Ryder's Tour de Victoria Registration Opens Mon. Jan.10-NOON

Jane Victoria · Post by **Jane Victoria** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 10:23 am

In case you didn't hear! via FB and Twitter:
Super stoked Ryder's http://www.tourdevictoria.com #tourdevic registration opens Monday, Jan.10 @ noon (PST)-a World Class Cycling Experience May 28 in Victoria #yyj.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 11:23 am

roll call, who's doing this?
I'm gonna do the 140km.

jj12 · Post by **jj12** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 12:07 pm

jeremy wrote:roll call, who's doing this?
I'm gonna do the 140km.

I'm in

sylvan · Post by **sylvan** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 12:11 pm

Probably not. I think I might end up involved logistically in some way and if I don't ride it I'll be able to race the TT and the crit, not that I race TT's and crits.

Josh.E · Post by **Josh.E** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 12:12 pm

If they end up putting in a race component, I'm in. Otherwise I'm gonna pass and save the legs for the crit and the TT.

Rolf · Post by **Rolf** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 3:02 pm

I'd love the challenge and I support more mass-participation cycling events (and Ryder is my hero), but the $175 entry fee is sticking in my throat. The quantity seems out of all proportion to the benefits delivered: mechanical support, a free meal, feedzones, broom wagon and some swag. There's chip timing, but no racing, so what's the point? Come to think of it, isn't it the chip-timing contractors that are driving up entry fees everywhere these days... Sylvan?

I don't mind shelling out some extra bucks to kill myself on a bike for Nanaimo 2 Victoria -- but at least there the whole point is cancer fundraising and it appears to be planned and executed by volunteers and sponsors, with surplus registration fees going to the BC Cancer Society.

The Tour de Victoria website only talks about the event being run "under the Victoria International Cycling Festival, a non profit society." That doesn't give much assurance the event itself isn't being run to profit the organizers. I seem to recall Ryder talking in some interview about Power to Be Adventure Therapy Society being his local charity of choice, and I know the Maui camp raised funds for them. But if this ride was a fundraiser for Power to Be, you'd think they'd say so on the Tour de Victoria website.

I fully admit I don't really know the costs of running a ride like this, and perhaps a budget of $260,000 is necessary and realistic. I know the Whistler GF had a similar entry fee, but I also understand they partly shut down the Sea to Sky and spent sick money on traffic control etc. (The organizers of that one are also rumoured to be flush with cash - but who knows.)

I think before I pay an entry fee that is more than I paid for my bike, I'd like to know more about where the $175 is going. I'd pay up if I knew it represents a reasonable estimation of my share of the expenses, or that it's a conservative price to ensure the organizers don't lose money if only 300 people sign up and that any eventual surplus would go to a good cause.

Does anyone know more?

edit: I just saw this on the website: "We will be supporting several charities with the ride, including the Power to Be Adventure Therapy. [sic]"

wonger · Post by **wonger** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 3:37 pm

It's a for profit event, as are all the other gran fondos that I've seen thus far. I share the same concern - for $200 in Vancouver we got a full lane closure all the way to Whistler. I understand that the Victoria event will finish on the goose - s somewhat different offering for a comparable price. I'd love to participate but it's hard to justify the price tag.

And Rolf, it's time for a new bike!

4827north · Post by **4827north** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 4:11 pm

sylvan · Post by **sylvan** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 5:50 pm

Rolf wrote:Come to think of it, isn't it the chip-timing contractors that are driving up entry fees everywhere these days... Sylvan?

Suuuure it is. Race directors are very cheap. Timers haven't been able to get more than about $3 a head from them, ever. Timing costs go down when new timers show up and when they disappear they grudgingly go back up to where they always were. If they're putting on this race for $175 with timing they could do it for $172 without, give or take some loose change. Same applies for any other race, if you hear a race director blaming timing for the entry fee.

sylvan · Post by **sylvan** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:14 pm

Rolf wrote:The Tour de Victoria website only talks about the event being run "under the Victoria International Cycling Festival, a non profit society." That doesn't give much assurance the event itself isn't being run to profit the organizers... I'd pay up if I knew it represents a reasonable estimation of my share of the expenses, or that it's a conservative price to ensure the organizers don't lose money if only 300 people sign up and that any eventual surplus would go to a good cause.

I think there are lots of shadier ways to make a buck than to be an event organizer. If the event is good and the market supports it, good on 'em. I was (volunteer) race director of this weekend's Pioneer 8K for six years and was never ashamed to say "no" when anybody asked if the money went to a charity. It went to the running club that hosted the race. What for? Whatever we wanted. Same with a private event. If somebody can make a good living putting on an event people like, awesome.

Rolf · Post by **Rolf** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 7:55 pm

sylvan wrote:If somebody can make a good living putting on an event people like, awesome.

