic areas like Crit Tracks, dedicated bikeways that aren't on main roads, Rail Trails and MTBing trails. The general public have never had any proper sense of handling skills or awareness from my experience. At the start of these Charity Rides, people are told, stick to the left, be aware of other riders around you, don't ride more than two abreast and allow faster riders past you but you may as well talk to a brick wall for all of the good it does.

The emphasis must be placed on the Police too enforce the rules correctly and not, fob them off as oh, it's just another cyclist because they, the police are the ones charged with enforcing the rules.

The cost of adhering to OH&S stuff is out of control as well and hiring of police, yet the police are on a wage that is way below the hourly hire rate for doing their job, even when you take into account the added cost of the vehichles that they use.

Foo

[warthog1]

The one contributing factor to skills on bikes these day is all of this foolish indoor riding only and not riding amongst others for learning any handling skills, it's just crazy how bad the skill levels are these days.

Foo

Blame some of that foolish indoor riding on the foolish people who won’t do anything about making a big stink about the shocking bad driver behaviour and lack of enforcement action against it. Or the “I’m a rider but” types…

You close pass a rider when there is another lane for you to use, or worse hit one, you should be in big trouble unless you’ve got a damn clear reason you weren’t at fault.

I know that’s a controversial topic here among our dedicated cyclists but we have to jump through hoops and hurdles to prove the driver did the wrong thing, while drivers get away with it.

It’s little wonder people do virtual cycling, and it usually happens once they get a close pass, or they lose a friend to bad driver behaviour. Not so foolish when you think about it that way…

Or they just stop riding completely. Even worse result.

I can sort of understand it a bit in terms of time efficiency, safety if you live in a congested area.
This however doesn't change the fact that it is incredibly boring. It rates better than not riding but only by a small degree. For me it is only when there is absolutely no other way to ride.

[g-boaf]

The one contributing factor to skills on bikes these day is all of this foolish indoor riding only and not riding amongst others for learning any handling skills, it's just crazy how bad the skill levels are these days.

Foo

Blame some of that foolish indoor riding on the foolish people who won’t do anything about making a big stink about the shocking bad driver behaviour and lack of enforcement action against it. Or the “I’m a rider but” types…

You close pass a rider when there is another lane for you to use, or worse hit one, you should be in big trouble unless you’ve got a damn clear reason you weren’t at fault.

I know that’s a controversial topic here among our dedicated cyclists but we have to jump through hoops and hurdles to prove the driver did the wrong thing, while drivers get away with it.

It’s little wonder people do virtual cycling, and it usually happens once they get a close pass, or they lose a friend to bad driver behaviour. Not so foolish when you think about it that way…

Or they just stop riding completely. Even worse result.

I can sort of understand it a bit in terms of time efficiency, safety if you live in a congested area.
This however doesn't change the fact that it is incredibly boring. It rates better than not riding but only by a small degree. For me it is only when there is absolutely no other way to ride.

Recently on the Zwift forums someone was in a group ride and a person on that ride was hit by a car and killed. The person who wrote it was absolutely shattered and doesn't want to ride outside anymore, for obvious reasons. That's why people use it.

[warthog1]

Recently on the Zwift forums someone was in a group ride and a person on that ride was hit by a car and killed. The person who wrote it was absolutely shattered and doesn't want to ride outside anymore, for obvious reasons. That's why people use it.

Yes I know people who have been killed also. I take precautions, in terms of route and timing, I wear clothing that contrasts with the background of a black road, a varia radar and lights front and rear. This is working for me and I enjoy my rides. A strong contrast with my Zwift rides which bore the sh it out of me.

That is an understandable reason, though so sorry for being negative about it. I believe we are world champions with respect to aggressive, inconsiderate and incompetent driving.

[London Boy]

brisbane to gold coast is $120

[...]

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

B2GC is run as a fundraiser by Mater for cancer research and treatment, so making money seems to be a pretty fair thing to do. I don't know if you've been affected by cancer, or spent a lot of time in an oncology centre, but anyone who has would be glad to contribute.

Bicycle Queensland looks after the cycling side of things, and advocates for cyclists as it always has done.

[Mr Purple]

Recently on the Zwift forums someone was in a group ride and a person on that ride was hit by a car and killed. The person who wrote it was absolutely shattered and doesn't want to ride outside anymore, for obvious reasons. That's why people use it.

I think people are on Zwift or other platforms for a variety of reasons, and coming back from injury myself I entirely understand those who have decided it's not worth the risk to ride outdoors. Some of my Strava followers are in the same situation - hit by cars and just never went back on the road.

After a recent reintroduction to Zwift racing for technical reasons I also believe there is another group who are on there in some sort of 'Walter Mitty' situation who are clearly and obviously cheating in order to inflate their own ego. I did run into one rider this week with a multiply verified 473W FTP at 81kg despite riding less than six hours a week on Zwift, and never outdoors. The whole, carefully orchestrated, game given away by the fact he doesn't have a pro contract. So in that respect I think it's also a fairyland.

Mind you neither of these groups are causing crashes in mass ride events, because they're never there. The issue I had in the mass ride events I've done is that there are plenty (myself included) with power from indoor training that enables them to keep up with top level amateur racers, but with skills worse than the lowest in 'D' grade. That's the issue with indoor training!

Put together this situation with increased risk, with society's general reluctance to take a risk with anything and you can see why mass ride events are on the decline in Australia. They're not only more dangerous than ever, the safety standards expected are simultaneously higher than ever and insurance premiums and event costs soaring.

[Duck!]

Zwift etm cannot be wholly blamed for crap group riding skills. I did Around The Bay for the only time way back in 2005, when "interactive" training consisted of a variable-resistance mag trainer and a Spinervals video, and a much lower uptake of indoor cycling than more recent years, and even then the group riding "ability" of a considerable proportion of the participants left a lot to be desired.

