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.

         

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

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. 

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

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.

• Smart trainer vs. dumb trainer – what’s the difference?
• How to get started on Zwift with a classic trainer

Happy roads and living rooms!

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 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

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!

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

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