Java001

Just a huge thumbs up to Martin Horne @ Buycycle and Tim ( Sigma Brand Manager - Omnico) for their prompt and efficient service. A Sigma Sport 1909 bc bought online from Buycycle had failed under guarantee. An email was sent to Buycycle and after investigating the matter, Omnico promptly replaced it with a brand new Sigma Rox 5.0 delivered to me in record time. The really nice part about it all is that I was not charged any courier fees !! Thanks guys, my faith in good service and the Sigma brand is restored.

A full refund back into the credit card used for the initial purchase, will reverse both the transaction & commission charge, so LBS could not use this as excuse for a 5% handling fee. If they know what they are doing they should not refund cash on credit card transactions at all. Many businesses become very neurotic about card commission ( usually between 2 and 6%) they pay to the card merchants, but forget about the high costs associated with banking cash and cheques! Then there are also a few that think it is OK to "discriminate" between cash, cheque and credit card customers by advertising different cash and credit card pricing. This is in total contravention of their credit card merchants agreement. But I somehow don't think the handling fee in this instance relates to commission or bank charges .............................

Drugfreesport has the following to say about it: PREDNISONECategory: PROHIBITED in-competition only Last Upated: Fri, 04 Jan 2013 Information Prohibited substance: PREDNISONE - refer to section S9 (Glucocorticosteroids) of the WADA 2013 Prohibited List: All glucocorticosteroids are prohibited when administered ORAL, INTRAVENOUS, INTRAMUSCULAR or RECTAL ROUTES. Find out more and Search on wikipedia So is it OK to use out of competition - say a few days before a race ?

You should be able to, but it will depend on the hubs. The popular "chinese" hubs are Novatec( Evobikes should stock spares as I believe they are the SA agents), Powerway( not sure if there is a local supplier) and Bitex( Dark Horse Wheels are built with these hubs, so they should either carry spares or at least point you in the right direction)

Yes, although SARS have changed their minds about this on many occassions, the below mentioned is the current position. Employee works for commission only If the employee is in possession of a tax directive, the employer MUST deduct Employees’ Tax according to the instructions on the tax directive. If the employee is not in possession of a tax directive, the employer MUST deduct Employees’ Tax according to the applicable tax deduction tables. Employee works for salary & commission If the employee is in possession of a tax directive, the employer MUST deduct employees’ Tax according to the instructions on the tax directive. If the employee is not in possession of a tax directive, the employer MUST combine the salary and commission and deduct Employees’ Tax according to the applicable tax deduction tables. Under no circumstances may 25% or any other percentage for that matter, be deducted from remuneration, unless the tax directive so directs.

No, you are not guilty of belittling me, maybe a bit guilty of not understanding Below the guys on the current CSA letterhead: William Newman (President), Mike Bradley (Vice President), Pieter Herbst (Financial Trustee), George Corbett (Executive Member Gauteng), Heine De Jager (Executive Member Limpopo), Theo Viljoen (Executive Member Mpumalanga), Hendrik Wagener (Management Committee Member Road Cycling), George Stroebel (Executive Member Free State), Greg Stedman (Executive Member KwaZulu-Natal), Antoinette Harding (Executive Member Eastern Cape), Robert Thomas (Executive Member Northern Cape), Pieter Aucamp (Executive Member North West), Johan Smith (Management Committee Member Track), Brett Coates (Management Committee Member MTB), Margot Gerber (Management Committee Member BMX), Mike Burns (Management Committee Member Para) Ettienne Joubert (Associate Member USSA) I understand that they get there via the provinces e.t.c. This is the small picture, I spoke about. I am however suggesting that not a single one of these guys (or for that matter, all of them together!) ultimately have the ability to go against or dictate "government" policy handed down by DoSRSA, SASCOC & LOTTO as funding arm. As examples: ( purely fictitious, of course) 1. SASCOC informs CSA they must reorganise cycling in 9 regions - even if it is the worst thing possible for cycling and every single member of EXCO & Management Committee was dead against it, it WILL happen. 2. SASCOC tells CSA that no matter what their goals are, they must align it to Governments and make sure they have a batch of riders ready for the 2016 Olympic Games. CSA might have been busy with a program to identify & train talent for the Tour De France, but they now have to abandon it and buy into the Olympic Games. This might not be what benefits riders as cycling in Europe might carry more prestige than the Olympics. 3. CSA inform SASCOC that it needs funding of R 54 000 per cyclist, for selected cyclists to attend the Junior World Champs in Scotland in August 2013. SASCOC informs CSA, LOTTO will only pay R 8000 per person. Parents must fund the balance. The big picture seems to show that CSA is not owned by cyclists ! It is bit like having a house worth R 10 mill with an ABSA bond of R 9 mill, but you are telling your buddies its your house - total BS - IT'S ABSA'S HOUSE !!!!

Ideal model perhaps is NO government involvement apart from FULL funding when cyclists/athletes are selected to represent SA abroad ?

Building 50mm Carbon tubbies for a 65 kg rider - decent climber, but perhaps a better flat time trial type rider with a good sprint (track background). Can choose between Novatec A271SB/F372SB hubs, weighing 405g or lighter Powerway Alloy Super Light hubs, weighing 285g. The lighter Powerway Hubs will cost me about R 400 more. Main concern is quality - have had Novatec before and am quite happy with it, but do not know much about the Powerway brand ? Keen to hear about experiences from other hubbers.

