YACF as club in AUK membership

[border-rider]

I wasn't referring specifically to Willesden; my point was that the traditional link between location and membership is blurring for many clubs.  I was approached by 3 different clubs when I lived in Berkshire - none of them remotely local; co-incidently I was doing 100 points a year at that time

 I rode with Newbury then, but that makes little sense in Wales and I don't have a local club here.  I'd just park my points with AUK.

In previous years we've said "well done, good win" to those that have won.  Maybe a bit of reciprocity is called for 

[phil d]

Paul makes some very valid points, particularly his last one.

However, it is fair to say that a number of people here do organise events (albeit not under the yACF banner), and also a number of people here have taken on roles within the AUK structure (eg perm orgs).  I think I'm right in saying that some of these people had no relationship with AUK before yACF (or "the old place") or perhaps C+, where quite a lot of us started our forum "life".

[jogler]

It's a club.

It's a damnsight more sociable than any of the "normal" clubs in my immediate area.
I have to travel 25 miles each way to ride with a friendly club.CTC Derby.

[Manotea]

It's a damnsight more sociable than any of the "normal" clubs in my immediate area. I have to travel 25 miles each way to ride with a friendly club.CTC Derby.

I'm not sure of the point you are making. It's 25km for me to Denham. I usually ride up for club runs. Presumeably, CTC Derby have something on most weeks. How often do you take part in YACF events and how far do you have to travel for those? Do you ride out or take the train/car? If the latter then what's the difference between travelling to CTC and YACF events?

[jogler]

My point is that the YACF club & the CTC Derby club are both more friendly than the road clubs in my immediate area, 6 of which are less than half the distance to Derby.
So if these 6 clubs were of the same culture as YACF & CTC Derby it would be more convenient for me.
As it happens I have no problem with travelling to be riding with people whose company I enjoy because they do not make judgements based on how fast I can/cannot ride on a bike made of carbon (or not)
So I regard YACF as my club in the same way that I regard CTC as my club:the only difference being that the latter is formerly constructed with a membership fee,membership card etc.
Is that as clear as mud?

[phil d]

I think that the truth of the matter is that few of us really belong to a club in the sense that we partake of regular club events.  The number of people who list yACF as their "club" is clear evidence of this.  I am a member of Didcot Phoenix (and as it happens Reading CC), but my total involvement with DP this year has been to partake in 2 or three Sunday Club-runs, to help at one TT, and to ride one audax event.  To be amassing AUK club points for DP is a bit of a joke really.  I could just as easily have them allocated to ReadingCC, or to yACF.  All would be equally irrelevant.

So I can see why some of the more dedicated club members feel a bit put out that the AUK Club Points Championship can be skewed in this way.  Though I believe there are many members of VC167 and Willesden who have virtually no real contact with "their" club.  Probably even less than I have with DP.

And there's another angle to this.  Within DP there are other audaxers, notably MattC of this parish.  He and I are very close on total points this year, and I am in the slightly embarrasing position that I might well lift the club's audax award, though Matt is far more of a club "member" than me.  We have had banter over it, and I'm sure we won't fall out over it.

[MattH]

What does it take to be a club?

Designated meeting place - check!
Membership fees - check!  (albeit optional and now long buried in office reception)
Club rides - check!
Club social events - check!
Club shirts - check!

Not sure what else anybody could ask for.

[vorsprung]

What does it take to be a club?

Designated meeting place - check!
Membership fees - check!  (albeit optional and now long buried in office reception)
Club rides - check!
Club social events - check!
Club shirts - check!

Not sure what else anybody could ask for.

YACF have no insurance and are not the organising club for any audaxes

[LittleWheelsandBig]

YACF have no insurance and are not the organising club for any audaxes

Insurance can be purchased individually, many YACFers are members of organisations that provide insurance.  Plenty of YACFers organise brevets.

So, what else?

[cyclone]

I put YACF as organising club on my audax (with the permission of an AUK committee member)

- As I dont belong to a club or DA why not? If it is against the forum rules then I will remove that, its more relevant than e.g. Peak Audax 

[vorsprung]

I put YACF as organising club on my audax (with the permission of an AUK committee member)

Cool!

[mattc]

I put YACF as organising club on my audax

Oi! It hasn't been voted on. When's the next comittee meeting ... ?

[Greenbank]

YACF have no insurance and are not the organising club for any audaxes

Insurance can be purchased individually, many YACFers are members of organisations that provide insurance.  Plenty of YACFers organise brevets.

So, what else?

Individuals may have insurance but that's not the same thing as a 'YACF club' having insurance to cover all of its members on its rides.

For example: YACF has no insurance for prospective members or members that doesn't have their own insurance. The insurance that 'real' cycling clubs have will generally cover non-members on club rides for the first few rides (I think Simon L3 does this for his rides as the CTC will cover prospective members a few times before expecting them to join).

