Rider's Guide to Cycling South Africa Road Licences All ages 2026

Under section 9.7 of the Cycling SA Road Cycling Handbook 2026:

• A day membership is issued to a cyclist who doesn't hold a valid, current membership, or who can't produce a valid licence when asked.
• It is for cyclists who ride recreationally. It is valid for one day, from 00:00 to 23:59, and you don't need to belong to a club.
• Every sanctioned event must check entrants' membership status and let non-members buy a day membership.

On a day membership you can't:

• race in any championship event, because championship riders must be members of a constituted club;
• win prize money;
• race in the specified age categories at A, B or C category events sanctioned by Cycling SA.

Clothing: day licence holders may wear any suitable clothing (section 7.4).

If you race regularly, or want to race championships, age categories or for prizes, you need a Cycling SA membership or a Full Racing Licence.

Under the Cycling SA Road Cycling Handbook 2026:

• All cycling events must be sanctioned through Cycling SA, the official cycling federation in South Africa (section 2.3).
• Exceptions: social events such as club rides and social rides (which may charge to cover costs, but can't have podiums or prizes), Strava-timed events that aren't group rides, virtual events and races, social outrides and training rides.
• Licence holders: a cyclist holding a Cycling SA licence may not take part in any non-sanctioned cycling event, apart from the exceptions above (section 9.8). Licensed officials also may not work at, or be associated with, any unsanctioned event (section 22.1.1).
• Who must be licensed: everyone riding a road event sanctioned by Cycling SA needs a Cycling SA membership or licence, or one recognised by the UCI (section 9.2). Sanctioned events must check entrants' membership and offer non-members a day membership (section 9.7.1).
• Calendar: the Cycling SA road calendar runs from 1 January to 31 December. Event dates are approved by the provincial affiliates and Cycling SA, and the calendar is released each October.
• Rules that apply: unless the handbook provides otherwise, the UCI's Part 2 road race regulations take precedence (section 1.5).

Under section 11.1 of the Cycling SA Road Cycling Handbook 2026, your category depends on the age you turn on or before 31 December of the registration year:

Maximum road race distances by category (section 12.1): U11 20 km, U13 30 km, U15 60 km. U17 is 80 km at National and Provincial Championships and 105 km at other events. Junior men 140 km; junior women 100 km at National Championships, or up to 110 km when grouped with another category. U23, Elite and Masters follow UCI rules.

Under section 11 of the Cycling SA Road Cycling Handbook 2026:

• Veteran categories run in 5-year bands: 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and 80+.
• You become eligible for a category in the year you have a birthday in its youngest age. For example, you ride 30-34 from the year you turn 30.
• Cycling SA may combine categories into 10-year bands, or approve revised groups, depending on entry numbers, including at Provincial and National Championships.
• Choosing a younger category: a veteran may take a Full Racing Licence in a younger category, including Elite, for 2026. But you then can't switch categories during the year. A 30-34 rider who takes an Elite licence for 2026 can't change back to 30-34 in 2026, and the same applies the other way round. This applies to all veteran and master riders.
• Elite and U23 riders may not move to a younger category.
• You ride the category on your licence at all events, including Provincial and SA Championships.

Under sections 17 and 18 of the Cycling SA Road Cycling Handbook 2026:

Who can ride: National Classics (Category A) and Regional Mass Participation events (Categories B to D) are open to:

• Full Racing Licence holders;
• Cycling SA members, who are seeded;
• non-members on a temporary or day membership.

At National Classics, veterans with a Full Racing Licence get preferential seeding in their age categories. At regional mass participation events they don't.

Racing groups:

Day membership holders can't race for prize money or in the specified age categories at A, B or C category events (section 9.7.4).

Club and community fun or training races (E category, up to 200 riders): Full Racing Licence holders may ride, but not as teams or with team managers unless the President Commissaire agrees.

Under section 14 of the Cycling SA Road Cycling Handbook 2026:

• Junior and older: at any National Championship, you need a Full Racing Licence from Cycling SA or another UCI-recognised body.
• Youth riders need only a full membership, but must belong to a club or academy.
• No day licences or day memberships are accepted at any National Championship. Day membership holders can't race any championship event, because championship riders must be members of a constituted club (section 9.7.3).
• Closed championships: the Elite, U23 and Junior men's and women's National Championships are closed. Only South African citizens with an RSA UCI licence number can win medals and the national champion's jersey.
• Other championships are open to riders from other countries. If a foreign rider wins, they get the medal, but the champion's jersey goes to the first eligible South African.
• Your category is fixed: you ride the age category on your licence at every event, including Provincial and SA Championships (section 11.8).
• Under 19 riders may never race in the Elite or U23 categories of the National or Provincial Road and Time Trial Championships.
• Timing: the National Elite, U23 and Junior Road and Time Trial Championships are held each year by the end of February at the latest.

Under section 5 of the Cycling SA Road Cycling Handbook 2026:

• Bikes: unless the competition format specifically allows otherwise, events are limited to road and time trial bikes and equipment that meet the UCI Part 1 technical rules.
• Time trial bikes and equipment are not allowed in road races, and not allowed in time trials for U15 and younger.
• Mountain bikes, BMX and paracycling cycles are allowed in road races.
• Wheels must be on the UCI's List of Approved Wheels.
• Rim depth: from 1 January 2026, the maximum rim depth in mass-start road races under UCI rules is 65 mm, to reduce crosswind effects and overall speeds. Youth riders' wheels may be no deeper than 50 mm.
• Handlebar ends must be plugged, not just covered with tape, and other projections protected as far as possible.
• Gears: gear checks have been removed for all age groups.

Under the Cycling SA Road Cycling Handbook 2026 (sections 7 and 8):

Helmet and equipment

• Your helmet must be a standard helmet without a visor.
• All accessories must be securely fastened, and anything not essential for racing must be removed.
• Glass or any other non-shatterproof container is prohibited.

Clothing

• You must be clothed from the neck to at least mid-thigh, and jerseys must have sleeves extending beyond the shoulder, as UCI Part 1 requires.
• Full Racing Licence holders and competitive members from Junior upwards must wear the registered design and colours of the school, academy, club, team, region, province or country they represent, unless the event prescribes its own clothing.
• Riders not representing any of these must wear predominantly plain clothing with no lettering apart from the manufacturer's mark.
• Day licence holders may wear any suitable clothing.
• Clubs and domestic teams racing in the licensed Junior, U23 and Elite categories must register their kit design with Cycling SA, and are subject to UCI restrictions. A rider in non-compliant clothing may be refused a start or penalised by the commissaires (section 34).