No Events to take place on Ou kaapse & Boys in summer!?

[Icycling]

Down to 5 road event before Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay cycle tour. With 1 TBC! Lets see if PPA makes a plan and put some of their own Road (Funride and racing) events on this summer - they sure has saved enough to do it, if cycling is what they are about!

['Dale]

Cobra Challenge to be rolled out in Spring 2013, according to Cycle Lab newsletter.

 

:--)

[Lucky Luke.]

Not a hope in hell those roadworks will be done by September 2013. Over 4 years to get to where they are now, and this is the most problematic stretch to Clovelly corner - they are going to take twice as long to do it.

 

Organisers need to do as DJR suggests and look further South. The reality is we need new routes and new races.

 

PPA needs to step up and put the riders money which we have entrusted to them to good use.

[DJR]

 

PPA needs to step up and put the riders money which we have entrusted to them to good use.

 

 

I have 2 youngsters and I **** myself at the idea of training on the road with them, the way cars, busses and trucks have been taking out cyclists. What we have done last year, was to train on the mountain bike during the week and then do each and every road race around Cape Town, starting in December and running up to the Argus. This turned out to be very good preparation. I feel that a well organized race is relatively safe with marshals at intersections and large numbers of cyclists on the road, making motorists more aware. Without enough races, more novice cyclists will be left to their own devices and to the mercy of the traffic. These small local races are the way the future of road cycling will be assured. Without them, no right minded parent will allow his child to even think of road cycling as a sport.

 

I agree, the PPA should twist the city councils arm, if need be, and find alternative routes. The South Peninsula and Durbanville makes the most sense because of the proximity to where the largest numbers of riders live.

[Bike Mob]

OK so everybody is upset with the PPA and the lack of racing, but lets just remember a few points before the flames come out:

 

PPA facilitate the organization of races/funrides, they do not organize them for themselves, besides the Tour De PPA. That means, rotary or a lions club or cycling club are responsible for ORGANISING the race, getting road permission and etc... The PPA merely help in this regard. The PPA do not organize the Cobra...

 

The PPA are not responsible for the decision taken now by Road Traffic Dept to shut off the use of the roads, they have been negotiating for a long time to try keep them open for us but failed, it's not in their hands, no I don't believe throwing (saved up) money at it would work.

 

In the last few years there have been more and more incidents in the south, and after riding all over the Western Cape i have come to find that only people living south of bishops court are an uptight cyclist hating mob. I only get hooted at when I cost "Johnny Fish Hoek dweller" 10 seconds on his Commute. They seem like they are out for blood. - Do they think that I made them live in the sticks? Tjops.

 

The demand by cyclists in this country are high - Only here do we get 90 to 110km circular routes to race on, like everyone is looking at the scenery. Get your head around racing a ten kilo circuit, close a small quiet suburb and race your guts out for 150km. Low impact on traffic, high impact on cycling, fitness and we get longer racing the same standard as Europe, and the USA where you may find a crit race almost every day of the week - and get this - PEOPLE ACTUALLY GO WATCH the race! How many of you have your dad/mom go stand somewhere to watch you in the Argus? only to maybe see you for less then 1second. Cycling should be a spectator sport, and therein lies the sponsorship. Climbers get to race hill crits, flat racers get to race the flat ones, everyone is happy.

 

Where you can flame the PPA like iCyciling so rightly points out, is the organization of tours etc like the Giro De Capo. Road cycling seriously lacks tours, 3,4-5 days stage races that are world class, attract international competitors and really raise the level of our domestic pro's and pro-ams. MTB is taking a massive chunk of talent off the road and putting them in the dirt and seeing them shine. There is a MTB stage race practically once a month. How do they get that right I wonder...?!

['Dale]

My spouse really enjoyed the Atlantis Circuit Race (for Spring League) as she could watch the flow of the race.

 

I'm all for it.

 

 

Would love to ride 3 x 150 km stage race through Ceres, Paternoster, Barrydale, etc!

C'mon, PPA.

Edited November 26, 2012 by Puncheur

['Dale]

MTB has its stage races. Several options for the amateur.

Really would like to see the same opportunities for the amateur roadie.

[pbp2007]

Well, at least one Southern Suburbs event is on track. After a small eternity of trying to get a route for Journey 4 Sight n Service approved, we've confirmed it for January the 6th.

 

The bad news for some is that we have just one route of 50 km, starting in Fish Hoek.

 

We tried (oh, how we tried) to get as close as we could to our usual distance of about 70 km. Figure 8: No, too dangerous. Laps: No, too dangerous. Detour into Cape Point Nature Reserve: Out-and-back routes not allowed.

 

In the end, we've been left with a circular route that covers much of the South Peninsula part of the Argus route.

[Edge_Design]

Does anyone know if there is an option to get membership fees refunded? I paid that fee on the understanding that I would be getting the same cycling in return as they have provided for many years. I have not been to the Northern Suburbs rides this year and don't intend on going in summer either so will be getting zero value from my membership by the sound of it. I live a few hundred metres from the regular starting venues in the South and hence really enjoy those races, but can't spend a fortune travelling to and entering the races in the North. Sounds like the only option is a 50km sprint which probably isn't worth R100+ entry fee.