Oh for sure, Sylvan. I'd never begrudge a race director from paying herself a fair cut to account for the beastly amount of work event management can be. It just changes the dynamic for me as an entrant. Instead of being a benevolent participant in civil society by supporting a charity ride, to some degree I just become a consumer, a customer, a client -- with all the attendant expectations and assessments of value.

For example, if I'd thought that a chunk of my $100 entry fee for N2V was paying off a race director who had taken a speculative gamble and won, I may have responded differently to nearing dehydrative shock on the Malahat summit in 33 degrees and hearing the support vehicles had run out of water. I may well have resorted to being unpleasant and using expletives, instead of shrugging and chuckling and muttering Taoist allegories about flexibility and detachment to anyone who'd listen.

I guess if this is a straight consumer purchase, I've got to think long and hard whether riding with thousands of other people (and our local TdF celebrity), on roads I can ride for free any other day of the year, is really worth $175 -- keeping in mind there will be food and swag and broom wagons and "entertainment".

sylvan · Post by **sylvan** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 9:54 pm

Rolf wrote:I've got to think long and hard whether riding with thousands of other people (and our local TdF celebrity), on roads I can ride for free any other day of the year, is really worth $175

For me... it ain't.

Paul C. · Post by **Paul C.** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:34 am

Rolf..THanks for opening up a very interesting can of worms... Like Ironamn at $650 PLUS HST they charge 150 to $225 because they can. ^%)) MAMILS have paid $225 for NEXT Sept. If I owned the event I would charge $325 next year and enjoy some time on more holidays...Maui with Ryder?? I may not do it either...I may opt for the timetrial and Bastion[ how about you other 55plus.citizens class tripleshoters???] more opinions to follow .Great we have a forum. cheers pc

Josh.E · Post by **Josh.E** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:04 pm

I don't know about these fat cat conspiracy theories. I would say it's more likely that the people putting this on just want it to be a successful event, both from a money making standpoint so it can grow in the next 5 years, and from the standpoint of growing the image and profile of the sport that they love doing. I bet there'll be some anxiety on the opening day of registration for the organizers to see whether they are going to get the numbers they hope for, and make all the work they've done so far worthwhile
I don't imagine that coordinating 13 municipalities and different police forces around Victoria is an even remotely easy, cheap or trivial task. I've heard rumours of $500,000 JUST to close the sea to sky highway and get police support. That eats into $225/head proceeds pretty quickly.

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:55 pm

I'm in. Fat cat conspiracies or not, I think it'll be fun to blast around the peninsula doing a hardy man's distance (not like some kind of wimpy TT some of you guys are 'saving' yourself for). It'll be especially fun doing this without the kind of ice we saw out there today. You could have used your skates in spots...

AlW · Post by **AlW** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 1:00 pm

I thought it was going to have a race component, which would have made it that much more challenging. Given that it's just a "ride", I'm left to ponder whether it's worth $175.

Not really all that concerned whether the race if for profit or charity (although I would probably pay more for a full charity event). Organizing these things is a massive amount of work and a bit of a crap shoot too, so if the organizers are going to make a profit, that's fine. I'm more interesting in what I'm getting for my $$$.

N2V is a unique experience and not a ride I'm able to do on a regular basis. Add in the support, escort, road closures and the charity component and it makes it that much better. I find the $100 entry fee pretty reasonable and would pay more to do it.

I don't think that is the case with this one. It's not a race, so it's something I can do anytime I want. Not sure the value is there. To be honest, I'm somewhat crowd adverse to start with, so I think I'd prefer this same ride (and coffee to follow of course) with a group of my fellow tripleshotters a lot more.

Leaning towards passing on this one. Might embarrass myself in the TT or crit instead.

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 1:34 pm

I'm thinking like A/W and skates wouldn't have helped me today.

steve · Post by **steve** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:09 pm

I'm likely being frugal this year although I think this is a worthwhile event. Based on Alan saying it wasn't that slippery on a frost am two weeks ago, I headed out early this morn and made it about 100 meters before my bike went sideways, landing me on my not so fat ass....

sylvan · Post by **sylvan** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 4:34 pm

AlW wrote:I think I'd prefer this same ride (and coffee to follow of course) with a group of my fellow tripleshotters a lot more.

It's pretty similar to the 150 km hammerhead goof fest I did with Shawn and Josh a few weeks ago, only shorter and softer. Tripleshotters are hard and grizzled campaigners. We should do this route - http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/26823430 - the Tripleshot Tripleshot Century. It's a modification of the horrible route from that fateful Saturday in December. Modified to add more climbing. Starbucks Mayfair to Moka House Cook St, 161 km with a 90 km stop at The Roost for the second of the triple shots. Al and I are in, who else?

AlW · Post by **AlW** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 4:56 pm

sylvan wrote: Al and I are in, who else

Thanks for volunteering me Sylvan. Our should that be voluntold. Peter has taught you well.

Just promise you'll pick a day that is dry and our water bottles won't freeze. Please.

Tripleshot Cycling