Cycling UK Forum

TrevA wrote:I think one of the conditions from national office was actually moving it away from York? Possibly to Harrogate?

I don't know, those that do aren't telling, the option to move it to Harrogate had been a rumour for several years, I'm not sure it came from national office, though they may have been in favour. Lets remember it would be moving it back to Harrogate

CTC/Cycling UK has changed, whatever you or I think about those changes it's a done deal, approved by the membership and without return.
It would seem a little odd if an event run in that name didn't reflect those changes and it wouldn't be the Rally I've been going to for 20 years.

PH wrote:However much you deride it, the event appeals to far more cyclists than York ever has.

You have evidence for that? The York Rally has had attendances of up to 30,000.

pete75 wrote:

PH wrote:However much you deride it, the event appeals to far more cyclists than York ever has.

You have evidence for that? The York Rally has had attendances of up to 30,000.

Last years Eroica had over 40,000, google your own evidence if you want to quibble

PH wrote:

pete75 wrote:

PH wrote:However much you deride it, the event appeals to far more cyclists than York ever has.

You have evidence for that? The York Rally has had attendances of up to 30,000.

Last years Eroica had over 40,000, google your own evidence if you want to quibble

40,000 cyclists or 500 cyclists and 39500 who drove there?

I can appreciate how you think York is for elderly fuddy duddies and the Eroica for you bright young things but leave us to get on with our stuff and you get on with your stuff. Just because more people attend an event doesn't mean it's better. By the way I wasn't deriding teh Eroica just saying it has less class and style than the original in Italy.

Back to Harrogate eh? Run by head office?

My mother attended the event, in York, run by York DA in the late 1950's.

The event at Harrogate was not any incarnation of the 'York' event, I attended that, it was almost entirely about racing.

HO and commercial interests did take on a lot of Rally stuff around the turn of the century but it was the local DA still supplying most of the volunteer force and it is to them that the reborn event owes it's existence.

If you want tea parties, pop bands and poppinjay hipsters by all means go to Eroica GB but apart from inflated prices there is no draw for most leisure cyclists. The attendees are for the most part now not actually interested in the bikes or cycling.

There are certainly things that could be done to attract more people to the Rally and all of us on here can play our part. For example an event weekend sportive and accompanying shorter family rides - that's real rides with a gong - kids love gongs. How about getting a lightweight camping exhibition on site? Some fun skills based events that everyone could take part in? How about other DA's or cycling clubs getting involved?

pete75 wrote:

PH wrote:

pete75 wrote:You have evidence for that? The York Rally has had attendances of up to 30,000.

Last years Eroica had over 40,000, google your own evidence if you want to quibble

40,000 cyclists or 500 cyclists and 39500 who drove there?

Quibble all you want, there were no shortage of cars in the rally car park and as usual the caravans and motorhomes outnumbered the cycle campers several times over. So what?
The appeal of York Rally, to cyclists and retailers, is not a mass market and no amount of re tweeting or advertising is going to change that. I like York Rally, it's my sort of event, it's my sort of cycling, the organisers have a good understanding of who it appeals to and do a good job of promoting it to them. But in much the same way as member groups don't attract the numbers road clubs do, the rally won't attract as many as events catering for the fashionable end of cycling.

pete75 wrote: leave us to get on with our stuff and you get on with your stuff. Just because more people attend an event doesn't mean it's better. By the way I wasn't deriding teh Eroica just saying it has less class and style than the original in Italy.

My stuff? you're not reading are you? I've already stated I choose York over Eroica. And where do I say more people going makes something better? it makes it more popular, obviously.
The choices are to accept it only has limited appeal, or change it to attract other types of cyclists. I'd prefer the former, though accept the later may be more viable.

foxyrider wrote:Back to Harrogate eh? Run by head office?

I was alluding to the inaugural meeting of the Bicycle Touring Club in 1878, you maybe missed the smilie.

There are certainly things that could be done to attract more people to the Rally and all of us on here can play our part. For example an event weekend sportive and accompanying shorter family rides - that's real rides with a gong - kids love gongs. How about getting a lightweight camping exhibition on site? Some fun skills based events that everyone could take part in? How about other DA's or cycling clubs getting involved?

There are, but IMO adding things like a Sportive will change the event. I'm not sure what form a camping exhibition would take, I can't imagine major retailers being interested unless it was to a bigger audience.
I think the other stuff is pretty much already being done, there were BC organised kids rides, the rides program this year (the best I've seen) catered for families.

PH wrote: But in much the same way as member groups don't attract the numbers road clubs do, the rally won't attract as many as events catering for the fashionable end of cycling.

So what?

pete75 wrote:

PH wrote: But in much the same way as member groups don't attract the numbers road clubs do, the rally won't attract as many as events catering for the fashionable end of cycling.

So what?

Exactly, so what?
Would you like to actually read my posts and tell me what it is you disagree with?
I've made no criticism of anything, neither have I made a claim any one thing being better than another.
I've simply given my opinion that some sorts of cycling events appeal to a wider group of participants than others and my belief that this will remain the case regardless of the amount of publicity. It was also in part disagreeing with the implication this was somehow the fault of national office. You seem to have taken great offence at me saying one event has more appeal than another, first deriding it, then questioning the numbers, followed by criticising those who drove there. None of which has any bearing on what I said.

The new Rally is great, but look at the market, you could start with the average age! It's not a criticism, I'm within that demographic, but you're mistaken if you think it'll ever appeal to the crowds that went to Eroica the weekend before. Or compare it to Mildenhall, which is centered around cycling as sport and that is where the new popularity of cycling is, however many talks CJ gives to the converted.

PH wrote:

pete75 wrote:

PH wrote: But in much the same way as member groups don't attract the numbers road clubs do, the rally won't attract as many as events catering for the fashionable end of cycling.

So what?

Exactly, so what?

So why go on about it? You made it seem a big issue and now it appears you don't give a fig about the relative numbers.

PH wrote:

TrevA wrote:I think one of the conditions from national office was actually moving it away from York? Possibly to Harrogate?

I don't know, those that do aren't telling, the option to move it to Harrogate had been a rumour for several years, I'm not sure it came from national office, though they may have been in favour. Lets remember it would be moving it back to Harrogate .

Surely, the York Rally has always been in York, hasn't it?

http://yorkrally.org/history/

The thing in Harrogate was the Harrogate Festival of Cycling. I went in 1975 or 76. As has been said, mostly about racing, though there was a show in one of the exhibition halls.

Here's what some of it looked like.


Lightweight camp site.


One of the side shows.


Hitting the road again on Monday morning.

Tinnishill wrote:Here's what some of it looked like.

P1.JPG
Lightweight camp site.

P2.JPG
One of the side shows.

P3.JPG
Hitting the road again on Monday morning.

ah a Brompton tourer

Tinnishill wrote:Here's what some of it looked like.

My tent