The fact is that many of the participants in these rides are casual riders who rarely ride with more than a few people, even if all their riding is outdoors, so they don't develop the sharp handling skills necessary for working in large, tight groups.

I witnessed three crashes during my one ATB, one was a touch of wheels when things were still pretty packed within the first 2km of the 210km ride, which brought down a few riders, the other two were simply people who didn't have the skills to control their bikes on corners, especially the one who dropped it going around an uphill roundabout.....!

Crashes aside, the generally crap riding ability overall made for a stressful and unenjoyable ride. Having kicked it off the bucket list, I vowed to never do it again.

[Dodgy-Knee]

Recently on the Zwift forums someone was in a group ride and a person on that ride was hit by a car and killed. The person who wrote it was absolutely shattered and doesn't want to ride outside anymore, for obvious reasons. That's why people use it.

Yes I know people who have been killed also. I take precautions, in terms of route and timing, I wear clothing that contrasts with the background of a black road, a varia radar and lights front and rear. This is working for me and I enjoy my rides. A strong contrast with my Zwift rides which bore the sh it out of me.

That is an understandable reason, though so sorry for being negative about it. I believe we are world champions with respect to aggressive, inconsiderate and incompetent driving.

We are black belt champions when it comes to driver aggression. I was angrily beeped by a car last week as I walked across a zebra crossing located inside the car park of the local shopping centre… I know it was disrespectful of me to make the car stop and wait for me to cross, but still …. Anyway, the driver hit the horn long and loud, I flipped the driver the finger, she then called me a rude sh*t and I told her to jam it up her you-know-what, she blasted out of the car park and I continued with my shopping. All’s well.

[caneye]

..
I witnessed three crashes during my one ATB, one was a touch of wheels when things were still pretty packed within the first 2km of the 210km ride, which brought down a few riders, the other two were simply people who didn't have the skills to control their bikes on corners, especially the one who dropped it going around an uphill roundabout.....!

Crashes aside, the generally crap riding ability overall made for a stressful and unenjoyable ride. Having kicked it off the bucket list, I vowed to never do it again.

I guess the equivalent event in NSW is the annual MS Gong ride and my experience the past weekend is exactly like yours
Personally witnessed a few crashes and I'm sure that there would have been heaps more.
- touch of wheels brought 2 riders down
- one rider climbing out of Royal National park ended up on gravel by the side of the road, presumably because he lost concentration
- kids (school age?) over-cooking high speed descents
- old mate, on a climb, with bloodied face waiting for ambo, not sure how he went down

It's all from riders lack of skills when riding in a group, in close proximity. And now you have enthusiastic e-bike riders with similar lack of skills.

The good thing is .. we were going at a very slow pace (18kmh) for the most part so I felt we were more in control, able to judge riders and more time to take a safe line. If I were riding >25kmh, then things would have been a lot sketchier.

Side note:
After the event had ended, the coastal cycleway was full of day trippers and MANY riders on fat-wheels beach e-motorbike. often with a pillion rider. Wow .. those things are really speedy despite their weight and they use the same shared path too. Speed + weight + inexperience = not a happy outcome.

[g-boaf]

The other thing that catches people in bunches is a big group at relatively slow speeds and road-furniture on a narrow road, group slows and people aren't paying attention to what's ahead and wheels touch and down someone goes. People don't call out early enough to warn what's going on and they don't hear the person blowing the whistle (and waving the flag) to warn of the road-furniture.

Saw that in Briançon on a narrow road not far from start. An S-Works Aethos got written off by that. Rider just landed the wrong way at stupidly low speed and top tube was snapped through.

Rider was probably experienced enough, just didn't expect the sudden slow down ahead.

[Thoglette]

The fact is that many of the participants in these rides are casual riders who rarely ride with more than a few people, even if all their riding is outdoors, so they don't develop the sharp handling skills necessary for working in large, tight groups.

I resemble that remark: my first “mass participation event” was a rude shock.
Far more likely to have a bingle than any of my daily commutes and needing a whole bunch of new skills.

Gave them up after my employer stopped funding our entries.

Then when one adds the influx of “cycling is the new golf” people in the last decade and I shudder think what they must be like now!

Meanwhile, another report quoting 400% cost increases and bans on using volunteers.

Future of WA's road cycling races in jeopardy after traffic management pay rise (ABC)
Somehow I don’t think that the lollipop holders are taking home 4x the money..,…

[warthog1]

Crashes aside, the generally crap riding ability overall made for a stressful and unenjoyable ride. Having kicked it off the bucket list, I vowed to never do it again.

I have never done it. Hasn't appealed to me due to the flat course and the windswept Geelong to Melb section. Off mine too though now.

[jasonc]

Crashes aside, the generally crap riding ability overall made for a stressful and unenjoyable ride. Having kicked it off the bucket list, I vowed to never do it again.

I have never done it. Hasn't appealed to me due to the flat course and the windswept Geelong to Melb section. Off mine too though now.

I did the 250 with my brother a many years ago. happy i've done it. once is enough

[warthog1]

Crashes aside, the generally crap riding ability overall made for a stressful and unenjoyable ride. Having kicked it off the bucket list, I vowed to never do it again.

I have never done it. Hasn't appealed to me due to the flat course and the windswept Geelong to Melb section. Off mine too though now.

I did the 250 with my brother a many years ago. happy i've done it. once is enough

Nice job with the travel.
A bloke I work with is well into double figures with it. A target of his I guess

[DavidS]

I've done Around the Bay a few times and did Amy's Grand Fondo a couple of times. I never ride in groups so I just keep away from the groups on those rides. It isn't that hard, you don't have to jump on a bunch.

DS