Group Ride - Tynehead Park and Bicycle/Ped Overpass opening

Event - Tynehead East Perimeter Trail Opening

This will be a ride from the Fort Cyclery that I will lead that will take us along the Trans Canada Trail from Fort Langley, through Derby Reach to 208th and then onto the Golden Ears Way multi-use path to Tynehead Park on Saturday July 16th. The pace will be a leisurely 15-20 kph (level road speed) and will be a very family friendly route. Because the route will take us along the Trans Canada Trail from Fort Langley to 208th Street which has a gravel surface, road bikes or bikes with skinny racing/training tires will not be suitable for this ride. Hybrid, mountain, kid's and recumbent bikes or trikes (adult) will be suitable and welcome. Round trip the ride will be about 40 km long.

The event is the opening of the 5 km Tynehead Trail and new cycling/pedestrian bridge over the Hwy 1 from Tynehead park. Metro Vancouver Parks are host this grand opening of the bridge and the new Tynehead Park multi-use path. We will be riding this path on the way there and back. Except for a kilometre or so the entire ride will be off the road on trails or paths specifically created for cycling and pedestrian use. This new trail and bridge along with other planned cycling improvements in the area will open up many new route options away from traffic including access to Barnston Island via the Tynehead overpass which is a very pleasant and scenic ride

You can find more detail about this event along with some maps of the various routes at the following links.

Metro Vancouver Parks - http://tinyurl.com/68lrnvd

Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition - Surrey Chapter - http://www.vacc.bc.ca/gold

Meet: Fort Langley Cyclery

Time: 8:30-9:00 AM (we leave by 9:15)

Please RSVP ( Richard Edge ) ride so I know how many are interested. I will then send that number to the VACC to let them know that there will also be a group ride coming from Fort Langley. If you are intending to join us on this ride but find yourself a little late, or have RSVP'ed but can't make it at the last minute, please contact me by phone at (604) 807-8508.

Spring around the corner and ride update

Spring is just a few days away and with it comes milder and improved weather conditions for cycling. The weekly group rides though the winter have been on a "weather permitted" basis and I have been able to get out on a few of them through January and February.

Local Trail News

For those who haven't been around the Edgewater Bar/Derby Reach area in a while, some new sections of multi-use trail have been added. As many of you may know, last year a section of trail was added from 208th Street (half a block north of Allard Crescent) which takes you toward the river, through some farm land then comes back out to Allard. From Allard, another new section of this trail has been added this last Fall/Winter which runs along the north side of Allard Crescent then turns back toward the river and joins with the trail through the Edgewater Bar trails and then the rest of the trail to Fort Langley. I will try to get a route mapped as soon as possible, but have not ridden on the newest section which was still being worked on several weeks ago. Here is a description of the newest section which is a demonstration project of the larger Experience the Fraser project.

"Derby Reach Regional Park: Golden Ears Bridge to Derby Reach Regional Park Connector - the walking/cycling segment in Derby Reach Regional Park is under construction. A grant of $107,000 was received from the Trans Canada Trail Foundation for work in Langley outside the park. This is a partnership between Metro Vancouver and the Township of Langley."

These new sections are to be a part of this much larger project to create multi-use trails from Georgia Straight to Hope along the Fraser River. These new trail sections will now make our route even more "family friendly".

Group Ride Schedule Update

We will continue with the schedule as it is for the time being with some small changes. Because of my involvement in a new part time venture which will require me to attend training sessions on many Saturday mornings, I will likely not be able to lead or join in on many of the next several Saturday rides so I hope someone else will be able to step forward to lead them. I will not be able to lead tomorrow's (March 5) ride, but I have reserved March 12 at the regular 9:30 AM start for a bike ride. Weather permitting, I will be there on that day but other than that I will not be available for the next several weeks for Saturday morning group rides.

Route Map

As a reminder of the route we use for our Saturday group rides here is a map in case you can't find it elsewhere. Note that this map does not include the new trail sections. I will create a new route map at the first opportunity I have to ride the whole route again including the newest trail additions.

