Elbow Valley Cycle Club News new

It's a scorcher! Check these tips for hot weather riding

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 16:49:56 GMT

By Richard Thorpe

We are coming into hot weather season. Here are some general tips to enjoy your riding days safely.

Hydration

Pre-hydrate – liquids to use

Water
Skim Milk
Sugar-free sports drinks (Liquid IV, Body Armor)
Dilute fruit and vegetable juices – especially cucumber, watermelon, etc.
Coconut water (not coconut milk)

During ride

Cold water (ice, insulated bottle, freeze bottle)
Sugar-free sports drink
Avoid
Sugary drinks, including smoothies and energy drinks
Caffeine (which is a mild diuretic)
Hot drinks

Protocol

Drink 500ml 2 hours before your ride
Drink 500 ml half hour before ride
Drink 1 litre per hour riding (one water bottle)
500 ml after ride – coconut water (eg. Body Armor) is quickly hydrating and soothing to the throat.

Regarding “electrolytes”. If you sweat profusely, or are prone to cramps replacing them might be important. The electrolytes in sports drinks are sodium chloride (salt) and potassium. Potato chips and a banana provide the same electrolytes.

Riding Strategy

Wear loose, light colored clothing and thin but wicking socks.
Sunscreen or sun blocking clothing is important.
Seek shade
Slow down
Stop in the shade to hydrate periodically, as well as drinking on the fly. Check heart rate and if elevated stay put until it returns to normal resting.
For cooling your core temperature hold your wrists under a cold washroom tap, or immerse in cold water for a short time.
Dowsing clothing with cold water that can then evaporate can help.

Dehydration

Watch for warning signs of dehydration (not in any particular order.) It is very hard to recover once these symptom begin, again emphasizing again the need to prepare your body.

Decreased concentration
Increased rate of perceived exertion
Dizziness
Thirst
Lightheadedness
Rapid heartbeat
Nausea/vomiting
Lethargy or sleepiness

Keep close watch on yourself, and also those you ride with. You may see them having difficulty before they realize it themselves. Be patient with yourself and with others.

Photo: EVCC cyclists riding in 30-degree sunshine on Canada Day 2025.

Healthy riding in wildfire smoke season

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 15:13:06 GMT

Unfortunately, severe summer wildfires are underway, and we are experiencing days of poor air quality.

For the health and safety of participants, ride coordinators are encouraged to cancel rides when the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) reaches 6 or above.

As with any cancellations related to weather, heat or cold, rides may be cancelled due to smoke at the coordinator's full discretion, including in cases where the AQHI is lower than 6.

When rides do go ahead, it’s no guarantee of good air quality. The AQHI is a generalized reading over a wide area, and the air quality can vary dramatically within the region. Winds can blow the smoke around and smoke concentrations can change quickly. For these reasons, the coordinator may make a go/no go decision at any time, including at the start or during the ride.

We all have different health situations – some of us may be more sensitive or have conditions that warrant additional caution about exercising in smoky air. And, some research has shown that wildfire smoke may be more toxic to the lungs than regular urban air pollution.

Please be aware of your own health situation and use your personal judgment when deciding to ride.

It is always unfortunate and disappointing when we have to cancel events for any reason – thank you for understanding and supporting our coordinators' decisions.

To learn more, see: Cycling in smoky conditions – Canadian Cycling Magazine (2023)

Highwood Pass G7 Update

Fri, 16 May 2025 16:00:00 GMT

In the May edition of our Cadence newsletter we published info about access restrictions in Kananaskis relating to the upcoming G7 summit. Since then, the park has issued an update that affects our Highwood Pass rides that traditionally take place prior to Highway 40 opening between Peter Lougheed Park (North) and Highwood Junction (South).

The G7 Summit is coming to Kananaskis June 15 to 17. Some roads, campgrounds, day-use areas, and trails in the area will be temporarily closed between June 1 and 22.

These closures will have impacts to cycling on Highway 40 and Highwood Pass.

Highway 40 over Highwood Pass will be closed to vehicle traffic up to and including June 20 and will open June 21.
Cyclists will not be able to access Highwood Pass from the north, effective immediately.
Cyclists and pedestrians will still be able to access the Highwood Pass via the south. However, cyclists will be turned around at the top of Highwood Pass just north of the Ptarmigan Cirque Parking Lot and required to head back south.

There will be increased security presence on the road and signage indicating the locations of closure points.

What this means for our club Highwood Pass rides:

We will be able to ride Highwood Pass from the South vehicle-free until June 20.
We will not offer any “gate to gate” rides – previously scheduled rides on the North side will be cancelled or changed.
Coordinators are encouraged to post events from the South when the weather gets warmer!

The park has also provided this safety alert:

If users choose to cycle up the Highwood Pass, there may be a delay in emergency response due to the road closures. Alberta Parks recommends that users fully research their trip and consider their abilities before venturing out given these factors.

More information

Alberta Parks now has detailed maps and closure information posted on their website.

Please see: https://www.albertaparks.ca/G7

Check out our Spring Fling Photo Gallery!

Sun, 04 May 2025 14:16:06 GMT

Our 5th annual Spring Fling event was held April 13, 2025, based from the Springbank Heritage Club. The event included over a hundred participants on eight different rides, despite the chilly start.

Our social committee provided outstanding support with hot beverages and snacks pre-ride and an excellent luncheon meal for the shivering riders after.

Thanks to Richard Thorpe, who organized the event, and Don Hollingshead, our official photographer, who captured most of the shots below.

Have great memories of the day? Click the button with the three dots (above left) to share a comment.

Note, if photos do not load on mobile, please view on your laptop/desktop computer.

Gathering at the Springbank Heritage Club, ready to roll!

"Petal Pushers" - 50k group coordinated by Heather Opseth.

"Eggscellent Riders" - 50k group coordinated by Sal Faoro.

"Spring Rolls" - 50k group coordinated by Patty West.

"Spring Spinners" - 40k group coordinated by Lyle Opseth.

"Bees Knees" - 40 k group coordinated by Bill Stillwell.

Bill Stillwell musters the Bees Knees hive -- signage made by his five-year-old granddaughter!

"Spring Breakers" - 30k group coordinated by Garry Denman.

"Spring Breeze" - 30k group coordinated by Stan Bobrow and Jill Sharpe.

"Fling into Spring" - 30k group coordinated by Ken P and Doug M.

Riders at the bottom of Springbank Heights - two Johns and a Bob.

Ronan Culligan leads a group of Petal Pushers on the home stretch! Ready for some snacks and socializing!

Thanks for a fantastic day everyone - see you again next year!

Emergency contact info: Is yours up to date?

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 15:48:35 GMT

Ride safe!

In the event of an unforeseen incident on a club ride, it may be necessary for the ride coordinator to call your emergency contact person. Coordinators access your contact information through the Wild Apricot admin app, so it's vital that you have the right person listed. To check and update your contact information via the EVCC website:

On the HOME PAGE, click your profile button (the “person” icon) at the top right hand corner of your screen
On the MY PROFILE page, click the “Edit Profile” button
Review and update your contact info
While you’re there, upload a current photo of yourself and review other fields to ensure they are accurate
Be sure to hit the SAVE button

You can also edit your information in the Wild Apricot member app -- tap the "My profile" button at the bottom right hand corner of the home screen.

Emergency services

Do you know your emergency services call numbers? Add them to your contact list on your phone, so you can access them quickly if necessary.

National Parks

e.g., Banff, Yoho, Kootenay

Parks Canada dispatch: 403-762-4506

Kananaskis

e.g., Highwood Pass, Up the Elbow, Sheep River

Kananaskis Dispatch: 403-591-7767

City of Calgary and surrounding areas: 911

Get ready to roll with our spring bike tune-up checklist

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 17:35:44 GMT

Spring is a-coming, and that means it’s time to dust off your bike and get ready for sunny rides, fresh air, and new adventures!

It’s no fun – for you or your riding buddies – to discover mechanical problems when you’re out on your first club ride. It can also be dangerous if there are unexpected issues with key bike bits such as brakes or shifter cables.

So, before you hit the road or trail, give your bike a little TLC to make sure it’s in top shape.

It’s also recommended that you get a professional bike inspection and tune-up from a trained mechanic at least once a year.

