PPA and day licences

[chuky]

Now this is a bit of a rant to PPA and event organisers, I purely ride my mountain bike purely for fun, I don't take it serious or try a better times ect. over the last 4 or so years i have about 10+ races and only really do races to explore new routes and have some fun with other friends and make some new ones.

 

Now I have looked at PPA and with a anual fee of R230 and with me only doing a handful of races per year not really worth it and I am happy to pay the extra R20 or so bucks on entrance fees to races.

 

Now the problem comes in where now the last 2 races I have done (dirt travel in Wellington and one in Citrusdale) they both have hit me with a R30 extra fee at registration for this "day license". Now this really gets my goat as I register and pay online so when i arrive at events I don't need to carry cash or forms ect ect ect and can just arrive and go. Now instead of this race costing me R80 its R110, then let me pay R110 online and we don't need to do this dance of me having to go back and forth to my car to get my number.

 

Then the next thing is what is this day license for? I don't want to be timed, numbered and seeded thanks, cant i opt out? All i want to do is ride and isn't that covered in your R80 entrance fee? If not please change your advertising.

 

This to me just points to a money making scheme thought up by PPA that race organisers are piggy backing on, or am i wrong? Can someone please give some insight for me as from now on I'm going to be contacting races before entering to find out about their registration and avoiding the ones that add these fees

 

[Overlord]

You a member of the PPA?

[ccc2]

its just like running. runners belong to a club and have to be licensed with provincial body, if you are a fun runner you have to take out a day license. cycling going the same way.

 

[chuky]

@onetime, no as i said there is no point for me, I dont want to be seeded, timed or anything and dont do enough races to justify the cost.

 

@ccc2, ok i see that, but simple saying "thats the way it is" doesnt answer my question. 1. what am i getting for a day license and 2. why do i need one? just kind of P'ed from all these hidden costs and its not every race just some that choose to do it.

 

[jrussell]

If been to 5 races so far and 3 out of the 2 I had to pay for the R30 day licence + entrance R80ish + R5 temporay number and im not a PPA member, I dont understand how this works, please could someone explain how this works to us?

[nicsname]

umm i think this is how, forgive me if im wrong

you are required to enter the race, normally about 60-80 rand depending on wether you are a member or not (ppa members get discounts.)

Then CyclingSA says that a rider needs to have a license if they are participating in a race that is 20km and more. This temp license is R30, or you can buy the normal one (which i did and they still havnt processed after 2 months, but thats a separate issue) for something like R145 and up, depending on what type you want.

 

i have no idea about that 5 rand. just ride really fast over the mat...

 

[jeeptrack]

If been to 5 races so far and 3 out of the 2 I had to pay for the R30 day licence + entrance R80ish + R5 temporay number and im not a PPA member, I dont understand how this works, please could someone explain how this works to us?

 

 

You have to pay the R30 if you are not a member of a cycling club that is affiliated to CSA.  You do not have to be a PPA member to avoid paying the R30 day licence; you can also belong to any other cycling club, but the club must be affiliated to CSA.  I am not a PPA member, but is a member of Tygerberg MTB club and pay an annual membership fee of R185.  For that I do not pay the R30 at funrides, I get 50% discount on entry fees for the club's annual funride (scheduled for 15 November this year) and I get to ride for free as often as I like at the new Hillcrest trails that will be opened this coming weekend (12 Sept).  Non club members will pay R20 for every ride at Hillcrest.  For more detail go to www.tygerbergmtb.co.za     

[chuky]

Ok, I have done some more research into this and it seems the rabbit holes goes deeper than expected. I work with a web developer that worked on the argus ticket system and he explained some things to me.

 

first off PPA, runs the start and finish on events and thats what you get pay your extra R20 or so rand for extra. far enough I dont mind that its advertised in the booking of the race.

 

now with races like the argus where their 40000 entries the CSA aren't really getting much of the pie thus they came up with the day license.