VeloRiders 20K Leisure Ride - Fort Langley - Derby Reach Loop

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

I will update the blog as this situation changes and hopefully by the time the warmer mid to late Spring weather arrives I will again be able to lead these and other group rides. I will also be looking into arranging other longer rides using different route for later in the Spring or Summer and certainly another Pitt Meadows, Central Valley Greenway and/or US bike ride are possibilities.

Ride On!

Summer's Coming

It has been a while since updating the blog due to a number of factors. First, I have personally been quite busy with work, my commitments as chair of our Langley committee of the VACC, team leader for my workplace Bike to Work Week team and life in general. We have been having pretty poor weather for our Saturday bike rides with only two or three good days to ride which has resulted in an understandably poor turnout. Even after my recovery from surgery which went into mid spring the weather was poor and I have only been able to ride on 3 Saturdays myself, only one day of which was sunny. I am ever optimistic that we will have good weather as we approach the summer and that we will have good turnouts as a result.

News

In local Valley VeloRider news, I are planning a little bit more promotion of these weekly rides which will include a poster and route map to be made available through the Fort Cyclery Bike Shop to hand out to those interested. In addition the rides will be promoted through the Langley VACC committee event calendar and other local media outlets. Be sure to let anyone interested know about our rides as well. Also, you can now join on our rides even if you don't currently have a bike as the Fort Cyclery now rents bikes at a very reasonable rate which includes a helmet. Check it out on their Rentals page. Since their Saturday hours are 9AM-5PM the shop will be open for the start of our rides. I have also received a request for ride information from Peter Sylvester for his church's mens group to participate in one of more rides. I have sent him the information he needs along with a link to the route.

Speaking of cycling, many of you may know that June is Bike Month and there are many cycling events planned for the month with Bike to Work Week being the first, starting today and going until June 6th. If you work at Trinity Western University and want to participate sign up at http://www.biketoworkmetrovan.ca/, look for Trinity Western University and join our Valley VeloRiders BTWW team. Log your trips daily which will enter you in the Bike-A-Day give away along with other prizes. Otherwise sign up for your workplace and join an existing team or create you own. Be sure to check out the many events during the month of June starting with Velopalooza via their Facebook link or the Velopalooza web site. Another site to check out is B.E.S.T. 's Bike Month website for other Bike Month news and events.

Lastly, if you want to have a say and participate in cycling issues, infrastructure and advocacy in Langley come to our monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of the month 7-9PM at Langley Civic Centre in the Murray Creek meeting room. More information is available at the VACC main web site an the Langley committee link.

Lets ride.!!

Langley - Pitt Meadows Loop Group Ride - Saturday August 29, 2009

Because a few people have expressed a desire to participate in the ride in response to an informal email invitiation I sent to the group this week to Pitt Meadows tomorrow, I thought I should post some details on the web site. This will be a Leisure-Medium ride.

We will meet at Trinity Western University in front of the Reimer Student Centre between 8:30 and 9:00AM and will leave by 9 AM. The route will take us from TWU through Fort Langley, Bedford Landing and Derby Reach over the Golden Ears Bridge. From the north end of the Golden Ears Bridge we will ride west through Pitt Meadows towards the Pitt River alongside the Pitt River Dyke road to Lougheed Highway and then head east along the shared bike pedestrian path alongside but separated from the Lougheed. This bike path is now open since Pitt Meadows just finished the Katzie Slough Heron Bridge on this path and will take us all the way to Harris Road where we then head soth and then east on Hammond to the Golden Ear Maple Meadows Way bike path to the bridge. We then come back vie the Golden Ears Bridge and back to TWU by the same route through Derby Reach and Fort Langley.

The entire route is on low traffic roads and bike paths which are all paved surfaces.

Here is a map of the route from Bikely.com.

