Tygerberg MTB club newsletter - unacceptable

[Eddy Gordo]

12 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I guess they must be, cause I've been riding MTB for about 9 years now and I've only just mastered the art of not regularly falling off of it while jumping, all thanks to the Leatt Skills Park and it's ilk.

Okes REALLY need to go spend a Saturday there every so often. Skills increase guaranteed. At least mine improved markedly. And that's all thanks to @tygerbergmtb for pushing for such a facility to be available. 

I must have seen you there at some point. I love that place especially in those very hot days when all one wants is to just send it a bit instead of a long slog to the top of a hill.

Edited October 12, 2022 by Eddy Gordo

[Shebeen]

 

 

4 hours ago, SCD said:

I read through this discussion, and one thing seems to have gone amiss: sense of humor....

I enjoyed Patrick's mails. They were informative, wacky, rude and blissfully hilarious!

Because of you bunch of politically correct citizens the club will have to do the 'right' thing and tell him to stop. Well done. You achieved something today. The world has gotten a bit more correct and a lot more boring. 

Patrick, keep up the good work. I miss your trails dearly!

 

thread is not totally useless - gave me this gem

https://www.youtube.com/c/WarrenMelissaGoRiding/featured

 

[SRBVI]

My take away from this thread

1. Lesson learnt by club that a "tongue in cheek" comment be kept on the trail and not in a formal newsletter. 
2. You guys have a wonderful trail network on your doorstep for a small monthly fee, in JHB we have individual trail centers that cost that for a single ride.
3. AGM's financials need more clarity on the individual item spend, treasurer should provide more clarity at each meeting (has his ever been requested at a AGM?). Personally I would have no problem with a Annual increase as long it is inline with inflation, staff expect increases and you don't want to have to eat into the surplus you have built up. Surplus funds  carried over there should me more clarity on what this buffer is being accumulated to be used for i.e expand trail network, capex expenditure? 
4. Life is to short to sweat the small stuff get out and ride your bike, if you have a serious issue raise it at the AGM. Most AGM's battle to even reach a quorum of attendees to approve items but every one has something to say during the year.

[Danger Dassie]

I think there are few setups anywhere in the world like Tygerberg and on balance they do an exceptional job.

Some of the reaction to the newsletter is understandable. It really isn’t acceptable, also wouldn’t go as far as to call it incitement, bit of an overreaction.

See the club acknowledged as such, apologised and have shown action. In an imperfect world of imperfect people, that’s pretty damn good. 

[Skubarra]

7 minutes ago, SRBVI said:

My take away from this thread

1. Lesson learnt by club that a "tongue in cheek" comment be kept on the trail and not in a formal newsletter. 
2. You guys have a wonderful trail network on your doorstep for a small monthly fee, in JHB we have individual trail centers that cost that for a single ride.
3. AGM's financials need more clarity on the individual item spend, treasurer should provide more clarity at each meeting (has his ever been requested at a AGM?). Personally I would have no problem with a Annual increase as long it is inline with inflation, staff expect increases and you don't want to have to eat into the surplus you have built up. Surplus funds  carried over there should me more clarity on what this buffer is being accumulated to be used for i.e expand trail network, capex expenditure? 
4. Life is to short to sweat the small stuff get out and ride your bike, if you have a serious issue raise it at the AGM. Most AGM's battle to even reach a quorum of attendees to approve items but every one has something to say during the year.

On point 3 - if a club member have issues on how money is spent, they have the option to attend the AGM or they could contact the club for clarification (the club management is not some faceless corporate entity that cannot be engaged with, they are fellow riders living in our community). But  I guess its much easier to just throw a rant on social media 🤷‍♀️

[Warren Melissa Go Riding]

17 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

 

 

 

thread is not totally useless - gave me this gem

https://www.youtube.com/c/WarrenMelissaGoRiding/featured

 

Lekker!!!! Please subscribe if you like it. We trying to hit a 1000 subs so that we can monetize and give proceeds back to the community. Every sub helps

Edited October 12, 2022 by Warren Melissa Go Riding

[Jewbacca]

You guys really know how to flog a dead horse!

I thought this thread would have died days ago. 

I thought an apology was issued and Kumbaya was sang? Or are we now questioning the apology? Or the need for it?

Are we clinging to the good old days where people got snot klaps 'and turned out fine'?

My wife tells me I have a sense of humour issue as I make a joke about most things. In a news letter, it is read by a LOT of people with very different brain functions and neuro diversity. Some people see nuance, sarcasm, humour and others simply do not.

There are some incredibly literal people out there. It is socially responsible for any organisation to be aware of that. 

 

[SuikerBossie]

I love the trails on the Tygerberg MTB network. We have a fantastic ever growing and evolving network of trails that are properly maintained. Thank you Patrick and his trail gnomes for the fantastic work that you do.

Patrick’s weekly pen is a tongue in cheek update, imho, and I have always read it as such. Keep on doing what you do Patrick and team.

[SRBVI]

As Jewbacca says flogging a dead horse...

Edited October 12, 2022 by SRBVI

[117]

Aw, come on... play nice

Friday is in 2 days

[Shebeen]

19 minutes ago, Warren Melissa Go Riding said:

Lekker!!!! Please subscribe if you like it. We trying to hit a 1000 subs so that we can monetize and give proceeds back to the community. Every sub helps

done, subscriber #735. While I have suspicions that there is a local market for anything more than this sort of thing to be a passion project, I would love to be wrong. 

maybe filming someone getting a MOERSE PK @ tygberberg trails will get you there quicker.