This goes with the 'not affiliated to BC or CTT' since that's usually one perk you get for the club insurance via them.

On the second point, there are plenty of clubs in the AUK club lists that don't organise rides, yacf isn't alone in that.

[dasmoth]

Doesn't the £2 non-members surcharge when entering an Audax include insurance?

So everyone riding should be covered by either CTC, BC, or AUK's own policy.

[Greenbank]

Doesn't the £2 non-members surcharge when entering an Audax include insurance?

So everyone riding should be covered by either CTC, BC, or AUK's own policy.

It's not a question of being insured when riding Audaxes, everyone should be one way or another.

It's a question of what you need to be classed as a 'real cycling club'.

One proposal was that yacf isn't a 'real cycling club' because it doesn't offer it's members insurance coverage when on 'club rides', because it has no club insurance.

[mattc]

On the second point, there are plenty of clubs in the AUK club lists that don't organise rides, yacf isn't alone in that.

... and one of the clubs that does can only be joined by marriage.

(That's pretty poor logic Greenbank. As pointed out, noone in AUK is checking the "clubs" being used, so being on the list doesn't prove a thing.)

[simonp]

Silly season

Just sayin'...

[AndyH]

Is this a silly season thread or has it been resurrected because of the time of year & the points total of the YACF top 6 ?

I found YACF by following a YACF jersey on an event, ironically the jersey was on the back of someone listed in another club. I had already found AudaxUK and joined. However, through meeting people I have met here I've found events and been encouraged to do more than I would have otherwise have done. eg an SR. I certainly consider YACF to be my club as far as AUK is concerned.

I found this definition for club - A group of people organized for a common purpose, especially a group that meets regularly -  I think YACF qualifies ?

it would be nice to see some YACF sponsored events in the calendar.

+1

I thought YACF had no hope of a points award due to the top-6 rule

What happens if Marcus has more points in perms than in calendar events ?

[Greenbank]

On the second point, there are plenty of clubs in the AUK club lists that don't organise rides, yacf isn't alone in that.

... and one of the clubs that does can only be joined by marriage.

(That's pretty poor logic Greenbank. As pointed out, noone in AUK is checking the "clubs" being used, so being on the list doesn't prove a thing.)

Sorry if it wasn't clear, I was pointing out that vorsprung's comment of:-

YACF have no insurance and are not the organising club for any audaxes

was weak because there are plenty of other clubs in the list that don't organise any audaxes.

[dasmoth]

it would be nice to see some YACF sponsored events in the calendar.

+1

If anyone's organizing an event in the SE/East Anglia and is short on helpers, by all means give me a shout.

[perpetual dan]

it would be nice to see some YACF sponsored events in the calendar.

+1

If anyone's organizing an event in the SE/East Anglia and is short on helpers, by all means give me a shout.

Subject to family stuff I'd be happy to lend a hand sometimes too - easy reach of Brighton preferred.

I don't have another club to offer allegiance to anyway.

[mattc]

Is this a silly season thread or has it been resurrected because of the time of year & the points total of the YACF top 6 ?

<SNIP>

I thought YACF had no hope of a points award due to the top-6 rule

What happens if Marcus has more points in perms than in calendar events ?

Ah - I've just looked at this year's totals ... so in fact YACF are leading comfortably.
(but the last few years' scores seem broken on Aukweb?)
Thanks (40%) to Marcus!

This situation would certainly explain the current resurrection of the issue (and of course the end of season is when it will always come up).

[Grandad]

"Is anyone you know doing that 400? Simon or Scott from the cult?"

My wife insists on calling them andrex rides (that's when she is being polite!)

[Bairn Again]

Everything (or almost) everything said about YACF as a club/non club could be said of Audax Ecosse.  The only differences Im aware of is that Audax Ecosse has a constitution (verbal) and organises events.

I consider myself to be a member of both, as well as Edinburgh Road Club which is affiliated to British Cycling.  If not Audax Ecosse I'd be more likely to allocate my points to YACF than ERC - when Im riding with ERC it's either a non audax club event or a race and ERC doesnt do audaxes (although I could of course change that but Musselburgh RC seemed to have cornered the roadie/audax crossover with the excellent Tour of East Lothian - of course at 105km its not a  real audax).     

 

[Ivo]

Is this a silly season thread or has it been resurrected because of the time of year & the points total of the YACF top 6 ?

<SNIP>

I thought YACF had no hope of a points award due to the top-6 rule

What happens if Marcus has more points in perms than in calendar events ?

Ah - I've just looked at this year's totals ... so in fact YACF are leading comfortably.
(but the last few years' scores seem broken on Aukweb?)
Thanks (40%) to Marcus!

Most of the foreign points still have to be put into the system. I know of a few YACF'ers riding my events.