fun ride registration filled and closed

Is it just me or has the times changed.

Years ago, Death Ride could be signed up literally on the day of the event. Then years later, registration would close sometime by April and now its only by lottery.

And many of the other fun ride events, the registration is closing earlier. Breathless in Agony is closed. Wine country, Sea Otter Classic fun ride...
haven't checked El Canejo, Ride around the Bear, Tour of the Easter Sierra, Climb the Kaiser. Not that I want to be doing something so strenuous anymore...

I thought road bike fad has faded. Apparently not. So is it the norm now where I have to be planning months ahead and check for when the registration open?

Tad frustrated that I'm locked out of some of the fun rides. Well my eyes are open on the Foxy's fall century. Sounds like an easy century in a new place (for me). Wild flower closed too. what a bumm deal. And other fun rides are gone... Orange county classic is history too. Has the Sierra Classic disappeared? I loved riding around Amador county riding through Sutter Creek Fiddletown and some of the other small odd named towns.

Any other tranquail, out in the country fun rides. Away from car traffic and with beautiful scenery? I would like to have some recommendation. Out of state is fine too.

Shawn

Sea Otter isn't closed -- you just can't register online anymore. You can register on-site up to the day before.

I think the real trend is that municipalities are limiting the number of riders permitted on the roads.

However, in my experience, you can almost always buy a registration from someone else who isn't going to participate.

They always sell a bunch of Death Ride slots the night before the event - and sometimes the morning of. When I wasn't able to ride DR last year (after velogirl and SK talked me down from the ledge), I sold my entry (for less than face value) at 5 am to some very grateful guy. I was just glad it was being used.

I think it is a good sign that rides are filling up. We are SO Lucky here with the number of great rides - heck we have over a dozen wonderful double centuries to choose from. More participation is a good thing.

Of course, I'm one of those somewhat anal peole who plan out what rides I am going to do at the beginning of the year and get my registrations in early. But with DH and I both riding, and needing to plan our schedule around our daughter and our TNT duties, we need advance preparation!

Smilingcat, this is one of my big complaints. It seems like nearly every ride opens registration six months in advance, and then fills almost immediately. No room for a lazy procrastinating sort like me, who unless it's a really big event, doesn't like to commit until about 8 weeks in advance.

A ride director I know told me he thought the Death Ride organizers created an artificial shortage on purpose. He said that they first announced they were "limiting" the ride to a certain number, even though that number was the norm for prior years. This made people think they needed to rush to register early. Then with the rush to register early or be left out things got out of hand, and they went to the lottery.

Seems kind of like a tulip mania to me. Or maybe there just are more cyclists now, and the supply of event rides hasn't caught up with the demand yet. More cyclists is actually a good thing. :)