The Toronto Bicycling Network Inc.

October 16, 2020

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TBN's AGM goes virtual: board has vacancies

TBN's Annual General Meeting is scheduled for 7 pm on November 26, and will be a virtual gathering to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. Please attend if you can to hear our overview of 2020 activities and our plans for 2021, which we hope will be more "normal".

The AGM will consider nominations for the 2021 board of directors, both your new suggestions and the incumbent board members proposed by the TBN nominating committee. Please email the committee (Dave Mader and Pam Kraft) by October 23 with names of people you wish to nominate, along with brief biographies.

Positions that we are especially anxious to fill include Education Director, Touring Director, Communications Director and Membership Experience Director.

You may also submit proposals to be voted on at the AGM. Email suggestions to info@tbn.ca no later than October 23. Please include "TBN AGM" in the subject line.

Finally, if you have a question you want the board to address at the AGM, please email info@tbn.ca, also by October 23. Be sure to include "TBN AGM" in the subject line.

Watch for updates on the virtual AGM in future issues of Chain of Events, and at tbn.ca.

The Annual General Meeting is an important event in TBN's Calendar. Members must approve the Club’s financial statements and nominate and vote on the Board of Directors for 2020/2021.

Warmest thanks to TBN's army of volunteers

It's not been an easy year for anyone at TBN, and we all felt your pain as we closed down operations for a chunk of time earlier this year. But many rides have been back for weeks. Thanks to the efforts of an army of volunteers, including everyone who stepped up to create, coordinate and lead rides under these new and difficult circumstances.

Thanks to all those ride leaders and coordinators, and to the team that drafted our new COVID-era ride policy. We also thank the many volunteers who helped us refine that plan, and to the technical geniuses who tweaked our website to make our rider registration policy workable.

We're deliberately not naming names here. There are too many of you, and it would be terrible to leave a name out by mistake. But thank you.

Details available on the upcoming events section of the TBN home page and on the calendar: COVID-era ride rules are on the website.

TBN hikes start October 25

TBN's fall hiking schedule gets under way October 25 with a 13-km stroll in the beautiful Hockley Valley. Hikes will take place on Sundays throughout the fall while weather allows.

Please note: TBN's COVID-19 rules apply to hikes just as they do to cycling: register in advance and cancel your registration if you change your mind; no non-members; bring masks and hand sanitizer; comply with social distancing requirements.

Enjoy the fall colours!

Think outside of the Road Bike and Spandex box

Think of winter sports and what you wear for skiing.

Do you have a ride you want to lead? Perhaps you were planning on doing the ride on your own, or with a small number of TBN friends. Contact program-x@tbn.ca and we'll fit it on the calendar. This will be a "Leader's Choice" ride. Distances of, say, 50 to 70 km might be best. See Program-x for more details.

City walks are virtual for now

Following on from last year's popular Sunday morning adventures, TBN's city walks are staying virtual this winter, accessible to anybody with a good internet connection. Starting at about 10:10 am, we will visit Toronto and some more "exotic" locations. The Zoom conference will begin around 9:45 am, so you can join other TBN members for a get-together and a chat before the walk starts.

Check the TBN calendar for more details.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, email coordinator John Burdett.

Coming soon: movie nights, travelogues, Yoga by ZOOM

Watch the TBN upcoming events section for details of fall and winter plans that include more movie nights, virtual travelogues, and a special feature of Yoga by Zoom. Details will be in the calendar and on the upcoming events section of the TBN home page.

Zwift through the winter

Zwift Meetups are TBN's new cycling program as it becomes harder to get out on the "real life" road. If you've got an indoor smart trainer, join fellow TBN riders in virtual London, New York, Paris, Innsbruck and a host of other places, and chat while you pedal using the Discord app. This is the closest you can get to a real world ride with friends, and you don't even have to leave home.

If you are interested in Zwift rides, either as a participant or as a volunteer virtual ride leader, please email virtualrides@tbn.ca with your preferences for day, time, distance and duration, and whether you are willing to host an event.

Travel with TBN

COVID has wreaked havoc with TBN's 2020 trips, but we're hoping for better times ahead. To join TBN's Trips Committee, which plans new adventures for TBN members, please email Lora at weekendtrips@tbn.ca.

Winter at Wolf Den Jan 29-31 2021 REGISTRATION OPENS IN DEC. 8

Enjoy skiing, snowshoeing and skating at the rustic Wolf Den lodge, near the entrance to Algonquin Park. Registration opens December 8, COVID permitting.

This trip will only go ahead if the COVID situation allows.

Reminders

TBN rides are open, but register early

TBN rides are open to members only, and you must register ahead of time. Don't forget your mask and hand sanitizer, and you must wear that mask when you can't keep a safe distance from others. Please cancel your registration if you change your mind, so your space can go to someone in the waitlist.

Details available on the upcoming events section of the TBN home page and on the calendar. COVID-era ride rules are on the website.

Next year's membership is free for paid-up members

We lost most of our 2020 riding season because of COVID19, so as a big thank you for bearing with us, TBN will automatically extend membership by 365 days for all members in good standing (those who have paid their dues in full). You lost your 2020 season with TBN, so we’re giving you another one.

The background: TBN was unable to operate at all from March through July, and our schedule has been limited since August. And with a second wave underway, we know we won't be offering our normal slate of winter activities.

We’ll take another look at membership dues as we continue through these challenging times and will do our utmost to continue to offer great value to all our members.

If you have questions or comments about membership, please email us at membership@tbn.ca or experience@tbn.ca.

Did you take a bike trip you want to share?

TBN offers occasional virtual travelogues, where members host presentations, with photos, on travel by bike. Email Lora at weekendtrips@tbn.ca if you would like to deliver a travelogue. The travelogues, like our virtual movie nights, take place via Zoom, a free and easy-to-use video call app where you can see and hear other participants on the call.

Remember to visit the TBN calendar of events to find out more about what's coming up. The little TTC logo below will help alert you to any subway closures.