Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

IMHO Tammy and all the other RMs who are putting on rides have the 
pricing right. Let the free market rule and let all those who agree 
with Joe Long's last sentence....."I won't attend one (endurance 
ride) that charges the same, or nearly the same, as the 50".... just 
ride someplace else.

Actually Joe's analogy of theaters and airlines to support sliding 
scale pricing for endurance is pretty lame. The sliding pay scale 
covers extra perks given to the participants requiring no added 
participation and gives the participants no control over the show or 
the flight.

An endurance ride offers participants lots of control, the chance to 
create their own show or flight depending on howmuch participation 
they are willing to put out. Having the prices the same for each 
option is actually quite fair when you consider that the "basic 
overall ride itself" is what enables each rider to participate and 
create their own riding experience for the day.

So my lame analogy is the price of fuel (diesel or gas). Fuel enables 
each driver to create their own driving experience for the day. Two 
drivers pull in and gas up. One has a F250 (10mpg 100miler) and the 
other a Hybrid (50mpg 25miler). Remember, lame analogy here folks. 
Each driver has their own agenda (towing or commuter) and driving 
experience (ox or rabbit) but neither one can whine at the station 
attendant and get a different fuel price. Without the fuel there is 
no driving....period. Without the RIDE there is no endurance....period.

I say we should all pay the same ride fee and then based on our 
individual needs, agenda, skill, fitness, etc make (design) for 
ourselves the best riding experience we can for that particular day 
and then be happy about it and be nice to the volunteers and 
especially nice to the RM who has made the endurance experience 
possible. The fact that there are different points available from 
AERC for different choices and different levels of participation is a 
separate issue and just one more thing that helps each rider to make 
their decision.

Don Huston


At 05:10 PM 7/7/2008 Monday, you wrote:
> Trailrite@xxxxxxx wrote:
> > I'm missing something here. Joe, Are you saying that LD riders are 
> > getting half the product meaning half of the trail use or half the prize?
>
> Well, obviously they are getting half as many miles of trail to 
> ride, and about half as much time out riding the trail.
>
> They are also in a distance that has fewer awards programs, although 
> that's more an AERC function than an event function.
>
> Prizes are determined by ride management, I'm not addressing 
> that.  I suspect most people ride for the trail, not the award.
>
> > I find with some of my rides like the Git-R-Done rides that I have 
> > to have an extra Vet just to be back at base camp in time for the 
> > LD - finishers & BC judging.  I can't have my ride back up with 
> > regular services of the continued riders so that is an extra 
> > expense for me just having an LD distance.  Then I need an extra 
> > Volunteer for handing out completion awards for those "I need to go 
> > home now, LD riders"....
> > Other than that, all of the other fees are the same costs as any 
> > other rider.  My Git-R-Done ride is a 25, 50, 75, 100 mile elevator 
> > and FEI ride 2 times a year. I charge the same price for the 25 & 
> > 50's then the same price for the 75 & 100's and all get the same 
> > completion award.
> > The other awards are a little more fancier as the distance 
> > increases like the BC award, etc..
>
> That's part of the problem, you're basing your fee strictly on your 
> base costs.  Most businesses don't do that.  Take my theater example 
> -- the cost to the theater for a front-row-center seat is exactly 
> the same as for a balcony seat, but the price is greatly 
> different.  The theater prices the seats according to their 
> desirability, and bases its profit on the aggregate of all tickets 
> sold.  It may even be that balcony seats are sold at a LOSS if you 
> just divide the cost of the production by the total number of seats 
> in the theater.  But if those seats aren't sold (and no one will pay 
> front-row-center prices for them) the show will have a net loss 
> instead of a profit.
>
> Or consider the airlines, where the same seat will have a much 
> different price depending on when and how you buy the ticket.  They 
> don't just divide the cost of the flight by the number of seats and 
> charge for all of them the same.
>
> No matter what the ride manager's fixed costs, the LD rider is 
> getting LESS for his entry fee than a 50-mile rider is.  To have 
> fair pricing, that must also be considered in the price.  I believe 
> that LD riders have been getting a short shrift with this "it costs 
> me the same so I must charge the same" argument -- and that is a lot 
> more real than this "second class citizen" feeling that some say they have.
>
> Myself, I like to use LD rides to start new horses, but I won't 
> attend one that charges the same, or nearly the same, as the 50.
>
>
> --
> Joe Long
> jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
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Don Huston
donhuston @ cox .net
SanDiego, Calif 



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Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

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