PPA has me frustrated.... help please!

[Guest coenie]

I only joined the PPA in June 2010. But before that(3years), my time showed on the racetec website - but not the PPA website. I was not seeded at PPA and I had to start right at the back of races. And that is the reason why I joined the PPA and to get seeded and the discount on the races

 

Yes that was 3 years ago....Last year I did the westcoast express as a NON PPA member, had my chip and my Temp number...BUT my time did not show...joined PPA and there it was....

 

Now tell me which part of that is so difficult to understand....

[Stevief]

I also only MTb with a few road rides inbetween. I have found that this MTB year most of the events have not been organised by PPA. In the last few weeks the Gravel Travel, Slanghoek, Lourensford and i think Die Burger were not PPA events. So what are the advantages to being a member?? Also i find Roag is creeping into a lot of Western Cape events and there events seem to be much more organised than the PPA and they are free. Gravel Travel as an eg they took it over from PPA and it ran smoothly compared to last years F Up

[Guest coenie]

As I said before it is a business. A good business will corner the market which in this case seems to have been done. PPA was losing members due to their uselessness and so instead of correcting their ways and providing a better service they went and came up with CSA and now it seems Ractec. "We cant improve but we can find ways to get your money"

 

I have done many races where the marshals are voluteers (I have marshaled myself) and it is always a jol. The "promoters" provide snacks, (boerewors rolls at Gravel Travel) and much more whereas PPA supply water if you lucky. The question has to be asked again, Where is all the money going? (how much is a ticket to eurobike)

Why cant PPA with their huge list not get volunteers that love the sport? (simple because PPA themselves are not here for the sport but the money...they are a business after all)

The AGM meetings are a complete waste of time, new leadership is needed and those fat cats must step down.

 

I only do funrides and always have nothing but praise for the organisers (which when it is a success PPA fly their flag but if its a balls up PPA wont take the slightest responsibility. Thanks to this attitude more people are staying away from events.

 

PS, I only Mountain bike as PPA promised more cycling awareness and safer roads but roadies are still dying or getting injured.

 

You hit the nail on the head

+1

[Guest coenie]

Well, I'm of to go and join PPA, against my will, I have absolutely no desire to join them, joining them now will actually just mess everything up cause I just got a new CSA License with my new Club, now a new license needs to be issued AGAIN.

 

Still can't believe it actually, that PPA has the audacity to omit my results for a chip I paid for, how they can have a say on whether I can see my results on Racetec is beyond my understanding I guess, and further more confusing is that CSA is allowing this!

 

Don't you want to us all a favour and email Racetec and ask them why they are not listing your results and then post the answer here.....

 

Then we no longer have to speculate. Can wait to hear what Icycling and Mads will have to say.

[Icycling]

Nobody - Coenie if you are implying that PPA has ever paid a ticket to Euro bike for any of the committee members or myself you are sorely mistaken.

 

My business is in the bike business and for business reasons I need to go to Euro bike much like CWC and other bike industry players. I realize for most people it hard to understand why you would volunteer for a task - but their are some who do. Yup I am meant to receive a Honoria of a few thousand rand each year, the numbers are reported at the AGM, but I choose to have this paid to WED night Killarney so I have no to know what the number is!

[Icycling]

Maybe this will help answers the question on where the money goes.

 

http://www.pedalpower.co.za/AboutPPA/PPAProjects/tabid/74/Default.aspx

 

If you don't like it then why did you not go to the AGM and complain? At the AGM only 4 people were will to stand out of a possible 6 place? Why don't you volunteer? I put my nomination form in before I left RSA but gave strict instruction if their were another 6 people will to stand please remove my nomination form from the pile.

 

You guys seem to want to complain without actually doing anything about it - that includes just even going to an AGM. I feel it quite disgraceful on the members part that I am even still on the committee considering I have not attend an AGM for about 6 years now - but the power is in the hands of the members!

[Guest coenie]

Maybe this will help answers the question on where the money goes.

 

http://www.pedalpower.co.za/AboutPPA/PPAProjects/tabid/74/Default.aspx

 

If you don't like it then why did you not go to the AGM and complain? At the AGM only 4 people were will to stand out of a possible 6 place? Why don't you volunteer? I put my nomination form in before I left RSA but gave strict instruction if their were another 6 people will to stand please remove my nomination form from the pile.

 

You guys seem to want to complain without actually doing anything about it - that includes just even going to an AGM. I feel it quite disgraceful on the members part that I am even still on the committee considering I have not attend an AGM for about 6 years now - but the power is in the hands of the members!

 

I have no need to go there, why should I. I also have a right that sinse I paid my membership to complain about how things are done.

 

 

It is up to PPA to listen, not up to me to go there and make the change? Why can you not make the change?

 

Why can you not ask your fellow commitee members and marchels to respect people at races?

