The Toronto Bicycling Network Inc.

November 11, 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 it will be a virtual Zoom webinar to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. Please attend to hear our overview of 2020 activities and our plans for 2021, which we hope will be more "normal".

Check your email for an October 29 message from the club with details on registration for this important meeting. If you did not receive that email, you can find details on the TBN Calendar link at the top of the home page, or on the Upcoming Events section of the TBN home page. You must be logged in as a TBN member to access this information, and you must be a TBN member to attend the annual meeting.

The AGM is an important event in TBN's Calendar. Members must approve the Club’s financial statements and elect the Board of Directors for 2020-2021.

Update your TBN profile

Please make sure your TBN club profile is up-to-date so we can get in touch with you. Is your email address still valid? What about your emergency contact? Do you want to upload a picture, so we know what you look like? What rides interest you? Are you willing to volunteer? TBN is a volunteer-run club and we're always looking for more people who can help.

To update your profile, first log into the TBN website, then click on your name and click on Edit Profile. When you are done, press Save to store your changes.

To update your profile, first log into the TBN website, then click on your name and click on Edit Profile. When you are done, press Save to store your changes.

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

Program-X: extending the TBN season

Are you looking for a late season ride after our traditional club programs wind down? Our new Program-X rides are scheduled just a day or two ahead of time to take advantage of good weather or rider availability. Check the website for details, and sign up for email notifications of these at-short-notice rides. If you are planning to ride a club route and you are willing to lead a small group, please email program-x@tbn.ca and we can set up a Program-X event for you.

Zwift through the winter

As the weather turns colder, look for more Zwift Meetup events on the calendar. Zwift "Intro" Meetups are for new riders on the virtual platform, on easy, relatively flat routes, while "Exploring" Meetups are longer and more challenging. We'll ride in in virtual London, New York, Paris, Innsbruck and a host of other places, and chat as we go using the Discord app. You'll need a bike and a smart trainer -- one that connects to your computer or smartphone to simulate a route.

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

We still hope to run our now-classic winter weekend trip to the rustic Wolf Den lodge, near the west entrance to Algonquin Park, where skiing, snowshoeing and skating are all available. Registration opens December 8, COVID permitting.

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

Reminders

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.

TBN offers out-of town hikes, and virtual city walks

TBN's winter program includes out-of-town fall hikes and virtual city walks. Please register ahead of time for the hikes, which take place on Sundays while the weather cooperates. COVID-19 rules apply: participant numbers are limited, register in advance, members only, bring masks and hand sanitizer, comply with social distancing requirements.

Our Zoom conferences for our virtual city walks start at around 10:10 am on Sundays, and we will explore Toronto and locations further afield.

Details of both programs are available on the TBN Calendar.

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.