1. General Inspection

Check the frame for cracks, dents, or rust
Inspect the fork and handlebars for damage
Ensure all bolts and screws are tightened

2. Cleaning & Lubrication

Clean the frame, chain, gears, and derailleurs
Lubricate the chain, derailleur pivots, and cables
Wipe off excess lubricant to prevent dirt buildup

3. Tires & Wheels

Inspect tires for wear, cracks, or punctures
Inflate tires to the recommended PSI
Check for loose or broken spokes
Spin wheels to ensure they are true (not wobbling)

4. Brakes

Inspect brake pads for wear and replace if necessary
Check brake cables or hydraulic fluid for proper function
Adjust brake levers and calipers for responsiveness

5. Drivetrain (Chain, Gears, and Pedals)

Check the chain for rust, wear, and stretch
Inspect derailleurs and adjust for smooth shifting
Test front and rear gears for proper alignment
Ensure pedals spin freely and are securely attached

6. Cables & Housing

Look for frayed or rusted cables
Replace cracked or worn housing

A bit of advance preparation will make your club rides SAFE and FUN! Let’s get rolling!

Cast your vote in our Members' Choice Awards!

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 16:01:29 GMT

Relive the 2023 cycling season by participating in our Members' Choice Awards! Vote for your favourite hill climb, ice cream stop, coffee shop, scenic routes and more!

Results will be published in an upcoming Cadence newsletter.

You must be logged in to the website as a member to vote.

Here's the link to: VOTE NOW!!

EVCC Zwift Virtual Rides

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 18:21:49 GMT

EVCC Zwift Virtual Rides

Contributions by Heather Opseth, Bob Westlake, Mike Haden, Darren Bender

To participate in our Zwift rides:

1. Join our club in the Zwift Companion app. Go to the "Clubs" menu and search for the Elbow Valley Cycle Club.

2. Join our voice chat group in the Discord app. Find our channel at https://discord.gg/ZPxHS982y3

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or would like to help co-ordinate virtual rides.

Full instructions

This article covers the following:

What is Zwift
What is required to ride on Zwift?
How will the Club use Zwift over the winter?
OK - so how do I join an EVCC group ride in Zwift?
How do I follow someone in Zwift?
What is the Zwift Companion app?
What is Discord?
Wrapping up

What is Zwift?

With winter at our doorstep, it’s time to consider options for staying active over the winter. We don’t need to put our bikes away, we just need to bring them inside and train on them over the winter. In recent years, several new virtual cycling applications have become quite popular, helping to keep cyclists motivated in their training – far better than hours of watching old reruns or catching up on your Twitter feed while cycling indoors.

Zwift is just one of several virtual cycling applications to choose from, turning your basement workouts into an interactive web-based experience with thousands of other riders from around the world. It features a multitude of gamified elements that encourage you to ride longer and harder, with the goal of increasing your fitness. The benefits are many, including

Cycling fitness maintenance
Endurance or power improvements
Working on pedal stroke efficiency in a stable, consistent environment
Structured workouts

Other than Zwift, several of the applications display real roads and real venues as you cycle, at the pace at which you’re riding. The first-person view is lifelike and the applications enable you to “ride” many classic climbs and tours in the world that we likely haven’t visited. Applications like Fulgaz, Rouvy, Tacx Training App, and Kinomap fall into this category.

Zwift is more like a computer game, with avatars of real people around the world, all cycling in a virtual world at the same time. It’s all about community, with races, group rides, group workouts, free rides, several virtual worlds, plenty of challenges, and it’s quite engaging as a result. It is the EVCC’s platform of choice due to its great community, group riding features, and number of users.

Using Zwift as our platform, the EVCC is pleased to offer to its members group rides on this virtual cycling application during the winter season. These group rides are posted in our regular event schedule during the winter season, are hosted by trip coordinators from the club, and provide an opportunity for club members on Zwift or new to Zwift to join in on group rides to stay connected and motivated through the winter months.

Helpful Resources:

www.Zwift.com (the main Zwift website)
https://www.mantel.com/blog/en/zwift (good introductory site, sample screenshots)
www.Zwiftinsider.com (a Zwift community website, with lots of resources including the Zwift course calendar)
How to get started on Zwift with a smart trainer
Smart trainer vs. dumb trainer – what ’s the difference?

What is required to ride on Zwift?

You’ll need:

· A “smart” cycle trainer OR a “dumb” trainer with a power meter and/or speed sensor on your wheel

· A desktop computer, tablet, or mobile device

· The Zwift application installed

A “smart” cycle trainer can be controlled by the Zwift application to provide resistance in line with the terrain on which you're “riding”. It also accurately senses and responds to your power wattage output. A “dumb” trainer can’t be controlled by the application but can, with the use of a speed sensor and/or power meter, provide speed and/or power feedback to the application.

Which devices can you run Zwift on? Just about everything – your PC, Mac, tablet, or phone. For best results, you’ll want a relatively modern (but not necessarily the absolute latest) model of one of these. Obviously, the larger the screen, the better (more immersive) the experience. Most Zwift users use either their tablet or their desktop computer to run the application.

Some of us use a desktop computer and then mount our tablet or phone on our bikes so that we can use other apps at the same time (see our notes on the Zwift Companion app and the Discord app below). Others mount the tablet on or in front of their bike so that it’s accessible and use that for Zwift and other apps at the same time.

Either way, don’t forget to have ready access to water bottles (hydration obviously), a fan (to cool you down), a towel (to keep you dry), and maybe headphones.

Helpful Resources:

Cycle trainer recommendations (For everything you need to know about trainers, and then some, this is the site)

How will the club use Zwift over the winter?

In the winter of 2021/2022, our only option on Zwift was to use a ‘meetup’ feature in which an EVCC ride coordinator invited other riders for a ‘meetup’ on Zwift. In order for you to receive an invite from the ride coordinator, you need to ‘follow’ the ride coordinator in Zwift. For more on this, see ‘How do I follow someone in Zwift?’ below.

During 2022, Zwift released a new feature - Zwift Clubs. Much like real-world cycling clubs, they let Zwifters organize themselves into groups, then take part in group rides together. There is now a Zwift Club for the real-life Elbow Valley Cycle Club that you can join to be notified of Zwift group rides specific to EVCC. For these rides, it is not necessary to ‘follow’ a ride coordinator, but you should join the ‘Elbow Valley Cycle Club’ within ‘Clubs’ in Zwift and then join the posted rides within the Zwift club.

Whether it’s a meetup or a group ride in the Zwift club, we will continue to send out email notifications from the EVCC calendar, and you should still register for the event as you would a summer-time ride which helps us track the level of interest in winter Zwift rides. For “meetup” rides, we’ll be sending an invitation for the event to all of the Zwift accounts we have on record for EVCC members so keep your eye on your Zwift account for invites. Ahead of any group rides, we’ll also be putting notifications up on the EVCC Zwift club and the EVCC Strava club.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

How to Join a Zwift Club

OK, so how do I join an EVCC group ride?

If you are brand new to Zwift, please test your equipment and software and complete some solo rides before joining a group ride, well before the scheduled group ride. Please contact the ride coordinator several days in advance if you need help – we ’d love to help, but it ’s really hard for us to provide significant tech support at the time of the group ride.

First, register for an event in the EVCC calendar as per a usual EVCC event.

The trip coordinator may announce that the scheduled group ride is a Zwift “meetup” ride. In that case, the trip coordinator will ask you to “follow” them in Zwift and they will provide their name in Zwift. If you don’t “follow” them, they can’t invite you to the meetup ride. ( That’s just a requirement of Zwift presently - it’s a personal meetup so it’s by invitation only. See ‘How do I follow someone in Zwift?”below for more details. ) When that ’s done, the trip coordinator will add you to the Zwift group ride and Zwift will notify you with a “meetup” invitation in-game.

Alternately, the trip coordinator will announce that the scheduled group ride is an EVCC Zwift Club ride. In that case, you don’t have to “follow” the trip coordinator in Zwift. However, you do have to join the “Elbow Valley Cycle Club” Zwift Club, and then join the group ride from there by reviewing the list of ‘Club Events’. Select the relevant group ride and hit the ‘+’ symbol to join the ride.

Before the group ride starts, launch Zwift and test out your bike setup to make sure that the setup between your trainer, bike and the Zwift application is working well.

