I’ve been a competitive cyclist for 25 years, beginning in 1985. There were not many races in those days, requiring those who wanted to give it a fair shot to travel the region. My teammates and I would pile in a van each weekend and drive to a surrounding state just to hit a 45-minute criterium. It was the only way to race, and the races were full. More often than not, we would have to send in our registration weeks before an event just to ensure a place on the starting line, as field limits were capped at 120 riders.

Thanks to the success of Greg LeMond, Andy Hampsten, Davis Phinny and others, the sport grew in popularity. Lance Armstrong took that popularity to a new level, bringing cycling to the front page of newspapers around the country. Cycling became hip.
As more and more people began to compete, races have popped up everywhere, making it even easier for new folks to get involved. This should lead to bigger fields everywhere — right? Wrong.

In the late 1980s, if there was a race within two hours of your home, you changed your life to get there. Wedding dates were altered, kid’s soccer games were missed, birthday parties were delayed to allow for the cyclist in the family to make it to a rare race.
Today there are races every weekend, often multiple races within a hundred miles of each other. Ambitious promoters hold monthly series, time trials, road races, cyclo-cross races, mountain bike races and triathlons. There is a lot to choose from.

With so many choices, cyclists can be picky. All of the sudden, a kid’s baseball game takes precedent over a local bike race, because there is another one tomorrow, Thursday or next weekend.

Each promoter wants his or her race to be full. Success is often measured by number of participants, and entry fees are used to pay the bills of the race. With the vast number of races, it’s impossible for each cyclist to be at every event. There is no need to travel to surrounding states, nor for cyclists from surrounding states to travel to Iowa.

Gone are the days of mandatory pre-registration, as field limits are rarely, if ever, reached any more.
But there are more participants, yes? Yes! Lots more. Numbers at races should be up, but they’re down. What’s the solution? How can we increase participation for local promoters, encourage participation at major events and create a beginner-friendly environment that allows new folks to learn the sport of cycling?

Perhaps an answer is in the continuation of the local race scene, but with a few major state-wide events held a few times throughout the year. Look at the high school sports model. High schools play within their conference through the season, then come together for district championship events, leading to the state championships.

They have a condensed local schedule, allowing everyone to gain experience, prove their mettle, and work toward the larger events where they really hope to shine.

Perhaps the same model can be coordinated in cycling, encouraging a grass roots participation in local events with low entry fees and a schedule that leads to a few statewide events where the best riders can duke it out for big money and prestige.

This would take a coordinated effort by clubs, race directors and officials statewide but may help build participation numbers for everybody. Riders can benefit by helping focus their efforts, building their fitness and skills to peak at the major events, including the state championship events.

While some may argue that such a system currently exists, I would argue otherwise, as there are simply races scattered throughout the season with no real coordination of schedules. Perhaps a meeting of the minds, including all disciplines of cycling — road, mountain, cyclo-cross and yes, even triathlon, would result in higher numbers for everyone, and we can build on the continued growth in popularity of a great sport.

Finally, I need to send a formal thank you and apology to photographer Dylan Huey. Huey was kind enough to offer Iowa Momentum magazine a couple of great shots of climbers in the March and June issues. We inadvertently failed to give Huey credit for his photos and would like to do so here. Watch for more from Huey as he continues to shoot all kinds of events in the world of endurance sports.

 

Dave Mable | Editor | dave@dmcityview.com

Dee Mable | Account Executive | dee@dmcityview.com
Iowa Momentum Endurance Sports Magazine

 

Editor’s note: While I may serve as the editor of this magazine, I must also give credit to my wife and partner, Dee Mable. She serves as your Advertising Account Executive and is responsible for working with our great customers who support this magazine. Without her efforts, we would not have Iowa Momentum Endurance Sports Magazine each month. As such, I’ve changed my “Editorial” photo to include both of us.

 

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