Sportive goodie bags.

Ghosty669

Hey folks, was curious to find out: what do you think was the best item that you got in a sportive goodie bag e.g. t-shirt, water bottle etc?

Captain Havoc

Ghosty669 wrote: »

Hey folks, was curious to find out: what do you think was the best item that you got in a sportive goodie bag e.g. t-shirt, water bottle etc?

I always like getting a free water bottle, I just feel they're one item you should never pay for. I have three An Post bags there which are really handy for bringing my gear to work as I usually leave my clothes there, cycle home and bring the gear when I'm too tired to cycle or it's bad weather. I hate getting t-shirts because by the time I arrive back all the ones that fit me are gone.

ROK ON

A bit OT. But I would really prefer if my hard earned cash was spent on the event rather than goodies.
I want a choice of challenging routes (100, 150, 200), water stops, marshals, wholesome food at finish. Shower and dressing room facilities.
That is plenty IMO.
Spend the money on the event not medals tshirts etc.
Anyone who wants a medal should enter a race IMO.

Captain Havoc

ROK ON wrote: »

Spend the money on the event not medals tshirts etc.
Anyone who wants a medal should enter a race IMO.

I disagree with you ROK ON, for a lot of people completing a sportive is huge deal and these should be rewarded with some sort of token medal or cert.

penexpers

I'm happy with just a cert. Generally don't wear event t-shirts and don't really care for medals.

Would agree with ROK_ON that the event itself is more important though. Good food at the stops and the finish is essential.

Chips Lovell

ROK ON wrote: »

A bit OT. But I would really prefer if my hard earned cash was spent on the event rather than goodies.

+1 Most of the time I end up dumping these bags in the nearest bin.

mfdc

ROK ON wrote: »

A bit OT. But I would really prefer if my hard earned cash was spent on the event rather than goodies.

+2 A trinket is nice but it'll just go into a drawer somewhere never to be seen again. The best events I've been at are the ones with great food stops and some decent nosh at the end, I'd much prefer a burger to a flimsy medal or a t-shirt.

CheGuedara

For me the cycle is the most important thing.

Good organisation, routing, marshalling and foodstops that come together to leave you with a 'I had a great cycle' smile on your face at the the end of 100/160/200km is better than a bottle/tshirt or jersey. They're poor compensation if they're all you take away from a mediocre event (see TdC reviews). I'd be pleased to take away as simple a thing as a cert if everything else was up to scratch.

It's also worth keeping in mind that the majority of sportives are held by clubs, crewed by volunteers and run on a much more modest budget than some of those with corporate involvement so goodie bags will almost always be of secondary significance to getting the event on and run well as reversing the priority risks damaging the reputation of the ride and level of participation in future years.

To answer the OPs question though - I was pleased when I got the Sean Kelly Tour jersey - I've not missed an edition of the 160km cycle and it was a pure bonus on top of such a well run and challenging event.

Seans reply to comments on the difficulty of Seskin was a priceless freebie though '... not enough thrainin...'

Ant

But I would really prefer if my hard earned cash was spent on the event rather than goodies.

+3 I've no interest in "goodies". I'd do a sportive purely because it's an enjoyable experience. I don't need any more T-shirts or things like medals / certificates which I'll never look at again to clutter up the house.

I'd much rather organisers focus their limited resources on the cycle ride itself.

godihatedehills

I kinda associate goody bags with running or triathlons more than cycles......but there's a good thread on it here

I always find the women's mini marathon ones hilarious, all washing powder samples and colour catchers, nice to see 'targeted marketing' sexism is alive and well.

Chips Lovell

I'd find a colour catcher far more useful than a certificate.

ROK ON

Some vouchers for leg waxing treatments would be good.

Ghosty669

Thanks for the replies folks. Keep them coming.

Gavin

Water bottle sounds good to me. Nice to have lots of water bottles.

petethedrummer

A live chicken.

SomeFool

Water bottle would be the handiest thing but, although not a spotive, I like the mug you get at the Ballycotton 10.

godihatedehills

Ghosty669 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies folks. Keep them coming.

Right, so far we've got colour catchers, leg wax and a live chicken. when is this sportive??!

manwithaplan

I would be happy as long as I got chocolate, a toy and a surprise.

bcmf

manwithaplan wrote: »

I would be happy as long as I got chocolate, a toy and a surprise.

he is talking about a sportive not a bloody kids party.
Anyway as a prominent medical official told me once ".....we need to replace all the saturated fat and salt we just used up" as we pulled into the drive thru section of the Golden Arches.
Soon that note I will suggest a E20 voucher for the nearest Maccers based purely on medical advice of course

petethedrummer

I'd like a stiff brandy, a cigar and a telegram from the Queen wishing me "well done".

Moflojo

Lollipops and Mr. Freezes, just like on school sports days.
The ice cream at the end of the Tour de Burren sounded like a fantastic idea, a 99 would be the perfect end to most days in the saddle.

petethedrummer

Moflojo wrote: »

Lollipops and Mr. Freezes, just like on school sports days.
The ice cream at the end of the Tour de Burren sounded like a fantastic idea, a 99 would be the perfect end to most days in the saddle.

if its sunny. If its raining, it would be a cruel joke.

Moflojo

petethedrummer wrote: »

if its sunny. If its raining, it would be a cruel joke.

Ok, if it's raining make it Dairy Milks instead of 99s.

DirkVoodoo

Event t-shirts are nearly always horribly fitting.

I generally like them though, they make good rags for polishing.

SubLuminal

el tonto wrote: »

+1 Most of the time I end up dumping these bags in the nearest bin.

Can I have them, instead?