Before the ride begins in Zwift, everyone on the group ride will be brought to the start point automatically by Zwift. The trip coordinator will have picked out a route in Zwift (which will be listed in the event details) and the group will start from the beginning of that route.

At the pre-determined start time, we ’ll be off! (You have 30 minutes grace to join the group if you happen to be late. Often it ’s a technical issue with the device/trainer connection that can foul you up just when you ’re rushing to join the event.)

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• How to Join a Zwift Club

How do I follow someone in Zwift?

To follow a trip coordinator in Zwift, you can use either the Zwift Companion app or your account on Zwift.com. We could spell it all out here, but we think that Zwift has done a pretty good job of it on their support page for “Managing Followers”.

What is the Zwift Companion app?

The Zwift Companion app is a mobile app available for Apple iOS or Google Android mobile devices. The app gives you access to on-the-go features such as signing up for events and interacting with Clubs. When using the Zwift Companion app alongside Zwift, the app makes it easy to chat, control some of your actions in-game, and follow your route with the built-in map—plus a whole lot more!

HELPFUL RESOURCES

What is Discord?

Discord is a voice, video, and text chat app that's used by tens of millions of people to talk and hang out with their communities and friends.

In some of our group rides, members choose to use Discord so that they can chat to other members on the ride instead of simply texting each other in-game on Zwift.

It’s optional, but to do this, you need to have the Discord app installed on your mobile device prior to the ride. ( Figure out the installation and the app setup well in advance of any EVCC group ride on Zwift, please. )

Then, join the EVCC Discord channel within the app. The link to the EVCC channel is https://discord.gg/ZPxHS982y3 but you can also search for EVCC in the Discord application.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

• What is Discord

• Discord Basics

Wrapping Up

We hope that this provides a good starting point if you’re interested in joining EVCC group rides on Zwift this winter season. The application and the virtual community that it has generated in the past several years has made a big difference to a lot of cyclists in their off-season training routine. The reaction of seasoned veterans, when they have begun to cycle in-game, has been quite positive - many of them are surprised by the reality of the in-game “feel” of pushing hard up hills, rolling over the tops and dropping into long downhill grades, or perhaps even having a little “small-c competition” with a fellow Zwifter in another country. For some of us in the club, it’s a great way to continue to ride together through the off season, and we hope that you’ll consider joining us on more virtual group rides this winter.

Sign up now for TCR Indoor Training Programs

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 12:54:01 GMT

Hello EVCC members,

Get ready to take your cycling skills and fitness to the next level with our exclusive cycling program, consisting of three blocks (2 x 8 weeks and 1 x 6 weeks) that can be stand-alone, but ideally done together to build off the previous one!

Join us for 60-90-minute sessions packed with progressive intervals meticulously crafted to build upon each other. These sessions are specifically designed to enhance not only your physical fitness but also your cycling technique, ensuring you're road-ready by the time spring arrives.

What sets our program apart is that you'll be using your own bike within our custom studio. This guarantees maximum comfort and allows our experienced coaches to provide you with invaluable real-time feedback, tailored to your unique setup and riding style.

But that's not all! You'll be part of a dynamic group of fellow enthusiasts, all working toward their own goals. This camaraderie will not only motivate you but also provide a supportive environment where you can challenge yourself relative to your abilities.

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to become a stronger, more skilled cyclist throughout the winter. Spring will be here before you know it, and we're here to help you make the most of it!

There are only 24 spots left across the entire week, with 2 classes already full, so act now to avoid missing out! To secure your spot or to learn more about our program, visit our website or reach out to us directly at tcrsportlab.com and you can use EVCCTCR2324 to get 10% off if you sign up for the full 22 week program.

The TCR Team

My Summer of Cycling and Road Skills

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 19:50:26 GMT

AKA Tips and tricks from the EVCC Level 1 Road Skills Course

By Jenia Tishkina-Norman

My first Granfondo is now under my belt and what great fun that was! We picked the Penticton Granfondo Okanagan as our inaugural event because we’ve heard so many great things about it: from the scenic course to the amazing volunteers and the skilled organizing committee. Throughout the event I couldn’t help but be thankful for the skills and tips I gained from four weeks of technique instruction with the EVCC in collaboration with TCR Sports Lab and their superb coaching crew of John and Dan.

…but let me backup a bit first…

We declared the summer of 2023 to be the Summer of Cycling. And, because it was indeed a family undertaking, ever so gently my husband reminded me early in the season that I actually ought to go out and cycle, and not merely “think” and visualize myself cycling, in order to “be trained up enough for all of us to enjoy spending time on the bike together”. Which meant I had to throw all my resources into cycling and bike-related activities.

When the rubber hits the road

I am a fair-weather cyclist, and the weather had to be well into the high teens/twenties before I braved going outside (nigh on perfect, according to hubby). My amazing sister-in-law suggested that hopping on a trainer early in Spring, if nothing else, would toughen up my tush. I busted out my old and not very smart bike trainer. The first tip of the day: when working at home, having a sit/stand desk and getting the trainer under it works magic for being able to attend training sessions, “listen in” meetings, watch podcasts or movies. The time flew fast and before I knew it, I had a self-declared 20k effort. Kilometers kept adding up at about one hour at a time. I was well on my way!

Then April rolled around and I was called on to actually put the proverbial rubber side down on the pavement. I quickly realized I could do much better with just a bit more technique knowledge. Lo and behold one of the emails from EVCC called for participants for its foundational level 1, 4-week technique course. I jumped on the opportunity. While I am not an absolute beginner cyclist and have many kilometers under my belt, I very consciously decided to be open minded about every tip offered by the coaches – I am thrilled I did, because it allowed me to become a sponge for the extensive knowledge Dan and John were so happy to share.

Photo: Our Level 1 Road Skills Class - June 2023

Without further ado, here are the highlights from the course that helped me most and the ones I keep practicing in my Summer of Cycling:

Safety first: Make sure your bike is fit for riding:

Check tire pressure before every ride, referring to the indicators for optimal pressure on your tires. Note: the latest thinking is to go a bit softer for higher comfort.
Check brakes – front and back
Make sure there is no wobble in the headset (and tighten if there is)
Listen for “funny” noises and address those before heading out!

Know your signals:

Learn the common signals and practice them on every ride. The critical ones are indicators of stopping; turning left/right; slowing; and pointing to obstructions or potholes/debris. If you are not able to point it’s OK to shout out the upcoming situation to the riders behind (and sometimes ahead of you)!

Right hand extended right = turning right (who knew! I didn’t have the rotational flexibility in my left arm for that bent-armed limp thing to mean much to anyone but me)
Left hand extended left = turning left
Either arm elbow bent down = slowing/stopping
Either arm elbow bent down hand moving left/right = speed bump
Arm down finger pointing at “something” on the right or left = watch out for an upcoming hole/rock/ “thing”
Arm/hand swooping behind the back (typically on the right) = obstruction ahead, e.g., walker or slower cyclist / road narrows / parked car / move “the other way” (typically to the left)

Discuss the conventions and the expectations for your group (even when casually riding with friends) before setting off: Cyclists may be familiar with different practices than yours and it’s good to set the ground rules beforehand!

Never “overlap” wheels:

When riding in a group following other riders watch out for the tire of the rider immediately ahead of you – stay clear because if you accidentally touch it with your own, the rider behind goes down hard; don’t overlap the tire of the rider ahead with your own.

Climb like a champion:

Look up, anticipate a hill and the imminent change of effort. The more you practice with purpose, the more you will be able to predict the “right” gear for you.
Gear down into an easier gear (especially if you remain seated when climbing).
For longer sustained climbs, start gently with about 6/10 effort for the first quarter of the hill, progressively upping the effort to 7, 8, 9/10. The idea is to not red-zone it from the get-go. Continue downshifting as it becomes harder.
When ready to change gears, ease the pressure off the pedals a touch to shift effortlessly and smoothly.
When riding uphill, initiate the push from your glute muscle and hip, not just the quad. Another way to try it is to drive your pedal stroke by pushing your heel forward (not driving your toes down). I tend to remember “drive forward with my heel” and magically the glute engages while I am at it!
Gear up a couple of gears / go into harder gear if you want to stand up on your pedals and power up, typically a punchy, but short-ish hill. On a longer hill switch back and forth between standing and sitting (remaining seated is also great!)
Keep your elbows slightly bent and ease off the handlebars/hoods. Have relaxed and “low” shoulders when riding – keep them away from your ears! (I struggle with this one – all my photos look like I progressively tense up/ raise my shoulders!)
The back should be neither hunched nor bowed: think neutral and natural! Similarly, don’t stick the pelvis bone out nor pull it in.

