Western Cape Road Cycling

[City Cycling Athletic Club]

my 2 cents with discount - costs - R250 for an early entry - the youth which

includes students not earning is too expensive. i know ppa subsidise some of

youth from development clubs. routes - no imagination. Red Hill can be used ,

it use to be a league event. its a 25 km circuit so your normal sportif

attendance will not have too much merging with league groups.

PPA are loosing out to clubs - club rides are free and you are able to mix

people you know and like and you can make the club ride as hard or as easy

as you like.

[bleedToWin]

On the costs topic:
Some of us are meticulously maintaining old equipment, not throwing money at new gear every two or three years. We do what is necessary to keep cycling and keep enjoying it. Racing is great, but not strictly necessary, so as it becomes more expensive we become selective in what events we attend.

I remember the good ol' days (2002 - 2006 particularly) where peak season had a road event on every Sunday and most Saturdays also. We used family entries for a family of four to attend two or three events a month and me and my old man would go alone for the rest of them. Good times were had by all...

[bleedToWin]

Also, Robert (PPA CEO) claims to be lurking on the hub, so maybe some of our suggestions might get heard. Man I'd love it if league racing was more accessible. I'd get my ass kicked, but at least I could blame it on old equipment!

[Icycling]

You guys have been waiting for me to comment?

 

It comes down to leadership and the willingness to continually re - investing into road cycling - after all road cycling is the goose that lays the golden egg for PPA.

 

The entries for the Cape Town cycle tour are still open - I assume that means they have not hit their target entry. There are many factor but here another one without the supporting western Cape road funride - the Cycle tour will also lose entries.

 

In another tread on the 2018 cycle tour I post the need to train for this event to try and achieve a certain time. As the road events have dropped off so much and those which are happening have so much red tape, it becomes harder to motivate oneself just to train for 1 event which then may or may not happen in the form you entered - so the golden egg event is seeing it's demise. PPA's events and the Cycle tour go hand in hand.

 

When I talk about red tape, PPA has made entering the League costly and hard. Here my personnel example. The week before the 1st league event I was in Holland - on the Tuesday before the Sunday event I could confirm that I would be back in CT for that event. I emailed PPA asking if I could enter into the league (I had already confirm they would allow a seeding of my WPCA event results) - answer No entries have closed. I am not a PPA member so was not aware of all the rules. But PPA lost out - 1 less member of the association (I would have joined) and 1 less league entry. Then I see the results and there less that 80 result entries across all the CAT. How difficult can it be to allow one more cyclist 3 full working days before the event (even the Cycle tour can extend entries)? Seems to me, serving the cyclist / members is the last item on the PPA agenda. At any rate I save a few thousand rand.

 

The WPCA events which I have done one can enter on the day and have been 100% fit for purpose - I must say I really enjoyed them all. PPA events were once like that too!

['Dale]

still feel most vote with their wallet... at R250/R300 an entry depending when you enter its not easy to commit to all the road races which offers very little.

 

I personally am a PPa member (because i would like to believe they are doing something good for community) and chose my races like OneTonner, SCT and CTCT and maybe a race in feb just before the CTCT.

 

I prefer MTB and feel these races have much more to offer.

For eg. the Trailseeker event @ R300. You get a goodie bag which included, biogen Gu & bar, tube of electrolytes, event sox, waterproof Cellphone pouch, and some sunscreen, proper trails and stocked up water stations. Not to mention the recovery drink at the end instead of a 120ml cup of coke (you dare try and take a second cup the volunteer worker is ready to bash you) like at the road races.

 

Again i vote with my wallet but that's just me 

 

I feel for the Southern 'Burbs okes.

Almost double that entry fee with the fuel money.

And the time budget to travel.

 

Wonder when ever, if ever, there'll be race road events in the South.

[Pure Savage]

You guys have been waiting for me to comment?

 

It comes down to leadership and the willingness to continually re - investing into road cycling - after all road cycling is the goose that lays the golden egg for PPA.

 

The entries for the Cape Town cycle tour are still open - I assume that means they have not hit their target entry. There are many factor but here another one without the supporting western Cape road funride - the Cycle tour will also lose entries.

 

In another tread on the 2018 cycle tour I post the need to train for this event to try and achieve a certain time. As the road events have dropped off so much and those which are happening have so much red tape, it becomes harder to motivate oneself just to train for 1 event which then may or may not happen in the form you entered - so the golden egg event is seeing it's demise. PPA's events and the Cycle tour go hand in hand.

