Sportive entry costs

I agree, but things are sold on how much people will pay, not based on how much they cost. That's capitalism for you. That's why people who sell mobile phone ringtones are multi-millionaires.

If you can sell a sportive at £60 and it sells out, the two messages are (a) organise another one, and (b) charge more!

i'd happily pay to ride a sportive on closed roads (assuming they stay closed, unlike the Etape Cymru this year) but to pay someone for the pleasure of riding open roads is something i'll continue to avoid doing, especially as the prices are extortionate when compared to similar yet considerably better organised events on the Continent

also i don't mind pouring over a map to work out an enjoyable route, which is something you're paying a sportive organiser to do for you if you can't be bothered with that, a 'trail-centre' mentality for roadies if you will, although some of the routes they've chosen in areas i know well have left a lot to be desired, often using main roads where quieter roads run parallel

bear in mind that a lot of sportive riders haven't come up through, or don't want to be a part of 'club culture' and don't know how easy it is to go for a ride with other cyclists for free and spend a sportive entry fee on a huge amount of cake halfway round the ride

I've done some sportives based around the New Forest through UK Cycling Events (.co.uk I think) and they generally cost in the mid-twenties.

One cost more, but included the novelty of a return ferry trip (to the Isle of Wight), so tagging the ferry fare onto the cost seemed reasonable.

These are on open roads, though. But £60 sounds like an awful lot to me.... I must admit I'd have to think twice about that. If the route sounded nice enough I'd probably try to get hold of a gpx file and ride it on my own another day.

hi
i do know the £61 sportive is in october and is run on closed roads,\and is run by the same company that does the etape caledonia, which sold out in 2 weeks over 5000 cyclists entered it, including me,2nd time. the thing is you either pay it or you dont its your choice, but people pay 30 to 40 poud=nd to ride on open roads so £61 is not that bad to ride on trffic free roads,