PPA. Don't bash them. Vote for change.

['Dale]

Tried,  I actually run a 500+member facebook group for that reason which is fruitless as well...

 

I'm not posh/image driven enough, or bike to old .. who knows.... maybe just my face.

 

Just yanking your derailleur

Kudos anyway, man on that FB initiative.

[Karman de Lange]

Just yanking your derailleur

Kudos anyway, man on that FB initiative.

 

Ye I know .. just trying to make myself feel better.  

[Frosty]

http://www.pedalpower.org.za/where-does-the-money-go/

Reading through the link provide, it mentions:

 

Event stickers

PPA supplies event stickers to use as proof of entry.

For an event with 1000 participants, this would equate to a saving of R300 for the organiser

 

I assume it's related to having a permanent race number and the sticker is proof of payment.

 

Can anyone comment on this?

Where and when do you get your proof of payment sticker?

[Frosty]

 

 

FROM THE CEO'S DESK

It has been just over a year since I started my first day as the CEO of PPA and I thought this would be good time to step back and take stock of what has happened here in those 13 months.

 

As a start, I’d like to think that we have improved our communication with our members; this letter being one part of a more proactive and informative approach. We deal with cycling-related issues each and every day of the week and have forgotten, at times, that our members would like to be kept informed about what is going on in the cycling environment.

 

COMMUNICATION

Members were resorting to social media to vent their frustrations, which is often one-sided and ill-informed. Although understandable, we quickly realised that PPA needed to make a greater effort in keeping touch with our members.

 

Then, the PPA newsletter was simply an online events calendar, without much added value or interaction.

 

We updated our website and made it more user-friendly.

 

The PPA Facebook and Twitter feeds are monitored and we try and respond to all queries (whether they be from members or not) within an acceptable time frame.

 

PPA members are our customers and we aim to provide excellent customer service. I’d like to believe that we have improved our service levels and communication – although, like any business, there is always room for improvement.

 

Our annual subscription went up by 5% this year, which is below inflation and a commitment to keeping membership affordable.

 

We have added a basket of tangible membership benefits which offer discounts that allow members to quickly recoup their initial investment. For example, the  discount we have negotiated with Cyclesure for bicycle insurance repays your membership within 2-3 months, depending on the value of your bike.

 

We have a new car rental benefit from Bidvest Car Rental that will be available to members from next week. Also coming in the next few weeks, is a free extra piece of luggage when flying with Kulula.

 

Our event entry fees remain as low as possible and we don’t aim to make a profit from our own events. If a PPA event does make a profit, these funds are ploughed back into the event budget and used to improve the rider experience.

We value the rider feedback and we sit down every Monday morning for an event debrief, where the positive and negative points are discussed. These debrief notes then go back to the organisers.

 

EXPANSION AND EVENTS

Three years ago we received an appeal from cyclists in the Free State to “save” the OFM Classic. PPA took over the event and has been running it ever since as part of our commitment to cycling in the Free State.

 

We organised the new Maluti Double90 team time trial in Clarens in May this year: A new road cycling event that is located outside the Western Cape and is part of our commitment to PPA members in other provinces, and our general expansion strategy.

 

The complaint most commonly levelled at PPA is that we don’t support road cycling, despite the fact that we are a 50% beneficiary of the Cape Town Cycle Tour, a road cycling event. Mountain Biking is well established in the country with a host of very good commercial event organisers putting on a glut of events. Often there are 2-3 events taking place over a single weekend.

 

MTB events are far easier to organise in terms of land access, financial requirements and permissions. Road cycling events are becoming more difficult to organise, as urban sprawl, traffic density and road safety play a big role in determining whether permissions are granted to host an event or not.

 

The South Peninsula is pretty much a no-go area and no events are allowed in the area for next year. Cycling through Kalk Bay on a weekend coffee ride is not the same as a race with hundreds of cyclists taking over one side of the road.

 

PPA has to apply for event permission, which we do, but the City of Cape Town has the final say. Unfortunately the answers we receive from the City regarding road access for races is nowadays unpredictable.

 

Hence, we are moving events into the Northern Suburbs, so we don’t lose them.

Believe it or not, it’s the best we can do.

 

SPOT RACES

The Hill Climbs are back, with the first one happening on the 11th of September. The first challenge takes you up The Glen – a steep CBD-based climb sure to test your climbing legs.

 

Two weeks later, we will set up at the Taal Monument for a sprint up the hill.

