Tripleshot Cycling

Is it just me or are there more race cancellations this year than have occurred in past years? I don't recall ever seeing so many once popular events going down at the last minute due to costs or, unbelievably, lack of interest / registration. I was hoping to race in Steveston this weekend as that has always been a great crit but sadly that isn't going to take place.

http://www.stevestoncommunitysociety.co ... eSpin.html

I also noted what seems to be lower participation at most races I attended earlier this year compared to last year. Entries for the the Bastion Square crit were down about 25% for all categories. The men's cat 4 race had less than half compared to 2010. I know it can't be an issue of lack of interest as crowds at the races have been good and we somehow manage to have a large helping of keen and talented juniors coming through our ranks. Racing season's pretty much done this Wednesday, Latoria being the last mass start VCL race of the year. Has it been the weather?

Anyone else have a take on this?

R

I think Bastion was hurt by the lack of the Sooke Road Race the day before. If you look at the results from previous years, Bastion always has better attendance when it's part of a double header. Cycling BC not allowing citizens to race Cat 4 also hurt. But, if you look at the women's races, it was the biggest Cat 4 women's race I've ever seen. The Cat 1/2/3 women also had a large field. So did the Men 1/2.

Judging from the turnout at the VCL and Spring Series I think road cycling is doing just fine.

I think the problem is the big races are a hard sell to the lower level racers. For $10 you get a great VCL race, or for $50 you get a 30 minute crit race full of people who are forced to sandbag by Cycling BC.

Roland wrote:... it was the biggest Cat 4 women's race I've ever seen. The Cat 1/2/3 women also had a large field. So did the Men 1/2.

Not to nitpick but there were nine cat 4 women this year and ten last, so it was about the same. Also the elite men's race was down 12 riders from last year. Not a huge drop considering the size of the field but big enough.

I think the problem is the big races are a hard sell to the lower level racers. For $10 you get a great VCL race, or for $50 you get a 30 minute crit race full of people who are forced to sandbag by Cycling BC.

As always, good point. Now that I think about it more, racing and training opportunities appear to have grown over the years, at least on the Island. I think TS has played a not-so-insignificant role in that development. Even non-racers can get a 'spirited' workout six out of seven days of the week. And I forgot to mention that the re-opening of the track has been a huge benefit to that trend.

So I guess what I am noticing is an avoidance of UCI or CBC sanctioned racing in favour of club-based events. I think Lister might have an opinion about this. *nudge*

R

I for one didn't do Bastion due to the Tour De Victoria. I would guess there where a few folks in that same category. Racing VCL out in Langford with 20 other newbies is one thing...but racing downtown with Cat4s coming from Vancouver is whole different ball game. Add the tired legs from the Ryder ride and it made it an easy choice for me. They have moved the TdV to a later date next year.

RyanC wrote:

Roland wrote:... it was the biggest Cat 4 women's race I've ever seen. The Cat 1/2/3 women also had a large field. So did the Men 1/2.

Not to nitpick but there were nine cat 4 women this year and ten last, so it was about the same. Also the elite men's race was down 12 riders from last year. Not a huge drop considering the size of the field but big enough.

I think the problem is the big races are a hard sell to the lower level racers. For $10 you get a great VCL race, or for $50 you get a 30 minute crit race full of people who are forced to sandbag by Cycling BC.

As always, good point. Now that I think about it more, racing and training opportunities appear to have grown over the years, at least on the Island. I think TS has played a not-so-insignificant role in that development. Even non-racers can get a 'spirited' workout six out of seven days of the week. And I forgot to mention that the re-opening of the track has been a huge benefit to that trend.

So I guess what I am noticing is an avoidance of UCI or CBC sanctioned racing in favour of club-based events. I think Lister might have an opinion about this. *nudge*

R

Of course! The new citizen license restrictions must have made a difference. It's been a hassle for me as a coach just to understand how they will be treated. (Still don't fully get it. I've defaulted to "get a uci license". )

Other indicators suggest interest is up. The Cycling BC youth road and track camps at Burnaby were sold out- we got turned away. Steve Lund's junior road program seems bigger than ever. Gran fondo's are huge. Maybe conventional race organizers are discouraged to be organizing for peanuts when the GF's have grabbed the sponsorship and big entry fees?