 

So this still points to being that everyone wants a piece of the pie, CSA being the worst with their R30 so called day license that i still dont get anything for. At least PPA runs the start/finish with your extra R20. I do apologize to the events and PPA as it seems that its not you to blame but the CSA that is at fault in this.

 

[porky]

So this still points to being that everyone wants a piece of the pie' date=' CSA being the worst with their R30 so called day license that i still dont get anything for. At least PPA runs the start/finish with your extra R20. I do apologize to the events and PPA as it seems that its not you to blame but the CSA that is at fault in this.
[/quote']

 

Yah, been thrashed around a lot. The average everyday cyclist gets nothing in return for their day license or indeed for their annual license should they buy one.

 

Some argue its a small amount to pay, so just do so and shut up, consider it a donation of sorts, thats fine, but I donate to charity and operators where a differance is seen and felt by many.

 

Personally I agree with you, I am not in the habit of giving money away without knowing where it gos, how its spent and how it affects me, in my opinion its a flawed system where the majority pay to benefit the minority - but hey, this is SA.!

 

[Stretch]

I dont need to be nationally seeded, so I bought a CSA recreational license which cost me R30. It lasts for a year and i do not need to buy a day license. I really have no objections to paying that once off - but I would object to paying it every race!

 

 

 

I just wish CSA would have some register of licensed riders on the day so that I you have not received your card (6 months down the line) you dont have to try convince the event organisrs that you are CSA licensed - but thats also a separate issue

[Napalm]

 

 

I just wish CSA would have some register of licensed riders on the day so that I you have not received your card (6 months down the line) you dont have to try convince the event organisrs that you are CSA licensed - but thats also a separate issue

 

Actually they do have a list like that, that's handed to the event organisers. All that means is that the organisers choose to ignore it and pocket the R30 themselves.

 

[Stretch]

 

Actually they do have a list like that' date=' that's handed to the event organisers. All that means is that the organisers choose to ignore it and pocket the R30 themselves.[/quote']

 

from what i have experienced (in KZN anyway), On the day - it is CSA collecting the R30, not the organisers. We always have to submit proof of license (i.e card or proof of payment) so I have this ragged old mud covered piece of paper with a proof of purchase that sits with my cycling kit. Would be MUCH easier i I could just say that I am Joe Black and they could look it up.

 

 

 

Apart from that, except for the forced club registration, I agree with some sort of licensing - AS LONG as it is is being spent wisely - and I really dont wantb to discuss wether the money is being spent wisely because that has been discussed time and time again here.

[Cassie]

Correction, I think the day licence fee went up to R35 (as seen on Argus booking site).

 

What a rip off!!   you do the math 30 000 riders x R35 - 00 =  WTF??

For what??

 

I would not mind paying the R30 recreatiopnal rider fee as a once off (mentioned in previous post....) Can you give me more details as to wheer I can do this?

 

Cycling is just becomming another cash cow that can be milked till it is dry!!

 

 

[bospaadjie]

Chuky

 

As a race organiser and moutain biker who is not a member of clubs, I am not opposed to paying the licence, if I were able to see where our money was going. We have spent long dollars building singletrack, we have also tried getting money from the above organisation to no avail.

My only worry is that this is starting to feel like a fat cat tax, I am all for contributing to developing the sport but then I want to know where the money is going.

Organisers are loathe to put the fee onto their entry price as then things look expensive and we all accuesed of making money something we have never succeded in as it all goes back into building more single track.

good luck with one it's a hot potato.

Can tell you that we are trying to get clarity from all these bodies as to where the money is going.

[Ox_Wagon]

Yip, it is cycling tax!  <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

In the same way that we will have to start paying Health tax.....  Money for nothing!

 

But the really shocking news to me is that the kapies still have MTB races that cost less than R100!

[scotty]

Yip' date=' it is cycling tax!  <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

In the same way that we will have to start paying Health tax.....  Money for nothing!

 

But the really shocking news to me is that the kapies still have MTB races that cost less than R100!

[/quote']

 

Bulldogs on sat cost R80, goodie bag with TShirt, ride mag and energy bar, medal and plenty of coke and bottle of flavoured water at the end.