 

When I talk about red tape, PPA has made entering the League costly and hard. Here my personnel example. The week before the 1st league event I was in Holland - on the Tuesday before the Sunday event I could confirm that I would be back in CT for that event. I emailed PPA asking if I could enter into the league (I had already confirm they would allow a seeding of my WPCA event results) - answer No entries have closed. I am not a PPA member so was not aware of all the rules. But PPA lost out - 1 less member of the association (I would have joined) and 1 less league entry. Then I see the results and there less that 80 result entries across all the CAT. How difficult can it be to allow one more cyclist 3 full working days before the event (even the Cycle tour can extend entries)? Seems to me, serving the cyclist / members is the last item on the PPA agenda. At any rate I save a few thousand rand.

 

The WPCA events which I have done one can enter on the day and have been 100% fit for purpose - I must say I really enjoyed them all. PPA events were once like that too!

 

You guys have been waiting for me to comment?

 

It comes down to leadership and the willingness to continually re - investing into road cycling - after all road cycling is the goose that lays the golden egg for PPA.

 

The entries for the Cape Town cycle tour are still open - I assume that means they have not hit their target entry. There are many factor but here another one without the supporting western Cape road funride - the Cycle tour will also lose entries.

 

In another tread on the 2018 cycle tour I post the need to train for this event to try and achieve a certain time. As the road events have dropped off so much and those which are happening have so much red tape, it becomes harder to motivate oneself just to train for 1 event which then may or may not happen in the form you entered - so the golden egg event is seeing it's demise. PPA's events and the Cycle tour go hand in hand.

 

When I talk about red tape, PPA has made entering the League costly and hard. Here my personnel example. The week before the 1st league event I was in Holland - on the Tuesday before the Sunday event I could confirm that I would be back in CT for that event. I emailed PPA asking if I could enter into the league (I had already confirm they would allow a seeding of my WPCA event results) - answer No entries have closed. I am not a PPA member so was not aware of all the rules. But PPA lost out - 1 less member of the association (I would have joined) and 1 less league entry. Then I see the results and there less that 80 result entries across all the CAT. How difficult can it be to allow one more cyclist 3 full working days before the event (even the Cycle tour can extend entries)? Seems to me, serving the cyclist / members is the last item on the PPA agenda. At any rate I save a few thousand rand.

 

The WPCA events which I have done one can enter on the day and have been 100% fit for purpose - I must say I really enjoyed them all. PPA events were once like that too!

I wrote the article with you in mind! 

 

The aging of the road cycling community is a massive problem. 

 

"On closer analysis of the graph you can see an aging of the field over time. Note how all Elite, U23, Junior and U16 all decrease constantly over the years. These young riders that 16 years ago were riding U16 are now almost all in Sub Vet category, which has led to this category remaining rather constant. This can also be seen by the massive increase in the Master and Grandmaster categories, both overtaking the Elite numbers.  The Ultramaster category has even doubled by 2016 and for the first time ever had more riders than the junior category." 

 

Crux of the article. 

 

Now how to fix?

[Twaatie]

I wrote the article with you in mind! [emoji14]

 

The aging of the road cycling community is a massive problem.

 

"On closer analysis of the graph you can see an aging of the field over time. Note how all Elite, U23, Junior and U16 all decrease constantly over the years. These young riders that 16 years ago were riding U16 are now almost all in Sub Vet category, which has led to this category remaining rather constant. This can also be seen by the massive increase in the Master and Grandmaster categories, both overtaking the Elite numbers. The Ultramaster category has even doubled by 2016 and for the first time ever had more riders than the junior category."

 

Crux of the article.

 

Now how to fix?

It's a financial issue I think

 

Cycling compared to football/rugby etc is an expensive sport for an average income individual

[Puncture Kid]

I tried to enter some MTB races before. Can't remember which one. Think it was Knysna. The website and entry process was so **** and lengthy that I just abandoned it. If you force me to wade through multiple illogically linked pages of info that I have to enter, then cheers...

[daniemare]

To Icycling's  point. Why, in today's age of digital entry en timing systems do we have deadlines for entries.  Look I understand if the organisers wanted to personalise some of the numbers/medals for the day, that will not be possible, but a general entry, why not.

 

Only thing I can think of is the indemnity insurance, but surely these work in brackets larger than the few entries you get raceday.

[Geronimo]

I think the "cool" factor has worn off and now it is all the old cyclists that are left again.

 

There was a huge surge in people cycling and the amount of cycling shops that opened (especially mtb ones) proves that.

 

Now however the market is saturated and the interest is dwindling away as the cycling craze dies off...

