Hi everyone,
James Young (416.802.3177)
will again be leading this Sunday's ride, dubbed...
Tour de Claremont: The Queen Stage
When: 6:45am
Where: Tim Hortons (Birchmount/Danforth Rd)
Dst: 100km
Route Map
This stage has a bit of everything. A brief foray through Scarborough ending in a "walkway" over the Rouge River and carrying our bikes up about 10 easy steps into the Metropolis of Pickering. A sweet ride through a wooded residential area until we hit Hwy 2. A brief cruise along a smooth highway until we head north on Fairport and again through sleepy residential suburbia. At Finch the road turns to a gnarly surface as we leave civilisation for heavy forestation until we hook up with our good friend Whites Road. We are not long on this bad boy when we again head east on a very smooth surface onto a false flat that is great for a tempo ride and likely with a little tail wind. We crest the small hill and have the sweetest downhill towards our nemesis...Brock Road. We trudge...and I do mean trudge 10 km uphill to Claremont. Brock Road is a lumpy character and is best braved single file with the occasional dose of profanity. Heading due west out of downtown Claremont we may get some headwinds over the rollers into the sanctuary and provider of much needed rest and caffeine...Stouffville. The tour will then resume much like last Sunday's stage with a continuous downhill "big ring head down" effort towards the wilds of the Toronto Zoo. It is here you will have a choice. Two words...Twyn Rivers.....OUCH. Do not be seduced by the long serene downhill into that valley....what awaits at the western edge is nothing short of purgatory. The steel bridge over the river must be respected and will extinguish all of your momentum and enthusiasm as "The Wall" looms only a few flat metres away. A sign "Let the Swerving Begin" greets us at the base of the short but steep ("steep" doesn't come close really) climb. For those wishing an alternate route be sure to look for the Plug Hat turn off much earlier. We will try to reform at Meadowvale and Sheppard and limp home.
Should be fun!!
James Young
Editor's Note: Anyone wanting a shorter (~80 km route) is welcome to start/end at Morningside and Lawrence. If you're planning on doing this (as I might, depending on how much of a wuss I'm feeling like on Sunday morning), aim to be there a bit early. The group could get there as early as 7:05am if everything's running on time. If you are going to do this shorter route, make sure you post in the comments so that we know you'll be there.
Adam
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Dan
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About the BCC
Beaches Cycling Club(BCC):
Cycling in the summer can be about casual riding, sprinting, spinning, big-ring hammerfests or what ever your chosen type of riding is. The BCC was founded for the Sole Purpose to Network Cyclists. It has grown into a successful club which accommodates Riders at almost all skill/fitness levels. Everyone should be able to participate and have fun @ their respective levels.
BCC Fundamentals/Values:
1. Safety First - Rides/Routes are designed with Riders in Mind. Departure times are early because it helps minimize traffic(Cars/People) resulting in fewer potential accidents.
2. Riding Etiquette - All Members are aware of other members safety and enjoyment. Signaling is a Must and Staying within One Lane on a Double Lane Road(4 or More Riders) and Single File on a One Lane Road.
3. Members Input - Members are encouraged be involved and help host rides. The more the better. It gives New Members the chance to choose Rides they want to do and ultimately gets you on your bike more!
4. Good Times - The BCC is not just a cycling club. It's a bunch of people that like to have fun! There will be Planned Trips, Events etc. throughout the season. We will always have our "Beer Nights"!
Cheers,
Dan.
Cycling in the summer can be about casual riding, sprinting, spinning, big-ring hammerfests or what ever your chosen type of riding is. The BCC was founded for the Sole Purpose to Network Cyclists. It has grown into a successful club which accommodates Riders at almost all skill/fitness levels. Everyone should be able to participate and have fun @ their respective levels.
BCC Fundamentals/Values:
1. Safety First - Rides/Routes are designed with Riders in Mind. Departure times are early because it helps minimize traffic(Cars/People) resulting in fewer potential accidents.
2. Riding Etiquette - All Members are aware of other members safety and enjoyment. Signaling is a Must and Staying within One Lane on a Double Lane Road(4 or More Riders) and Single File on a One Lane Road.
3. Members Input - Members are encouraged be involved and help host rides. The more the better. It gives New Members the chance to choose Rides they want to do and ultimately gets you on your bike more!
4. Good Times - The BCC is not just a cycling club. It's a bunch of people that like to have fun! There will be Planned Trips, Events etc. throughout the season. We will always have our "Beer Nights"!
Cheers,
Dan.
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Cycling Safety and Etiquette
At this point in the season most of us are seeing real gains in our fitness and are ignoring some of the basics.
ALL OF US: from seasoned racers to novice recreational riders, benefit from brushing up on our basics.
Rider Safety
Obey the rules of the road. Conduct yourself with the same consideration as you would expect from any other road user, particularly motorists. Aggressive behaviour and gestures by cyclists will alienate motorists and could lead to endangering other cyclists. Know and use all the basic hand signals.
- Traffic: Lead rider must take responsibility for those behind when approaching turns, intersections, transitions from multi-lane to single-lane etc.
- Traffic lights and stop signs: Do not cross an intersection, even if the traffic light is green, unless you are sure that the whole group will be able to cross safely before the light changes.
- If the group becomes split at a traffic light, the leading riders should then slow, or stop in a safe place, to allow riders to re-group.
- Crossing major highways and uncontrolled intersections: Do not act individually. Car drivers see the group as one entity and expect it to act as one.