What goes up, must come down!

Coming into a corner going downhill – look past the corner!
Keep the outside foot down (or, inside knee up)
Don’t initiate the turn with the handlebars -- angle the bike slightly in to the turn
I’ve been practicing pushing into the outside (low) pedal for added stability and keeping my torso more upright than the lean of the bike

Putting on the brakes:

For emergency braking, brake hard with BOTH front and back brakes and throw your body weight back behind the saddle
For bikes with v-brakes, braking off the drops gives significantly more leverage/strength of braking than from the hoods – test out both in a safe spot to assess the effect!
For bikes with disc brakes, the stopping power is about the same from either hoods or drops

Fuel on the go:

Practice drinking and eating while in motion:
Start by moving hands “in” and “out” on handlebars
Progress to taking each hand off
Advance to touching the water bottle in the cage
Then, pull it out and put it back in without looking
Finally, alternate hands
Tip: keeping shoulders relaxed and not putting a lot of weight on handlebars allows for steadier ride while fetching a snack or a drink!

When things go flat:

And finally, we spent a session learning how to pump and change tires and bike tubes. We all did it! And, it was my first time ever doing it by myself -- though I must admit, I still rely quite heavily on the cell phone as my main tool in my toolkit. Jokes aside, having a spare tube, a patch kit, levers and a pump or CO2 cartridge would get you to safety/home if there is a poor reception/no cell phone coverage.

All in all – a great line up of tips and tricks from the experts and I hope you enjoyed coming along for this ride with me! Now, let’s go riding!

Photo: Me (waving) on my latest EVCC ride, the "200 Glaciers" on July 29, 2023

Tech Tips: You light up my life!

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 15:02:42 GMT

Tech Tips by Lyle Opseth

After last month’s rather lengthy tech tip, I promised to make a brief one this month. Do you know that some bike lights can be controlled by compatible bike computers and by Shimano’s Di2 shifters?

I’ve seen several club members with bike computers that can control bike lights and I’ve seen them using compatible bike lights that can be paired together – but they haven’t done so and are unaware that this can be done. For two cycling seasons, I was one of these club members. We would manually turn on the lights at the start of the ride – if we remember – and turn them off at the end of the ride - but only if we remember.

Often, new bike computers are purchased for the larger screen (as we can no longer read the tiny screens of smaller computers), or for some of the advanced features such as route mapping and directions, enhanced training features, and so forth. Users don’t realize that they can pair their bike computer with their bike lights! I certainly didn’t. All I needed was to take a minute to pair my lights with my bike computer and my problems were partially solved. (I say partially because I still need to remember to recharge the lights.)

Compatible devices

Riders with a Garmin Edge 820 or higher bike computer can configure compatible Bontrager Flare RT and Ion RT lights to turn on automatically when they start a ride. And the Edge will use its built-in ambient light sensor to adjust the brightness for the conditions. The Edge can also work with Varia bike lights and GPS giant lights via ANT+. Newer models of lights and computers come out all the time so check with the manufacturer’s instructions to see if they support this feature.

If you are using Shimano’s Di2 electric sifters, you can also control the lights with proper programming using the Si2 Shifter’s buttons in the hood. I don’t do this as I use the hood buttons to manage the Edge computer which is simpler than trying to use the buttons or touching the screen on my bike computer as I can keep my hands on the handlebars.

How to…

I’m not going to provide detailed how tos, as this is dependent on your particular set up. I will say that pairing my lights to my bike computer was a simple as pairing the cadence (for my cranks) and speed sensors (on my wheel).

Finally, you can visit the article "Garmin and Di2 Can Now Control Bike Lights" (https://www.bikeradar.com/news/garmin-and-shimano-di2-can-now-control-bike-lights/) for more information.

Or check out the article "Why Would I Need an ANT+ Bike Light?” (https://seesense.cc/blogs/hub/why-would-i-need-an-ant-bike-light).

How to send RWGPS maps to Garmin wirelessly

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 02:49:11 GMT

Tech Tips by Lyle Opseth

If you use a Garmin Edge bike computer like me and you like to pre-load EVCC route maps for navigation, you can do this wirelessly without having to load it from your computer via a USB cable. I can load a route in the parking lot right before we start the ride.

All you need is to pair your bike computer with your mobile phone, and install the RideWithGPS (RWGPS) app on both your phone and your Garmin cycling computer.

Many use the RWGPS app on their mobile phone for navigation. However, there are some advantages to using your bike computer. When using your phone, you may need to have your phone mounted on your bike handlebar and not everyone has the room. Navigation can significantly shorten the life of your phone's battery, and it may require data usage on your phone where many plans don't allow for much data and extra data may be expensive.

Once you've set up your phone and Garmin Edge bike computer, these are the steps to load a map wirelessly. I can do it in less than a minute.

Open the EVCC Wild Apricot member app.
Find your ride under “My tickets”.
Click on “SendToDevice” on the map. RideWithGPS should open on your phone and automatically pin the map. If you touch “Open Full Version” instead, you will need to pin the map yourself (described below).
Go to your bike computer, open the RideWithGPS app, find the ride under pinned routes and download onto your Edge.
You are ready to navigate!

In this tech tip, I'll give a quick overview of the steps required to set up your phone and Garmin computer to wirelessly load routes as described above. It took me just a few minutes to install, set up and test. It could take longer if you haven't been keeping the software up to date and especially if you haven't been updating the maps on the 800 and 1000 series bike computers. This is a great time to also ensure you have the latest software and maps installed.

Compatibility

Before you begin, you should ensure that your computer is compatible with this feature. The Garmin Edge 1030, 1030+, 1000, 520, 530, 820 and 830 bike computers support this.

Step 1: Installing Garmin Express on your computer

To manage the software, maps and apps on your Garmin device, you will need Garmin Express installed on your computer if you have not already done so. You can also use this to manage software, maps and apps on many Garmin devices, including other bike computers such as the 500 series computers, car GPS navigation computers, Garmin smart watches, etc.

Follow the instructions on this web page to install: Garmin Support > How do I install Garmin Express?

Installation should take about a minute.

Step 2: Updating your bike computer software

Make sure your bike computer has the latest software update installed. You should be doing this occasionally anyway. While you are at it, update your maps on the 800 and 1000 series computers. I recommend updating maps at least yearly because of changes to roads and pathways in and around Calgary. You can also install additional maps, including free open-source maps, if you are cycling outside North America though you may need to at least temporarily delete North American apps if your computer doesn't have enough space for everything.

To do this, connect your Garmin to your desktop/laptop computer with a USB cable, and start the Garmin Express app. It may take a minute or so for your computer to read the Garmin device. The Express app will show that it is talking to the device and will check for a software update. If an update is indicated, click install.

Step 3: Updating your bike computer maps if supported (Optional)

Update the maps on your Garmin Edge bike computers if you haven't done so recently (520/530, 705 and higher series). If you haven't been updating maps, this can take awhile so only proceed if are not in immediate need of your bike computer.

Click on the “Manage Maps” button in Express. Express will display the maps installed on the computer and additional maps that you can install. It will also indicate if installed maps may be updated. Click “Install” next to the map you wish to update.

You may also install or update maps without Garmin Express if you have acquired other maps. See the following for details: How to install free maps on your Garmin Edge

Step 4: Install the RWGPS app on your bike computer

The RWGPS app on your bike computer works with the RWGPS app on your phone to wirelessly install maps. The RWGPS app for Garmin is free.

In Garmin Express, open the device page for your Garmin device.
Click on “IQ Apps” which will list the apps on your bike computer. If the RWGPS app is not listed click on “GetMoreApps” which is in small font in the lower right corner in the Garmin Express app on my Apple computer.
Garmin's connect IQ app store should open in your desktop/laptop computer browser.
You may need to create and login to a Garmin account to proceed.
In the Garmin app store, enter “Ride With GPS” in the search bar. The RWGPS app should appear first on the list. Click on the “Ride With GPS” app to open a new page to download it.
Click on “Download” and allow the app to be downloaded to Garmin Express. You may be queried to allow more than once.
In Garmin Express, click “Install” to install the app onto your Garmin. Sometimes it still says “Install” after automatically syncing. If this happens, click on “View Details”, and if it lists “Ride with GPS” under “Other Items” click on “Install” there and installation should complete.