VeloRiders - TWU - Fort Langley - Pitt Meadows Loop

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Central Valley Greenway Ride Report

Central Valley Greenway Loop

Start time: Aug 22, 2009, 09:45 AM
Total distance: 49 km
Total time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Average speed: 14.56 kmph
Total ascent: 411 m
Total descent: 403 m

A great ride along the newly opened Central Valley Greenway from New Westminster Quay to Telus Science World in Vancouver. The CVG is a separated shared bike pedestrian path which was opened in the Spring of 2009 and managed by Translink. It passes near Skytrain station and provides not only a great recreational route but an excellent commuter route for bike commuters. This was a Valley VeloRiders group ride I had originally scheduled for 2 weeks ago but rescheduled for today due to weather. Today’s weather was excellent with sunshine for most of the day, but did noy get too warm. I was joined on the ride by Fred Lanigan and his daughter. It was the first time on this route for all of us and we enjoyed the fact that 90% of the route is separated from traffic and a good part of it goes through some beautiful natural and scenic areas. We were also going to take in the VeloCity exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver but ran out of time.

A very enjoyable day.
Ride On!

Valley VeloRiders Group Ride - Central Valley Greenway (Rescheduled)

Ride Type: Leisure-Medium
Meet: New Westminster Quay (by the large tin soldier)
Date: Saturday, August 15, 2009
Time: 9:00 (We leave no later than 9:00 AM)
Duration: 4-6 hours depending on optional stop at Museum of Vancouver Velo-City Exhibit
Planned Route: http://tiny.cc/YBkVY
Distance: Approx 60 km (including museum stop)

NOTE: This ride has been re-scheduled for Saturday August 15th due to predictions of rain for the weekend of August 8th since couple of us including myself don't have fenders.

Rain cancels the ride. Hybrid, road or mountain bikes will be suitable for this ride as it is mostly paved except a hard pack gravel through the Brunette Fraser Conservation area. A preview of the route is available at http://tiny.cc/9TIgr.

This will be a day trip/ride on the newly completed Central Valley Greenway shared bike route from New Westminster Quay and Science World in Vancouver and back. The route is flat for the most part. More information about the CVG is available at http://www.translink.ca/en/Cycling/Central-Valley-Greenway.aspx.

For those interested we can also check out the “VELO-CITY: Vancouver & the Bicycle Revolution” exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver in Vanier Park which is a much see exhibit for cyclists as well as non-cyclists. Taking in this exhibit will only add about 10 km to the 50 km round trip CVG. Information on this exhibit is available at http://vancouverisawesome.com/2009/06/04/velo-city-at-the-mov/.

Note that the starting location is at the New Westminister Quay (look for the huge tin soldier) where there is plenty of parking but there are a number of options for getting there.

1. I can take two additional people and bikes on my minivan. My bike will fit in the van and I have a rack for two additional standard bikes. Please let me know if you want a ride.
2. You could drive the the King George Skytrain station and take your bikes on the Skytrain to New Westminster Station and ride the 2 blocks from there to New Westminster Quay.
3. Load your bike and drive and park at New Westminster Quay.
   Though there will be access to many stores, restaurants along the way, you may want to bring your own lunch as there will also be plenty of nice loactions to stop and "picnic".
   

Richard

Upcoming Events

Now that spring is well underway and summer is right around the corner there are many cycling events coming up in the Metro Vancouver area in the next few months. June is Bike Month throughout Canada and there are many events scheduled around this theme for the month of June. A full list of upcoming Bike Month events is available at http://www.bikemonth.ca/events.html.

Here is a list of a few other cycling related events going on throughout the next month.

Golden Ears Bridge Completion Celebration Sunday, June 14, 2009

This long awaited and much debated crossing to Pitt Meadows/Male Ridge is finally here. The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic on June 16, but Translink has schedule a pedestrian only bridge opening party on the bridge deck itself on Sunday June 14. This bridge is also important to cyclists as several groups including the VACC lobbied hard to have safe cycling lanes included in the planning which is extended to the roads and approaches to the bridge as well. The VACC will also be joining the party to hand our maps and other cycling materials. Car parking with shuttles as well a cycling valet service will be provided to participants. Secure bicycle valet services are provided by The Bicycle Valet. More information is available at Translink's website.