 

There is no entry fee for PPA members. This is also a chance to improve seeding in the build-up to the Cycle Tour. We will ask Racetec to consider the weighting of the Hill Climbs and be realistic in their assessment so as to avoid massive jumps forward in the seeding.

 

An exciting project that I am happy to announce here is the new PPA Cyclosportive series of events. It’s a simple concept:

•    100 km route. Think around Malmesbury, Riebeeck-Kasteel and back.

•    Teams of 6 riders.

•    Lunch at the finish.

•    4 events per year  (same venue & route)

•    The event will be timed and if you want to race you can - but teams are also encouraged to use the event as a fun day out on the bike with mates.

 

We have also been given more access to the Killarney track, which lends itself perfectly to Crit racing. This is certainly not a new concept, but will be an addition to the current list of events. Age Category racing will be included, to help us identify promising junior cyclists.

 

We are also planning a 12-hour road bike endurance event at Killarney for April 2017.

 

Getting back to the Juniors and under-23’s: I recently sat down with Barry Austin from Lead Out Academy, who has a really good structure in place to get Juniors to race overseas, to talk about possible collaboration in this regard.

 

PPA plans to work with Lead Out to identify promising young riders who will be guided and managed through the Lead Out program. The top prospects will be given the opportunity to spend some time overseas and cut their teeth racing at clubs in Spain, Belgium or the Netherlands.

 

PPA will offer the League events as a platform for them to be noticed and assist with some funding to send riders abroad. We will be communicating with the clubs shortly to give them more details. I hope that this Academy will identify exciting new talent and provide a leg-up in the early days of a potential pro career.

 

Having said all of that, I remain aware or our primary mandate, which is to promote the interests of cyclists and cycling, in all its forms. We simplify this approach by saying we like to “put bums on bikes”. 

 

PPA is getting more and more involved in the utility cycling space. We speak to the City about cycling infrastructure. We are in regular contact with the likes of BEN, Qhubeka , Open Streets, Bicycle Cape Town and other advocacy groups, to understand where our goals align and where we can work together. We need to find clever ways of getting the poorer communities mobile. Bicycles are an obvious choice, but how do we make it sustainable?

 

South Africa can be a dangerous place to ride a bicycle and our safety campaign is critical to affecting behavioural change amongst road users and cyclists alike. Cyclists are totally exposed on their bicycles and don’t have a protective layer of metal around them, as a motorist does. Yet often motorists seem to feel threatened by the presence of cyclists on “their road” and seem to forget that here is a fellow human being on a bike in front of them. This behaviour needs to change and through the Stay Wider of the Rider campaign, PPA is committed to playing its part in getting people to shift behaviour.

 

Our Safe Cycling at Schools campaign is aimed at sensitizing future road users at a young age, but at the same time teaching youngsters the basic rules of the road.

 

Our members have expectations, in return for their support. We try and look after them.

The cycling community as a whole has expectations of PPA and we try and accommodate them.

We have a social responsibility and we try to play a meaningful role by providing mobility to get to school, get to work ,search for economic opportunities or enjoy like on a bicycle.

 

While our largest support base is in the Western Cape, I feel that PPA has a role to play in the rest of the country and as the largest recreational cycling organisation in South Africa, we have a responsibility to all cyclists and those that could benefit from owning a bicycle.

 

PPA is trying to cater for everybody and it has taken me the better part of a year to understand the environment, from sport cycling to social riding and advocacy to utility cycling. Our strategy is taking shape and I firmly believe that we are moving in the right direction.

 

I hope I can keep relying on your support.

 

Some form of communication from the powers that be in Gauteng would also go a long way to improving things in this part of the country. At least the PPA is doing something, even if it is perceived to be less beneficial to the roadies.

[Pure Savage]

I am looking forward to see these materialize!

['Dale]

Some form of communication from the powers that be in Gauteng would also go a long way to improving things in this part of the country. At least the PPA is doing something, even if it is perceived to be less beneficial to the roadies.

 

Yes, gerald

Wishing for something cool in Gautengeleng and surrounds

 

That is why I am grateful for the efforts made by PPA, with all its warts and limitations.

 

They have an expansion strategy....

But I imagine there's so much power games and territorial politics involved to reach you PROs up there.

[Pure Savage]

Yes, gerald

Wishing for something cool in Gautengeleng and surrounds

 

That is why I am grateful for the efforts made by PPA, with all its warts and limitations.

 

They have an expansion strategy....

But I imagine there's so much power games and territorial politics involved to reach you PROs up there.