IM0

any one from the marmotte were great and pretty usefull, one year lite TT style shoe overs - were nice, wore them for a few summers before they fell apart

also got arm warmers, and another time a marmotte waterbottle :cool:
If your going to get cheap shit in a bag, they were good things to end up with.

thebouldwhacker

Going on past goodie bags:

My fav are:
1:Event jersey
2:bottle
3:T shirt
4: energy gels/other food stuffs (Kilkenny last year gave cheese /yogurt or similar, had to leave them behind before I started:rolleyes:)

I really dislike

1: Cert, I'm not gonna frame it and put it on my bed room wall beside my action man poster
2: medal, medals are for people who race and come first second or third
3: Wads of advertising
4: nothing

DirkVoodoo

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

1: Cert, I'm not gonna frame it and put it on my bed room wall beside my action man poster

I do agree about the advertising, bit annoying and I wish anything like that just be left on the website.

In Flanders last year I got a free shoe bag with some energy drink powder inside and a free bottle at the finish line. Great thing to get, although it was very awkward to cycle back with to Brussels.

GlennaMaddy

I'm too tight to buy energy gels, bars and the like (although I make an exception when buying a drum of 4:1 Hi5), so it's good to get these as a freebie stuffed into a free bottle.

Medals, wristbands, headset spacers and other trinkets usually end up on the floor of the car and are eventually dumped

Haldir

Pleasantly surprised with the Mount Leinster Challenge 'Beanie' given out this year.

corkandproud

Nice to get a commemorative jersey - provided it fits of course...

Ghosty669

Thanks for all the replies folks. We're looking at running off a sportive mid August and wanted to see what people do and don't value.

We're basically trying to give you guys what you want and get the biggest bang for your buck.

More info on this sportive to follow in the next week or 2.

ednwireland

Ghosty669 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies folks. We're looking at running off a sportive mid August and wanted to see what people do and don't value.

We're basically trying to give you guys what you want and get the biggest bang for your buck.

More info on this sportive to follow in the next week or 2.

gold bars please -thanks

Chips Lovell

To be honest, I don't think many people do a sportive for a t-shirt. Route and organisation are the big things.

The recent Swords Tour is a good example. Great marshalling, nice route, few sandwiches, all for a tenner.

ROK ON

Echo above point. Route and marshalling/facilities are all important.

There are way too many route overlaps. Too many Wicklow sportives. I would have loved to do Swords tour as it was a novel route for me but couldn't make it.
People relish a challenge. But sometimes the challenge is doing something new.

For example
A Wicklow tour that a a avoided the Gaps. (Tour de Foothills I guess).
Something in the Silvermines/Lough Derg.
Something in the rolling countryside if North Cork and Kerry.
There are many more.


Also mid August there are already a few sportives. It would be good to have some in say March, April, early October.
Just a few thoughts to help you stand out from the crowd.
Can you say where the location of event will be (county?).

thebouldwhacker

ROK ON wrote: »

Also mid August there are already a few sportives. It would be good to have some in say March, April, early October.
Just a few thoughts to help you stand out from the crowd.
Can you say where the location of event will be (county?).

+1

el tel

petethedrummer wrote: »

A live chicken.

What type of chicken would you like?

bcmf

el tel wrote: »

What type of chicken would you like?

well he specified a LIVE one..... why? I dread to think

Ghosty669

Here are the details : http://www.orwellwheelers.org/touring/187-orwell-wheelers-randonee-2010.html

neris

Is that open to anyone or just clubs? and is there a certain level riders need to be at? be ok for someone who just started cycling in last few months?

Captain Havoc

bcmf wrote: »

well he specified a LIVE one..... why? I dread to think

You can always choke it

Ghosty669

neris wrote: »

Is that open to anyone or just clubs? and is there a certain level riders need to be at? be ok for someone who just started cycling in last few months?

It is indeed open to anyone and you'll be able to pick up a one day licence on the day if necessary.

Regarding the level of fitness needed, I'd suggest that if you've done the likes of the Wicklow 100/200 or any other sportive in the last few weeksm then you should be ok to do it. Just don't quote me on that!

damo80

best goodie bag i ever got (admittingly not a sportive) was the Hell of the West triathlon.

1 wicking t shirt
energy gels
recovery drink AND shaker bottle
2 water bottles
commeriatve socks
2 goodie bags
hair gel samples etc
bottle of energy drink (gatorade)

el tel

damo80 wrote: »

best goodie bag i ever got (admittingly not a sportive) was the Hell of the West triathlon.

1 wicking t shirt
energy gels
recovery drink AND shaker bottle
2 water bottles
commeriatve socks
2 goodie bags
hair gel samples etc
bottle of energy drink (gatorade)

la calera

damo80 wrote: »

best goodie bag i ever got (admittingly not a sportive) was the Hell of the West triathlon.

1 wicking t shirt
energy gels
recovery drink AND shaker bottle
2 water bottles
commeriatve socks
2 goodie bags
hair gel samples etc
bottle of energy drink (gatorade)

Whatever about the two goodie bags - I think these are good suggestions. I personally like a wicking t-shirt, but size is always an issue - nothing worse than being insulted when handed a large, and then insult adds to injury when it actually fits!!

What about looking at doing a deal with cycleways/some cycle shop and spending the say E7 it would cost for a semi-decent goodie bag, towards a voucher for the shop (and E3 from the shop) - so every finisher gets a E10 voucher for the shop - half won't use them (so no cost to the shop) and those who do - no one is going to spend E10 in the shop, so the shop should recoup any actual 'cost'....

Or be specific about it - free tube (to the value of E5/10) in whatever shop...get the tube 'sold' to race organisers for cost, and the traffic to shop for free tube should more than compensate shop for selling at cost!

jimm

We got a voucher for a massage after the Sorrento CC Mick Byrne 200k. Unique and very welcome. Used mine last week.