Langley side Parking and Shuttle Service - Bike Valet Map
Promotional PDF Brochure

Central Valley Greenway Opening

The Central Valley Greenway is a 25 kilometer route from Science World in Vancouver to Westminster Quay in New Westminster. This bike path route has been in the planning and construction phase for a few years now and is scheduled to be completed this month. An opening day ride is planned for June 27th and would be a great opportunity to enjoy a wonderful new cycling oriented route through the Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster.

More information about the greenway is available here.

"Canada Day 142" Populaire

From the BC Randonneurs Cycling Club Web site:

This year's route is 142 km long to celebrate Canada's 142th birthday. (Route available later - here's the 2008 route.) The start & finish location is at the Fort Langley Lions Seniors Hall on the corner of Glover Road and 88th (entrance to parking off 88th). There will be 3 controls along the route and each will have water, fruit and some type of sweet (cookies and/or cake). The route offers a mix of terrain and mostly quiet country roads taking you from scenic Fort Langley through Matsqui and quaint Clayburn, across Sumas Prairie, up Sumas Mountain, through Veddar Crossing, returning across Sumas Prairie, through Huntington, Aldergrove and back to Fort Langley.

Wednesday, July 1, start time between 8-9am
Start/end: Fort Langley Lions Hall, 23022 88th Ave (at Glover)
BC Randonneurs Cycling Club Canada Day ride 142km covering
scenic Fraser Valley back roads. $20 entry.Snacks.
Everyone welcome! Roger & Ali Holt 604-946-8438, aliholt@telus.net.
www.randonneurs.bc.ca


MEC Great Rides

MEC and the VACC have teamed up to organize "Great Rides" from July to October this year. From the VACC Great Rides web page:

"MEC Great Rides are circular routes taking in beautiful country lanes, vibrant city centres and fun local festivals. The rides range from 25km to 50km along quiet roads and dedicated bike routes (some of the rides will have the choice of longer or shorter routes) and are a family-friendly way to get out on your bike this summer.

Celebration Stations around the route will provide food, drink and encouragement to keep you going and there will be fun things to see as you go. We want to make the event days as worry-free as possible for riders, so we will be providing mechanical support at the Celebration Stations, plus mobile mechanical support should you have difficulties en route (or need a ride back to the start for whatever reason...) In addition, on the ride day you will get a goody bag with safety equipment from MEC and other cool SWAG, a Great Rides route book, bike valet parking and more...plus a whole day of fun and exploration."

There will be 4 scheduled rides, one each month from July through October as follows:

Sunday July 12th - Countryside, Caribbean music and the Golden Ears Bridge. Bike over the brand new bridge between Maple Ridge and Langley. Have fun at the Caribbean music festival in Maple Ridge and explore the quiet lanes of Langley.

Saturday August 15th - Pitt Meadows - Farms, bees and biking the Fraser River Dikes. Taste local honey, or see a bee beard at the honey festival. Bike by farmland surrounded by mountains and along the dikes beside the Fraser and Pitt Rivers.

Sunday September 27th - Port Coquitlam - Bike the Rivers and Trails Festival. Music, rivers, trails and festivities. Enjoy the September weather on your bike along the PoCo Trail.

Sunday October 4th - The Bikennale! A combination bike ride and cultural event, ride between monumental sculptures, music and performance events. Explore the bike paths from Stanley Park to Jericho Beach and beyond to UBC and Queen Elizabeth Park.

Register for one or more of the rides at the VACC Great Rides registration page. There is a cost to these rides as they are partially supported rides with refreshments and mechanical support at the various community stations. See the VACC Great Rides web site for more information.

Velo-City: Vancouver & the bicycle revolution June 4 to September 7, 2009

Vancouver Museum, 1100 Chestnut Street
Vancouver's human-powered revolution that's changing the way people experience and relate to the city, their neighborhoods, and to their own bodies. 604-736-4431,
http://www.museumofvancouver.ca/exhibition.php?id=6

Valley VeloRiders Group Ride

We also have a Valley VeloRiders Group Ride scheduled for Saturday June the 20th (Corrected Date) and participants are invited to my home at the end of the ride for lunch and fellowship. Here are the ride details.

