Gord's message: Welcome to our new Board
as
This isn't quite the message I had originally planned. I am certified to ride the Milton velodrome and I had hoped to start with an account of returning to riding at the velodrome this winter. The velodrome was open to the public for a time, it reopened in the fall after being closed since March 2020 but is closed again now. With the Covid-19 case numbers being so high, I've decided against any unnecessary indoor activity, so I will not go until the pandemic subsides anyway.
There are still lots of things to do in this "off-season" though. Please check the calendar at tbn.ca and take advantage of our Zwift rides, winter city walks, winter hikes, skating events and the newly revived cross country ski program. And thank you to everyone who posts pictures of the events on our Facebook group, it's great to see you enjoying the events.
The off season is also a good time for maintenance for your summer ride. Despite the supply chain issues, some bike shops are offering winter discounts on bike servicing. If you can get your bike to your favourite shop in the winter, now is a good time to do it. Or if you have the space and skills to do it yourself, winter is a relaxed time to tackle an overhaul. I've had a bike in a bike stand for a couple of weeks now as I slowly replace some cables and the chain, take apart and thoroughly clean the drivetrain, and take care of anything else.
Take care and think spring!
Gord Irish, President
Cross-country ski weekend coming up
TBN will be hosting a weekend cross-country ski trip to Algonquin Park from Friday, Feb. 11, to Sunday, Feb. 13. Participants will arrange their own accommodations and meet up to ski together. Algonquin Park has some of Ontario's best cross-country skiing.
As of Jan. 31, the Government of Ontario will allow a maximum of 25 participants in outdoor activities. Nevertheless, potential attendees are advised that this trip will be finalized only if relaxed COVID gathering rules are sustained and if we receive a sufficient number of applications.
Watch for the registration link in the upcoming events section and calendar at tbn.ca.
Cyclon back for 2022!
“Get ready, TBN’s premier event, Cyclon, is back and heading to Western University in London, The Forest City! To better understand membership interests, we are asking members to complete this survey. One lucky person who completes the survey will win $50 off a Cyclon registration.
While COVID-19 has affected the club’s activities, the Cyclon committee is working to ensure the safety of all participants. This means Cyclon events will be modified to accommodate applicable COVID-19 protocols. We know participants will still have lots of fun. Registration opens in the spring.” Watch for updates.
Cyclon back for 2022!
“Get ready, TBN’s premier event, Cyclon, is back and heading to Western University in London, The Forest City! To better understand membership interests, we are asking members to complete this survey. One lucky person who completes the survey will win $50 off a Cyclon registration.
While COVID-19 has affected the club’s activities, the Cyclon committee is working to ensure the safety of all participants. This means Cyclon events will be modified to accommodate applicable COVID-19 protocols. We know participants will still have lots of fun. Registration opens in the spring.” Watch for updates.
TBN iPhone app discontinued
The iOS version of our TBN App has been removed from the Apple App Store because we have not updated it in six years, and we are no longer able to update it. If you already have the TBN App installed on your iPhone or iPad, you may continue to use it. If you do not already have it installed, you will no longer be able to get it from the App Store. An equivalent solution, which relies only upon your browser, to show the Next 20, or all Events can be achieved using the following technique.
1. Using your Safari browser on your iPhone or iPad, go to http://www.tbnapplications.com/mobile/events.php
2. Then click the Share button 
3. In the row of icons that starts with Add Bookmark, scroll to the right until you see "Add to Home Screen".
4. Change the title from "Toronto Bicycling Network Events" to "TBN Events".
5. Click Add in the upper right corner of the screen.
6. The page that is displayed shows the next 20 events, and contains a link titled "click here" to show all the upcoming events.
Another alternative is to install the Wild Apricot for Members app from the App Store (an equivalent Android app is available from the Play Store). When you start the Wild Apricot for Members app, you will need to login using your tbn.ca user ID and password. In addition to seeing upcoming events (which was all that the TBN App allows you to do), you are also able to:
- search for events
- register for events
- see what events you have registered for in the future, and also those in the past
- view and edit your TBN profile
- display a copy of your current TBN membership card
New survey coming
We need your input! TBN will be conducting a survey in January to gather feedback on a number of issues and establish directions for the Board in planning for 2022. We will be seeking members’ thoughts on encouraging more members to take part in our events; ways to structure rides so that a wider spectrum of members will participate; and ways to support new and guest members, including through our planned reintroduction of the Ride Ambassador Program, which was on hold this past year due to COVID restrictions. Watch Chain of the Events and the website for updates on the timing of this new survey.
Update your User Profile
Did you know that you can control how frequently you get notifications about TBN Forum posts? The default frequency is "Daily", but you can choose "Weekly", or "Immediately". If you are trying to set up a Car-pool connection for an event, or you are hoping to be the first to respond to a Buy-or-Sell offer, then the "Daily" notification option may not be frequent enough for you.
Here is how you can change your setting: When you are logged into the TBN website, click on your name, and choose Edit Profile. Then select Email subscriptions. At the bottom of the page are your Forum subscriptions. Choose the frequency that you want for the forum.
Remember to press Save.
That's all there is to it!
Volunteers needed
Member Experience Director Alice Chan would like to find a few good volunteers who are interested in spending time to make TBN a better club. The group will have frequent online meetings, projects and, if the COVID situation allows, social events. This will be a rewarding and fun opportunity where we will learn and grow together. Those interested are asked to contact Alice at experience@tbn.ca.
Reminders
Zwift your way to winter fitness
TBN has renewed its winter program of virtual rides this year, using the Zwift computer platform to provide indoor cycling 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.
Response from members has been growing, and we are currently averaging about 10 people on our Zwift rides. These now include the option to participate in the eight-stage Tour de Zwift (we are currently about half-way through), a challenging group of routes that gradually increase in distance and climbing.
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.
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.