- The rider at the front takes charge directing everyone not to cross until there is a gap in traffic large enough for the entire group to safely cross the road.
- Do not hold up following traffic: Ride single file on single-lane and busy roads where motor vehicles are frequently coming past.
- On occasion, you must "take the lane" for your own safety. This is both legal and practical (such as a narrowed construction zone).
- Your ID and emergency contact info. should be on you for every ride and easily accessible.
Rider Etiquette
- Respect your fellow rider. Any concerns with disruptive conduct or riding etiquette that have not been resolved should be discussed with your ride coordinator or the general membership of the club.
- Be predictable, ride in a consistent manner. Do not swerve accelerate or brake unexpectedly.
- Anticipate the moves of the cyclists ahead of you. Look ahead at what is happening on the road.
- Indicate your intentions - use common hand signals.
- Indicate hazards with hand signals or your voice.
- Never half-wheel (overlap your wheel with the rider ahead). Either ride directly beside or directly behind.
- Half-wheeling is only done in an echelon which requires considerable skill and practice.
- Do not ride in or near the shoulder of the road: more debris increases chance of a puncture, + when you ride at least ½ metre out from the shoulder, you make it easier for the rider behind to follow your wheel. NOTE: this applies to all formations (single paceline, double paceline, echelon etc.)
- Strong riders should do longer pulls at the front than weak riders
- Regardless of how long the ride is, the front group rides fast. The back group drops nobody(No Drop Policy).
- When you see your fellow rider struggling, help them.
- If you are getting dropped in the fast group, make an effort to get back on
- If you see someone getting dropped and it is only temporary because of the terrain, tell the group to ease the pace so they can get back in, recover, and then contribute to the group effort.
- Wait until you are at the back of the paceline/group to reach for your water bottle/jersey pocket etc.
- Challenges and wagers between riders are natural and welcome in any group ride but not to the point where it causes the group to be strung out for kilometers. When your "sprint for the sign" is finished, allow the riders behind to re-group.
- Be self sufficient and also ready and willing to support other riders
- If you do not ride in a straight line, you will be politely asked to ride at the back of the group.
ALL OF US: from seasoned racers to novice recreational riders, benefit from brushing up on our basics.
Rider Safety
Obey the rules of the road. Conduct yourself with the same consideration as you would expect from any other road user, particularly motorists. Aggressive behaviour and gestures by cyclists will alienate motorists and could lead to endangering other cyclists. Know and use all the basic hand signals.
- Traffic: Lead rider must take responsibility for those behind when approaching turns, intersections, transitions from multi-lane to single-lane etc.
- Traffic lights and stop signs: Do not cross an intersection, even if the traffic light is green, unless you are sure that the whole group will be able to cross safely before the light changes.
- If the group becomes split at a traffic light, the leading riders should then slow, or stop in a safe place, to allow riders to re-group.
- Crossing major highways and uncontrolled intersections: Do not act individually. Car drivers see the group as one entity and expect it to act as one.
- The rider at the front takes charge directing everyone not to cross until there is a gap in traffic large enough for the entire group to safely cross the road.
- Do not hold up following traffic: Ride single file on single-lane and busy roads where motor vehicles are frequently coming past.
- On occasion, you must "take the lane" for your own safety. This is both legal and practical (such as a narrowed construction zone).
- Your ID and emergency contact info. should be on you for every ride and easily accessible.
Rider Etiquette
- Respect your fellow rider. Any concerns with disruptive conduct or riding etiquette that have not been resolved should be discussed with your ride coordinator or the general membership of the club.
- Be predictable, ride in a consistent manner. Do not swerve accelerate or brake unexpectedly.
- Anticipate the moves of the cyclists ahead of you. Look ahead at what is happening on the road.
- Indicate your intentions - use common hand signals.
- Indicate hazards with hand signals or your voice.
- Never half-wheel (overlap your wheel with the rider ahead). Either ride directly beside or directly behind.
- Half-wheeling is only done in an echelon which requires considerable skill and practice.
- Do not ride in or near the shoulder of the road: more debris increases chance of a puncture, + when you ride at least ½ metre out from the shoulder, you make it easier for the rider behind to follow your wheel. NOTE: this applies to all formations (single paceline, double paceline, echelon etc.)
- Strong riders should do longer pulls at the front than weak riders
- Regardless of how long the ride is, the front group rides fast. The back group drops nobody(No Drop Policy).
- When you see your fellow rider struggling, help them.
- If you are getting dropped in the fast group, make an effort to get back on
- If you see someone getting dropped and it is only temporary because of the terrain, tell the group to ease the pace so they can get back in, recover, and then contribute to the group effort.
- Wait until you are at the back of the paceline/group to reach for your water bottle/jersey pocket etc.
- Challenges and wagers between riders are natural and welcome in any group ride but not to the point where it causes the group to be strung out for kilometers. When your "sprint for the sign" is finished, allow the riders behind to re-group.
- Be self sufficient and also ready and willing to support other riders
- If you do not ride in a straight line, you will be politely asked to ride at the back of the group.
2 comments:
I am truly at a loss for words. "Holy Crap" is the best I can muster(Pronounced HOLYYYYY CRAPPPP). I am laughing and excited and yet strangely frightened at the same time.
Ggotta go look the map again and read the most detailed and colorful ride description yet. I am in - I think? Nicely done guys!
In for the long - same as last time - will head west in the am and meet the group en route.
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