Ride Type: Leisure-Medium
Meet: Reimer Student Centre Cafeteria
Time: 8:00 (We leave no later than 8:30 AM)
Duration: 3-4 hours depending on stops
Planned Route: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/VVR-Golden-Ears-Bridge-Route
Distance: 57 km

This is a new route that will not have been ridden by anyone yet as it takes us over the Golden Ears Bridge which will be opening to traffic on June 16th. Because parts of the route around the bridge are not yet mapped we will have to play things by ear a bit as the roads and approaches are so new. We will also be starting earlier this morning than previous rides.

The ride will take us around Pitt Meadows following the Fraser and Alouette Rivers along the dyke road. As this ride could incorporate riding on some non-paved bike paths, bikes with skinny road tires are not recommended. Mountain bikes or hybrid bikes would be best for this ride. The route is mostly flat with a 1.2 km climb near the beginning and a longer less steep climb into Forest Hills.

I would like to also invite anyone joining on the ride to stop at my home on the way back for lunch and refreshments before riding the last 4 km to TWU. Please RSVP if you are wanting to stop for lunch at my place so that we know how many people to prepare for.

Richard.

May 23 Group Ride Report

We had a good turn out for today's ride with beautiful weather promised for the day. Indeed the day started on a high note with a beautiful mild sunny morning. Seven people including myself turned out for today's ride which took us south from TWU out to Derby Reach, with a lunch stop in Fort Langley at the picnic area of the Fort Langley Historic Park. From there we went out past Glen Valley to Bradner road and back. The group split up as some took a wrong turn but the group rejoined back at TWU all safe and sound. It was a most enjoyable ride and we could not have asked for a better day.

A good time was had by all. Here is the map of the route.

VeloRiders - TWU-Glen Valley Loop 5-23-2009

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Here are a couple of photos of the ride.

From VeloRiders Group Ride - 5-23-2009

The group (minus me).

From VeloRiders Group Ride - 5-23-2009

Landa and Jeff powering up a hill.

From VeloRiders Group Ride - 5-23-2009

Dave and Jeff.

From VeloRiders Group Ride - 5-23-2009

Enjoying a brief stop at Derby Reach Park. In the photo are Jeff, Angus and Landa. More photos are available through the gallery link on the left.

Richard.

Valley VeloRiders Group Ride - Saturday May 23, 2009

Valley VeloRiders Group Ride

Ride Type: Medium-Medium
Meet: Reimer Student Centre Cafeteria
Time: 9:30 (We leave no later than 10:15 AM)
Duration: 3-4 hours depending on stops
Planned Route: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/VVR-NW-Langley-Ft-Langley-Gle-Valley-Loop-5-23-2009
Distance: 57 km

With sunshine on the way for the next several days it seemed the right time to schedule another group ride. Saturday the 23 is looking particularly nice with sunshine and temperatures into the low 20's being predicted. This will be another ride to take us through the north Langley, Derby Reach, Fort Langley, Glen Valley and then back to TWU. We will stop in Fort Langley for a bit of a lunch break where there are several options open to us.

As it will be sunny all day don't forget sunscreen and plenty of water/hydration and snacks for lunch/breaks.

Valley VeloRiders Group Ride @ Sat May 9 9:30am – 12:30pm (Richard Edge)

Valley VeloRiders Group Ride

Sat May 9 9:30am – 12:30pm (Timezone: Pacific Time)
Trinity Western University, 7600 Glover Road, Langley, BC (map)

Ride Type: Medium-Medium
Meet: Reimer Student Centre Cafeteria
Time: 9:30 (We leave no later than 10 AM)

Planned Route: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/ValleyVeloRiders-Langley-Glen-Valley-Derby-Reach

Distance: 57 km

The group ride scheduled for today, Saturday May 9 is on as scheduled and a map of the route can be found at http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/ValleyVeloRiders-Langley-Glen-Valley-Derby-Reach. The weather is looking great fantastic so it should be a great day for a bike ride. I hope many more of you will be able to make it for the ride. We will meet at 9:30 at the front of the Reimer Student Centre Cafeteria and leave by 10 AM.

