RC racing and the economic "crisis"...

[sosidge]

So the economy has been "adjusting" itself for almost a year now, I think we have probably all had different experiences of the effects in our personal lives - but how has it been affecting RC?

Speaking as someone who has just moved house to an area where I will probably have to buy a different car to get regular racing... OUCH! RC stuff is very expensive all of a sudden.

Anyone at your local clubs dropping out because of the cost? Is it harder to get new people in due to the starting cost?

What I'm trying to get at is - does the RC community need to focus on low-cost racing again?

Brushless and LiPo may have decreased the long-term cost for people - but the startup cost is huge now. Would anyone race silvercan motors and controlled, cheap tyres on budget chassis nowadays?

[DCM]

Well, the economic crisis is only really affecting those who have to work limited hours, short weeks and under threat, or have been made redundant.

For people with mortgages, there payments should be less, so with fuel and what not. Places I been shopping have said that there has been no drop in spending. If anything, more, what this 'down turn' will do, is a cull of businesses that have been running over and above their takings, burning the banks money.

As for the cost of racing, anyone been racing a long time, will no that prices actually haven't gone up that much in 20 years.

[c0sie]

Personally I think that part of the problem is that, afew years ago, a 10th TC chassis would set you back the best part of £200ish...and an 8th rallycross kit would probably be around £280; Now you're look at around £350ish for a TC and way over that for a nitro.
I think the appeal of RC is also to do with the whole customisation; being able to slap the ESC you want in, the servos you want in etc...I cant see how a budget class would appeal to the masses.

To get back into 10th TC nowadays, and feel like I had a small chance of doing reletively well you'r talking HUGE bux after youve spent your £300 on a chassis, £200 on an ESC/motor, plus warmers, tyres, LiPo's etc.

Shame really. Its things like the B4, at only £180(?) for a FT kit that keep things abit more realisic if you're able to race offroad locally.

Long live cheap 2WD racing :)

[captain-codpiece]

I have noticed more people switching to cheaper forms of rc racing like minis, where you don't have to shell out for new mini pins every 3 weeks, and you can just chuck a black can motor in, run el cheapo 27 mhz radio gear and still be competitive. Also you can do a triple somersault with a pike twist in a mini and still just drive away, no breakages. :thumbsup:.

I have also noticed more people selling up on here and fleabay with finances as a reason for selling.

That said there is still a good turnout at our club on Fiday nights of all formula's, and many new faces too!

My answer to the credit cruch is simple, just turn to male prostitution to fund your buggy racing habit. Simples.

[DCM]

but thats a perceived cost, for most people, racing at club level, there is no need to spend big bucks, at all, as really, they would not actually bennefit. I have been a long time supporter of the budget race chassis' from Tamiya, with a few deft upgrades, they are just as competitive.

Cost, is what you perceive you have to have, and not really what you need. As all the companies want you to buy the pro-kits.

[burgie]

In "real terms" racing is now as cheap as it has ever been - maybe even cheaper. OK, so Lipo Cells and Brushless motors are dearer than the ni-mih or brushed equivalent, but the frequency of replacement is now far less, especially in club racing.

For example, I have been running Lipo Cells for 3 seasons - the Orion Lipo cells I purchased 3 seasons ago are now into their fourth season, which equates to around £19 per season on cells. My brushless motors are 2 years old - £40.00 per year on motors is not expensive. How many ni-mih cells are needed for one full season of racing? How many brushed motors are required? Last time I bought a brushed motor it cost me £50 or more and lasted nowhere near one full season let alone 2 seasons!

The BIG problem with the hobby/sport is the setup cost.....even buying wisely and getting good stuff 2nd hand is going to cost £500 or maybe more.....a racer at Southport started off last year and bought all new gear. He reckons doing it that way cost him around £1500.

Because of the money I save on cells/motors/brushes etc I find myself buying more cars to feed the need to spend!

[ANGEL.ONE]

budgeting can be fun in itself, and is important to some people irrespective of perceived global, national, or personal financial situation?

[brian s]

In real terms i would say that rc racing is reasonably cheap today compared to 1990/91.
A schumacher procat back then was £175 with the works yokomo dogfighter pushing £275 in 4wd, and in 2wd you were looking at the RC10 team £199, or kyosho triumph £199.
A top of the range tekin 420 esc would knock you back £137 and i paid £250 for my field force 3 without servo`s. Trinity 1700 SCE cells cost £45 each (x six packs )and you were lucky if you got 5 mins racing out of them, so compared to then i think we are quite well off.

