MTB races being cancelled

The Bristol Oktoberfest and the Hadleigh night race have both been cancelled through lack of interest / entries.

A sign of the times I think. Very sad. Once they're gone I can't imagine they'll be re-run for a while.

SP

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Yes. Interest seems to be slowing down again. Sad

I think the coverage road cycling is getting in the press/media probably isn't helping. I guess generally people just aren't interested in organised competition, still see plenty of people around on mountain bikes...

I think that given that shops are finding it hard, events are struggling on the road as well, coverage of the sport is getting a half hearted mention (apart from an honourable exception for ITV4) we may be past peak bike...

Certainly I think we are past the high water of MAMIL-dom. Maybe now all of us who have always cycled seriously can just go & shave our legs and be at peace, back in our weird mis-understood niche.

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Is it down to lack of time or interest? Distance to travel to get to events? Is it the slow decline of a particular generation? Aside of the big international events, has the media lost interest? Is the media more concerned in perpetuating the negativity to which cyclists are subject to? Aside of the continued 'niche' successes of Team GB riders, was the London 2012 boom and Tour de France depart in Britain the top of the peak?

For me, I'm stuck in a joyless routine of commuting and getting commitments dealt with. I virtually live on my bike but there's no recreational or competition riding involved. I'd love to participate in some group rides and get to some meets and festival events and races but it's having the time and the ability to get to them, plus domestic commitments too.

Living in London, there's many cyclists on the road. It's a mixed bag but it's mostly people on road bikes, fixies and SS. There are mountain bikes in there but modern day. I'm glad to say I'm seeing more and more women getting into riding and I'm seeing less of the MAMILS around. There's still an annoying number of Rapha clad alpha males cutting everyone up though. Think the MAMILS just weekend ride out of town now. There's also people who aren't cyclists who are using bikes to get around (including Boris bikes) and they have no idea how to ride or behave on the roads :x

Round my local way, one up market roadie shop "Le Peleton" has closed down. There's fierce opposition to proposed new cycle routes too. The LBS "Bike Boutique" concentrates on repairs and has a sideline business as a cafe, often turning up at local food markets and festivals running a coffee stall. Diversification in order to survive.

On my way home through London last Friday night, I chanced upon the gathering of Critical Mass at Southbank, ready for their demo outside Fabric, the nightclub that's been closed down because it's keeping the new neighbours awake. It was a great scene to behold at dusk on the cultural side of the Thames riverside: skaters, fixies, roadies, road warriors, couriers, mountain bikers, retro bikers, beat box sound systems, everbody – the spirit was well and truly alive. Kind of reminded me of the days of Carter USM.

Thinks its mostly just the great circle of life - perhaps less focus on the "race" part would help. Lots of the national road sportif event series seems to be surviving, I just think its time for the old fashioned races to move with the times. Look at the gravel sportif's springing up. Old skool rigid Mountain biking in everything but name, and bike.

The more things change the more they stay the same...

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Tell you what, I did my first race in years last year and was genuinely shocked at the entry price, maybe it was "Enduro Tax" but if I'd done all the races that season, plus travelling costs, plus probably staying overnight at a few of the further flung races, it would all have cost the same as a family holiday :shock:

Now I absolutely ******* love the sport of MTB, but I can't justify the costs and time involved in racing regularly.

Or maybe I'm just out of touch.... when it used to be a fiver to enter a local cross race

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Look at the entry costs of most big organised charity rides too. There's the basic entry fee plus a minimum amount required to be raised for charity. Considered the Ride London 100 and thought it's just too much on top of everything else, plus the event now seems to be too big for itself and over-subscribed. Wished I'd done it in 2012 though.

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I think it's the general pattern of leisure activity: more spontaneous and requiring less investment in time. Golf is down 25% in 10 years, I see sailing boats waay down in price, my own sailing club survives increasingly by sailing instruction.

Yet camper vans are at silly prices.

MTB racing always seems to be exclusive and does little to include newcomers...I've ridden MTBs for 25 years and still feel fearful bout racing! It also demands a lot of time and money to travel to events. Yet Sportives seem to do well (even if I avoid them like the plague having done a couple).