Originally Posted by
dz_nuzz
There is a reality that racing your bike is not a great way to make a living. Sure there are outliers (AKA World Tour) but in general anyone operating at the amateur level and even some of the lower pro levels don't really make enough to live on. Why should a race promoter at the amateur level believe it should be any different for them? We race because we love the sport, and many race promoters put on races because they love the sport. Sorry but there is a reality to this, it is not an industry that is flush with cash but apparently some promoters believe that if they cut enough corners and push the participants to the edge of the financial pain threshold they can make a good living, wrong.
Right now my team is trying to do the race promoter thing, many of us have invested time and money into putting on a simple CX race, probably an even cheaper form of race than an office park crit. We don't expect to get anything back, we do it because we love the sport.
I've volunteered for a few races, and being at the registration table a block away from the race has nothing to do with racing. A few of my friends help keep the Redlands Bike Classic going, and it is real work. Cold calls for sponsors, putting together the course, coordinating services, etc. None of it is 'fun' and they really don't get anything in return for it; maybe a photo with big name domestic pro (whoop de doo). That's for a race that's backed by the city, try running one half the city wants shut down (like Everest Challenge) Its 10x more a pain than anything we do as racers and you can't really compare.
Personally, I'd like to see promoters make more. Its a job, and there should be potential for reasonable profit without harsh criticism. If there's money to be made, races will pop up.