so we had this little discussion last year, but it never really amounted to anything. before we start the kit order, i would like to kick it off again.
the question is – should the spr kit be only available to spr members???
the pros –
- you should only be wearing a club kit if you are part of the club
- we have more control over who is representing our club (in public and races)
- it will force people to become members
the cons –
- more people wearing the kit means more exposure for the club
- the roots of our club was never forcing people to pay to ride with us
- is it a question of how much people can afford???
- it will force people to become members
please add your feedback to the comments below. you are the club, let us know how this should play out.
In my opinion, it should be for club members. Hard to enforce club rules if someone who is not a club member is wearing the kit around and giving us a bad name.
I agree with jorgy, as a relatively new member (6m) who is about to buy some kit it never occurred to me that it wouldn’t be that way
I suppose I have to disagree with Jorgy and Cam. Especially when you’re a “club-whore” like me, and considering the amount of politics that currently exists in the racing elements of cycling in WA, I think it’s a fresh breath of air when a club is much less restrictive in the certain elements of its membership, and the kit-members argument reflects this if you ask me. To be honest, part of the reason I was attracted to SPR so strongly (when it is by FAR not my local club) is because of their more relaxed ethos and detachment from all those politics in cycling, and I think that’s probably what makes SPR as popular as it has been!
But I can see why you’d want it the other way 🙂
I’m with Nic.
Remember the roots of the club. The main reason my mates and I were attracted to SPR was the lack of politics. We wanted to ride our bikes and make friends with a common interest in riding their bikes. We have done just that, I have made some great friends through SPR, we were welcomed and have become involved over time at our own pace. I think this is the great thing about SPR and I proudly promote the club everywhere I go by word of mouth and by wearing the kit. I don’t road race, but I do wear the kit in MTB races, Adventure Races and Triathlon here, interstate and overseas, and the first thing I say when people ask me about SPR is “There’s none of the political crap, it’s just people riding their bikes.”
Why haven’t I joined the club? It’s a question of cost. Between Triathlon and MTB membership and race entries my cycling habit is not a cheap one. I am all for supporting the club, but even with the value add option most of the fee goes to Cycling Australia, not the club. I would be happy to make a donation to the club, and I have contacted the club asking about doing so, but I am not interested in making ANOTHER donation to Cycling Australia.
Don’t surrender to the Cycling/Triathlon Australia narrow minded (there’s nothing outside road cycling/triathlon) trend of making rules about making rules about making rules. Welcome all, don’t scare people away by forcing them to join up. Remember for many different reasons not everyone is able to turn up consistently, but want to be part of the club and what the club stands for.
I’m off to ride my bike. 🙂
If it is possible to allow membership WITHOUT the Cycling Australia’s component, that may solve the issue. I mean the club is only getting a very small part of the membership fee right? Something like $20 out of $86?
Of course, if you intend to race, then you will need the full Cycling Australia membership
two tierd pricing? slightly cheaper for members….that way, the small additional amount non-members pay can help towards the costs of running a club, website, etc etc
IMHO
Wearing cycling clothing displaying brands, logos etc suggests your affinity & support of that brand, team or event. Obviously, not everyone who wears a Garmin Cervelo Team kit is a pro team racer (me included) or we would mostly be wearing bland plain assos or castelli colours.
However, your wearing of a local club or team kit displays membership of the club or team eg WAIS, Plan B or SPR.
If you want to wear the SPR kit you should be a member.
It is possible to be a member of a club without having to buy a Cycling Australia Licence too.
Have a nice CHOGM …
imho, club kit should be for SPR club members only.
If there isn’t multiple types of SPR memberships available (CA, non-CA, etc. as others have mentioned) then I think it should be considered.
The most important thing is that whenever anyone wears the SPR club kit they must remember they may be seen by other road users as representing the club. Their cycling etiquette needs to be on track with club standards. Not something that’s easy to implement, but a gentle reminder somewhere during the purchasing process might be enough????
I’ve been a member for just on 12m – so have not been around since the start of SPR. However I’m with Jorgy: club membership first then kit. Wearing the SPR kit tells others who see you that you are part of SPR.
Just over 12m ago I was a non SPR member turning up at SPR rides, and wearing non SPR kit. I was still made perfectly welcome to join in -so I don’t quite follow the non inclusive concerns: you don’t have to join SPR to ride your bikes and make friends with similar cycling addicts at SPR. Most SPR rides have up to 40% of folk not in SPR kit – some are members and some non members, and I still find it an inclusive cycling environment. I don’t see that asking folk to join before purchasing kit would change that (certainly hope not!).
If you want to be identified as part of SPR by wearing the kit then I think it is reasonable to become a member.
Nice can of worms, Pete. As a long time rider with the pre-Coode St. group then rouleur, I wouldn’t want to see too much change to our (successful) ethos (i.e. the less “rules” the better).
We have always prided ourselves on our friendly, welcoming, well-organised nature (call it inclusivity if you want) and it is up to us to maintain an atmosphere that prompts people to buy our kit and/or become members. Luke’s idea of having a kit discount for members – publicised – is a good way of promoting membership.