['Dale]

Well, at least one Southern Suburbs event is on track. After a small eternity of trying to get a route for Journey 4 Sight n Service approved, we've confirmed it for January the 6th.

 

The bad news for some is that we have just one route of 50 km, starting in Fish Hoek.

 

We tried (oh, how we tried) to get as close as we could to our usual distance of about 70 km. Figure 8: No, too dangerous. Laps: No, too dangerous. Detour into Cape Point Nature Reserve: Out-and-back routes not allowed.

 

In the end, we've been left with a circular route that covers much of the South Peninsula part of the Argus route.

 

[Spat]

Well, at least one Southern Suburbs event is on track. After a small eternity of trying to get a route for Journey 4 Sight n Service approved, we've confirmed it for January the 6th.

 

The bad news for some is that we have just one route of 50 km, starting in Fish Hoek.

 

We tried (oh, how we tried) to get as close as we could to our usual distance of about 70 km. Figure 8: No, too dangerous. Laps: No, too dangerous. Detour into Cape Point Nature Reserve: Out-and-back routes not allowed.

 

In the end, we've been left with a circular route that covers much of the South Peninsula part of the Argus route.

 

^{Suggest you post the details under Its own heading in the events section.}

[Icycling]

OK so everybody is upset with the PPA and the lack of racing, but lets just remember a few points before the flames come out:

 

PPA facilitate the organization of races/funrides, they do not organize them for themselves, besides the Tour De PPA. That means, rotary or a lions club or cycling club are responsible for ORGANISING the race, getting road permission and etc... The PPA merely help in this regard. The PPA do not organize the Cobra...

 

The PPA are not responsible for the decision taken now by Road Traffic Dept to shut off the use of the roads, they have been negotiating for a long time to try keep them open for us but failed, it's not in their hands, no I don't believe throwing (saved up) money at it would work.

 

In the last few years there have been more and more incidents in the south, and after riding all over the Western Cape i have come to find that only people living south of bishops court are an uptight cyclist hating mob. I only get hooted at when I cost "Johnny Fish Hoek dweller" 10 seconds on his Commute. They seem like they are out for blood. - Do they think that I made them live in the sticks? Tjops.

 

The demand by cyclists in this country are high - Only here do we get 90 to 110km circular routes to race on, like everyone is looking at the scenery. Get your head around racing a ten kilo circuit, close a small quiet suburb and race your guts out for 150km. Low impact on traffic, high impact on cycling, fitness and we get longer racing the same standard as Europe, and the USA where you may find a crit race almost every day of the week - and get this - PEOPLE ACTUALLY GO WATCH the race! How many of you have your dad/mom go stand somewhere to watch you in the Argus? only to maybe see you for less then 1second. Cycling should be a spectator sport, and therein lies the sponsorship. Climbers get to race hill crits, flat racers get to race the flat ones, everyone is happy.

 

Where you can flame the PPA like iCyciling so rightly points out, is the organization of tours etc like the Giro De Capo. Road cycling seriously lacks tours, 3,4-5 days stage races that are world class, attract international competitors and really raise the level of our domestic pro's and pro-ams. MTB is taking a massive chunk of talent off the road and putting them in the dirt and seeing them shine. There is a MTB stage race practically once a month. How do they get that right I wonder...?!

 

I enjoyed the DC - I hope others did too! This was a PPA created event some years back organized by PPA sort of like the PA funride. My money would be if it were up to me - I hope PPA money is on this too is to organize Road events again (granted they have limited resources) esp in light of so many event been drop in Summer. PPA now need to stand up and take the reigns and offer the WP road cycling community more event in summer! If Southern Suburb or deep South can be use that is great (I stay in Kirstenhof / Tokai) if not I am sure like most we will travel north for these event. PPA should start re-investing money received from a road cycling Funride (ACT) back into road cycling - otherwise all will implode over time and even the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay cycle tour will suffer! By Road cycling I mean all its form as mentioned above.

 

To do nothing and just to let road cycling slide is not a solution at all - as ultimately it will lead to the death of PPA and their beloved income from the ACT for their cycling Trust fund which currently is not touchable by cycling!

Edited November 26, 2012 by Icycling

[ricochet_rabbit]

I understand your frustrations but at least you have events. In Durbs we have had the Amashova in Sept, the Engen in Nov and the next race within 100km of Durban will probably be the Tour of Durban in.....April.

['Dale]

I understand your frustrations but at least you have events. In Durbs we have had the Amashova in Sept, the Engen in Nov and the next race within 100km of Durban will probably be the Tour of Durban in.....April.

 

That's tough...

Actually unbelievable.

[Icycling]

I understand your frustrations but at least you have events. In Durbs we have had the Amashova in Sept, the Engen in Nov and the next race within 100km of Durban will probably be the Tour of Durban in.....April.

 

And we don't need to accept that outcome in the WP!

[alsoran]

I understand your frustrations but at least you have events. In Durbs we have had the Amashova in Sept, the Engen in Nov and the next race within 100km of Durban will probably be the Tour of Durban in.....April.

ouch