Richard.

Valley VeloRiders Group Ride @ Sat Apr 25 9:30am – 12:30pm (Richard Edge)

Valley VeloRiders Group Ride

Sat April 25 9:30am – 12:30pm
(Timezone: Pacific Time)
Trinity Western University, 7600 Glover Road, Langley, BC (map)
Calendar: Richard Edge

Owner/Creator: valleyveloriders@gmail.com
Other attendees:TBA

Ride Type: Medium-Medium
Meet: Reimer Student Centre Cafeteria
Time: 9:30 (We leave no later than 10 AM)
Planned Route: TBA
Distance: 57 km

Circumstances have come up which prevents me from going on the ride this Saturday and with many others involved with graduation ceremonies this weekend I decided to re-schedule this ride for Saturday May 9. The route may or may not be the same. I will update this event sometime in the next week.

VeloRiders Group Ride

The weather delivered as promised and we had a great ride today. There were only three of us on today's ride, Landa Terblanche, Mel Buhler and I but we had a great time enjoying the ride and the early Spring scenery. We kept to the planned route and stopped at the 18 km point n Fort Langley and enjoyed a nice lunch break at Wendell's Bookstore and Cafe. We encountered quite a few other cyclist along the route going in both directions and while having lunch a group of about 30-40 cyclists came through riding moslty hybrid bikes. The weather was still a bit cool in the shade but the sun was quite warm making for a very enjoyable ride and a couple of hours exercise and fellowship. Here is the map of today's route.

VVR Group Ride - 4-04-2009

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

I have uploaded some photos taken on the ride which can be viewed by clicking on the gallery in the lower left, but in the meantime here are a couple of photos.

From VVR - Group Ride - 4-04-2009

Landa. We stopped here to re-group after a bit of a climb up 240th.

From VVR - Group Ride - 4-04-2009

 Landa and Mel.  We just arrived back at TWU at the end of the ride.



Hope to see more on the next ride when the weather is a little more predictable. Stayed tuned for information on another ride this month, the Bike the Blossoms ride. I will be posting some information about plans for the ride in the next several days.

Richard.

pacific populaire

pacific populaire

"Greater Vancouver's first major public ride of the cycling season is the Pacific Populaire. Since its inception in 1986 the focus of this event has been to encourage participation by all cyclists regardless of fitness level, cycling experience, or age. For some, the ride is a challenge to turn in a fast time, a personal best, or to complete a greater distance than in a previous year. Others will be out for a relaxed spring ride, fresh air, and exercise."


$25 ($18 pre-register)
$20 - BC Randonneur club members ($15 pre-register)
$10 under 19 years old (must have signed waiver)
Pre-registration before Tuesday, March 31 - Cheque or VISA
Cheque, VISA, or Cash on ride day
ENTRY HERE

Any Questions?
Contact: Danelle Laidlaw (Ride Organizer)
(604) 421-1717

Group Ride - Saturday, March 21

Since the weather forecast for the coming weekend is for sunshine and a high of 10 degrees it seems like a great opportunity to get out for a ride on Saturday. Because of the short notice I have not added it to the ride calendar as a scheduled ride. Instead I thought I would just show up at the TWU RSC cafeteria at 9:30 AM and wait for anyone interested in joining me. Two group members I had suggested this to have expressed an interest so there may be others. I will leave by 10-10:15 so anybody else wanting to join me can meet me at the TWU cafeteria.

It will be a 33km ride and the route is available at http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/VeloRiders-Derby-Reach-Ft-Langley-loop.

See you there.
Richard.

Bike the Blossoms

http://www.slowfoodvancouver.com/index.php/BikeBlossoms/category/join_us/

We could arrange for multiple group members to partiticpate in this by car pooling with our bikes to KG Skytrain station, use skytrain part way there and then ride to Vandusen for the Bike the Blossoms ride and incorporate it in a Valley VeloRiders group ride. An option would then be to ride back or part way back (7-11 bike path) to KG Station then drive home. The Bike the Blossoms ride itself is short at 23 km. If there is interest in this then I will map out a potential route with options.