Step 5: Install RWGPS app on your mobile phone if not previously installed

If you don’t have the RWGPS app on your phone, add it now.

Go to the Apple Store or Google Play store on your mobile phone, search for RideWithGPS and install it.

Step 7: Disconnect your Garmin from your desktop/laptop computer.

Wait for your Garmin Edge to start up.

Step 6: Make sure your phone and bike computer are connected via Bluetooth

If you haven't previously done so, you need to connect your Garmin Edge to your phone via Bluetooth. This varies between devices, so follow the instructions in your Edge owner's manual.

Step 7: Pair your RWGPS Edge app with your RWGPS mobile phone app

Disconnect your Garmin Edge from your desktop/laptop computer and wait for it to start up. Once the Garmin is running, in the lower right corner (on my Edge 1030+) of the home page, IQ appears.

Touch “IQ” and the installed apps should appear including “Ride With GPS”. Touch “Ride With GPS”. You will be asked to pair with your phone. Follow the instructions. Your bike computer will give a number that you must enter into your RWGPS app on your mobile phone to complete pairing.

You can also initiate pairing by opening the app, touch “Settings” and touching “Pair Device” if it is not paired.

Loading Routes onto your compatible Garmin Edge

From now on, you should be able to easily install maps wirelessly onto your Garmin. You can load rides that you have pinned in your route library or the EVCC library or you can load recent rides that you have opened in your RWGPS account on your computer or phone.

I will describe one process to download a route on a Garmin 1030+ as that is what I use but the process should be very similar for the other supported Garmin Edge devices. (I described another way using the club's Wild Apricot app on your phone at the start of this blog. Follow the steps below to install other maps you may wish to use.)

Open the RideWithGPS app just like you need to open apps on your phone. Touch “IQ” which opens a screen listing the installed apps on your Edge. “Ride With GPS” should appear in the list. Touch “Ride With GPS” to open the app.
To load a recent route, just touch “Recent Routes” and the list of the ten most recent routes will be listed. Select the route you wish to load if it appears and select “Download” or “Download & Ride”.
To load other routes, you can pin them. In your browser or on the RideWithGPS app on your phone, open the route and “pin” it. On a browser, you will see “Pin” in the upper left-hand corner of the route. Click it to “pin”. On your phone, use the RWGPS app to select routes you want to load. In the Apple version of the app, I click on “Save” at the bottom of the screen which subsequently allows me to either pin or unpin the route. Pinned routes will be displayed if you touch “Pinned Routes” on your Edge.
Note that only the ten most recent routes or the ten most recently pinned routes will be displayed on your Edge. If a pinned route doesn't appear, you can quickly unpin and pin it again to get it to appear.

Please note that you will need wi-fi or cell-service with a data plan to get full access to your Ride With GPS account and the EVCC route library.

While my writeup suggests this is an involved process it really isn't if you have previously been keeping the sofware (and maps) on your bike computer up to date using Garmin Express and you have had the RWGPS app on your phone and paired to your bike computer. I found the whole process straightforward and only took a few minutes. If you haven't, there are more steps involved that I've included in this writeup but it is still straightforward.

I recommend that you keep your bike computer software and maps up to date. You should also have been running the Garmin Connect app on your phone to assist with this. The Garmin Connect app also allows you to wirelessly load completed rides to the Garmin Connect app and to Strava but that is a tech tip for another day.

You can also review the following URL for additional help and an alternate way to install the RWGPS app on your bike computer from your phone rather than your computer. My wife used this method but found it wasn't as straightforward as I did from my computer.

RWGPS Support > Garmin Connect IQ

Coordinators kick off a fun and safe season

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 17:24:10 GMT

By Tanya Colwell, EVCC Program Director

The club is run by cycling enthusiasts that accommodate many different levels of riders and organize various social events. We continue focusing on our core urban and road ride events, we are also looking into adding more multi-day trips, more mountain biking and perhaps even gravel rides.

In mid-March, we were excited to gather over 50 club volunteers at the Coordinator's Kick-off meeting in March to get organized for the season. We talked about coordinators' responsibilities, planned the rides for the months of May and June, and brainstormed about possible training for coordinators and participants.

Some suggestions included:

First aid courses for ride leaders
Safety cycling in traffic
Workshops on cycling mechanical ABCs and basic road-side assistance

We will be following up on these ideas at a later date.

Keeping our rides safe

As coordinators, we want to provide a safe riding environment by:

Planning ahead to anticipate, avoid and control hazards
Communicating clearly about the safety expectations
Making tactful comments if we see the unsafe behaviour
Role modelling safe behaviours on the bike

With safety in mind, please update your emergency contact on your EVCC's profile page. We recommend having a local Calgary contact and not somebody who is on the ride with you.

Volunteer rewards

Volunteers with EVCC get a free membership for the following year if they coordinate 5 or more events. They get to choose the routes and distances they want to ride, and get a team of like-minded cyclists to ride with them. Thank you to our many volunteers for being a part of EVCC. If each ride coordinator posts just one or two rides a year we will keep Calgary rolling and smiling!

Tanya

Six great features of our Wild Apricot mobile apps

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 16:55:43 GMT

Tech tips by Lyle Opseth

EVCC provides two apps for your mobile phone, one for general members and a second one for coordinators.

Each app provides features for members to manage their registrations and coordinators to manage their rides. These apps do not provide a complete set of features available on your computer browser but, rather, provide complementary features you can use when on a ride or away from home. While these apps require a data plan to work best, they can also be used for reference without a data plan with a little bit of preplanning.

Find it on your favourite app store

There are Android and Apple iOS versions of these apps which you can find on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Search for “Wild Apricot”. Download and use is free. Members should install the “Wild Apricot for members” app and coordinators should also install the “Wild Apricot for admins” app.

The apps require you to sign in with your id and password, the same ones you use to login to the EVCC website on your browser but you should only need to do this the first time you open the apps.

The following discussion provides an overview of the features of each app. This description is not complete but outlines the most used and useful features. I use the Apple version of the app so the features may be slightly different than described in the Android version.

Wild Apricot for Members

Use this app to ensure you are registered for a ride, find the start location, find contact information for the coordinator or other ride participants, get the latest ride information, and to display your club membership digital card if you need to show it at a participating retailer for a discount.

When you open Wild Apricot, you will see four tabs at the bottom: “Members”, “Events”, “My Tickets”, and “My Profile”.

Feature #1 - Members: This lists the club members and their public information. You can use this to find the phone number of a member to contact them. For example, if you are going to be late to the start of a ride (e.g., got lost finding the start or held up in traffic) or you lose the route on a ride and there's cell service, you can look up a coordinator's phone number and call them.

I recommend that coordinators review their public information to make sure their contact information is correct and that your mobile number is provided rather than your home phone number.

Feature #2 - Events: Events lists all public upcoming club rides. You may use this tab to register for a ride, look up the start of the ride (if you can't find it), and review the ride description details and registrants.

Touching the start-location field from the overview page will open the map to show the location of the start. While the ride description may include the Ride With GPS map as a convenience, you will need to load the map onto the Ride With GPS app or your bike computer to get ride guidance. You cannot load the map onto a bike computer from the Apricot Map. Review the “Ride With GPS” information on the club website for information on using Ride With GPS maps.

While you can register for a ride on this page, you cannot deregister. Go to the “My Tickets” tab to do this.

Coordinators should review the location field of their rides in this app to ensure that the start location is properly displayed in a map. Sometimes I provide the GPS coordinates to avoid ambiguity. (This can be easily determined in Google Maps when creating your ride. I can provide help if needed.) A location description like “Train station in Banff” is too vague. Do you mean Banff townsite, Banff national park, or Banff Scotland? Apricot doesn't know. And even when using the location “Railway Ave., Banff”, Apricot may confuse it with Railway Ave in Canmore or some other town with a Railway Ave.

Feature #3 - My Tickets: Use this ticket to find all the upcoming rides for which you have registered. Use this page to deregister from a ride. Your contact information is also listed. Review it to make sure it is correct so the coordinator can contact you if needed (via text, email, or phone), or to get your emergency contact information.

Feature #4 - My Profile: This shows your public and private profile information for review. You can select “My Card” so you can show your club membership card. This can be useful to get discounts at partner retailers.

If you don't have a data plan or the start of the ride doesn't have cell service, you can preload ride information such as a map to the start location or the coordinator's contact information before leaving home in case you may need this information.

Wild Apricot for Admins

Coordinators can use this app for managing their rides. This app cannot be used to create or edit rides but it is useful for managing the participants registered for a ride. This app opens with four tabs listed at the bottom and the “Events” tab is the opening default. Coordinators will mainly use the “Events” and “Contacts” tabs.

Feature #5 - Admin - Events: The “Events” tab is used to find any ride. Rides are normally tagged when created and you can select tags as a filter to find a ride. Usually I just select “Upcoming Events” and then scroll to find my ride. Rides are listed chronologically.

When you display a specific event, it will display similarly to the members app version with some additional information (e.g., the waitlist).

Selecting the “Registrations” tab displays the registrants and allows you to mark the attendance of each preregistered member. I sometimes use this to manage ride participants rather than a paper copy. If the start location doesn't have cell service or you do not have a data plan, you can preload this page and leave it open to manage attendance.

Feature # 6 - Admin - Contacts: You can use this tab to find the contact information and emergency contact for participants of your ride.

No Cell Service or No Data Plan

You can reference a page in either app even if you don't have cell service or a data plan if you open the app to the needed page and leave the app open to that page. For those with limited data plans, the data usage of the apps is minimal.

Name that ride! Can you guess where these 25 photos were taken?

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 21:08:38 GMT

Dreaming of cycling season? So are we. While you wait for the snow to melt, gear up with this guessing game.

All of the photos below were taken either during an EVCC ride, or on a familiar EVCC route. How many can you identify? Share your guesses by clicking on the three vertical dots at the top left of this blog post, and selecting "add comment". Be as specific as possible and let us know if you have any great memories of riding these routes.

Have fun!

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

#21

#22

#23

#24

#25

New Club Kit available until February 27th

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 03:35:05 GMT

Order your new EVCC jersey today!

We are excited that our new club jerseys are ready to go -- along with matching shorts, bib shorts, arm warmers and leg warmers.

Our new kit is made by Louis Garneau and is now available for ordering on our website.

Order deadline is midnight on February 27.

This deadline enables us to get 20% off the regular prices.

Order Now!

New password requirements for our website

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 16:08:55 GMT

Hello everyone, You might have noticed that you received an email indicating that your password had expired. This is what happened:

Stronger password requirements

To improve account security, Wild Apricot is strengthening its password requirements.

Now, valid passwords must adhere to the following requirements:

12 characters or more
both upper and lower case letters
at least one number
at least one of the following special characters: #?!@$%^&*-

This policy will be applied to new administrators and new members once your account is updated to the new release. Existing administrators will be prompted to change their passwords a week or two after their account is updated. Thereafter, administrators will be forced to change their passwords every 365 days.

For added security, administrators will be automatically logged out of their account after 3 hours of inactivity.

Robert James (Bob) Ross 1938-2023

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 21:53:20 GMT

Bob Ross was an avid cyclist and loved to ride the pathways from his home on Bow Crescent.

An active member of the EVCC during the 90s and early 2000s, Bob participated in numerous supported mutli-day cycle tours in Alberta, BC and California. When the EVCC produced a printed newsletter, Bob volunteered to address 850 envelopes and help collate, fold and stuff the newsletters while hosting the Cadence parties at his condo with his late wife, Diana. These generous contributions spanned about 15 years, ending when his home was flooded in 2013. By then EVCC had decided to go with an online Cadence only.

When Bob moved from a condo into his new home on Bow Crescent, he had the space and offered EVCC a free repository for the club’s Golden Triangle gear, saving the club about $2000 per year in storage fees.

Bob’s door was always open and his house was a popular stop on some of the club’s NW urban tours. His freshly roasted coffee was legendary.

Pre-covid, when the pathways were clear of snow and ice, Bob, Henning Johansen and Don Whiting would meet at Eau Clair on their bikes, cycle back to Bob’s house in Bowness, hop in Bob’s SUV still attired in spandex and dine at the Market Mall food court at the same table every Wednesday. Old friends would drop by and it became a weekly reunion where we celebrated Bob’s birthdays.

I’ll miss Bob and will remember his hospitality, warmth and generosity to myself and the members of the EVCC.

Don Hollingshead

EVCC rebrand/logo launch

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 01:00:00 GMT

Headline: Our new look captures the joy of the ride

We’re celebrating our 40^th birthday with a fabulous new look including a fresh logo design and new club colours.

The logo features the rivers, mountains, sunshine and roads of the Elbow Valley and surrounding areas where most of our club rides take place.

The vibrant colours also match the scenery – the blue of water and sky… the green of trees and grassy fields… the yellow of sun, canola, and fall foliage… the charcoal black of the Rockies, roads, pathways, and bicycle tires!

Encircling it all is a wheel of sunshine, evoking the joy of a happy day spent on two wheels with great friends – whether on a road, mountain, pathway or e-bike.

We believe the logo captures the uniqueness of our club compared to other bike groups in Calgary and Western Canada. We want to stand out as a recreational club, focused on fun, fitness and friendship. We welcome riders of all levels, and we’re known for our wide variety of cycling routes with spectacular scenery and destinations.

Thank you to the logo team

The new look was developed by a team of EVCC volunteers with the help of Calgary graphic designer Isabel Duffy (photo below). Isa is an active cyclist, skier, and outdoor enthusiast who understands the EVCC lifestyle of fun and fitness. Thanks to Isa and the logo committee of Tanya Colwell, Helen Hayes, Maria Saley, Don Hollingshead and Heather Opseth.

New jerseys coming soon

We know you’ll be excited to sport this new look while riding this season – we are working on new jersey and clothing designs that will be available in time for Spring cycling. Please stay tuned for more details.

EVCC 40th Anniversary

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 03:18:25 GMT

Did you know? The EVCC's 40th anniversary is on Monday, January 23, 2023. Interested in the first newsletter? Read it here: Jan Feb 1983.pdf

How to adapt a ‘dumb’ trainer for virtual riding

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:45:43 GMT

How to adapt a ‘dumb’ trainer for virtual riding

Contributed by Claude Paré

As the outdoor season comes to an end many riders are looking at extending their season with indoor cycling. The popularity of online cycling software has made it fun and easy to join others or to train by yourself in an interactive cycling environment. This article focuses on how to use your old indoor trainer to connect to the world of online cycling.

There are two types of trainers that can be used with online cycling software: the classic “dumb” trainer and the more technologically advanced “smart trainer”.

What is a smart trainer? A smart trainer is any trainer where the resistance can be controlled by software. A dumb trainer can be described as one where the resistance is controlled manually.

Having a dumb trainer doesn’t mean you can’t use online cycling software to ride with your friends. What it does mean is that you won’t feel a change in resistance as the terrain changes. Online cycling software uses power output to calculate your speed based on the virtual terrain. A dumb trainer can only estimate your power using your speed as an input while a smart trainer can directly measure your power output and modify the resistance. Since the software cannot change the resistance on a dumb trainer, it modifies the speed calculated by the software to simulate the change in speed you encounter while riding on a changing terrain and allows you to be in sync with other riders.

Making your dumb trainer smarter

So how can you use an old-style dumb trainer on an online cycling platform? In order to register power and calculate speed, the software needs to receive data wirelessly from sensors on your bike via either ANT+ or Bluetooth protocols so you need an ANT+ or Bluetooth enabled speed sensor. Adding an ANT+ or Bluetooth cadence sensor and heart rate monitor will display more information but is not essential. Most newer sensors support both Bluetooth and ANT+ while older ones might only support ANT+. Finally, some are proprietary and will only connect with the head unit, often called the “bike computer”, and therefore will not work for online cycling. If you have a Garmin or similar sensors that transmit data via ANT+ or Bluetooth as well as a dumb trainer, you are pretty much good to go. Sensors for speed or optional cadence are readily available at any local bike store for around $60 for either speed or cadence sensors. There are many manufacturers of sensors but the most common locally available and reputable brands are Wahooand Garmin. You bike store can help you with selection.

A final option to connect online is to use a power meter whose output measured in watts can be used directly used by the software and therefore provides the greatest accuracy. The caveat is that unless you already own one or desperately want one, the price range for power meters is similar to that of smart trainers ($600-$1,800) and you won’t get the benefits of a smart trainer. Similar to other sensors, power meters support either Bluetooth or ANT+ protocols or both.

Since the connection between your bicycle’s sensors and your computer or mobile device is established using either ANT+ or Bluetooth protocols, you will need your device, whether it is your laptop, desktop, tablet, cell phone or the newest version of Apple TV, to support either protocol. Fortunately, most new computers as well as all mobile devices have built-in Bluetooth. If you have an older computer, you can purchase an adapter called an ANT dongle to connect your ANT+ sensors to your computer’s USB port. ANT donglesare available in local bike store for around $60. All brands of dongles are similar in functions and interchangeable.

The last step is to preset your trainer’s resistance based on the online platform requirements. This only needs to be done once. If your old trainer is not in the supported trainers list of your favourite online platform, do not despair as this also can be estimated but you will once again lose accuracy.

So, if you have a bike and an old trainer, all you should need is a supported speed sensor or power meter and a computer or mobile device and you can join your friends online and enjoy year-round cycling.

Helpful resources:

If you are thinking of joining club rides on Zwift or simply want to know more about setting up for online cycling, these links to ZwiftInsider have tons of great info to get you started.

Happy roads and living rooms!

June 19th, 2022 Banff Road closures

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 21:47:56 GMT

Thinking of cycling in an around Banff this weekend? Please read the following:

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 8:00am – 3:30pm FULL ROAD/TRAIL CLOSURES ➢ Bow Valley Parkway from Trans-Canada Highway (easterly access) to Johnston Canyon Campground ➢ Vermilion Lakes Road and Legacy Trail (west) from Lynx Street west to the Bow Valley Parkway The Banff Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K will take place on Sunday, June 19th and include runners of all abilities. The focus of the event is on community, Park stewardship and sustainability. The Banff Marathon is partnering with the YWCA Banff, where all fundraising efforts will be put towards valuable services in the community. We invite everyone to visit the free Health and Fitness Expo on Bear Street on Friday and Saturday and the free Kid’s Run on Saturday at the Banff Community High School. In order to allow for emergency vehicles, and keep the runners and volunteers safe, the Legacy Trail (west of Banff), Vermilion Lakes Road and eastern section of the Bow Valley Parkway will be closed from 8:00am to 3:30pm (please note that the Bow Valley Parkway is also closed before 8:00am for the seasonal wildlife closure). This closure occurs each year for the event (there are no changes from previous years). The following trails / roads are not affected and available as alternative routes: - Legacy Trail (from Canmore to Banff) - Bow Valley Parkway from Johnston Canyon westbound to Lake Louise (via Castle Junction) - Lake Minnewanka Drive / Scenic Loop - All routes available starting at 3:30pm Thank you in advance for working with us to make this a safe and enjoyable experience for locals and visitors alike, and for helping to protect the wildlife in Banff National Park. Your understanding and cooperation is greatly appreciated.

FOR MORE INFO: www.BanffMarathon.com

EVCC Gear for Sale

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:04:06 GMT

EVCC is selling surplus equipment used for hosting multi-day* events. The prices are per item or best offer. We will to make this equipment available for pickup before the end of February. See .pdf file in this posting

Please contact Tony (tonylamb386@gmail.com) or Don (donhol@nucleus.com) if interested.

*We are still running multi-day events, but we have too much equipment.

See attached for listing of items and prices.

Surplus Equipment for sale.pdf

EVCC is looking for a Graphic Designer!!

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 20:47:39 GMT

Wanted: Graphic designer for brand and marketing project

January 2022

We are the Elbow Valley Cycle Club (EVCC), the largest recreational bike club in Western Canada. We offer good exercise, friendship and fun for hundreds of members with approximately 250 events each year.

After almost 40 years of operation, we think it’s time to update our brand and logo to better reflect the vibrant club we are today. A strong brand will strengthen our marketing efforts to attract new members and enhance the sense of community with our existing members.

Our new look will be implemented on all our club communications, social media and club gear such as bike jerseys.

The opportunity:

We’re looking for a creative and talented graphic designer with strong artistic skills.
You’ll help us develop a new logo with visual appeal, and other brand elements such as a consistent colour palette and fonts.
We’d also like guidance for implementing and sustaining the brand effectively.

Skills required:

Knowledge of branding and marketing strategies
Graphic design and illustration skills
Digital communications expertise, e.g., social media
Collaborative approach to work with our branding committee effectively

Certification or education required:

Education related to graphic design, arts, marketing and/or communication is preferred

Time commitment:

3-4 months part-time project
Expected to be few hours a week on average, depending on how much time you need to develop design concepts (more work up front for initial designs)
A small number of evening meetings with our committee

Why get involved with this project?

Work with our branding committee – an experienced group of communications, marketing, strategy and design professionals
Share our passion for fun, fitness and the great outdoors
Earn a $500 honorarium as thanks for your contributions to our club
We will also promote your name/business on our website, social media channels and other club communications

Interested?

Please contact us to express your interest and ask any questions you have about the project.

If you’d like us to consider you for our team, we will ask for:

Resume or bio outlining your skills and experience
Cover letter letting us know why you’re interested in working with us
Work samples that showcase your talents and skills

Contact information:

Club website: www.elbowvalleycc.org
Email your questions, resume, cover letter and samples to: connect@elbowvalleycc.org

Deadline: We will accept expressions of interest until February 15, 2022.

Thanks for your interest in the EVCC.

Please share this opportunity with others in your network!

Fall 2021 President's Message

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 04:17:37 GMT

President’s Fall Message

As we celebrate Thanksgiving weekend, the leaves are falling and the days have turned crisper, giving a special energy to our cycling adventures. It is a great time to reflect on another successful summer even in the face of unprecedented heat, smoke and more Covid. I am very thankful for all the great volunteers in this club and the members who just love to get out on their bikes and enjoy such a healthy activity with others.

Thanks to all the coordinators who posted a great variety of rides and a special thanks to Tanya Colwell, who steered the ship with the coordinators, always looking for ways to provide excellent programming for the members. Heather Opseth and Tanya developed some great themes to keep things interesting all through the season, starting with the Spring Fling in April and culminating with the “In case you missed it” (ICYMI) and Fall Colours in September. They also encouraged second waves of popular rides to allow more participants.

We were finally able to hold a multi-day ride in September, with all participants being double vaccinated. Thanks to Don Hollingshead for coordinating and organizing this great event at the Cowichan Valley/Gulf Islands.

A big thank-you also goes to all the executive committee members who keep things going behind he scenes to provide a great experience for everyone.

Let’s keep riding as long as weather permits, then get ready for winter activities just around the corner! We will be looking for coordinators to lead snowshoeing, x-country skiing, winter hiking and winter biking. If you have not coordinated before, here is your chance! Just contact Tanya Colwell for more information.

Stay safe and healthy,

Maria

Provide feedback to Parks Canada!

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 15:46:42 GMT

Do you love riding the 1A highway from BANFF to Castle Junction without cars? Here is your opportunity to provide feedback to Parks Canada.

Parks Canada is asking for public feedback on making that slightly shorter closure a regular occurrence, but limited to the spring and fall.

Two options are being looked at:

Closing the section of highway for seven days a week in May, June, September and October for a total of 122 days.
Closing it only two days a week (weekends only) in May, June, September and October for a total of 36 days.

Feedback can be submitted by email to opinion@canada.ca or by regular mail to:

Banff Superintendent
Box 900 Banff, AB
T1L 1K2

The public review period is open until Sept. 9.

Here is the whole story on cbc website:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cyclists-bow-valley-parkway-feedback-1.6127928

Alberta has entered stage 3, what that means for our club.

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 20:34:49 GMT

Alberta will be going into Stage 3 of their Summer reopening plan on July 1st, which calls for removing most Covid restrictions. EVCC will also be removing most restrictions, but we encourage members to proceed with caution.

Here are the key points regarding EVCC Covid policies, as of July 1st.

Single day trips without shuttles will have no Covid restrictions, except that riders are asked not to come if they are feeling any illness or covid-like symptoms, or should be quarantining. If a ride includes a shuttle, all participants should be fully vaccinated. (2 doses)

Event participants will respect those who still may wish to practice social distancing.

Coordinators will continue to have the discretion to determine the size of their groups.

Riders can carpool at their own discretion but we recommend that people are fully vaccinated (2 doses).

If you are entering buildings within the City of Calgary, please note that the mask bylaw will still be in place until at least July 5th.

Multi-day trips will be permitted but we ask that participants are fully vaccinated. (2 doses) BC is planning to open their border to Canada wide travel on July 1st, but they may still have some other Covid measures in place, so please respect their rules. Coordinators of multi-day trips may still want to have contingency plans in case Covid flares up again.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Let's enjoy the summer!

EVCC Executive

Alberta has entered stage 2, what this means for our club

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 20:27:45 GMT

Good News! Alberta has entered Stage 2 of the reopening plan and as of today, there are new rules that will apply for outdoor activities and gatherings. (as taken from AHS website) Stronger public health measures | Alberta.ca

Please note that there are some points in their list that may seem contradictory, but these are the points we will follow.

Outdoor social gatherings – up to 20 people with distancing (indoor social gatherings still not permitted)
Distancing and masking requirements remain in effect

EVCC will now allow ride postings of up to 20 people, including the coordinator. Two metre distance is still required at all times. Please note that most coordinators will likely opt to keep their rides to a smaller size and EVCC fully supports this. We will continue to look for waitlists that are growing and then recruit a second coordinator so we can run two smaller rides instead of one large one.

In the parking lot, tailgates and conversations are permitted as long as there are no more than 20 people and they are all at least 2 metres apart. Twenty people may be a challenge in many parking areas so please do not overcrowd them. Please continue to carry a mask. gloves and sanitizer in case you are working with someone to fix a bike.

Multiday rides may be held only if there are no more than 20 people and there is no occasion when people will be gathering together indoors without masks and distancing. Since rules will likely change again by early July, we will keep you posted on this.

Let's look forward to a great summer!

EVCC to start posting events again on June 1, 2021

Thu, 27 May 2021 14:11:42 GMT

Good News! Alberta Health Services has announced Stage 1 of summer opening will start on June 1st! This means that outdoor groups of 10 people will once again be permitted, as long as there is social distancing.

As a result, EVCC will start posting rides up to 10 people for June 1st or later. Thanks to all the coordinators who have been waiting to start posting again!

We will keep you informed when we are able to increase the size of rides beyond 10 people. AHS is currently predicting that will happen later in June, depending on vaccination and hospital rates.

See you out there!

NEW AHS COVID RESTRICTIONS

Fri, 07 May 2021 02:33:00 GMT

Effective immediately, the EVCC has suspended all its in person events. This is being done in conjunction with the new AHS COVID restrictions announced on May 4th.

Specifically, AHS has created the following guidelines for Outdoor Gatherings:

All outdoor social gatherings must be limited to no more than 5 people and a maximum of 2 household cohorts.
All outdoor sports and recreation activities are prohibited, except with members of your household, or your two close contacts if you live alone.

AHS is updating the rules and guidelines all the time, so please make sure to consult their website for the most current guidelines and follow their protocols.

Because this will be very difficult to enforce, we have decided that we won't post any in person events.

BUT, we have some great plans for the club for the next few weeks.

1. We are going to provide 'ride of the week' ride suggestions that you can follow - stay tuned for more information.

2. We have a number of ideas for zoom socials to hold over the next few weeks - stay tuned for more information.

Also - you can always post that you are looking for a ride partner on our member forum. Check it out here: Member Forum

Any questions or concerns, please email connect@elbowvalleycc.org.

EVCC Executive

Spring is Here! President's Message

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 23:35:39 GMT

Well, we made it through winter and there is no doubt now that spring is here! The robins are back and white-legged cyclists are taking advantage of sunny days to get out on the roads and trails.

Thanks to all the coordinators who have stepped up so far to post frequent and interesting rides and a special credit goes to Tanya Colwell for making sure that we have good programming to suit our variety of members.

We are seeing more new members every day and also several members have stepped up to be new coordinators! It will take a few weeks to get them up to speed but every new coordinator helps us to have more rides to offer. Please be patient in the meantime. As a member, you can always use our RWGPS library to find some great maps of routes you might want to ride.

Zoom has created a new way to have meetings and we are now embracing it for frequent training sessions and other meetings, including socials. Don't miss Daphne and Frank on April 8th as they conduct another great slide show about more of their cycling adventures!

Covid is not going down without a fight and has recently launched a new battle using nasty variants, so we are still restricted on our ride sizes and encourage everyone to be extra careful with physical distancing and masking where needed. Above all, please do not come on a ride if you have any symptoms or have been near anyone with Covid.

We are looking forward to a summer with less Covid and are planning a full program hopefully including a few more multi-day rides.

See you out there!

Maria

EVCC will start posting events again, effective January 18th

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 01:15:12 GMT

Good News! Alberta Health Services has loosened the restriction on outdoor gatherings to allow up to 10 people to meet socially outdoors, as of January 18. (with 2 metre distancing of course) As a result, EVCC will start posting events again for up to 10 people.

We'll be relaunching our "Let's get outside" winter program.

The Club welcomes outdoor winter activities such as

·  skating

·  snowshoeing

·  cross-country skiing

·  hiking

·  winter biking

If you are interested in coordinating any of these winter outdoor events, please contact our Program Director, Tanya Colwell at connect@elbowvalleycc.org

Watch the calendar for some winter fun!

EVCC Executive

2021 EVCC President's Message

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 20:21:32 GMT

2020 is now in the rear view mirror and we can look forward to embracing the new year as we ride ahead into better times in 2021!

We entered spring last year on a low note, having to cancel the GT for the first time in 37 years, and totally closed down ride postings for over 2 months, as a result of covid-19. Then with great trepidation, we started posting rides again in early June. It quickly became evident that cycling was a sweet spot in this pandemic, and we ended the summer with a very successful riding season. Importantly, EVCC members took the covid restrictions in stride and we did not have a single incident of covid transmission.

The successes that we had in 2020 are due to the enthusiasm of our volunteer coordinators and members alike. This is in addition to the many hours put in by your executive committee as they kept things moving forward and worked through a number of difficult decisions.

As we enter 2021, we have a great new look on our website for you to enjoy and there are a number of other new projects on the go. Watch for more details!

Thanks to all for your support and let’s look forward to a great 2021!

Maria Saley

President, EVCC

Welcome to our new website

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 20:16:19 GMT

Welcome to the new information hub for club members!

We've added new features you've been asking for:

Blog for our latest club news and stories
Member forum where you can buy and sell gear, ask questions, get advice, and connect with other riders
Trip reports for sharing highlights and photos of your riding adventures

Our improved events calendar has a new home -- see the button on the top menu. You can now see the calendar in list view, and filter by ride type. Unfortunately our calendar is a little bare at the moment due to COVID-19 restrictions. We hope to be back in the saddle again soon!

For ride coordinators

The event posting and registration processes haven't changed, but you can now submit trip reports and photos. You'll still have access to "coordinator's corner" when you login to the site.

Member login

To login to access your member profile, the member forum, coordinator's corner, and other member-only information and resources:

On a desktop or laptop computer, use the blue person icon at the top right hand side of the page.
On a mobile device, use the arrow icon at the top right hand corner of your screen.

Send us your feedback

Let us know what you think!

All blog posts enable you to comment and discuss. To post a comment now, click the icon above left (the square thingy with three dots).

Or email feedback to: connect@elbowvalleycc.org.

Send us your best photos!

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 20:14:50 GMT

If you have great cycling photos from your 2020 club rides, share the best ones with us and they could be featured on our website or on our social media channels.

The best photos tell a visual story and feature people in action. We're looking for a mix of photos from different types of rides, in a variety of locations and seasons. They can be serious, funny, inspirational or informative.

Each member may send up to three favourite photos.

Photos must be high resolution, in focus, with good lighting (exposure).

Please include details about when/where the photo was taken, comments about the ride, and names of people in the picture.

The photo above is our program coordinator, Tanya Colwell, who met an unusual character on a Chestermere pathway ride last summer.

Email photos to: connect@elbowvalleycc.org

We look forward to the fun of seeing your submissions!