Originally Posted by
aaronmcd
This isn't a participation sport. The point of a bike race is to win.
I can't understand why they pay anyone, 1/2 categories included.
I've spent maybe 30-50 grand on bike racing over the past few years. Bikes, bike parts, lots of gas, lots of entry fees, double the calories of a sedentary person,
I've spent well over 100 grand in time at my current pay rate. Maybe 200.
I've won 3 crits (cat 4, cat 4, cat 2/3), a circuit race (cat 3/4), a road race (cat 3), and a couple track nights (cat 4).
That amounts to me paying $30,000 for each win. Why oh why would anyone except the very top guys who win all the time care about a few hundred bucks payout? I got 3rd one time after a 60 mile break was caught by 5 guys. They gave me an envelope with $10 in it. If they gave me $500 it wouldn't outweigh being caught 10 minutes from the line, and that was cat 4.
Yup. This. There are some that can make enough from traditional payouts to cover their entry costs throughout the year and sometimes even a little more but it never covers all the gear, etc.
It is is truly ridiculous when looked at and actually thought about.
I always made it a personal rule to make the lowest pay out at least was more than the entry price. Even then payouts were always my largest expense for a race (second to cops).
It is comon for a run of the mill crit to have $3k in payouts and only be paying $20-$30 for 3rd and only paying the top 3. For a race with overall expenditures and inputs being in the $7k total range... it’s not sustainable. This is with $30-$40 reg feels too.
Top thia off with trying to gwt someone new interrested in trying a race. “Yup that’s $25 to race for 25 minutes as a cat 5. Oh and you need a $15 1-day license as well. So $50 please and don’t come crying to me when you get pulled on the 3rd lap because you had no idea how fast it was and weren’t even remotely prepared. Thanks for the $50, get off my course and don’t let the door hit you in the ass.” - this just is ridiculous. Something has to change and the payouts is the thing that makes the most sense.
That said something like 58% of our licenses racers in Illinois are male and masters racers. I’ve watched CEO’s of $100M+ companies argue with each other after a race about their payout splits within the team. Ego. Self absorption. That is this sport to a T.
To the few who who are young and actually trying to make a go of it: I apologize. I wish we could figure this stuff out.