ERTC Weekly Update - Week of July 18

You like quick, I got a quick update for ya! 

  1. Ok, so last week I said 2 weeks, and I was wrong, but it’s just under 3 weeks out from our Pigeon Lake Road Race for realsies. All volunteers will get swag from Blindman (Ok, it’s beer. You get beer.) an ERTC water bottle, and all people driving their cars for comm/sweeps/hauling will get a $75 gas card (cause gas costs lots nowadays) https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD If you are racing, we will have 2 shifts so you can volunteer when it isn’t your turn to race. If you are wondering about what the positions entail, check out this link: https://www.ertc.org/volunteer-descriptions 

  2. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton , ERTC has a discount code available. It is “ERTC20” We should have a pretty good showing so come join us as we show off how great ERTC is to everyone! https://www.letapecanada.com/?utm_campaign=ee1&utm_id=ee&utm_medium=webpage&utm_source=eewebsite

  3. Friendly reminder to join slack here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

  4. Friendly reminder to join strava for all ride updates: https://www.strava.com/clubs/ertc

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of July 11

Hey everyone, it’s a hot update! (Mostly cause it’s going to be so hot this week) Lots of things going on differently in the next little while so read up!

  1. All rides on Sunday, July 17 are cancelled in order to hold our “ERTC @ at the Velodrome” Special Event. We will have the track to ourselves, and be running either introductions to the velodrome or learn to track race / intervals for those with a little more experience. This is your chance to come out! https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/group_events/1207013

  2. We will be holding a “Learn to Corner” Skills clinic on July 18 which will be superseding the WoERTC ride. This clinic will be focused on higher speed cornering around people. We recommend everyone come to this, as we will be breaking up into groups based on speed and experience. Look for the invite on strava. We will run through cornering theory and then work through some common scenarios you will encounter while on group rides and during racing.  July 19th’s ride will focus less on cornering and more on intervals as well. https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/group_events/1207006

  3. Ok seriously though, we are 2 weeks out from our Pigeon Lake Road Race. All volunteers will get swag from Blindman (Ok, it’s beer. You get beer.) an ERTC water bottle, and all people driving their cars for comm/sweeps/hauling will get a $75 gas card (cause gas costs lots nowadays) https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD If you are racing, we will have 2 shifts so you can volunteer when it isn’t your turn to race. 

  4. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton , ERTC has a discount code available. It is “ERTC20” We should have a pretty good showing so come join us as we show off how great ERTC is to everyone! https://www.letapecanada.com/?utm_campaign=ee1&utm_id=ee&utm_medium=webpage&utm_source=eewebsite

  5. Friendly reminder to join slack here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

  6. Friendly reminder to join strava for all ride updates: https://www.strava.com/clubs/ertc

Ride Stuff:

Hills this past week had a lot of people, so this is yet another reminder to RSVP so we know how many people are showing up. Make sure that if it is convenient for you, please come to the reverse ride instead of forwards

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of July 4

Hey everyone! 

Update’s a little early this week as we wanted to make sure people had a bit of time to sort out their Monday as we would like to extend everyone an invite to our Intro to Track Session tomorrow evening (July 4th) from 5-7PM. A lot of you have expressed interest in the track and this is your chance to give it a try. The bike is provided. You need to bring shoes, pedals, gloves and a helmet (of course). We will be assuming you have no previous track experience, and starting you from zero. If you do, please come out anyway as we will be also working on paceline practice. Can’t make the time? It’s a bit early? We are there until 7pm. While not ideal, you can come late and we will get you on the track. I will be there to sort you out! RSVP Link is up on strava https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/group_events/1201924

Club Updates: 

  1. Amanda Scott is collecting survey responses regarding Velodrome usage: please fill it out if you are interested or have been to the track at all this year. Your feedback is important to us(woo cliche) but it really is and we want to make our track program a success! https://forms.gle/JCn1AsEaNTU33unJ9

  2. August 7 - Our Pigeon Lake Road Race has been postponed to August 7. Sign-up to volunteer here. https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD

  3. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton , ERTC has a discount code available. It is “ERTC20” We should have a pretty good showing so come join us as we show off how great ERTC is to everyone! https://www.letapecanada.com/?utm_campaign=ee1&utm_id=ee&utm_medium=webpage&utm_source=eewebsite

  4. Friendly reminder to join slack here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

  5. Friendly reminder to join strava for all ride updates: https://www.strava.com/clubs/ertc

Ride Updates:

  1. Hills this past week had a lot of people, so this is yet another reminder to RSVP so we know how many people are showing up. Make sure that if it is convenient for you, please come to the reverse ride instead of forwards.

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of June 27

Hey everyone, it’s a fast one today!

Club/Event Updates:

  1. If you find yourself without evening plans tonight, ERTC has reserved a patio spot at Blowers and Grafton to watch the elite criterium championships. While our table reservation is at 8:15, I am betting there will be spots at B&G and people willing to watch the women’s race starting at 7:30 and men’s starting at 8:45. Race is right down Whyte Ave between 105th and 107th street!

  2. Amanda Scott is collecting survey responses regarding Velodrome usage: please fill it out if you are interested or have been to the track at all this year. Your feedback is important to us(woo cliche) but it really is and we want to make our track program a success! https://forms.gle/JCn1AsEaNTU33unJ9

  3. July 1st - Canada Day Criterium is a great way to experience Canada Day with bicycles, with beer gardens and BBQ, and racing happening all day at Lendrum Community League.

  4. August 7 - Our Pigeon Lake Road Race has been postponed to August 7. Sign-up to volunteer here. https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD

  5. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton , ERTC has a discount code available. It is “ERTC20” We should have a pretty good showing so come join us as we show off how great ERTC is to everyone! https://www.letapecanada.com/?utm_campaign=ee1&utm_id=ee&utm_medium=webpage&utm_source=eewebsite

  6. Friendly reminder to join slack here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

  7. Friendly reminder to join strava for all ride updates: https://www.strava.com/clubs/ertc

Ride Updates:

  1. June 28 - Velodrome interval session, starting at 5pm, check out strava for full info

  2. June 30 - Hills will likely have lots of people again, remember to select reverse, forwards, or lite appropriately on strava so we have an idea of the numbers we are expecting to make sure we don’t have too large of a group

  3. Another edition of the ERTC Gravel Sunday’s is coming up this weekend, July 3, near Pigeon Lake. Look out for an invite going out on strava soon!

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of June 20

Hey hey hey it’s getting-fatter-Albert! 

Club Updates:

  1. Clothing Orders now closed, sorry folks! Check with Michael on slack if you missed it and you might be able to sneak something from float. 

  2. We have seen an uptick in new riders - if you are new to the club and it is your first ride, feel free to come to any midweek ride or the Saturday Lite Ride, and identify yourself to the ride leader so that they are aware that you are new to the group and get a bit of help and coaching if you need it.

  3. Amanda Scott is collecting survey responses regarding Velodrome usage: please fill it out if you are interested or have been to the track at all this year. Your feedback is important to us(woo cliche) but it really is and we want to make our track program a success! https://forms.gle/JCn1AsEaNTU33unJ9

  4. ERTC will be putting together a team for both the Urban Fondo and Road National Championships - Join the slack channel #fondos-races-events to organize and figure out logistics! Good luck to all of our members who will be racing/participating starting Thursday. You’ve got about 7 hours to sign up for the Urban Fondo - linkie here: https://ccnbikes.com/#!/events/2022-canadian-road-championships-urban-fondo/registration/solo/participant/ 

  5. August 7 - Our Pigeon Lake Road Race has been postponed to August 7. Sign-up to volunteer here. https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD

  6. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton , ERTC has a discount code available. It is “ERTC20” We should have a pretty good showing so come join us as we show off how great ERTC is to everyone! https://www.letapecanada.com/?utm_campaign=ee1&utm_id=ee&utm_medium=webpage&utm_source=eewebsite

  7. Friendly reminder to join slack here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

  8. Friendly reminder to join strava for all ride updates: https://www.strava.com/clubs/ertc

Ride Updates:

  1. June 21’s ride will be at the research park and June 28th will be at the Velodrome.

  2. June 23 - Hills will likely have lots of people again, remember to select reverse, forwards, or lite appropriately on slack so we have an idea of the numbers we are expecting to make sure we don’t have too large of a group

  3. Another edition of the ERTC Gravel Sunday’s is coming up this weekend, June 26, near Pigeon Lake. Look out for an invite going out on strava soon!