 

 

 

[Warren Melissa Go Riding]

13 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

done, subscriber #735. While I have suspicions that there is a local market for anything more than this sort of thing to be a passion project, I would love to be wrong. 

maybe filming someone getting a MOERSE PK @ tygberberg trails will get you there quicker.

 

 

 

Yeah I know. We are not doing it for the numbers (Even though that would enable us to give back more), we believe that there are some many people out there who wont ride a trail because there is a stigma attached to it. We trying to break that. Empower riders of all levels to go out there and challenge themselves and in turn grow the sport one trail at a time.

We also doing a shop series so that riders know who does what out there and then, we will be starting a fundamentals riding series soon which will focus on up skilling rider basic skills now the we are BICP certified MTB fundamentals coaches.

So it's all about the riders. If we can make a difference to one rider, this passion project has paid off

We super grateful for each subscription, view and like!

Edited October 12, 2022 by Warren Melissa Go Riding

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Warren Melissa Go Riding said:

Yeah I know. We are not doing it for the numbers (Even though that would enable us to give back more), we believe that there are some many people out there who wont ride a trail because there is a stigma attached to it. We trying to break that. Empower riders of all levels to go out there and challenge themselves and in turn grow the sport one trail at a time.

We also doing a shop series so that riders know who does what out there and then, we will be starting a fundamentals riding series soon which will focus on up skilling rider basic skills now the we are BICP certified MTB fundamentals coaches.

So it's all about the riders. If we can make a difference to one rider, this passion project has paid off

We super grateful for each subscription, view and like!

 

Hi W&M

 

Thanks to @KB280DT I am also following your channel.  He invited me to your day at Bloemies, seems I missed out !  Certainly attending your next one in the area.

 

Thanks for the good work.

 

 

PS - If you do stumble upon a something similar to the gravel road network of Koeberg, i.e. NO trails, just a series of almost flat roads ..... please let us know.  I am trying to get a friend back on a bicycle after a back operation.

[Jbr]

8 pages yoh ! I did not expect this post to make it past 3 pages when that post emerged...on a monday !

Looking forward to reading the next newsletter on friday see what Patrick has to say to Bikehub, I know he loves us very much already 😅

Edited October 12, 2022 by Jbr

[ChrisF]

13 minutes ago, Jbr said:

8 pages yoh ! I did not expect this post to make it past 3 pages when that post emerged...on a monday !

Looking forward to reading the next newsletter on friday see what Patrick has to say to Bikehub, I know he loves us very much already 😅

 

This Friday is "She Said" ....

 

Gonna have to wait another week for Patrick's love letter ....

[tygerbergmtb]

On 10/11/2022 at 2:06 PM, Max Headroom said:

Hang on a minute - increase fees ?

The continuous annual increase in membership fees has already become automatic, apparently without consideration of why the club exists, member expectations, thoughtful communication.

Re the Newsletter,

rather that moaning about rain and drought and brakes, in unacceptable language;  I would rather see more contributions from other committee members on  subjects such as noted below :  - (and by the way, don't think you will get much by going to an AGM)

Give us all the latest on the trails, yes, - but also consider other subject and club intentions that members should know about :

Consider that (2021) - R240,000 given away as donations. (probably to a good cause right !)

But, I already have enough stop-orders and donations to various charities and needy charities and societies that I have chosen to support.

It drives me nuts when every Cycle/Mtb event entry, club membership PPA CSA etc etc continuously increases fees and then gives it to whatever charities they like. Yes, 240,000 is very little when divided by the number of members - ..so what.... I don't join clubs or events for charities. I have already chosen charities I want to support privately. I would like to pay for a club or event that gives me what I came for - and keeps costs and member-fee etc. down.

Some other interesting stats that could be covered in Newsletter :

Where does the money go ? example R 900,000 spent on salaries, R900,000 on trail maintenance -excluding R 50,000 vehicle cost, tools etc., Not sure how that is comprised - i.e what does trail maintenance include (also some of the salaries and wages ?)

R22,000 on meetings (and R 36,000 clubhouse rent - where is the clubhouse - on Bloemendal ? where (according to the newsletter) the trail building teams spend a lot of time. How have the benefits to the Bloemendal owners (increase in visitors, wine restaurant etc) been weighed into our interest and costs ?

R 220,000 on bank charges etc. (Bank balance R 3,5m and R 1,7 m accumulated surplus ) 

Tell us about these things - (an AGM is not run or designed, or comprehensive enough for members to get these insights)

yes, we want to hear about the trails - but there is so much more that drought and back brake moaning, that could be newisletter subjects.

I also like the (Warren and Mellisa) ? type video idea (i.e. these (W&M specifically) probably not everyone cup of tea, but a good start to shows more of our excellent trails)

ciao

ps. I sent the essence of issues above to TMBC

Hi Max Headroom

Thanks so much for the constructive feedback which will be taken to the committee along with others on this thread.

Please do not see an SGM or AGM as being a waste of time. Request for items to be put on the agenda, insist on being heard. The committee serve at the request of the members and we need to do our best to lead in a way that reflects those interests.