[Icycling]

Coenie - if the name mentioned earlier in the tread was the person, she has been spoken to many occasions. But as PPA committee members are not heartless we still allow her at our event, possibly research the individual, then tell me how you would feel about basically putting a gun to somebodies head. As a voluteer on a committee I really do not want that on my conscience!

[Guest coenie]

Coenie - if the name mentioned earlier in the tread was the person, she has been spoken to many occasions. But as PPA committee members are not heartless we still allow her at our event, possibly research the individual, then tell me how you would feel about basically putting a gun to somebodies head. As a voluteer on a committee I really do not want that on my conscience!

 

Then put her in charge of something else...maybe the caravan where you can get numbers etc and move one of those people to deal with people at the start....

[mallo]

My opinion is that PPA/Cycletour trust run CSA via the back door due to them having the cashflow hence they call the shots.That is one of the reasons for Racetec events been used as seeding events for the Argus, no matter how well your event is run.

[Guest coenie]

My opinion is that PPA/Cycletour trust run CSA via the back door due to them having the cashflow hence they call the shots.That is one of the reasons for Racetec events been used as seeding events for the Argus, no matter how well your event is run.

I see what you are saying....but technically no events are Racetec events they are merely the timing people....

[Nobody]

The Pedal Power Association is fortunate to annually receive profits from the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust. While some of the profits received is retained to run the Association and support cycling and specifically the 60-odd funrides on the annual PPA funride calendar, the majority of profits received is allocated to cycling-related projects. So, where does the money go? Read on...

 

I stopped reading here, so ONLY partial money from the Argus goes to projects? Where does all the other money go? It might be further down the page but why is it that no-one can say something good about the PPA without refering to the website.

 

If anyone reads all that jargon please tell me does it sound like guilt funding and does it make my commute to work safer not just for myself but many other cyclists????

[Tankman]

Also i find Roag is creeping into a lot of Western Cape events and there events seem to be much more organised than the PPA and they are free.

 

You bright spark! Since ROAG is now questioning their existence for next year, why dont we get ROAG to take over from PPA or at least offer an Alternative?! I will gladly support anyone that is willing to kick PPA up the arse!

[paarlmtb]

Icycling - as a cycling business operator you surely have a vested interest in the growth in numbers of active cyclists.As such it makes good business sense to be involved in any organisation that promotes such growth including sitting and serving on committee's. As a cyclist I appreciate the work you and others are doing, but think that the PPA is making a huge mistake by using what appears to be coercive methods to gain members.

 

As previously mentioned had (constructive) correspondence with Karin Pohl part of which included this;

 

Thank you for your comments; it is always good to get feedback from both members and non-members, and relooking the services offered to cyclists is an ongoing process.

 

 

 

We’ll certainly look at making our project funding and other initiatives more public.

 

 

 

Yes, you need to do about 5 events per year to justify the cost of PPA membership.

 

 

 

I copy from the previous email: Non-members/visitors who wish to ride in seeded start groups, are welcome to (and many do) join PPA for the day, in order to receive a seeded number so that they can start in the seeded start groups. As far as the winner is concerned: That will be the first person across the line, and you are entirely correct that the first person wearing a transponder may not be the same person at MTB events. Having said that, most of the PPA events are funrides and are listed as such on the CSA calendar, and as such the organisers may offer only hampers and/or lucky draws and not offer prize money, unless there is a specific licensed racing category (like the road riding leagues). We are, however, investigating a MTB league series and have been talking to WP MTB in this regard.

[Icycling]

Paarlmtb your 1st statement is 100% correct and yes that is why I am still sit on PPA - if I look to how many cyclist competed at SA track champs this past weekend or SA road champs - if cycling for the masses was left to the old SACF / CSA the market would probably not even be a 10th of the size!

 

I think by my other committee members I am regards as the "black Sheep" as I voice my concern on how much money PPA is saving and NOT investing in cycling and our events - be it the Giro del Capo or not taking the timing system to the next level and using it as an entry system too. But the counter argument is at least PPA has a healthy set of book, unlike a lot of sports bodies all around the world! So maybe I should have started this tread about been frustrated!

[Elvin]

Don't you want to us all a favour and email Racetec and ask them why they are not listing your results and then  post the answer here.....

 

Then we no longer have to speculate. Can wait to hear what Icycling and Mads will have to say.

Here is the reply I received from Racetec, hence the start of this topic.

 

 

Hi Elvin,   Unfortunately we are unable to publish your results as you are not a PPA member, as this race is a PPA event, you are required to be a PPA member if you would like your results to be displayed. Once you have joined PPA, please let us know and we will re-run results to enable you to view this on the website.  

 

You may contact PPA at 021 689 8420 or info@pedalpower.org.za<mailto:info@pedalpower.org.za> or visit their website: www.pedalpower.co.za<http://www.pedalpower.co.za>  

 

 

 

Regards   Janine Beckett  

 

RaceTec Race Office: +27 21 763 7960

 

Website: www.racetec.co.za

 

 

Edited October 13, 2010 by Elvin