Group Ride Rescheduled

The group ride originaly scheduled for this coming Saturday (March 14) has has been rescheduled for Saturday April 4. This was because of the weather that still has us in the grips of winter and the coming weekend is predicted to be cold and wet which makes for a much less enjoyable ride. If we get good weath in April we may be able to schedule another ride in April, later in the month.

Richard.

Friday Feb. 27 Meeting Summary

As indicated by email we had an informal meeting on Friday Feb. 27th. I went over the points outlined in the information sent out to all group members by email and will post a summary of the discussion here. My purpose was to just bring up some points for discussion for all members to consider and to obtain feedback for the vision and ideas I had in mind for the group. I will cover the feedback provided on each point.

1. Direction and scope of group.

    * Cycling advocacy with local municipalities, work place

Discussion of this point centered around whether as a group we could be effective in advocating for cycling issues with local municipal authorities as well as in the workplace.

    * Participation in charity rides

This was just an idea put forward for all to consider. There are several options open to us here. More discussion will be needed and covered in future meetings.

    *  Participation in other cycling events - For example:  opening day of Golden Ears bridge.

As there were several advocacy groups involved with lobbying for bike lanes on the new bridge I thought it would be a great show of support if we showed up on opening day as a group and ride across the bridge. It would also show to decision makers that more cycling infrastructure is needed.

    * Should we become a club or informal group?

It was recommended that for the short term we operate as an informal group and see what develops. Pros and cons were discussed.
 
    * Inclusive rather than exclusive. In other words we will want be associated with TWU, but also allow non-TWU employees/affiliates and there family members to join in.

Feedback from others on this welcome but the general consensus was to be inclusive.   

     * Anyone can join a ride, a membership in the group (or club) not required.

Everyone was also in agreement with this point.

2. Ride scheduling - static or ad-hoc or both.

It was agreed that we would start with at least one monthly regularly scheduled ride where people would show up and join the ride. The ride would proceed with only weather cancelling. Notification will be made available in the case of cancellation. I will have more information and post a schedule for these rides this week. This would still leave open the option of any member organizing and scheduling a group ride.

3. Types of rides. Rides catered to various cycling abilities? Multi day rides or Tours? Single day rides outside of lower mainland.

This option will allow for those with different riding skills set up group rides in line with their skills. I believe we could schedule these rides and have a simple rating system so those interested would be able to determine their participation. This is the same procedure followed by many cycling clubs.

Group rides outside of the lower mainland and multi-day rides were also considered to be good options to explore. These would most likely need to be scheduled during the summer when we have the light later in the evenings

4. Online web and communication tools available for participants.

A couple of the tools available were discussed and briefly demonstrated.

5. Disclaimers?

The possible need for a disclaimer was also discussed. This will be explored further.

6. Cycling skills training options?

The VACC (Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) offers several bicycle skills training options. Since Bill Norris also joined us for lunch the question of TWU contributing to the cost of such courses was explored. He indicated that there is an annual 50.00 benefit available for all TWU employees that could be applied for this purpose.

7. Meetings - Frequency, type and location of meeting?

No decision was made with regard to regular meetings so this will be left at scheduling meetings when required. They could possibly be scheduled for the same day as a ride but begin and end prior to the start of the ride.

8. Volunteers for content, ride leaders, sweep.

Dave Jeffery volunteered to help with content and management of the various services I set up for the group. I will modify his access during the next week. If anyone else wishes to assist with this please let me know.

For those unfamiliar with group rides, the ride leader or captain maintains the pace and leads the group through the prearranged route. The ride leader should also discuss the route before starting the ride and handout any maps, cue sheets etc.. A sweep is the last rider in the group and watches for riders ahead and if a rider is trailing she/he communicates with the rest of the group if a rider needs the group to stop or slow down. The sweep and the ride leader would also provide any mechanical assistance for a rider needing assistance with others if needed. The main principle is to insure the the group does not become separated or lost. We will need people to volunteer for these responsibilities on any rider with 4 or more participants.

