This has baffled me for a while. I’ve attended a number of races and seen the (generously donated of course!) prizes given to winners. Generally, pumps, helmets and frequently, large size clothing.
Thing is, to get to the point where you can podium I betting you’ll have a decent shed of bike bits. These prizes are frequently passed on or sold. I’ve done well on the 2nd hand market with track pumps and a unnamed friend who’s damn fast keeps all our partners in helmets.
What would people at the sharp end prefer? Do you like the bike bits lottery? Would you prefer a Waitrose voucher? Bottle of bubbly? Custom T-shirt?
A bottle of scotch of my choice and a commemorative engraved tumbler. That'd do nicely, not that I'm in that winning echelon in the real world.
Depends why you race.
I had a good run one cx season.Never could be arsed waiting round for the presentations,I just assumed it went back in the kitty.Eventually was accosted by one of the series organisers in the car park with an envelope stuffed with cash.Was a bit embarrassing tbh.
The thing is that most prizes are provided by the trade as ‘sponsorship’ ..... So you get bike bits.
I would of thought bike bits as prizes would of come from the sponsors of the event ... generally bike brands or shops. Anything else the event organiser wanted to offer would be a cost to the event and ultimately reflected in the cost of entry.
So I guess the question is if all these things are of no value to the winners then do they want them at all or can we dispense with wasted goods and those on the podium just go home happy with the result 🙂
If you do win stuff, whatever you do, even if you don't need, want, or have any use for it, don't try and sell it on, you monster.
😉
More events should be sponsored by GSK.
😀
More events should be sponsored by GSK
Woo! Free out of date Lucozade!
Some seem to have loads of sponsors and loads of spot prizes given out to half the people that attended regardless of podium.
Please can I have a moan about kids and youth prizes?
Last event we entered the youth lot paid the same as adults.
Adults win helmet, jacket etc.
Youth got a mug and buff thing.
Previous race to be fair kids and youth were half adult price.
Adults win nice helmets, nice jacket, spot prizes of similar.
My son won youth and got a water bottle that's so cheap it leaks.
Blatant profiteering going on here.
tomhoward - Member
More events should be sponsored by GSK
Woo! Free out of date Lucozade!
Not any more. Owned by the Japanese company Suntory.
It's now got half the sugar it use to. Doesn't get white van man quite so sugar rushed angry.
I suggest you organise a race and decide the prize pot, that way you will understand why the prizes are what they are
Women's/girls prizes should be the same as male prizes regardless
Women's/girls prizes should be the same as male prizes regardless
Agreed.
My eldest placed first youth, and would have been third in men's. Still got a water bottle when third men's got a helmet.
Not any more. Owned by the Japanese company Suntory.
Hence 'out of date'... 😉
My mate won a bike race in Kent. His prize was a free hair cut.
At a hairdressers in Lancashire.
I suggest you organise a race and decide the prize pot, that way you will understand why the prizes are what they are
You realise that it’s possible to discuss an issue without immediately having a defensive huff?
I know how hard it is to organise races, quite frankly I don’t have the passion that is needed to do it. It’s a reasonable question to ask, nothing is free, sponsors want the best publicity and the most entrants. Prizes that people desire and covet need not be expensive.
I’ve put my money into plenty of races and I always make damn sure I thank everyone involved and take someone else’s litter home.
In 1987 I won the 17 and under boys Northern Ireland Orienteering Championships in Derry. Had travelled 200 miles from Dublin. Prize was a small crudely hand-painted ashtray.
Women's/girls prizes should be the same as male prizes regardless
Should this be in relation to male v female entry numbers or exactly the same regardless of how many women enter? So, if only one woman enters compared to 100 men and she comes 70th, should she get exactly the same prize as the 1st place man?
Mrs did a little duathlon in Whinlatter today. Prize was some chocolate and a free parking permit for another visit. This was great and much more appreciated than a medal. £15 entry, free parking today and now free parking for another visit (usually £6 a pop) makes it a very cheap day out biking for the family (I took the boys out whilst she was racing). Very happy customer!
Local cx league is very generous with prize money so with four of us racing we sometimes come out cost neutral. However I appreciate cx is generally cheaper and easier to organise than mtb.
For local mtb races we'd rather cheap entry and minimal prizes. Expensive entry and big prizes generally results in fewer racers and organisers struggling to break even.
Some folk on here would argue she should get the 2nd and 3rd place prizes as well, you know for equality and to poke the patriarchy in the eye.So, if only one woman enters compared to 100 men and she comes 70th, should she get exactly the same prize as the 1st place man?
Some folk on here would argue she should get the 2nd and 3rd place prizes as well, you know for equality and to poke the patriarchy in the eye.
Only 20% of my household is male - me! - so I had to check the boss's opinion before asking that question. 😆
My club was criticised in print by a very famous ex-pro for only giving jelly babies as prizes to all the kids taking part in U12. The ex-pro in question seemed to think that when she won each week we should have given her a proper prize despite the fact that entry was free for U12s.
I’d rather have some non specific vouchers.
