A letter to Dallas Sports University

dodgersmom - 2009-05-10 4:12 PM

You do have some valid points Jonny, but I guess the $110 just set me off.

JBrashear - 2009-05-10 4:56 PM Yea I hear you, and sometimes paying the sign-up fees is a tough pill to swallow. But Lonestar oly was $100 the week of and Champions Tri was $110 on race day, so $110 for an oly isn't unheard of. Heck, CapTex is $135 on race day! I'm not trying to come off as a DSU apologist because they've got their issues. The timing at Caveman was a debacle, the aid stations(or lack thereof) at Disco a couple of years ago was abysmal, and their shirts/caps were bad all season last year. They're far from perfect.

KSH - 2009-05-11 10:02 AM

I do have to agree... what is up with packet pick-up locations?

For one of their races last year I had to drive to a Kroger and walk around the store to two different tables to get all the items. Very odd. Not to mention that it was a 30 minute drive.

I wonder why they can't have packet pick-up at the bike shops, etc. Just seems logical.

dangitdake - 2009-05-13 9:17 AM Let me start by saying I agree with many of the points about cost and past performance. I think the cost is too high and awards were given to the wrong people at St. Patricks Day Tri (which I did) and according to the posts at Caveman tri (which I did not do). I also prefer when race organizers support a charity with an event. It does say on the TexasMan website that Volunteer groups can earn money for supporting the race. However, I would like to see every event target a specific charity in the community that is hosting the event.

I don't agree with the packet pick-up problems people are complaining about. HTFU (ok, maybe that's too harsh). Look at the situation from a different perspective. Support the area that is hosting the race and the sponsors that make it possible.
Bicylcles Plus is one of the sponsors, so it makes sense to have packet pick-up there. I often pick up a tube or something for the race at packet pick-up. I imagine many others do the same which supports the business and encourages them to sponsor future events. Seems like a win-win situation to me.
I live and work North of Dallas and Fort Worth in the Denton area and repeatedly have to drive 30+ minutes for packet pick-up and racing. I work 40+ hours, have 2 kids under 3 years of age, train, and still have time to make it to packet pick up for these events. Packet pick up for TexasMan is also at Albertson's which is a ten minute drive from my office and even closer for some of my training partners that live in Corinth. Give some love to the ever growing group of triathletes North of D/FW.

zia_cyclist - 2009-05-13 10:54 AM I agree the packet pickup should be where the race is located and where the sponsors are located.  If I'm Bicycles Plus and forking up cash to suppor the race, then I would want the packet pickup at my store.  That generates traffic and advertisement.  I just went to Bicycles Plus' website and found out they have Felt bikes.  I didn't know that.  Now tomorrow I'll drive to Coppell to pick up my packet and check out the new Felts. 

On a side note, scroll down to the bottom of Bicycles Plus' home page.  There is a picture of a bike they built for Shawn Bradley.  Look at the size of that thing!  80cm frame!  The head tube must be a foot long.

zia_cyclist - 2009-05-13 10:54 AM I agree the packet pickup should be where the race is located and where the sponsors are located.  If I'm Bicycles Plus and forking up cash to suppor the race, then I would want the packet pickup at my store.  That generates traffic and advertisement.  I just went to Bicycles Plus' website and found out they have Felt bikes.  I didn't know that.  Now tomorrow I'll drive to Coppell to pick up my packet and check out the new Felts. 

On a side note, scroll down to the bottom of Bicycles Plus' home page.  There is a picture of a bike they built for Shawn Bradley.  Look at the size of that thing!  80cm frame!  The head tube must be a foot long.

JeepFleeb - 2009-05-13 11:40 AM What DSU screwed up so badly at St. Patty's wasn't the location, it was the timing.

Pick-up times weren't announced until after the race had sold out and it was impossible for lots of people to get off work and drive through Dallas rush hour on Thrusday or Friday to be there before 6.  Extending the time by an hour would have made life much easier for those in Tarrant County.

Or they could have taken advantage of those of us who volunteered to work a Wednesday date.