Hey all,
Just thought I'd start planning the Ride Season by getting your input on "Ride Goals" for 2009. Please reply in the Comments Sections below. I want to the BCC Club Rides to accommodate as best it can. Also please do the Poll located on the TOP Right of the Site.
Here are some Ride Links Courtesy of James...
This is the best time of year to line up some goals.
June:
Ride for Heart
Tour De Grand
OR
Rideau Lakes
July:
Nothing lined up yet.....
August:
Biking for Breakfast
Tour de Creemore
September:
Ride for Karen
Highlander Cycle Tour
Also, try to ride more......
James.
Cheers,
Dan.
16 comments:
This is the best time of year to line up some goals.
June:
Ride for Heart
http://www.rideforheart.ca/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=265808&lis=1
Tour De Grand
http://www.cambridgetourdegrand.com/
OR
Rideau Lakes
http://www.ottawabicycleclub.ca/rlct
July:
Nothing lined up yet.....
August:
Biking for Breakfast
http://bikingforbreakfast.com/
Tour de Cremmore
September:
Ride for Karen
http://www.rideforkaren.com/
Highlander Cycle Tour
http://www.highlandercycletour.com/
Also, try to ride more......
James
Upgrade to Sr3... more mileage!
April 19th - Paris Ancaster? I kicked my butt this year and the logistics suck for me next year but it was an event to be sure.
A sure sign that I need help? I wanna do the RAAM (solo category).
Ride for Heart, Conquer Cancer, Ride for Karen, Creemore...I've also just completed my Adult 1 swimming level, and am thinking that doing a try-a-tri might be something else to add to the roster next year...why not!?
Hey Mike I have a van!
Tour for Kids:
http://www.tourforkids.com/ontario/index.asp
4 day or 2 day options with 200km or 100km per day options
Dates likely to be Aug 13 through 17th
Suggestions:
1) The routes and early departure times are awesome & seem to be what draws people out to the BCC rides. To aid in that point I would suggest that the time posted on the blog be the time that the group leaves and not just the meeting time. Then you don't have people showing up at the time, getting a coffee, taking a leak and delaying the departure time. If people want to chat & have coffee then they can get there earlier and the ride will leave at the stated departure time of 6:30 or whatever it is. Being a family man & with having post ride duties the lost 10-15 minutes after the meeting time & before we actually start to ride is always stressful as I need to get home. I am sure that others have the same time constraints and obligations too.
2) Now that the membership #'s are higher it would be great to have differing groups dependent upon skill level so that the ride can break up into smaller groups. This will limit the amount of times that we need to stop and wait for dropped riders early in
the ride. Firstly, it is a shame to have to stop and wait when we have these great open roads in front of us, secondly it hurts our fitness with having to stop often, & thirdly it slows the ride & makes the home arrival time later. It is nice to just have the one short mid ride stop to re-fuel & not have several stops along the ride.
Peter S.
Good points Peter. All this time I thought you simply enjoyed punishing the poor souls that try and hold your wheel. Turns out you were just running late!
Cheers - Steve W.
Well said, Peter.
I definitely echo the idea of starting ontime although I do like to pre ride with a coffee but there is no reason to not start on time.
Breaking into groups is only natural and I see no reason for you "fast guys" to wait for guys like me. Having said that, perhaps the first part of the ride we should abide by Dan's request to "keep it together"....at least for the first say 5 or 10 km? The social aspect of the group is paramount imo. Insofar as the break (coffee and tart stop) goes I am not sure what to suggest. As different groups will be arriving at different times it can make things awkward....anyone have a thought on this?
Also, Dan seems to be forced to stay with the last group to keep them on course but it isn't fair HE has to do this every Sunday. Perhaps we could rotate this responsibility?
Just some thoughts. I only speak to the Sunday rides as those are the only ones I seem to get to. I made two Tuesday rides only this year and those take a life of their own!!
What say you?
James
I have to agree with all of the comments above. I like the idea of the ride starting together, as it is nice to have a bit of a warmup at the beginning of the journey, and to have some chat before the inevitable hills come along, and it's impossible to talk.
I also think that breaking into the ride/speed groups is a great way to make newer riders feel comfortable riding as a part of the overall group instead of feeling guilty for slowing everyone up, or making others wait for them. (Having been the last person more than once, I can speak from experience!)
I think that with the different groups riding at different paces, the coffee stop may become more of a revolving stop as opposed to a group break. Maybe at the beginning of the ride each pace group can decide just how much time they plan on spending at the break point and for some rides that might mean just a quick pit stop and other times it might mean that we all end up meeting up, even briefly, at the half-way point. It is nice to have the social aspect of meeting and regrouping at the half-way mark, but I also understand what it's like to have commitments to family and the need to get home on time.
I agree that the chaperone role should be revolved, and would be happy to take a turn - despite the new bike, I'm not kidding myself into thinking that I'll be at the front of the pack! :)
Looking forward to getting back at it in 2009!
Cheers,
Kerri
Point 1. Goals mean different things to different riders. Perhaps their first century or charity ride. Perhaps leading the pack for a while or learning more about competitive riding. What every an individuals goals is, I really believe that this club can help them achieve it.
Point 2. This echoes those who have suggestive chaperons, ambassadors, group leaders; the title isn't important but their role is. Having spent the better portion of my 2 glorious years with BCC usually at the end of the pack, I know that I will never be able to spend any appreciable time with the lead group - and that is OK. Many have pulled me along and I thank them for that but it is pay back time - I would very much like to lead those who are starting out and want to see what road biking is all about. Helping those new to BCC and road biking is my goal for 2009.
great thoughts on the Sunday ride. As peter suggested I am all about efficiency of riding, to get the most out of our rides given the limited amount of time available.
I also think the club is an ideal place for people to build their capability over the course of a year, and you dont do that by riding at the same speed all year. By having staggered groups, who ride the same route, it actually allows for slower riders to push themselves and develop without worrying about pulling a faster group down. You try and maintain the wheel of a faster pack for as long as possible then you drop back. Maybe for the first 6-8 weeks you hold the faster group for 15k, then the next 4-6 weeks you hold for 30k, then you hold for 60k and before the end of the year, you can ride with the faster group the entire time. Then you start to think about leading the faster group. I think this can be done with the same starting times, but slightly altered routes with drop points.
I agree with James that it is not fair to have Dan (and in some cases James) be riding with the slowest group all the time. I would certainly be willing to chaperone the trailing group on the odd occasion, but I have to admit it wouldnt be a regular occasion given my training goal of IM Canada for 2009.
My two cents
qb
Hey Kerri,
Just curious, where do you do your Adult 1 swimming level? That is something I'd be very interested in.
Sorry for the off topic comment ;)
Thanks.
Hi BBC
I am the organizer of the Biking for Breakfast Challenge (www.bikingforbreakfast.com).
It would be awesome to have your club participate and let me know if you need a place to stay when in P.E.I.!!
Ken Trenholm
Hello there
I just saw the posting asking about the Adult 1 swim lessons that I took - they were offered through the City of Toronto Parks & Rec. program. I was taking them at the Birchmount CC and I think that it was Tuesday nights from 7:30 - 8:30. I think that the winter session would be starting soon...I decided to take this session off and will be going back for Adult 2 in the spring.
Cheers,
Kerri
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