This way we would have 3 types of rider participating in our group rides:
1. Non-members and non-kit wearers
2. Non-members who have bought the kit (at $20 extra per jersey and knicks?)
3. Members and SPR kit-wearers (those who are members and don’t wear the kit having been exterminated)
If we keep doing things right within the club, there should be a pathway along the 3 levels, according to people’s needs (taking into account that not everyone wants to race or even ride a lot) and their growing desire to belong to our organisation.
As for using the kit as a way of maintaining ride etiquette standards, I think we all know how that goes (refer to the recent megablog). Everyone who rides with us, mixed in with the SPR jerseys, is, in effect, representing the club. We all need to be involved in helping the rides happen smoothly and legally for the benefit of all riders. It’s up to us to be proactive in helping riders, regardless of what they are wearing, learn and maintain safe, pleasurable group riding behaviours. The kit just makes us look nice/hardcore while doing so.
How about a printed page or 3 included with each kit – containing a run down of the ride etiquette / safety emphasis of the group and a reminder that wearing the club colours means you are now an ambassador for the club even if you aren’t a member.
As an ‘original’ Coode St starter way back pre-SPR, I recall in those days there was “no” membership other than a logon to the Where are we riding today? blog. It was there that much of the ‘ethos’ of the group (pre-“club”) grew with a small forum of like minded people drawing on everything they liked most about cycling, contributing their personal values and beliefs to discussion/conversation/(conflict?) etc which is essentially the foundation of what SPR is today. One of the first orders of the group (pre-“club”) after we agreed on a name (wasn’t THAT fun??!!) was to decide if we would even HAVE a kit…online vote via the Blog if I recall correctly…?
So, the history is there…pre “club” and “membership”, we had kit…we looked like frogs and were proud of it. We belonged to something we had contributed ourselves to and were happy when the time came to pay good coin to Cycling Australia (after the debate around whether we would actually affiliate at their request [if I recall correctly?]) for the privilege of riding/racing/socialising and “belonging”.
The CLUB is strong; we don’t need to “force” anyone to join; they will if they want to.
The question of ride etiquette among non-member kit wearers is a matter of consequence. What are we going to do if ANYONE (member or not) rides like a d*ckhead? Take it off them?? Yeh right!
Seems fair to charge a little more for non-members to get their hands on it though; maybe the amount we’d get from Cycling Australia if they joined outright??
Phew*#! CHOGM has worn me out…..need a sausage…
I’m not a member and don’t own a club kit….I have had many in my home both on people at club brekkys and to collate. I don’t cycle but live SPR 24/7… I’m the presidents wife!!!
I don’t often way into discussions re SPR issues on a public forum (usually done in the home study as Pete uses me as a sounding board) but the issue of kit for members only is one that has languished so here goes…. I think it should only be for members … it doesn’t mean that others wouldn’t be welcome and I don’t understand why some see it as “political”. Being a member means you are representing the club and you have responsibilities and obligations to it so you should get to wear the colours. If you enjoy the aspects of the club so much you are willing to wear the kit then why not join as a recreational member. Members earn the right to wear a kit as they are bound by the road conduct that is expected of a member, they shape the club since they have voting rights, they contribute to the club by volunteering their time at race, club and social events. A kit wearing non member shares the benefits of all this yet is under no obligation to the club or to contribute to the growth of the club … and I don’t think it’s fair to the members.
Obviously you opened a big can here Peter…
I’m a relatively new member who joined after riding a few times with the club as a non-member, and really as a bit of a newbie to the whole cycling addiction. Why did I join? Because of the great atmosphere, friendly members, great ride routes and safe and supportive riding environment. Having (accidentally!) ridden with a few über-testosterone driven groups whose riding behaviour was begging for a big bingle, SPR’s focus on safety and rode/ride etiquette was very refreshing and reassuring. Having found a group of like-minded people who were encouraging and welcoming, I thought I should support the club and sign on.
I’m all for non-members riding with SPR however, particularly newbies – if my own experience is anything to go by, it helps make them better and safer riders, and that can only be a good thing. Plus I think that being inclusive and encouraging is one of the great things about SPR. Hopefully people will at some point decide they would like to support the club that makes this all possible and join. If for any reason such as those mentioned in the comments above they don’t/can’t, that’s fine too.
To my mind, however, wearing SPR kit makes you a visible ambassador for the club and its ethos, so I think that it’s acceptable to expect that you become a member before you become a rolling (or roll-through) billboard.
Dont we wear the strip to identify ourselves as being members of the club? I know alot of the boys/girls like to race hard ‘for the club’ when wearing the green…..so what happens if we are racing people in the strip – who are not in the club? I am not a club fanatic and joined SPR for its inclusiveness…..
i’ll keep it short & sweet. no club card, no kit. there…easy 🙂
It should be a privilege to wear the club kit, not a right. So it should be only available to club members. My 2 cents…
Don’t get me wrong, but do we have an idea of how many people ACTUALLY have a kit an aren’t members?? That’s not to say that there aren’t quite a few out there, it’s genuine question. Because to be involved in getting a kit you do need to have a reasonable amount of contact with the club, and so potentially the problem is somewhat negligible in that having the kit available to non-members and thus producing the more friendly and relaxed SPR atmosphere outweighs the fact that there are a few people out there without a membership but with a kit, and even fewer of those people that would give the club a bad name!
