I recon you’ve got a valid point on grass routes feel and lower entry levels at events. However, the man/woman hours that go into event planning and direction certainly makes the minimum wage feel like a dim and distant memory:o)
Having said that, there are events like the 24/12 hour of Exposure, Brighton Big Dog, Singletrack Weekender, Bearded Men ones (don’t know much), Strathpuffer etc. Progression (either upwards or downards) is an inevitable inertia. Quality attracts people. Sara and Paul tripled their entries this year, chapeau, I say.
No Fuss, Pro Velo and Mike Wilkens (and the others) have all established a ‘brand’ following because they consistantly hit out high quality events and … well, everyone needs to make money!