Dwindling race numbers!

[dave higgins]

I think this recession has still got a good strong hold on our economy, another scramble cancelled through lack of numbers, this time the devon club suffered.
With the weather & low rider numbers, it has not been a good start this year, i`m hoping the bike bonanza does not suffer the same fate.
It seems adding t/shocks,evo`s & quads, may not be the answer for all clubs, as the devon club catered for these catagories, but maybe this will increase the numbers for some venues.
If rider numbers are dwindling, for whatever reason, prehaps the only way is to hold meetings for all catagories, if the classic riders are not competing in strong enough numbers, what else can be done.
most of the pre 60/pre 65 & pre 74 are all lumped in together now anyway, at most of the scrambles i attend, which is in & around the s/west.
Anyone got any views on this, i`d like to hear what people think can help the situation, dave.

[johnrunnacles]

Not sure, Dave, whether part of the answer lies in the way that the Pre 65 Club operates. Their "unique selling point" seems to be in the sheer number of meetings they (we) put on in the course of the year, as compared to what most other Clubs offer. Does the prospect of being able to ride 10 or 12 meetings, without having to travel too far, help to engender a more enthusiastic attitude amongst the riders about wanting (or being able to) to ride more frequently, I wonder?
Just a thought?
jonah

[dave higgins]

Yes john, you are very lucky to have the pre 65 on your doorstep, the traveling costs are definately a major expense, another factor, could be as the older riders are retiring, prehaps fresh blood is not coming into the sport!.
Thanks for your input john, hope to see you at mortimer. dave.

[johnrunnacles]

There again, Dave, we do seem to have a number of fathers and sons (and the odd daughter, even!) entering and riding together. Is this unique to East Anglia? Is there something odd in our (severely rationed) water?

Yes, hoping to be at Mortimer............

John R

[John Wakefield]

dwindling race numbers!

[QUOTE=dave higgins;11335]could be as the older riders are retiring, prehaps fresh blood is not coming into the sport!.QUOTE]

Dave I think this is a problem throughout the old bike & vehicle movement, the older riders are retiring & dying & the young blood is not interested in the older stuff, they want to ride (& compete) on modern bikes or restore bikes from their era. I believe the Vintage Club are concerned about this & indeed our own club the GRA has raised its concerns of new blood not joining.
Another factor is probably that scrambles/motocross meetings are not drawing the crowds anymore. Back in the 1950's even non championship meetings were drawing huge crowds, but by the late 80's this had tailed off significantly. My own club at the time (& Brian Stonebridge's home club) Cambridge Matchless MCC suffered poor gates & stopped running scrambles. Back then in the post WW2 austerity years there was not much else to do on a Sunday, but now there are hundreds of sports & events to take part in or watch. To coin a popular phrase scrambling is 'not cool' anymore
Another factor is that few youngsters are riding motorcycles anymore, ok same have twist & go's for a couple of years before old enough to drive a car, but few are staying on motorcycles like they did in the 'good old days'
I think the expense & time to train & gain a full motor cycle licence is partly to blame, if you dont get into riding bikes on the road then you are unlikely to take up scrambling.

[dave higgins]

Thanks for the input john, definately a lot of truth in what you are saying, prehaps the sport has outpriced itself, i know when things are tight other priorities take over, but i`m not convinced the lack of enteries are purely down to the economy.
I think more riders are picking wisely the events in which they want to ride, & leaving the rougher/stoney tracks out.
One shining example though, has got to be the pre 65 club, definately some thing to be learnt there, prehaps some sort of season long tournement in the s/west, that would encourage more riders to visit all the tracks on the circuit.
Wishfull thinking. dave.

[johnrunnacles]

You're right in what you have said in your closing paragraph, Dave. The Greeves series proved as much when Dave Harper was taking us further afield to accrue those precious points, and I understand that the Clubs we visited were pleased to see the boost to their entries of a full line-up of Greeves Championship contenders................perhaps that needs resurrecting?