Further to this, include the concept of charging a little bit more and a flyer for those without a membership, or even the non-CA license and bam best of ALL worlds?
But then again, that is the question: how many people out there are non-members with kits?
me. (currently)
SACKED!
oh, the shame. and the peer pressure, gawd.. can haz breakfast now? 🙂
Can I suggest an alternative?
members price for item of SPR kit = $x
non-members price = $x + y (eg $10??)
Gets around the option of sending lots of cash to CA.
a bit of extra cash for the club.
I was initially surprised by this blog – my initial gut response was ‘how ridiculous’ – I didn’t even consider that I would be entitled to wear club colours without being a member?
On reflection, and after reading some of the above comments about SPR’s history, I think it is a credit to the club that the founders have made gear for non-members an option.
The above alternative would give those who chose not to join (the Nic’s & the Pete’s & the Michael’s), for whatever reason, the opportunity to wear the colours (and contribute to the coffers) without having to pay multiple times to CA.
My guess is that most people who ride regularly with SPR will join – the few that don’t will then have the option of paying a small premium (2 Perth cups of coffee) to show their allegiance.
This would get around the ‘free-loader’ concept, and show a bit of respect / credit to the tireless work done by Pete – I may be wrong, but my impression as a relative newcomer (member < 12/12), is that without Pete (and with what sounds like incredible support from Kate), the club would not exist,
One should be a member to wear the strip. I own one set of the strip and generally don’t wear it as my other kit fits me better. If you were to require riders to ride in kit that would put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Kit only available to members and ‘contributing’ cyclists.
I personally think the costs associated with Cycling Australia licenses are bodering on robbery. $280 just to get you to the start line – unreasonable. And to force people to pay these prices to race is prohibitive. There are no tests to ensure racers have adequate skill levels, and is simply available to anyone who pays. They say proceeds are for insurance purposes and also funds go to the elite cyclists (Olympians etc..), but no one uses the the insurance associated with the CA licenses and I don’t comprehend why these prices are set so high. I think same goes for ‘recreational licenses’ too.
I think it is fantastic that anyone can rock up on their bike and join the group rides whenever they like and be part of the club. It’s so refreshing to have such a well managed group of cyclists and no prohibitive costs! This is a big attraction. And for those who become part of the SPR community, it is not long before they naturally feel like they should give something back for all the good times they have experienced.
So regarding the kit, my personal view is that it should only be available to members only for the many valid points mentioned above. However for those who ride regularly with the club and are considered by all means part of the club but don’t wish to purchase a CA license, I think a ‘contribution’ to the club bank account should entitle those to wear the kit too. I feel most would be more than happy to pay $80 directly to SPR and know all those funds will be used for the benefit of all within, and directly to, the club.
Everyone else – no kit.
Are SPR rides for SPR memberships holders only? It’s only one more step to becoming what our club isn’t and what we don’t want it to be. Kit for non members as it is but let’s encourage riders to join the club under their own steam. It will be a sweeter result. The club is a democracy so maybe a vote at the next club meeting is the fairest way to decide.
I have been recommending new people to cycling to ride with SPR group rides as it is a good way for them to learn basic skills of riding in a bunch. No fee to ride with SPR like some, no pressure to wear a club kit like some and no pressure to join the club like some. My fellow employees also recommend newbes to check out the SPR web site and the SPR group rides but they are not club members and they dont ride in the club colours either but they do the club rides. They support the SPR club in a different way. Having a kit available to members only shuts the door on a lot of non competitvie riders and non members.
Over the years I have riden in a lot of club events in other states. I have purchased other club kits as a memeory of the ride… how sad would that be if I was not able to purchase a kit because I was not a club member :(….80% of my cycling wardrode is club colours or shop colours of clubs/shops I dont belong to or even shop at….
The SPR cycling kit is a good way to promote a club to non members in other states and countries.
Yes maybe increase the kit cost to non members by a small amount to help run the club but dont shut them out by saying no.
Life is just a ride.
As a new member I think it is good that SPR kit is only available to club members. Membership fee is so low and I was motivated to jion SPR to race with club members in club kit.
The club grew so much because we’re such an inclusive bunch, we welcome (pretty much) everyone as along as you want to ride safe and we cater for a wide range of aspirations and skills. That is fantastic and should not change. Want to ride with us? Great, just read the day’s ride route and the ride ettiquete and you’re set to go.
However, wearing the club kit should really be a step up the club ladder. By becoming a member you’re making a commitment to the club as well as a financial contribution to it. In short, you’re significantly helping to develop the club.
I see the club kit as a badge of commitment to SPR. Therefore…kit for members only
Oh, and the jersey should be full zipper… (hint for next time….)
cheers