[MiCk B.]

Agreed...... I've been racing nearly 20 years now.

I'd have to say now with lipo and brushless it has never been cheaper or easier to get good equipment.

MiCk B. :-)

[Steve.T]

I think RC racing is like most things. If you really want to do it you will find the time and the money somehow

[mikeyscott]

I'm finding it about the same in cost terms as 1994. I've taken the view to just buying it all now and not worry about having to change or upgrade bits.

I'm mulling a Helios EX-10 at the moment with a view that it should last me a long time. If I don't get on with it, then you just have to sell it and cut your loses. It's the same with everything, cars, computers, watches, tvs etc etc.

[Si Coe]

It doesn't have to cost big money, there is always a way around. In the late 80's we used to make our own esc's and chargers to save money. Didn't always work mind!

Today you've got ebay, cheap hobbywings, Acoms 2.4ghz radios, the list goes on.
Pay full sticker price for all the big brand gear and it will cost a lot. But it doesn't have too.


The credit crunch won't kill racing. People who travel 100 miles to race in a regional for a region they don't even live in whilst their local club only gets 5 people and therefore doesn't run will kill it.

[Chesty]

Personally, I think that the weak pound has had more of an impact on RC racing than the "credit crunch".

As nearly all RC stuff is imported, we've seen fairly hefty price rises in the cost of RC equipment in the last six months. Up until then, the real costs had been decreasing for years. I think we'd become a bit spoilt.

Obvious example: Ultima RB5:thumbdown:

As mentioned before, the cost of living has decreased recently with interest rate cuts & fuel costs... As long as you've still got a job!

Anyway, a great thing about RC racing - it's only as expensive as you want it to be:thumbsup:

[brian s]

whilst i agree with Si Coe`s comment about local clubs needing the support of their members, you can hardly blame the serious racer for wanting to run against others in regional or national competitions, which more often than not requires travelling long distances.
It will always be difficult for smaller clubs that run on the weekend to keep enough of their members to support club racing.

[Si Coe]

True, but then you need clubs to hold regionals and nationals don't you?

If everyone runs around the country chasing the next big meeting, no club gets a decent turn out except for those meetings. and they close.

Then its regionals on school fields because no one can afford a permanent track.

Case to point in my area Macctrack (only permanent indoor venue) closed, and Bury who have a great outdoor track struggle most weeks. There will be a huge turn out for next weekends regional, everyone will enjoy the track, then they'll disappear not to return till the next regional. Somehow the organisers have to keep the place afloat until then!

[AndyF]

As somebody who raced a £175 procat and could only afford two sets of cells and a 27t motor. I would say it cost too much back then and from what I see on here it still does. If you are earning a good wage then fair enough. I could afford my procat now! However I had to give up because at 14 I couldn't and I only had the one birthday a year!

It was the scrapping of the "stock class" at Batley that finished me off as you needed way more cells and much more expensive motors that needed money spent on them to remain competitive.

If you want the sport to continue and the local clubs to get more than 5 people you need cheaper classes. I started when £100 could get you going and we had finals down to K or L every two weeks. There may be lots of reasons for the demise (Wii, Xbox) but getting the 10 to teen age range you need low price racing that rewards skills and good prep over wallet.

The good news is I went to Dewsbury's 1/18th club a couple of months ago and I saw a competitive racing class that shouldn't break the bank. I expected toys but they were just reduced size racing machines.

Anyway. I believe F1 is looking at a 33million budget limit. Maybe 1/10th should be limited to 10% of that! Would that be enough for 4x4?!?!

[Si Coe]

The problem is that cost controlled formulas never seem to work, except for Mardaves. And there it is not the cost controlling but the sheer simplicity of the cars that makes things cheap. There is simply not a lot of point spending money trying to make a V12 go quicker!

As you said, when things are naturally cheap, numbers are high. Racing Topcats and Cougars with stock motors as a kid was very inexpensive, or could be, but many people still spent loads. Stock motors back then were hit or miss at best, and some folks bought whole boxes just to find one great one.

Because secretly we don't want even racing. If we have even racing we don't have an advantage over the competition, which make him harder to beat. And if he does beat us, we don't have the excuse his car is better!