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of June 13

Happy Pride Month! ERTC is proud to be an inclusive club aiming to welcome and support LGBTQ2S+ community members. Road cycling has traditionally been dominated by cisgender, heterosexual males, and this continues to be an issue in the world of cycling that extends far beyond our club. We're aware of this, and doing our best to move the needle by creating an inclusive club for all. ERTC is one of the most diverse cycling clubs in Edmonton, we hope to see that diversity grow - and thank you for being a part of what makes us unique, diverse, and able to challenge cycling's cultural norms.

One way we have been fighting these norms is through our Women of ERTC (WoERTC) program which has evolved to become a safe, inclusive space for those looking for an alternative option to intimidating sports/fitness focus and/or cisgender male environments. Our group welcomes all trans, genderqueer, and cisgender women, (and any other humans who identify as sexual and gender minorities), those who may not feel comfortable joining other ERTC group rides for whatever reason, or who want a place to gain some confidence as they start their group riding journey. The WoERTC focuses on relationship building, skill development, and safe-space creation first - and fitness and speed gains as convenient byproducts of this focus. We are proud to be pioneers of this inclusive road-riding space in Edmonton, starting our journey in late 2015 - and are encouraged by the number of similar-focused groups who have developed in Edmonton and around the province since. If you have any questions about the WoERTC, our focus, or have any feedback - please reach out to Tiffany Baker (women@ertc.org).

We know we still have significant work to do to be a more inclusive club, and to continue to encourage cultural change within the larger cycling community. But without your support and partnership in this effort, we can't move the needle. So while we celebrate Pride month, and our focus on inclusion is heightened - on behalf of the ERTC Executive, I encourage you to extend this focus to your cycling community. If you don't fit the cisgender, heterosexual male cycling stereotype, please know that we welcome you, encourage you, and thank you for being a part of what makes our club diverse and unique.

Club Updates:

  1. Clothing orders continue to be open. Have any questions about fit or want to know about custom tailoring with no extra cost? Hit up the clothing channel on slack and ask away! Store link here: https://www.rogellicanada.com/ertc

  2. Amanda Scott is collecting survey responses regarding Velodrome usage: please fill it out if you are interested or have been to the track at all this year. Your feedback is important to us(woo cliche) but it really is and we want to make our track program a success! https://forms.gle/JCn1AsEaNTU33unJ9

  3. ERTC will be putting together a team for both the Urban Fondo and National Championships - Join the slack to organize and figure out logistics!

  4. August 7 - Our Pigeon Lake Road Race has been postponed to August 7. Sign-up to volunteer here.

  5. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton , ERTC has a discount code available. It is “ERTC20” We should have a pretty good showing so come join us as we show off how great ERTC is to everyone!

  6. Friendly reminder to join slack here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

  7. Friendly reminder to join strava for all ride updates here.

Ride Updates:

  1. Rain rain go away!

  2. Thursday hill nights are becoming quite full so we encourage you to look at the lite option (for less hills, but you can still do them quicker if you like) or reverse hills (for something a little different) in order to make our large group a little more manageable. 

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of June 6

Hey, it’s an update and I’m out of witty intros (but one might argue I’ve never actually had any..)!

Club Updates:

  1. Club Kit is finally available to order once again! Linkie here: https://www.rogellicanada.com/ertc If you like, you can browse Rogelli held float here:  https://www.rogellicanada.com/ertcstock which will have no order time, and if you are wondering what stock ERTC is holding, make sure you contact Michael on Slack. Orders not from float will take 6-8 weeks as they are made fully custom.

  2. The city council vote is TOMORROW regarding the usage of mountain biking trails in the river valley. I realise it is late, however I will be following up this update with an email that includes a template you can send to your local councillor and our mayor. 

  3. August 7 - Our Pigeon Lake Road Race has been postponed to August 7. Sign-up to volunteer here: https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD 

  4. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton (Linkie Here), ERTC has a discount code available. It is “ERTC20” We should have a pretty good showing so come join us as we show off how great ERTC is to everyone!

  5. Friendly reminder to join the strava here. and the slack here. These 2 methods are the ONLY way to ensure that you get up to the date information on ride and ride cancellations and the only official interclub communication between members.

Ride Updates:

  1. This week’s Tuesday ride takes place at the research park. No requirements, just show up and get your intervals on! New to the club or want some more bike handling practice? This is also a great ride to get it on! https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/group_events/1185033 


ERTC Weekly Update - Week of May 30

Because I only have enough willpower to write emails late at night ;) 

Club Updates:

  1. August 7 - Our Pigeon Lake Road Race has been postponed to August 7. Sign-up to volunteer here: https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD 

  2. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton (https://www.letapecanada.com/?utm_source=eewebsite&utm_medium=webpage&utm_campaign=ee1&utm_id=ee, ERTC has a discount code available. It is “ERTC20” We should have a pretty good showing so come join us as we show off how great ERTC is to everyone!

Ride Updates:

  1. May 31 - Tuesdays are now officially alternating velodrome and research park nights, with tomorrow starting at the velodrome. Remember to bring pedals, tools to take them off with, helmet and gloves! You will need to have taken an introduction to track in order to attend. Linkie https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/group_events/1181073

  2. June 26 - Gravel is a go! We will be hosting monthly gravel rides with the help of Good Goods (https://www.goodgoodsco.ca/) the next one is June 26 and is going to be near Pigeon Lake.

ERTC Weekly-ish Update - Week of May 24

Every booooooooody yeah, yeah yeah, rock your body yeah, yeeeah yeah, Update’s back, alright!

Club Updates:

  1. The first edition of what we are hoping to be lots of gravel, ERTC is bringing to you regular (aiming for once a month) gravel rides taking place on Sundays. Starting locations will be varied, destinations interesting, and adventure will be guaranteed. The first one will be starting at Capilano Park (https://goo.gl/maps/3r1vrfacmwxb2oV2A) and go for 55km. 

    This edition will be led by Nina, a certified bike lover, coach, and an all around cool person. She’s also Co-Founder and partner at Good Goods (https://www.goodgoodsco.ca/). We’ve chosen to partner up with Good Goods as they represent many of the same values that we do, which include community betterment through collaborative efforts and collective success. .

    Also in attendance will be Reach Physiotherapy (https://www.reachphysioyeg.com/) which will go over some best practices and exercises that can keep cyclists injury free. Remember to RSVP on strava!

  2. If you are interested in water bottles, or Cat5gear Cyclist Gear Cases, you can check them out and pay for it at http://www.ertc.org/teamkit

  3. We have moved our Pigeon Lake Road Race to August 7, 2022. We are looking for all volunteer positions to be filled. Link is here: https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD if you are racing you are still able to volunteer before or after your race. Gas(if you are driving in the race), beer and swag if you volunteer! 

  4. Friendly reminder to join the strava here: https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845 and the slack here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-19lif1bmr-9WXDiPtbwzvGfJfiSt2vGQ these 2 methods are the ONLY way to ensure that you get up to the date information on ride and ride cancellations and the only official interclub communication between members. 

  5. If you are interested in racing and wanted to watch the seminar I hosted last week, check it out here: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/BZQGV6LiJn8FatawdcUxjVsNwgNS68bUJhb7Rdo5flGTt9YPPhY-a6__ImjWITR7.pxLyGo2xupLVM4Ui?startTime=1652747043000

Passcode: tOH0x?^p

There is a bit of Q&A/banter at the end but the juicy stuff is about an hour long. 

Ride Updates:

  1. Strava is the best way to see all planned official rides. RSVP if you are interested, and to show others that there will be other people on the ride. By RSVPing you also will get notifications for cancellations or time/route alterations.  If you don’t see a ride and want to hit people up for one, use slack. If enough people are interested, we can make it an official ride and throw it up on strava and insure it.

  2. Our formal riding skills clinics are now over, as we transition over to regular Tuesday programming. Our regular programming on Tuesdays will transition the velodrome and the research park on alternating weeks. These sessions will improve your drafting skills, cornering skills, and race tactics. To come to the velodrome sessions you will have had to complete an introduction to the track session with Amanda. If you missed out, there will be future sessions. There is no limitation for coming to the research park rides. 

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of May 9th

Hi All,

A hot and fresh update for you:

Club News:

  1. Expect a signup for 2022’s Introduction to Racing Program coming in the next day or so via email only. The full details will be listed on the signup when it comes out, but the short version is this: If you have never held a race license, and have never raced, if you sign up, based on milestones (attending seminars, signing up for a race license, and starting your first race) you will receive certain incentives including seminars, a intro to racing swag bag, and a free Rogelli Jersey (Subject to availability - you will get one but since we don’t carry much float you might not get it right away) 

  2. Volunteer Sign-up for our annual Pigeon Lake Road Race is up! https://volunteersignup.org/BDHAD shoot me an email if you have any questions about what each position entails. You will be compensated for gas if in a driving position and possibly swag from our sponsors (aka beer from Blindman or GCs from Rosso) 

  3. Friendly reminder to join slack here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

  4. Friendly reminder to join strava for all ride updates here: https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845

Club Events:

  1. Skills / Learn to Ride Program continues tomorrow (May 10) at Hawrelak Park at 6:30pm. This session will focus on pack riding, and group riding dynamics and have a little bit more movement than the previous sessions. All members are welcome to come if you want to brush up on your pack riding skills. 

  2. Hills is starting to see larger turnouts. Please opt to come to the lite ride or the reverse route if those options work out better for you to keep our group sizes manageable.

ERTC Weekly-ish update - Week of April 25

Hey everyone,

A lot of you have been asking about your early spring programming to ease everyone back into the swing of things. The schedule below includes rides that specifically focus around development and skills - the other usual ERTC rides will also run concurrently and any double bookings will be noted. These will run as the weather dictates. The weather policy is fairly simple - ride is off if it's raining at the start location at the start time. If it's looking on the edge a call will be made 30 minutes before the ride starts and posted on strava and slack. Again, the slack is here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg and the strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/ertc

April 26 - 6:15pm to 8:15pm -  Introduction to ERTC and basic cycling skills in Hawrelak Park (meet in the main parking lot).
Come to this one if you haven’t ridden with ERTC before. If you have and want to brush up on skills, also come to this one. We will be splitting into groups and practising drills relevant to cycling. This will be an “evaluation” to help assist you figure out what part of the club is best for you. 

May 2 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm - ERTC Intro to Track Night at the Argyll Velodrome - be comfortable clipping into your bike, and riding around others. Clipless required (bring your own pedals and the tool to install/remove them), cycling gloves, and a helmet. The velodrome will have a bike. This session will focus on getting comfortable on the track. This will conflict with WoERTC’s first ride. You can either select the WoERTC ride and attend the next ERTC track night on May 16, or vice versa. 

May 3 - 6:15pm to 8:15pm - Second Road Riding Skills - Builds on First Session. Recap and More Advanced Skills

May 5 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm - Interclub Welcome Back to Racing at the Track - if you have been to the track before and want to know what racing streams you should be heading into. Note that this is a Thursday, you may attend the other welcome session on May 21 instead if you want to ride hills. 

