PT1029 wrote: ↑19 May 2022, 6:46am
Our local CUK group rides are free. [...] You also pay you membership fee I suppose, but that is pretty much in line with what you'd pay for other similar types of organisation.
So not free at all, then. CUK membership fee is in line with British Cycling, but far higher than most local cycling groups.
rareposter wrote: ↑19 May 2022, 6:57am
AlanD wrote: ↑19 May 2022, 3:44am
what am I getting out of this, apart from a couple of cheap freebies, a medal I don’t need and some strangers cheering when I finish?
A researched/risk assessed route.
Signage.
A gpx file.
Feed stations.
Mechanical support.
A broom wagon and first aid provision.
Event insurance.
Some sort of "memory" of the day be that photos, medal, certificate, goodie bag...
Riding with other people you wouldn't normally meet, potentially riding in an area you might not normally visit.
Taking each of these in turn:
the risk assessment is usually generic and very few sportives check the route on the day for hazards that can appear overnight (such as debris washed onto roads);
the signage is usually left up for months afterwards until locals tire of it or the highway litter-cleaners notice it;
plenty of gpx files online;
Feed stations are usually full of junk food, often without allergen labelling;
Mechanical support is highly variable depending on whether a local mechanic has been conned into providing free services in return for a sponsor credit;
broom wagon and first aid provision are also not always extensive;
Event insurance usually has so many exclusions that it covers the event organisers well while participants are left exposed;
The mementoes are usually cheap tat;
And you won't often be riding with other people you don't know because the 200 or whatever will be spread thin over a long route and it's very unusual for groups to form who don't already know each other, and you could always visit that area another time.
You haven't said what event it is but some events might have a section of closed road or private road you wouldn't normally get to ride on.
Again, depending on the event, some will have some stuff going on at event HQ - decent refreshments, showers, a few trade stalls, a connection to a charity...
To me, riding closed or private roads, or a good show at the finish (and I mean something like music or movies, not a few trade stalls) is one of the few reasons to take part.
PH wrote: ↑19 May 2022, 11:43am
If it's a professional event you're paying for staff, that's probably where the majority of your entry fee goes.
So why do the "professional" events keep trying to get volunteers to do the boring bits like marshalling? Even RideLondon does that and the others I've seen locally definitely do, often partnering with a local
bunch of suckers Cycling UK Affiliate Group.