[DaveG28]

True, but then you need clubs to hold regionals and nationals don't you?

If everyone runs around the country chasing the next big meeting, no club gets a decent turn out except for those meetings. and they close.

Then its regionals on school fields because no one can afford a permanent track.

Case to point in my area Macctrack (only permanent indoor venue) closed, and Bury who have a great outdoor track struggle most weeks. There will be a huge turn out for next weekends regional, everyone will enjoy the track, then they'll disappear not to return till the next regional. Somehow the organisers have to keep the place afloat until then!

Ha, funnily I wish there were local clubs to me running at weekends, I'd love to do less big races where I do s**t anyway and don't get home till well into Sunday evening having set off at 7am! Sadly, all my local clubs except one (55mins away still!) are on road, and all run in the week when I'm too knackered to race!! Going racing straight from work and not getting in till gone 11 is not good for me on a weeknight!

One thing that does put me off clubbies, most I've found don't seem to bother with finals, just qualifying. Having that final where you can push to make the A or whatever at your local club was a big thing for me growing up, doubt I'd have been as interested if it was just qualifying like so many places seem to make it now...

[mole2k]

I've never seen the just qualifying. That would be pretty rubbish, surely r/c racing is all about the racing. The qualifying is all about pushing for that all elusive A-final spot to then get a chance to race with the best people in the club.

I dont think I would enjoy qualifying only :(

[Si Coe]

Never seen that either. What you do get at smaller / less attended clubs is that you often only get enough of any one class for a single heat. Which means that the only real difference between heats and finals is that you do staggered starts in the heats and grid starts in the final.

But you also always make the A!

[colmo]

The good news is I went to Dewsbury's 1/18th club a couple of months ago and I saw a competitive racing class that shouldn't break the bank. I expected toys but they were just reduced size racing machines.

I've been speculating on smaller-scale cars as a means of getting new blood interested (I'm still new myself, and hurting from the costs of 1/10th scale). It's no accident that many manufacturers are doing smaller 1/16th or 1/18th scale versions of their existing lines - Traxxas, Losi, AE...then there are the Maverick Atoms, FTX Blazes and innumerable clones to choose from.

It's a class you could term as 'Christmas present' territory - about £100 would get you everything needed to start, including the charger.

[blue_pinky]

Hi, the attendance level at our local club does vary from week to week, as all clubs must do, and depending on who's there sometimes we don't run with Finals.

To be honest, it's a pretty easy going club, and for me at least, I don't think it spoils things. We enjoy running finals when the numbers mean it's worthwhile, and when the numbers are lower, people understand, and are part of that decision.

We keep low attended nights as simple as possible, less complex track builds, and simple running orders...with lower numbers it means easier pack down and lower hastle factor for those who turn out week on week, no matter what and help out.

In terms of expense, I reckon that racing on a budget is def possible...I've done it for a few years and have just spent a lot on upgrading as I could finally afford it and wanted to try and improve things. The first £300 I carefully spend got me I reckon 90-95% of my speed...the last £600+ I've spent has added maybe a single extra lap so far...and in real terms will probably only ever improve things by a matter of seconds over the course of a race!!! If it's important to you, you find a way to afford what you can to feel like your doing it the best you can.

Practice more, race more, enjoy!!! IMO that's what will make you faster. A guy who is well practiced and highly skilled can still be very competitive in lesser kit...if you can afford the top kit, then great but you still need to practice/race more and enjoy!!! For 99% of people in the sport probably your most important competition is actually yourself anyway!

[RogerM]

Been racing since '86 and have to say it is cheaper in real terms to race now than back then!

That said I'm having to assess each regional as it comes this year as to what is in the pot. I'm quite prepared to eat value ready meals for a week to go racing but not to risk loosing my house, it has come close to that already! I'm sure I am not alone.

Biggest shame for me this year is that I'll probably have to drop out of the 2 meetings at one ofmy fav regional venues due to not being able to justify the cost in fuel for the 200 mile + round trip to get there :(

[Kopite]

compared to the racing i did years ago, to the racing now, i'd say the thing i spend on most is tyres. 1/10th off road cars are way more powerful now, and therefore chew tyres up for fun.

I used to run a set of schuey blues for months on end, without ever needing to change them. In the wet, just throw some full spikes on. Lasted so long :thumbsup: