>Simply raise the price.<
I think this is a bad idea. In a past life, I raced bicycles from about 1986
until 1998, including 3 seasons full-time. Bike racing enjoyed a "hay day"
around 1990 very similar to what is happening in Solo2 right now. During the
hay day of bicycle racing, we had to pre-register for every event, and "field
limits" were reached in every category. At this time, standard race entry fees
were from about $6 to $12. For example, District (like divisionals)
championships required a $6 entry fee. When things got so popular, entry fees
quickly escalated to the $25 range.
Here's where it gets interesting. Two things happened to effectively make
"grass roots" bicycle racing a mere shadow of it's former glory. One: egos and
attitude problems got REALLY big on the part of racers and organizers (mainly
the racers though). And two: Insurance troubles as well as problems procuring
decent sites caused many organizers to drop out. Therefore the number of
available races in our area dropped significantly within 1-2 seasons. Now,
here we are 10 years later. Field sizes are still pretty pathetic. Juniors
racing is basically non-existent. A lot of traveling is required to attend
available races. And finally, ENTRY FEES ARE STILL $25. Doesn't sound like
much compared to Solo2 dollars, but a good bike racer is pretty much required
to compete at least once or twice a week in order to maintain fitness.
Personally, I think the best way to continue the healthy growth of Solo2 is to
strive to get people involved in event organization, organize more events,
remember that we are doing this for FUN, RESPECT event organizers, and KEEP IT
CHEAP.
-Brad
(this shouldn't happen to two hobbies in the same life time...)
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