 

many people who bought bikes and started now have very dusty bikes they don't ride anymore...

part of this in my opinion is the amount of tech that flooded the market and made people's brand new bikes old and uncool overnight. (thinking of 9sp to 10sp to 11sp to 12sp and the 26er> 29er> 650B> Fatty  etc etc)

 

Entry fees are also getting too expensive on some events and thus also not helping the situation.

And then the fact that some events have some sort of elite nature where you got to apply for an entry is kind of stupid if they are not making up the numbers any more and it is also scaring people off.

 

generally just less people cycling and wanting to cycle at all...

I definitely agree. Off topic but the same thing happend in Scuba diving. The 1980's and 90's saw everyone wanting to learn to scuba dive. Clubs, dive schools/shops and dive charters opened up everywhere. Then 15 years later half of those clubs/shops/schools and charters closed because the market was saturated and diving was becoming too expensive.The novelty wears off and only those who LOVE the sport , remain. 

[City Cycling Athletic Club]

finances are an issue - everyone wants to be paid and that includes the

municipality where the event takes place - all t's and i's have to be crossed.

it is almost impossible to stage a youth event on the road and charge them

'reasonable' entry fees. it will not come close to covering the ambu, traffic

officers ,marshals and race officials. there must be buy in from SRSA , Dept

of Sport and local authorities. you can't just make a sport a schools sport

without the Dept of education being involved and that' another ball game

altogether ie then the teachers must be involved - for them to be involved

they must have the necessary coaching certification. in the end just too much

red tape for volunteers.

[Pure Savage]

finances are an issue - everyone wants to be paid and that includes the

municipality where the event takes place - all t's and i's have to be crossed.

it is almost impossible to stage a youth event on the road and charge them

'reasonable' entry fees. it will not come close to covering the ambu, traffic

officers ,marshals and race officials. there must be buy in from SRSA , Dept

of Sport and local authorities. you can't just make a sport a schools sport

without the Dept of education being involved and that' another ball game

altogether ie then the teachers must be involved - for them to be involved

they must have the necessary coaching certification. in the end just too much

red tape for volunteers.

 

Would economies of scale not work though, a lot of the costs of events are fixed, so above a certain level of riders it becomes easier.  

 

What if you had a Free entry for your kid for every adult entry. At would half the income, but if you manage to get 10 families to join that would not have previously raced you grow the quantities side. 

 

I also think female entries should also be discounted as well. 

[Icycling]

If it's about money - surely one area where Funride / PPA could save quite a bit (on PPA website where does the money go - timing) is the cost of timing at PPA event. It should be pointed out that Race tec is a timing company and not a positioning company.

 

For example - I have a Garmin and Momentum can see from my Garmin as I registered it with them my Cal count / training day. Surely an App could be developed by PPA that your own cycle computer / timing device give you your time in in the results. I not a tec guy but if Momentum can see the Cal I have burnt while training I sure it must be possible for PPA to develop an app for this. This would hopefully be a once off cost instead of cost at each event.

[Pure Savage]

If it's about money - surely one area where Funride / PPA could save quite a bit (on PPA website where does the money go - timing) is the cost of timing at PPA event. It should be pointed out that Race tec is a timing company and not a positioning company.

 

For example - I have a Garmin and Momentum can see from my Garmin as I registered it with them my Cal count / training day. Surely an App could be developed by PPA that your own cycle computer / timing device give you your time in in the results. I not a tec guy but if Momentum can see the Cal I have burnt while training I sure it must be possible for PPA to develop an app for this. This would hopefully be a once off cost instead of cost at each event.

 

Surely it would be cheaper for a person to buy a chip for R150 and a R20 timing charge than having to buy a garmin/smart phone?

[Icycling]

Surely it would be cheaper for a person to buy a chip for R150 and a R20 timing charge than having to buy a garmin/smart phone?

I am sure most cyclists have cycle computers (modern day ones) and smart phone. In a MTB event timing sometimes by results cost more than R100 per rider.

 

But I may have a completely different approach to spending money. An example would be I don't spend each month money with Eskom I rather paid quite a big cost for a one off installation for solar at my house. My pay back will be a few years - but then its done. Same here each event cost money and continues to increase - "biting the bullet" in the end saves quite a bit!

[Puncture Kid]

I think a lot of the races are now far more profit orientated than before. Many of them are run by 'private' companies that do it for commercial gain.

 

Another point mentioned above is the issue of medals. Personally I don't care if I don't get a medal. In fact, I see a medal as worthless piece of waste and it ends up in the bin an hour after the race. One could lower the price if you exclude the medal? Granted, kids and noobs like a medal, but after a few it loses its novelty value.