I do have strong opinions on calendar policy. I don't think a provincial race every weekend is necessary or helpful, despite what the riders on a roll eager to cash in on their form think. There should be a plan for what a good calendar looks like, based on athlete development principles, with incentives to organizers to help make that happen. Cycling BC's current policy is more hands off, 'here's the application form' sort of thing. (Though they have been more encouraging with TS rescuing a BC TT champs, no-one sent a note saying, "Have you considered doing the TT champs" when no club came forward in the winter.)

For eg, why not really go after a provincial series of twice a month, vs the fill-every-weekend in the spring until everyone's exhausted? Pick BC teams (at least partly) from standings? Offer an overall prize list?

Even locally, I think VCL could alternate beginner and 'pro' weeks, A and B one week, C and D the next. Would keep people hungrier. But it would require a more intentional effort to go out and find beginner riders and bring them in. The current system is pretty much catering to who shows up, not who we would like to show up.

Maybe the 'race for every category' model is a limiting factor. Triathlon has had much of it's success because the elite and the age groupers can enjoy the same event, and the organizers can make money. Certainly riding a GF is usually be a better experience than getting blown of the back of 10 or 20 cat 4's and riding by yourself.

Not sure that works for youth tho. I think they need to race peers, and most sports keep kids in 1 or two year age groups. Maybe a 6-8 race BC Cup series should be conventional categories to see how you measure up mano a mano, and otherwise do GF's? And maybe GF's could be 75 to 100 km, so they are not so much like Randonneur events, and better for beginners and youth.

I do think it's worrying to lose Yaletown and Steveston. I heard Yaletown was not just registrations. Worth finding out more.

I agree that the problem might be too many options, some of which are so expensive they may well be having a negative influence on others, but I think it's important to add that we have something special with the VCL. Let's not suggest that the people involved with that should bear the additional responsibility of bringing up the C and D racers. In fact, I think Triple Shot is doing a wonderful job of that four times a week.

Something related (maybe a very bad idea) that might get more people out: What about two (or more) TS teams? We already have the kits. Is it possible our expansion has discouraged others? I haven't heard that this is the case but perhaps we wouldn't be the first to know. Also, do you think that Greg and Brian and I could beat Alan and Jeff and Kevin, or Peter and Dylan and Brad, or etc., etc. We could find out, though maybe tomorrow evening isn't the best time to start such a thing. For group harmony, if such a thing was pursued, it might be best to pick new teams each race.

JT

RyanC wrote: Not to nitpick but there were nine cat 4 women this year and ten last, so it was about the same.

Not to nitpick the nitpick, but I see 11.

Roland wrote: Not to nitpick the nitpick, but I see 11.

Ha, I saw the photo and confess and apparently I can't seem to count. Still, Duane's results tell me someone got cold feet on the starting line.

http://duanebc.com/raceresults2011/Bast ... encat4.htm

Regardless, I like the discussion this post has created and I am now convinced VCL and TS have collectively put pressure on CBC to perhaps follow Lister's suggestions. Seeing the demise of the traditional calendar format based upon blind leadership is looking better to me all the time, especially when we see rider development being the core impetus of the shift. I like it a lot.
R

Just to chime in and, I am a newbie, but I have years of experience with other forms of racing sports and road racing bikes is no different nor are the concerns of those posting here... All of these sports suffer from the same affliction which is a steady progression from simple organized events that attract participants with wide ranges of abilities, with wide ranges of relatively cheap equipment and low cost fees to more complex events, increased skill levels and elevated costs.
Don't get me wrong, the evolution of how we get there isn't the problem but the focus always has to be on bringing new bodies to the events. Low cost, entry level classes have to remain the priority otherwise the inevitable happens which is what you're eluding to here. It's very easy to get caught up in the progression of the sport for those that are currently involved but it does come to an end if not properly managed.

Watch out, Jimmy, or someone will get you onto a Board of Something!

First off, I think one lady crashed out of the cat4 race.

As well, I agree with Jimmy in that we need low cost, entry level races. I know I am really attracted to the vcl races and the Windsor park crit, because of how friendly they are to juniors and to relative novices. At winsor park last weekend, I got stuck behind a crash in the c race, and even though I didnt get hurt or have any mechanical issues, I still got a free lap, so I was much more able to get my money's worth in the race. (even though it was free for the juniors)

It's this kind of community race that I enjoy, because I don't have the fitness to race at a high level, but if they can hook people to the cheap and cheerful races, then they can/will charge kore for higher level races.