Martin's message: Thanks to all of you
The summer heat is behind us, and cooler mornings and brilliant colours await. I hope everyone had a productive summer cycling this year, or at least as best as could fit around COVID 19 restrictions. As cycling ends for the season, I want again to thank all those who made our cycling season possible: board members, program coordinators, ride leaders, sweeps and ambassadors. And, of course, participants. Thank you all.
For those who enjoy cooler October, November, and perhaps even December days, ride on! Some of our programmes continue into late November, weather permitting, and Program-X rides will also extend the cycling season. If you want to lead a Program-X ride, send an email to the coordinator. Also watch the calendar for virtual events, and non-cycling events.
As my year as Acting President approaches its end, I am finding that I must lighten my load of responsibilities. I intend to return as Technical Director, and as the Virtual Rides Program Coordinator. I look forward to passing the presidential "torch", and to working with a new TBN President.
Martin Lansche, Acting President
Save the date for our virtual annual meeting
TBN's Annual General Meeting is scheduled for 7 pm on November 24, and will be a virtual gathering to comply with COVID-19 restrictions on indoor gatherings. Please join if you can to hear our overview of 2021 activities and our plans for 2022.
The AGM The Annual General Meeting is an important event in TBN's Calendar, the forum to approve the Club’s financial statements and nominate and vote on the Board of Directors for 2021-22. Please email committee chair Rick MacMillan by October 23 if you wish to nominate someone. Please give Rick the names of people you wish to nominate, along with brief biographies. Clear it with your nominees first, and copy them on your email.
You may also submit proposals to be voted on at the AGM, as well as questions you want the board to address. Please send questions and suggestions to info@tbn.ca no later than October 23 with the subject line "TBN AGM".
As was done last year, all TBN members in good standing will receive a separate email with an invitation to the virtual meeting with the meeting details, and how to register for meeting. We will also post details on our calendar.
TBN hiking season starts on October 17
TBN’s schedule of Sunday fall and winter hikes kicks off on October 17 with a hike around Smokey Hollow, near Hamilton. Hikes will take place on Sundays throughout the fall and winter (weather permitting), starting at 930am. Please arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of time. Details coming soon on the TBN website.
Please note: TBN’s COVID-19 rules apply to hikes as well as they do cycling. Hikes will be limited to 20 people, and you need to register in advance and cancel that registration if you change your mind and cannot come. Guest registrations will be allowed if there is room.
Don’t forget to bring a mask and hand sanitizer.
Zwift your way to winter fitness
TBN will renew its winter programme of virtual rides this year, using the Zwift computer platform to provide an almost limitless number of indoor rides as the weather turns cold, wet or snowy. From fall of 2020 to the spring of 2021 TBN hosted 69 Zwift Meetup rides. Can we beat that total this winter season?
Zwift allows us to offer curated rides in two fantasy worlds: Watopia and a Japanese-themed Makuri Islands, as well as virtual routes in London, France, Innsbruck, Yorkshire, Richmond and a futuristic New York City. There are almost 100 different routes, from gentle to extremely strenuous.
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 (day, time, distance and duration), and whether you are willing to host an event. Details about upcoming Zwift meetups will be posted on the TBN website. For more information about the meetups and about how to get started, see https://tbn.ca/zwiftmeetups.
Returning soon by popular request: in-person city walks
After pivoting to Zoom "excursions" in Toronto and beyond during the pandemic, we plan a more normal season of in-person city walks this year, provided we can do so in safety. Check the website for details.
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Do you want to join the board?
We are seeking enthusiastic club members for the following exciting board positions:
- - President (after the AGM in November, this role will be supported by Martin Lansche our current Acting President)
- - Secretary (during transition, this role will be supported by Rick MacMillan, our current Secretary)
- - Director of Communications (training will be provided by Rick our current Acting Director of Communications)
- - Social Director (training will be provided by Carole our current Social Director)
- - Education Director
- - Director at Large (2)
Requirements: reliable, committed, energetic
Nice to have: TBN volunteering experience
Detailed job descriptions for all Board members, which give you a well-rounded overview of what each position entails, can be found on our website here.
Any TBN member may nominate a board member by sending an email with the nominee's name, contact information and a one-paragraph biography indicating relevant work/volunteer experience, to Rick MacMillan, who is chair of the nominating committee along with Dave Mader, Arlene Smith and Peter Middleton. Please confirm that your nominee is willing to stand for election, and copy that person in your email.
"Unpaved" RideWithGPS routes are usually paved
RideWithGPS recently introduced a Beta-level feature called Surface Types, which indicates road condition, and claims, usually erroneously, that a number of the roads on TBN rides are not paved. We have told the RideWithGPS support team about this, and they say they cannot correct the data on a route by route basis.
TBN therefore believes that this Beta level feature is not ready for the real world. Please ignore any reported "unpaved roads" on a TBN route and know that if a ride does include significant unpaved surfaces, the Ride Description will highlight those unpaved sections, and their length.
You can, on your own RWGPS account, disable this Beta feature. You do this on a computer (after logging into your RideWithGPS account) via:
- - Menu -> RWGPS Labs -> Surface Types
- - Change it from Enabled to Disabled.
There does not appear to be a way to disable Surface Types displayed within the RideWithGPS App on phones, tablets, etc.
TBN Retail Partners
Check the TBN website for for an updated list of cycling shops in the GTA that offer discounts to TBN members on merchandise, generous offers that ease the pain of buying new cycling gear. You might be asked to show your membership card to qualify for that discount. To access your card, log into the tbn.ca website and click on your name in the upper right corner of the page to view your profile. You can download the card to your smartphone or print it as a PDF.
Reminders
Remember: All rides are registration only, don't just show up
You must register in order to attend any TBN event, and even with the new, larger registration limits, please be courteous and respectful as you decide when you want to ride.
- - If you are not registered for an event, please do not simply show up. TBN rides are only open to those who have registered.
- - If you are registered for an event, but decide not to attend, please cancel your registration, ideally the evening before the event.
- - Registration is important for contact tracing purposes. Please take this request seriously.