I suppose much in this thread is small picture stuff, which does not mean that it is less important, but simply that the bigger picture involves a great deal of government intervention and politics which few of us understand or know about. I think that is the the case with CSA and its government bosses – Dept of Sport/Recreation , LOTTO and SASCOC. We fail to understand that CSA is not an organisation representing the cyclist, but rather the ONLY government “elected” controlling body mandated to operate & control all and any facets of the sport of cycling. Much like an estate agent with a sole mandate that never expires ! As hubbers we have spent many posts & threads trying to figure out what happens to money CSA generate from licensing fees we pay i.e. what they do with this money for us. Maybe we need to change the way we look at it and realise that it is in fact a fine/penalty/government levy imposed on us everytime we participate in an event and that it has nothing to do with developing cycling, promoting cycling, making cycling safer or paying to send cyclists overseas( a myth). Once this is understood, the PPA challenge is about a lot more than constitutions, who runs what tour, who caters for funriders or elite cyclists e.t.c. – this is the small picture stuff. The big picture is that the PPA matter will be seen as a direct challenge and threat to the future of a government sport control body; don’t be surprised if in due course PPA is going to be forced to relinquish its status and funds. This is the democratic South African way …………… In 1994 many sporting disciplines were in a perfectly healthy state and all structures were in place; even if those structures did not include all previously disadvantaged brothers and sisters, it was mostly possible to increase capacity. Instead most structures were completely dismantled and competent officials were replaced with idiots who in certain cases could neither read nor write and had never been exposed to the particular sporting code. SA was able to very successfully host a 1995 Rugby World Cup based on structures that were in place long before the 1994 elections. Francois Pienaar was even gracious enough to allow Mr Mandela, who knew little about rugby and had perhaps never been to a game, to help him hold the trophy that the Springboks had worked so hard for. Or did Mr Mandela allow him to hold it ? Was this perhaps the first major government intervention in sport since 1994 ? Seem to recall that the only sport battling with in-fighting, corruption and other problems in 1994 was SA soccer, which rather ironically had the least amount of government intervention before 1994 and had pretty much been allowed to do its own thing since the mid-seventies! I am in a profession that is being regulated to death and guess what – nobody takes a stand and say “enough is enough”. There is a lot of muttering and moaning behind closed doors, but nothing properly structured and coordinated happens. Our professional bodies who are funded by our subscriptions, once fought and argued on our behalf, but now spend our funds to promote Government regulation and agendas. It’s a pity that PPA only exists in the Western Cape as they would have had a far wider platform had they earlier expanded their funrider activities to include other provinces. Whether PPA or anything else is used, when are we going to say “enough is enough” or is it too late ?

Yup, me too ................................

Aha, now we are getting to the gist of it all - it is ultimately all about the money ! Whilst there might be a few unpaid volunteers, who really earn nothing and are involved for the love of the sport, there are MANY who live quite handsomely and/or supplement their lifestyles very nicely, thank you. It will never reflect in the financial statements as salary, but there are many creative ways of doing this - dealing irresponsibly or recklessly with LOTTO funds and equipment, creative reimbursement claims for travelling local or abroad, visiting pals in Australia/UK that just happen to coincide with some or other World Cycling Event or training camp - these things have been going on for years and there might in fact still be a few involved within CSA, who are being investigated. If memory serves correctly investigations came about as result of concerns expressed by members of WPCA ............so handing over large sums of money to CSA without being able to see EXACTLY what they are doing with it, will never fill PPA with much joy. As pointed out in a few previous posts, CSA, as far as I am aware DO NOT in any direct or meaningful way contribute to selected cyclists overseas travelling costs. So they make the selection of who can represent SA, but it is then up to the cyclist ( or parents) to make a "commitment" . The recent announcement of juniors ( 17 & 18 year olds i.e. the future of SA cycling) to represent SA at the World Track Champs, being a good example - each training camp came at a cost and Overseas costs carried by cyclists in the region of R 35 000 - R 50 000. So, saying that CSA looks after racing activities, is a bit like saying McDonalds is looking after your health !

Are you not confusing CSA with the event organisers of the race ? The event organiser is "forced" to use and pay CSA officials to fulfill certain functions and every rider pays for this via entry fees ............... if you see a CSA race commissaire, surely he is not at the race because of any CSA involvement, but rather because he is supplying his services to the race organiser at a fee? If PPA ( or for that matter, any other cycling body) was allowed to train and accredit officials, they would be able to supply the same services to race organisers.

Not sure if linking PPA to a racing angle is possible ? LOTTO “owns” SASCOC; SASCOC owns CSA and CSA believe they own ALL cycling activities, both recreational & racing ( mandated by Government & UCI respectively, so they believe) PPA’s arguments seem to hinge on the fact that they want to remain an autonomous recreational body without CSA interference and CSA must focus on UCI racing activities. Surely PPA would shoot themselves in the foot and any future EXCO would be insane to support or contemplate any PPA involvement in racing actvities, when they have indicated that this is CSA domain ?

The new Coimbra branch ( apparently in partnership with someone well known in PE cycling circles) has already caused a bit of trouble amongst the Port Elizabeth cycleshop mafia ! It is earmarked to be a Scott brand store, which explains why the shop that promoted Scott for the past few years, has moved over to Merida. Ewan & his dad are not shy to discount stock to keep volumes at respectable levels, so the locals can perhaps expect some good deals on Scott bikes. Where the trouble starts is that it is on the doorstep of one of our favourite LBS, Action Cycles , who at the time when John Lee opened Augustyn Brothers, went ape with threats. ................. all this pretty much fizzled out when Action realized that ABC was not a serious threat and in fact never really got off the ground until it was sold/closed. So yes, an interesting year awaits PE bike shoppers with local shops focussing on the small picture fighting each other for "territory", whilst CWC and CRC sales just keep on growing ..........................