stanion

In 2019 there was explicit support for transferring Dirty Kanza entries ("Event registrations may be transferred, if done so before the deadline of May 1, 2019."). I was just looking at the 2020 registration page, and it says "Event registrations may not be transferred to another individual."

That is weird. They're not going to have a full race in that case, unless they oversell it based on a projection of no shows.

https://dirtykanza.com/dk200-dk100-dk50-dk25/

wheelsmcgee

Transferring tickets is a bad business. Think scalping. The lottery helps mitigate that, but even with the lottery, what’s stopping a non-rider from trying to get in a registration and then sell it for an easy $100 profit (or more) in late April?

I don’t know if it’s a new policy, but I noticed you can apply for a 1 year deferral if you can’t make the race. I think that’s plenty fair.

wsteve464

I think it is a good change, makes sure the registrants really want to go, also eliminates someone who wants to go and gets a bunch of friends to register who don't want to go and transferring the ticket. Reduces administration costs making the transfer changes.


Only thing I would add to the new rules is a waiting list, if you can't make it is you get a refund less a service fee and that spot goes to the next person on the waiting list

stanion

These are good points. There must have been some abuse last year.

mstateglfr 

How is a waiting list different from a transfer?
Seems like a difference without distinction to me.

mstateglfr 

I love the idea of being able to transfer most anything that's purchased for an event in the future.

Concert tickets, sports event, bike race, etc.
It helps ensure participation numbers and recognizes that life happens and sometimes people's plans must change.

A transfer fee is quite reasonable since new rider information must be entered. And a waiting list is quite reasonable for an event like DK where there are more applications that spots available. It's all randomly chosen(supposedly and for the most part) as is, so continuing the lottery selection into a waiting list would be simple. Ensure the transfer fee more than covers admin work, and what's the harm?

wsteve464

Well lets say there are 200 spots for riders. You and your X# of buddies conspire to get you a spot one of them gets in the top 200 you are at the bottom of the pile at spot 600 he transfers the ticket to you. Instead he can't transfer the ticket to a person of his choice he gets his money back as he doesn't want to go and with a waiting list your buddies ticket goes the guy in spot 201.

Marcus_Ti

Catch being lots of people sign up--get in...and then have life-problems with work or health/injury or sheer lack of training. Permitting transfers means that no-show slots get used by people who want them. Especially when your friend Bill got in--but you didn't, and Bill is happy to pass on his bib# to you. Deferring is great--if you can plan your life a full calendar year out.

It sounds a great deal like they're wanting to clamp down on the size of the field....because that is what this will do.


They already have other legalese in place to cover scalpers.

wheelsmcgee

I think that would be pretty fair. Main issue I could see there is that DK (at least the 200) requires a lot training and preparation, and for many, significant travel arrangements. If a wait-lister finds out less than a month from race day that they got in, that doesn’t exactly leave them much time to get ready. Of course the deadline to drop could be a few months before race day, but then it doesn’t really help registrants that have a legit injury or emergency close to race day. Anyway, just speculating...maybe the organizers just didn’t want the hassle of dealing with managing a wait list?

mstateglfr 

Totally agree- I mentioned a waiting list as a great option.

Just thought it a bit funny to not like transferring, but suggest a type of transferring.

Really though, a wait list would be neat and a fee to offset costs would be reasonable too.

srode1

It keeps people from having friends stuff the ballot box for the lottery for them, and sell off any extra entries they might get. Sounds like a good plan to me.

shoota 

DK has gone completely corporate. More corporate policies (and prices) coming to a gravel race near you (Big Sugar).

Marcus_Ti

Gravel World's signup is now live....Was thinking of doing Privateer (AKA halfsy).....$90USD. Call it $100 with BikeReg fees.

And of course there's no SAG and all food is on you....and you get a t-shirt and a 75 mile bike ride for one day? For $100USD.

shoota 

On open public roads.

Metieval

No sag, no food, Public roads, I'll just ride for free. . . Oh wow you all doing a ride today too? Cool!

mstateglfr 

I didnt realize this is a thing. If it is happening to the extent that the organizer feels the need to adjust entry rules, then I understand the change.
...I still think a lottery based waiting list with fee to transfer would benefit everyone. More participation and more revenue.

biketampa

I'd certainly be curious how big a problem it is or if it's reacting to something that may have occurred a handful of times. I can definitely see people signing up not knowing for sure if they will race knowing that they could easily transfer. I think the "more revenue" thing gets tricky IMO when a gravel bike event gets big and starts working to turn a big profit when the race is self-supported. I'm definitely trying to get into DK 200 this year just to do it as everybody seems to love it.

edthesped

I would have loved to be able to get a transfer ticket last year as I was unable to even enter the lottery, I'm assuming it had to do with our firewall at work. I'm an East Coaster with a kid at K-State and it would have been nice to tie the pick up from the end of the school year with a slot in the DK.. As it was, I couldn't even get a transfer. Hopefully this year I'll have better luck.

biketampa

I assume they’ll sell all the spots. Even if they have a few 100 no shows it will still be a huge event.

ksryder

I don't think it was actually a problem. I think Lifetime just doesn't want anyone else making money off this. Possibly coupled with overly-cautious attorneys and/or insurance people.

If you looked at the unofficially-official transfer thread over on RidingGravel, there would be a few people here and there who would offer to pay extra for a ticket, but I don't recall seeing people trying to sell tickets above face value. I'm sure it happened, I just didn't see it much.

It's no coincidence that, after years of allowing transfers, suddenly it's no longer allowed after getting bought by Lifetime. It also jives with everything else I've seen in person from this company. They're going hard at Official DK Branding (TM)©® everything they can and squeezing every last dime out of this thing that they can.

I'm glad I did it when I did, but I'm done with it now.