May 10 - 6:15pm to 8:15pm - Third Road Riding Skills - Practice drills, advanced skills and drills, couple of short rides around Hawrelak

May 16 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm - Second ERTC Track Night - More skills and drills, maybe some practice racing

May 17 - 6:15pm to 8:15pm - Road Riding Skills Graduation - 30-40km city loop. This ride is open to all members including those that did not take part in Road Riding Skills

May 21 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm - Interclub Welcome Back to Racing at the Track - if you have been to the track before and want to know what racing streams you should be heading into.

May 23 - 7:00pm to 8:00pm, Warm up at 6:15. Intervals start to run every other week on Tuesdays. Run by Jakob, this focuses on cornering confidence at speed and race pace intervals. These are great even if you don’t want to race. 

May 31 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm - ERTC Intermediate Track Intervals / Occasional Interclub - 10 milers - run by Jakob or Amanda or Velodrome Staff - to run every other week on tuesdays. 


Women of ERTC (WoERTC) Kicks off May 2!

Women of ERTC (WoERTC) Kicks off May 2!

Yay Bikes! Let’s ride!

At the risk of triggering yet another spring snow storm…. I’m happy to announce that the 2022 Women of ERTC (WoERTC) season formally kicks off on Monday May 2nd! (And informally on April 25th).

WHO ARE WE?
Women of ERTC (WoERTC) is a distinct group with ERTC catering to all those identify as female*. You can find more information about us HERE. We offer a specific WoERTC weekly ride (lead by some pretty great ride leaders) , support for regular ERTC club rides, and an all-around awesome group of women to connect with.

RIDE INFO

  • When: Weekly on Monday evenings, 6:15pm until usually around 8:30pm-ish.

  • Where: Start location and routes will vary between the following, and will be communicated weekly in the WoERTC Slack channel:

    • Millbourne Mall : Riding southeast of the city out Millwoods Road

    • Hawrelak Park: For a city loop or a forward-hills circuit

    • Terwillegar Rec Center: Riding west towards Devon out Cameron Heights

    • Research Park: Interval/cornering/speed work

    • Muttart: Reverse hills circuit

  • Distance: Anywhere between 25-50km with breaks. Estimates will be given each week depending on the route.

  • # of riders: This season there are no cap on the # of riders per ride, however RSVP’s are still required on Strava, similar to all club rides.

COMMUNICATION
Weekly ride route info, Q&A, and general information is all communicated within out WoERTC Slack Channel. Make sure you join the ERTC Slack, and then message Tiffany Baker to be added to the WoERTC Private Channel.

INFORMAL EARLY RIDE: APRIL 25
Weather is looking good for this coming Monday! Taylor will be leading an informal and relaxed evening city-loop for those interested and who have previous group riding experience. If you’re brand new to group riding - come join us May 2nd. More info in Slack.

 QUESTIONS?
Email women@ertc.org, or directly message Tiffany Baker on Slack, or utilize the WoERTC Slack channel to tap into the wealth of info and general awesomeness of our entire group!

Looking forward to riding with you!

*Inclusivity Statement: The Women of ERTC is open to all trans, genderqueer, and cisgender women. And if this definition doesn’t align with your identification, but you identify with the focus of this group, come join us! We value inclusivity over the requirement to be fully defined by this statement.

ERTC Weekly-ish Update - Week of April 4, 2022

Hey Everyone! The snow is mostly gone, so you know what that means! Our provisional first ride of the year will happen on Thursday, April 7. If you are new year, all ride information and cancellations will be disseminated via strava. You can join here: https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/members

You should also join our slack for any general club communications here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

If it snows / rains or if there is a large amount of gravel on the route we will call off the ride. 

If you are new to the club and haven’t been on a ride before, and haven’t ridden in a group before, unconfident in groups, or feel that you need more handling practice, you are welcome to come as there is only limited group riding as everyone splits up on hills, however there will be programming late April and into May that will help boost your confidence and skill level. I will be sweeping and ensuring that everyone knows where to go, or how to get home.