 

I think thats why most of us still pay our PPA memnbership...

[Icycling]

I am looking forward to see these materialize!

At the moment - why too little and way too late for me! Trust been eroded (don't pay membership fees anymore).

 

Started with them dropping, out of choice, the Giro del Capo (PPA owned event) so in essance they could increase there Unite trust funding. Nothing to do with roads! People have mentioned in other hub tracks -  Red hill - Cape Point loops / races deeper south. PPA are using the road work as a excuse not to be more engaging with the City / easier to put on MTB events acknowledge = less energy into road event - simple maths.  Why does the Cape Town cycle tour always still happen? A lot of effort into making sure it happens, even if at last minute a fire, event happens in a shortened form - where there is a will there is a way!

 

As for the bit on Junior and a 3rd party - well this will as normally does with this person it will no doubt "end in tear” - enough said on that. But it would be really great to see PPA doing more for the up and coming cyclist and maybe offer “bursaries" to promising riders to go experience racing at world level.

[Pure Savage]

At the moment - why too little and way too late for me! Trust been eroded (don't pay membership fees anymore).

 

Started with them dropping, out of choice, the Giro del Capo (PPA owned event) so in essance they could increase there Unite trust funding. Nothing to do with roads! People have mentioned in other hub tracks -  Red hill - Cape Point loops / races deeper south. PPA are using the road work as a excuse not to be more engaging with the City / easier to put on MTB events acknowledge = less energy into road event - simple maths.  Why does the Cape Town cycle tour always still happen? A lot of effort into making sure it happens, even if at last minute a fire, event happens in a shortened form - where there is a will there is a way!

 

As for the bit on Junior and a 3rd party - well this will as normally does with this person it will no doubt "end in tear” - enough said on that. But it would be really great to see PPA doing more for the up and coming cyclist and maybe offer “bursaries" to promising riders to go experience racing at world level.

 

They also own the DC, which they could really turn into a two week event and a series before hand. 

 

They have the staff, they just need to start getting back to basics, hosting events, a little less on awareness and a little more at just hosting events.

[NicoBoshoff]

They also own the DC, which they could really turn into a two week event and a series before hand. 

 

They have the staff, they just need to start getting back to basics, hosting events, a little less on awareness and a little more at just hosting events.

Well it seems like they're taking criticism and feedback on board, so maybe just talk to them?

[Wannabe]

They also own the DC, which they could really turn into a two week event and a series before hand. 

 

They have the staff, they just need to start getting back to basics, hosting events, a little less on awareness and a little more at just hosting events.

 

Or a Sunday event for the masses, and only the top 20 Teams (the ones vying for placings) racing the Saturday. Not too difficult to do, everything is already in place, rolling road closures would be so much easier to enforce, and no "slowpokes" on the roads causing mayhem......

[Icycling]

They also own the DC, which they could really turn into a two week event and a series before hand. 

 

They have the staff, they just need to start getting back to basics, hosting events, a little less on awareness and a little more at just hosting events.

DC is now from my recollection an Events office (Cycle tour trust) event no long PPA event. Giro del Capo was always a PPA office event and owned by PPA. NOT the events office.

[Pure Savage]

DC is now from my recollection an Events office (Cycle tour trust) event no long PPA event. Giro del Capo was always a PPA office event and owned by PPA. NOT the events office.

 

The DC is run by CTCTT but the event is owned by PPA.  

[Pure Savage]

Or a Sunday event for the masses, and only the top 20 Teams (the ones vying for placings) racing the Saturday. Not too difficult to do, everything is already in place, rolling road closures would be so much easier to enforce, and no "slowpokes" on the roads causing mayhem......

 

Thought about that but what would you do accommodation wise? Swellendam is full from all the okes that have ridden on Saturday, that why I suggested two weekends.

[Pure Savage]

Well it seems like they're taking criticism and feedback on board, so maybe just talk to them?

 

Where do you think they got those ideas from 

[City Cycling Athletic Club]

if the PPA expansion strategy comes off - great - BUT that court judgement they got will come and bite them in the bum. the more they talk about age category races / juniors / overseas squads / sportives the more they will have to work through CSA or its local representatives. my goodness the PPA allow any rider from the age of 12 to ride the Argus on open gears - anyone who has any interest in developing youth cycling will know that goes totally against the advice of cycling coaches/health specialist and ALL the cycling bodies in the WORLD who administer the sport. hopefully the next PPA AGM will weed out the clowns who don't event know what UCI stands for.