As mentioned previously all feedback on any or all of the above issues is welcome.

Richard

Group Ride Etiquette

I thought it would be a good idea to put together some guidelines for participating in group bike rides particularly for those with little experience with riding in groups.  These are not "rules" per se, but instead tips on how we interact on group rides inorder to maximize safety while enjoying ourselves at the same time. For more information on cycling safety check out the online BikeSense Manual.  To request one please send me a Facebook message or an email to ValleyVeloRiders with the subject "BikeSense Manual" and instructions on how to get it to you.

Group Riding Guidelines and Etiquette

1. Be predictable. Ride in a safe, straight and consistent manner. Avoid sudden acceleration or braking.

2. Communicate verbally and/or with hand signals.

• Obstacles or hazards on the road may not be easily seen by the rider behind you. Call out and point to road hazards.
• Always indicates turns with appropriate hand signals.
• Give a verbal warning for automobiles coming from behind. For example "Car Back or Trcuk back" are suitable warnings.
• Give verbal warnings if you or cyclists ahead of you are slowing down (Slowing) or if coming to a stop. (Stopping).
• When passing other cyclists pass on the left and offer a verbal warning of "On your Left".
• Give verbal indication to cyclists behind when going through an intersections. If no vehicles shout "Clear" and if there are vehicles coming shout "Car Up".     Motorists see cycling groups a single unit so try to cross or tturn as a group when signalled to do so by a motorist.
• Warn pedestrians if approaching from behind. Use a bell, horn or verbal indication far enough in advance so as to not startle them. Indicate verbally with a     "Passing on the Left" or "On your left".
• Warn of upcoming railroad crossings. This is usually communicated with a downward arm left to right waving or a verbal "Tracks ahead".

3.  Ride single file unless riding on a wide shoulder or bike lane.

4. Always wear a helmet.

5. Always obey all traffic laws.

6. Insure that your bike is in a road worthy state to insure yours and other riders safety.

7. Carry identification.

8. If you run into mechanical difficulty, flat tire, chain off etc. call out to riders ahead so that communication can be passed to the ride leader so he/she can stop the group and wait or offer assistance.

9. It is recommended that you carry a spare tube and a patch kit. You do not necessarily have to be prepared to fix your own flats as others with expperience can assist you. It is a good skill to learn in case you are riding alone.

10. Communicate with the rest of the group to insure that no cyclist is left behind.

11. Riding at nights requires front and rear lights as well as reflective clothing and/or reflective material on the bikes. The idea is to be visible to others.

Valley VeloRiders Lunch Meeting

Hi all,
We we are now almost through February and the weather is starting to warm up, so it is time to start thinking about sceduling a few rides pretty soon. To start things off I would like to schedule an informal meeting over lunch in the TWU Reimer Student Centre cafeteria on Friday, Feb. 27 between 12-1 PM for those who can attend. I know that some are off campus or away and won't be able to attend,but as I stated it will be an informal meeting to find from as many as possible to just bounce around some ideas for the group such as:

Group ride starting points
Types and locations of group rides - For example would there be an interest in group rides on Vancouver Island or to Lynden, etc.
Seek volunteers for maintaining group ride FaceBook Group, Web Blog, calendar and leading rides.

Also I will bring a laptop to the lunch meeting to demonstrate the various online tools I have set up for the group.

Please let me know if you can attend this meeting. I will probably schedule another meeting the day of our first ride. (1-2 hours prior to the ride for example). This announcement will be posted in the Facebook Group, the web blog and added to our group Calendar.

Richard

Bikes for Bibles

To all of you going to Mission Fest this weekend, make sure you head over the Canadian Bible Society booth. They have brochures for this year's Bike for Bibles. The web site is not yet updated  but the brochure gives the dates. The long ride is a seven-day excursion around Vancouver Island, beginning August 1. At the Mission Fest booth you can fill out a ballot for a free registration for the Ride ($250)!