I’ve won mostly useless junk over the years for various podiums and wins, only 2 prizes stick out from memory - a bunch of Hope vouchers for winning a series & a couple of hundred quids worth of shop vouchers ( which I forgot about and the shop subsequently shut down) 🙄
I’ve won mostly useless junk over the years for various podiums and wins, only 2 prizes stick out from memory - a bunch of Hope vouchers for winning a series & a couple of hundred quids worth of shop vouchers ( which I forgot about and the shop subsequently shut down)
I had a load of vouchers like that! From the Welsh XC Series.
Won some tyres once at a Mountain Mayhem, they eventually got sold on here as I was obliged to be on another brand due to a part-sponsorship deal that the club had.
and a unnamed friend
Seems odd. What do you write on his Christmas card ?
I certainly don't have a shed full of bike bits, and stuff I've won is usually appreciated. An exposure rear light won at a day night Enduro is the pick of the bunch. A park tools track pump gets lots of use too. Various L or XL tops and t-shirts when I'm a M at best isn't useful though. Various and random pairs of grips and stuff that doesn't fit me or my bike get donated to my nephew or his mates.
I once won a £6 voucher for winning a junior race, second place got £4, and third £2. The annoying thing was that the year before we got these lovely little medals, and that year I got lots of 2nd and 3rd places, but never 1st, so no gold medal. Once I started winning we got rubbish prizes instead, and I've still never had a gold medal for anything 😥
Should this be in relation to male v female entry numbers or exactly the same regardless of how many women enter? So, if only one woman enters compared to 100 men and she comes 70th, should she get exactly the same prize as the 1st place man?
Male and female Categories are separate so the "where did she come in relation to the blokes" question is mute
Yes she would get the prize, and a podium picture, and asked to tell her mates and wherever she is on social media about the great time she had and the great prizes, and a nice email to the sponsor would be great to
She would not get second or third
For the naysayers, just ask yourself why the Hope women's enduro sells out yet most races struggle to get a decent female entry.
[quote=tomhoward ]
More events should be sponsored by GSK
Woo! Free out of date Lucozade!
Lucozade? I was thinking Ventolin
More events should be sponsored by GSK
if it was sponsored by [url= https://www.gbk.co.uk ]GBK[/url] i might actually put in a bit of training.
A completely out of fashion (and out of date) pair of DH tyres for winning an XC event in Norfolk was a particular high point.
Retail was about £80. Couldn't even sell them for £20.
Ended up giving them to a neighbour's kid to destroy on his BSO.
The strange thing is the prizes on the other side of the channel are quite strange, but easy to exchange for cash. i.e. a side of bacon. Or a 20 kilo block of cheese. You just sell them back to the supplier of the prize at ~50% of cost. Gets you another 50-100€ on top of whatever your prize money is.
I suggest you organise a race and decide the prize pot, that way you will understand why the prizes are what they are
He knows the score..
Last year he organised a crazy charity "£50 max bike" race event thing locally..
Yeah, it was amongst friends (some unnamed..) but I imagine organising that was like herding drunk..very drunk..and annoying..cats...
And I think that had prizes 😕
Beer and beef I think??
I managed to crash in complete style going over a speed bump in a pink Apollo. The full face helmet (!) Was much appreciated!!
Give the poor cherub a break 😆
DrP
We gave out free bike services for podium winners & service and pro bike fit for winners.
Stupid triathlon event though
The only time I’ve won anything bike related I loved the prize! I still use it almost daly, as its not something I would have stumped up the cash for myself, but is super useful.
There was the usual irony though of giving out lights to 24hr race winners- everyone on the podium has just spent 17hrs staring at the back of a set of lights in some form or other!
I once won a small stash of Torq gels and powder etc. Useful, but I was riding for Torq (not in elite!) and consequently had had my fill for free 🙂
I once won a small stash of Torq gels and powder etc. Useful, but I was riding for Torq (not in elite!) and consequently had had my fill for free
Were you the obnoxious rider who upset everyone one year at Mountain Mayhem? Still won't touch the brand because of him
Please can I have a moan about kids and youth prizes?Last event we entered the youth lot paid the same as adults.
Adults win helmet, jacket etc.
Youth got a mug and buff thing.Previous race to be fair kids and youth were half adult price.
Adults win nice helmets, nice jacket, spot prizes of similar.
My son won youth and got a water bottle that's so cheap it leaks.
Presumably the entry fee covered the venue, insurance, infrastructure, organisers wages, marshals tea and cake etc. The prizes then get donated by sponsors. Who themselves want maximum exposure and return on the investment, which means trying to get the top men's* field in their helmet or on their tyres so that the kids (or their parents) buy the same. Unfortunately I doubt the elite XC field is influenced much by the kit choices in the u5 balance bike slalom, so they win jelly babies and leaky water bottles.
On a related note, my SIS bottle wasn't cheap and still leaks because there aren't enough threads in the lid.
*sexist but often true
I think a lot of kids, as in under 12's, like the novelty prizes on offer, they certainly seem to enjoy the ginger bread medals and the like they get in our 'cross league.
