Getting a racing licence

[Paul on the Pearson]

How and from whom do you get a racing licence? Had a quick look at the British cycling website, do you have to take their liability insurance even if your already insured?
Paul

[Ian A4size]

Well paul ... first you got to get a haircut! something like mine or Marco's
Seriously tho...you should be able to get a licence from BC, but i guess you have to be a member, IIRC it is about £30 for the year starting from Jan to Nov. Being a member of BC usually gives you a provisional licence.
I suppose the best bloke to contact is Paul Tunnel who is our race secretary and S.E. B.C guru.
I think the B.C insurance is part of the membership perks of being a B. C member.

[Andrew G]

Looking at the BC website I thought that you paid for BC membership (silver at £34 or gold at £60) which gave you 3rd party cover as part of the benefits. Gold also gives you personal accident cover and a quarterly magazine. You buy a licence for £30 on top of the membership (need silver or gold to get a racing licence).
Is this right? Do you need to wait until January to get a licence?
Also is the gold cover worth bothering with as I already have private medical through work?

Thanks ,
Andrew.

[quote]Well paul ... first you got to get a haircut! something like mine or Marco's

[Dr Frigo]

Yeah I have to renew mine it's gonna cost £80 ...

Last time I got the full licence during the year, but had to pay for the membership being extended to the end of the calendar year (prorata) as that's how the licence runs.

[kieran]

Sylvain, don't you mean £90? I paid £60 gold and £30 for the licence - you can renew over the web just log in, go to My membership and follow instructions. Hopefully it will have been money well spent by the end of the year.

[Dr Frigo]

Deary me yes!

[Dr Frigo]

... Something to add to Tok's list of goals for 2007: "make at least £30 in prize money" ...

[Grahame]

well bollox to giving road racing a go then.

I object to giving the stuffed shirts at BC any money never mind nearly a hundred quid just so I can go and ride round a closed circuit.

If my competitive urges ever get resurrected, then it'll be back on the mountainbike for a race for me. I'll have more chance of doing well as well - according to BC "There's no good mountainbikers in the south"

Don't bring up the "insurance argument" either. I'm a CTC memeber so get the 3rd party and legal cover from them for less than £60 - and they campaign effectively for proper cyclists rights as well.

[Elliot M]

Not all races need a race licence though do they?

The Eastway TTs and RRs involved paying a few quid to get second claim for the League of Racing Cyclists or something? And the BC have some sort of easy access races?

[kieran]

Not all races are BC, Grahame you should find lots of non BC races if you look around, if I remember there were non BC races at Eastway but not sure where they will be held for the current year. I decided to pay up as for me the problem is the my 'local' races are, i.e. the ones at crystal palace. You don't need gold membership thougth so £90 is not required can still race on silver membership (save £30 around) and on bronze membership can get provisional one.

[Dr Frigo]

On the subject of BC membership

Only difference between silver (£34) and gold (£60) is the personal accident cover:

Benefits:

Permanent disability - £50,000
Total and irrecoverable loss of sight of one or both eyes - £50,000
Loss of one or both limbs - £50,000
Total and permanent loss of hearing in one ear - £12,500
Total and permanent loss of hearing in both ears - £50,000
Total and permanent loss of speech - £50,000
Death - £7,500 (£5,000 for under 16 and 71-75 years old)
Hospital cash benefit - £25 for each complete 24 hour period up to a maximum £750.


I'm more concerned about small injuries which require physio costs for instance, for which I have good insurance at work. I'm wondering whether is it worth it at all getting the gold membership again?

[Andrew G]

Cheers Sylv, that's what I thought. Silver will do for me as I get BUPA through work.

[DavidKennett]

A Surrey Cycle racing membership might also be worth getting, was £20 last year.

Race entries for 2007 are now £12

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

I won't be drawn as to the stuffed shirts at Bc or the ins ands outs of insurance costing debate, but if you race in BC events, you need a BC racing licence.
There are 3 options:
Don't join and pay an extra for a day licence at £10 a ride
Join as a member only and pay extra for a racing licence upgrade each ride £5
Join as a full member including licence and no extra to race.

Broadly:
Bronze membership acts as a provisional race licence and allows 1 race
Silver membership allows full race access
Gold membership includes personal accident insurance.

However the sums work out, it is far more convenient to get a licence.

The TLI (LVRC) promote races under their own steam and charge around £15 to join. They have their own insurance and do not pay BC levies, so their races are cheaper. However with he demise of Eastway, there are very few events around.

Please contact me for further info.
paul.tunnell@landg.com
Road Racing Secretary

[-Adam-]

Ill be drawn on the stuffed shirts at BC...

Did you not see any of the world track cycling championships this past weekend...? Or other events previously, the fact is, on the track, we are the BEST in the world. And this is largley due to the organisation of BC. (there was an interview with Bradley Wiggins on Eurosport where he had nothing short of 100% praise for the organisation that goes on behind the scenes) Now im relatively new to this world of cycling, and particularly racing. But i do not have a problem with BC like some seem so, particularly Members of the surrey league organisation etc.

Like i say, im not aware of any issues BC has had in the past. But from what i have seen in the last 3 years, they seem to run a pretty tight ship.

But please correct me if i am wrong...