HomerSimpson

Belong to the PPA (obviously) and as such have a recreational licence paid for on my behalf....which brings us back to the budget etc: I make that around R 340 000 paid over by the PPA to CSA (17 000+ members @ R20), so I'd like to know what the money is used for/earmarked for.

Check your PM

Not to be too critical or anything, but as far as I know that is simply not true. Used to be that a previous chairman of PPA owned part of WT, since then this was sold to the present owners of the company? I know that there has been serious consideration at some stage to have Championchip doing the timing for (a) the Argus, and (b) the local PPA races. While the first is certainly doable, the second is not: Championchip has no Cape-Town based operation.HomerSimpson2007-09-18 09:18:52

I vote for the finish to be at the back entrance of the waterfront. Don't think Newlands can handle 35000 cyclist + spectators' date=' with it's huge amount of parking availible.[/quote'] I firmly back the plan to finish at Newlands. For a start, it is right next to the brewerey, and that opens up endless hospitality options.

Also, from the website it sounds as if they want to add some water-sport activities if I remember correctly? This would seem to exclude JH. What about the Grabouw area?

I think the best way to resolve this is to contact the PPA and to register your complaint regarding WT's service. This can then be passed along by the PPA to WT, who are contracted to deliver a service to the PPA. This service is one of the benefits that you as a PPA member are entitled to. If you feel that the service is not forthcoming, or is lacking in any way, tell them about it, and give them a chance to respond.

We all have ways that we believe works.....still use the toothbrush + Kleen Green method on chain (on the bike), spray the sprocket with the Kleen Green. Allow 10 minutes, then rinse with water, dry, clean with cloth, re-lube, wipe off excess. Have done this for years, get around 10 000k's per road chain. Present MTB chain has done about 3 000 k's, still OK. HomerSimpson2007-09-13 05:31:10

So dis beter oefening?

Meaningful? Insightful? Think who you are talking to man! We don't do those. I think the bottom line is that if she does not enjoy the cycling experience, whichever bike you get will be the wrong one I hate to bring up this point, but the age of your better half is also important here. Riding a road bike is physically much more demanding over a long distance than a MTB with a fairly relaxed (NOT RACING) geometry. Both me and my wife got into cycling at a relatively late stage, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd go the MTB first route. I'm sure you don't want her to do just the Argus? If you do go the roadbike/hybrid route, make sure you look at women specific setups...PARTCULARLY women specific saddles!! Little discomforts become huge after about 80 k's

I am not quite sure here, but I believe it now costs the PPA R 5K to have an event made part of CSA calender? Anybody know? (I know they have to pay over R2 per rider per funride to the CSA)

I think so...a ride is successful one year' date=' and suddenly the next year organizers think they can milk it just a little bit more. Seems to occur when rides are part of a bigger festival in an area.[/quote'] Sorry Homer but I dont agree with you on that. The West Coast Express and many others donate the funds to charities or use it for cycling. The WCE, since its inception has donated more than R 100 000.00 to Table View based charities. None of the surplus funds raised from the WCE goes into any private pocket. We do keep some of the money back but that is in a kitty in case we dont get a main sponsor for the next years event. On the point of excessive fees, yes with the CSA thing it is getting way to expensive and that puts pressure on organisations like ours and the risk factor is increasing by the year. Costs are also huge and it burns me huge when I see a R 20 000.00 traffic cop bill for the WCE. Agree totally MDK, in most cases the road rides are being killed by the costs the organizers have to bear; which will eventually force up the entry fees. My comment was more about certain MTB rides that, more and more, seem to be more expensive than the standard PPA rides.

If this goes ahead it will kill funrides....suddenly the guy who just wants to do the local church ride will have to fork out R 60 for the ride, R 5 for the temporary number + R 30 for the licence....R95..don't think so!

I think so...a ride is successful one year, and suddenly the next year organizers think they can milk it just a little bit more. Seems to occur when rides are part of a bigger festival in an area.

...and to answer my own question: Eselfontein was held 6 weeks earlier than last year, and a total of 152 riders were timed this year, as opposed to 69 last year, thus an increase of over 100%. The Stellenbosch-wes ride had a total of 150 timed finishers this year, opposed to 121 last year, and the weather was crap this year. So al in all we are seeing an increase it appears....

The day of the Stellenbosch-wes ride there were three MTB events in the WC. A month earlier, at the Stellenbosch challenge a total of 1600 cyclists started the 3 routes (around 1200 finished or were timed). Hardly a low turnout (and an increase of 500 cyclists over the previous year). Also, as others have noted, the Eselfontein and Stellenbosch-wes rides are known to be quite tough, rain played a role in the attendance for the latter, and it is quite a drive out to Ceres. What would be intersting would be to compare number of the previous years for the same rides (bearing in mind that the Eselfontein ride was earlier this year I believe?)

Ek sal maar daai drie dae my eie kamp hier in Stellenbosch hou...ek moet in die tyd die uithouvermoee op die bergfiets bietjie opbou...Seweweekspoort kom nou vinnig nader!

Notable exceptions: 2004 Tour De Vino: 40 km "short" route turned out to be 79 km (and it had Helshoogte 10 km before the finish)....many many many complaints! 2006 Stellenbosch MTB challenge: At the start were were told the 30 km "medium" route would be "about 3km longer", turned out to be 44 km of mud, mud and more mud....I complained....I still do when I get the chance...

Personally, I also don't have a problem with it (regularly do a short section of gravel at Devon Hill as part of training route), but then again, if I get some nasty stone chip damage on the new frame's paintwork..... but for the Gecko funride I have absolutely no problem with the section over Malanshoogte, as I won't be doing it! I refuse to ride anything that includes Vissershok.....

Faan, Julle moet vir die PPA laat weet as julle ongelukkig is met die grondpad-stukke. Hulle sal dit dan aan die organiseerders oordra (ek weet dat daar binne die PPA ook 'n gevoel is dat die grondpadstukke behoort uitgesny te word). Popeye is 100% reg; die kostes van die fiets regmaak kan nogal baie beloop. Verder, weet nie of die beskrywing al so verander is op die website nie, maar die Gecko rit gaan nog na Malanshoogte bo-oor Vissershok ook....

Last year, Widget, just as a matter of fact, I tried quite hard to find 2 additional entries for people (2 Gauteng hubbers, in fact) after the entries had filled up. No dice, nothing to be had, called everybody I knew. In January the substitutions opened up, yes, and entries were available. Regarding the "hype", I spoke to people dealing with the entries last night, and these are simple facts, the numbers are there. Anyhow, the original message was simply a heads up for people who might be interested.