Currently, the position for events held by Cycling Ireland require that Mountain Bikers hold a licence to compete in events. This be as a full licence, or alternative a one-day-licence. However, each person is only allowed by race with three one day licences throughout the year. If they wish to compete in more than three events, they would be encouraged to purchase a full licence for the remainder of the year.

For the 2006 racing season, at the most recent Cycling Ireland AGM the Mountain Bike Committee proposed that the system of a one day licence would be as follows:

a) At the event, the Commissaire will ask competitors to fill out a Cycling Ireland Standard Membership form and will sign it along with the secretary of the promoting club.
b) The rider will pay over €25 and will be allowed to ride in the event. On the first occasion the €25 will cover the one day competition licence and the CI membership
c) The Commissaire will make a return to CI with the form and the €25 to the office on the following Monday and CI will issue a Standard Membership licence card to the rider by post.
d) At the next event when the same rider wishes to ride under the one day licence arrangement, they will be asked to show their Standard Membership licence and with it pay a one day fee of €10 or €15 (whatever the board decides) for the day.
e) During the year they may take out as many one day licences as they wish under this scheme, but no credit will be given for any of these one day licences.
f) When / if a rider chooses to upgrade to a full licence, then they can do so by adding the appropriate balance to their Standard Membership licence at that time, but they will not be allowed any credits for any of the one day licences which were purchased using the Standard Membership licence.

In short: if you turn up at your first race, you pay €25 to compete, this allows you membership of Cycling Ireland. Following this, if you turn up to the next event having not upgraded the membership to a full licence, competitors will pay a one day members fee. An MTB Licence is €75, so to upgrade and not but any more one day licences you would have to pay €50.

The main difference this will make is for the National Championships. Under the current scheme, One-day licence holders are not entitled to a championship medal, whereas with the new scheme, all racing are effectively becoming members of the Cycling Ireland, therefore everyone in a medal position shall receive it, regardless of whether they hold a full licence.

Further information can be sought from www.cyclingireland.ie