Most I've won in a bike race is a bottle stuffed with torq sachets, fibrax bits and some other oddities, and that was for 3rd Masters at the Emergency Services Nationals not a lot but appreciated nonetheless.
When I was fishing, especially as a junior I was at the sharp end of things (pardon the pun) and due to the fact I was competing on both junior and senior levels up to National standard I had rather a lot of quality gear (helped by sponsorship & generous discounts at the local shop). So in matches and series when tackle prizes were on offer as a winner or at least top 3, you got to pick what you wanted and more often than not I just went for something small and left the larger prizes to be distributed to the lower placed and more often than not, not so well equipped guys.
I’d rather have a nice trophy than some ‘stuff’ I don’t want or need.
In my formative years when I was doing alright in the NPS in Sport I got some XS gloves, an XL DH jersey (from an XC series), some chocolate energy gels which had a month until expiry, a £5 pump, a cheap multi-tool, some cheap LED lights... it goes on. It does feel like sponsors clearing out their sale bin.
It all went on eBay/to friends/in the bin, would sooner have a nice bit of silverware for the shelf in the garage or the box in the loft (as they’re now resigned to). A voucher if you must provide a physical prize, but preferably not to one shop in the Scottish Borders given people travel to events.
Or socks. They’re always useful.
That said I have also won some carbon bars, a nice stem, some decent lights, that sort of thing. I’d sooner have one £50 prize than a big bag of tat.
And prizes should be equal for young’uns and teh wiminz.
There are great prizes on offer at some events .
Beers at the finish of Endurance / Enduros is a nice touch .
Tea mugs would be better than some plastic chinese bike reflectors that cost 72p and the shop would sell for £1.59.
Big Bike Bash has the best prizes, but there is a 'hands-full' rule, so if you win everything you only get 2 prizes, but you can sort of swap/ trade as you go. There was a Lezyne anodised track pump for pumping up an inner tube fastsest, thy are the wrong side of £70 usually.
At work we rarely get asked for donations , although Hargroves wanted a custom run of bottles for the QECP day/night bikefest but we couldnt get the pricepoint low enough as it was a small volume run of labels that would have needed hand applying.
I reckon there is enough money left over at most events of a better selection of prizes, but profit takes priority.
Lucozade? I was thinking Ventolin
I'd race for free Paxil.
Were you the obnoxious rider who upset everyone one year at Mountain Mayhem? Still won't touch the brand because of him
Not that quick. It was a 24/12 or similar, in mixed, and we won mixed by miles out of three teams 🙂
Don't tar the brand though. Matt of Torq drilled it home to everyone with a Torq shirt how important it was to be nice, he said it was far more important than winning. He worked very hard to promote a positive brand image. On the other hand, the rider in question IIRC was a short notice stand-in who only rode once. So if you want a good nice brand, Torq is it. It's not really far to boycott it for a cock-up when they are* in fact what you want of a company. The bad behaviour was not in any way endorsed or encouraged by the company, and the rider was not supported.
* or were - this was some time ago.
No Fuss used to be a real pain - you'd grind around for 24 hours and win a trophy, then they'd chuck out actual useful bike parts to all and sundry. Even the guys winning at this sort of race aren't sponsored to the level where a half decent bike part or tool will be sniffed at. The first year we got 2nd in Pairs though the trophy was excellent - a beautiful slate thing with a cast metal relief of some hills and "24".
The guys doing the Strathpuffer, on the other hand, are great at it. I've had a nice crystal glass and some mugs from the Dawn Raid, but with it a Haglofs waterproof, lights and so on. The waterproof I still wear now, 7 years on.
When I organised a race we got a mix of stuff in for prizes, all donated by sponsors. We tried to go after a lot of lifestyle brands for prizes and so people won clothing from the likes of Howies, which went down well.
I daresay that if you spoke with prize donater you could swap it out for something.
Does always seems strange though, especially when riders are sponsored elsewhere.
Some of the stuff they get at DJ events is hilarious in terms of colours and styles.
I enjoyed the irony of my gear cable prize from sponsor Clarks for making it onto the singlespeed podium at Sleepless in the Saddle one year.
I enjoyed the irony of my gear cable prize from sponsor Clarks for making it onto the singlespeed podium at Sleepless in the Saddle one year.
I won stancion spray and a chain cleaner using a rigid singlespeed. Both got used/ but not on that bike! 😯
A mate won a complete group set for finishing dead last at Mountain Mayhem in the single speed solo category. It's still a source of piss taking to this day.
Whistler bike park do ladies only and men only coaching sessions a few nights a week in the summer. Each night has a raffle with names drawn out of the hat for prizes. It's usually everything from tires to helmets and usually a big prize each week, drive train, brakes, full face helmet etc. It's a pretty sweet thing for the entrants and the sponsors get a good reputation too. Problem is that anything size specific was always large, XL or XXL. So a bunch of this stuff ended up on the local buy and sell page and the sponsors took the huff. I can see why, but maybe don't donate prizes that can only be used by people 6 ft and 200 lbs?