Jeff Werner

Designer & bike rider in British Columbia, Canada

Cost of Bike Races vs. Squash Tournaments

After playing in a few squash tournaments this year, from the small, club-only events to this weekend’s provincial-level, 160-entry bash, I have attempted to sum up the discrepancies between entry fees for a squash tournament versus a bike race in British Columbia in the following diagram:
Squash vs. Cycling competition diagram
Squash

  • Pizza dinner
  • Muffins, oranges and coffee breakfast
  • Gala banquet dinner
  • T-shirt
  • Towel
  • Beer keg
  • Dancing at night club

Cycling

  • You do not even get a free water bottle

I realize there are likely more variables in organizing a bike race: road closures, police escorts, feed stations, wheel vehicles, porta-pottie, etc., while a squash tournament takes place in pre-existing, designated indoor facilities. And even in provincial-level tournament, squash players ref themselves rather than hire mandatory (and fee-based) Cycling BC officials.
On the other hand a Squash BC membership is $30 per year, while I recall paying at least three times that for the Cycling BC equivalent (in both sports, a membership or license is required to compete).
Anyways, I’m not disagreeing with the players who’ve gripped about expensive squash entry fees, but from certain perspectives there are a lot more inefficient ways to spend money on the weekend.

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Jeff Werner

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3 Responses to “Cost of Bike Races vs. Squash Tournaments”

  1. melanie Avatar
    melanie

    I couldn’t agree with you more. Plus a squash tournament is three to four days of competition and socializing, whereas a bike race is a single afternoon or morning.
    I gave up biking for squash too.

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  2. obewan of North van Avatar
    obewan of North van

    Couldn’t agree more…squash tourneys win hands down…don’t forget the three or four days of socializing, meeting other club members; whereas there’s only a tiny pre-bike race window to fraternize, and perhaps an after-race get-together, as opposed to the all-out party squashers are practically determined to carry on with…perhaps even the motivating factor to play the game is to keep in good enough shape …to PARTY.

    Reply
  3. dutcher Avatar
    dutcher

    EQUIPMENT: squash racquets & balls are cheaper than bicycles…entry fees r more expensive in cycling…babes look sexier in tight lycra bike gear…cycling shoes r cooler & more pleasing 2 the eye than squash sneaks…riding glasses mo $…the bicycle gloves r snazzier…no helmuts required in squash unless yr playing doubles w/wild tennis swinging loozers.
    SWAG: crummy tshirts in cycling…squash has better Ts thats about it…trophies in squash, none in local bike races.
    PARTIES: non-existent in the bike world…squashworld rocks (private&public clubs).
    FOOD: equal but squash parties have brew.
    ATHLETIC REQs: in squash; coordination, hand eye & great aerobic workout in 1 hour, however, tough on knees, ankles & hips…racquet in face: not koole…cycling is far more suffering ie: one has 2 be n2 pleasure thru pain…balance is @ a greater premium…easier on joints…crashes r definitely not part of the fun in bike races and flat tyres r a drag…a flat ball in squash is replaced w/o loss of momentum.
    AESTHETICS: squash has a certain beauty 2 being inside the pristine white cube exchanging shots 2 a rhythmic flow but can be confining, claustrophobic & stuffy…cycling has the beauty of technology & the wonderful outdoors.
    RECOMMENDATION: play squash tournaments in the winter and race bicycles in the spring, summer & autumn.

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