We are looking for ride leaders again this year. You do not have to be fast or a “racer”, or ride at the front all the time. You DO have to know the route and be willing to confidently communicate the route to people and make judgement calls on route, safety, and telling riders to go home when required (goals of the rider and the ride not aligning, or poor behaviour, etc.). You won’t be responsible for route planning and will have a couple of rides with more experienced ride leaders before being sent on your own. The rides that you lead can be any type of ride, as you are in control. If this sounds good to you and you help out, if you can commit to ~10ish rides a season (about 2 a month) then ERTC will give you a set of jersey and shorts and accessories, and will pay for any coaching certification courses you may want to consider. Coaching certification is not required, but great to have if you intend on mentoring others. E-mail / DM me if you are interested! You are covered under the club’s insurance and will not be held personally responsible for any legal issues that may arise from leading these rides.

We intend on restarting the Try Racing Program this season and expect an e-mail if you stated interest in the signup in the near future. If you didn’t indicate interest, let me know via the usual methods. The Try Racing Program incentivizes first time racers and creates a cohort of your peers who will all be targeting their first races along with you.


ERTC - Almost Spring (I Hope) Update + Training Camp Details

Hey everyone! 

It’s finally March and that means the countdown begins to the snow melting! Official start dates for all road rides will happen once the snow is melted and the roads are reasonably clear of mud / grit / grime. This will be the last email on the list for 2021, so if you wish to continue getting updates you will have to sign up for your 2022 membership here: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=28052&lan=1&cartlevel=1

Also this is a reminder to join our Slack for up to the minute updates, and general discussions and banter with other ERTCers here: https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg

ERTC is planning to run a training camp this year, for the first time since 2019. Training camp this year will be held in Penticton, BC, April 15 till April 24, utilising the Easter holidays. Usually out of these 9 days, 2 days are reserved for travel via car, and 7 days are spent in Penticton. We usually rent house(s) and the number and configuration are dependent on who shows up. The riding distance and itinerary are also set on who shows up, and you may elect to do as many or as little as you like during the week, with most days having 2 ride options, so your camp can range anywhere from 0km (yes, we’ve had partners of members who have not ridden at all) to ~900km (If you ride the longest option when available) The cost tends to be fairly reasonable, with previous years being approximately $600 for accommodations for a queen suite, to as low as $300 for a single bed in a shared room. If you are willing to be extremely cost-conscious,  usually houses have a pull out sofa bed that we offer for ~$150 for the week. 

Based on who is interested, everyone’s risk tolerance, and current health restrictions, we may have up to 2 cohorts for accommodations, however are unlikely to be able to separate further than that, logistically. If you are uncomfortable with this arrangement, but will still like to attend, you will have to make your own accommodation and transportation plans. There is no cost to attend the camp itself without the accommodations, provided that you are a current member of ERTC.

Please email me with your interest (note that this is NOT a commitment) and you will be looped in on further communications. You can also join the “Training Camp 2022” channel on slack as this will be the best way of communication. This channel will be the channel for planning as well as coordinating during the camp. 


2022 - ERTC New Year Update

Happy New Year! 


We welcome our new Vice President, Scott Klarenbach to ERTC! Behind the scenes he is already contributing a lot to our upcoming year! 


I’ll keep this one short and sweet and dial up the hype factor at a later time for what hopefully should be a return to a normal year. This is your notification that sign-ups are now available for 2022. Check out the link here: https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=28052


You are getting this e-mail as you were a member in 2021. We will send another email in February or March reminding you to sign-up and that will be it for communications to the 2021 membership list. If you do not wish to continue getting emails from us, let me know now and I will remove you from the list that the next e-mail goes to. 


In other news (and equally important), the City of Edmonton is currently considering making large parts of the naturalized River Valley “preservation areas” which would allow only foot traffic, which would mean that mountain bike trails would not be allowed. Our friends over at Hardcore have put together a fairly comprehensive overview of the issue, with links to relevant information and how to make your voice heard, attached to the bottom of this email. We have a reciprocal agreement with Hardcore where our members may participate on their rides, and theirs on ours and this is one way we can help support our relationship, even if you do not ride mountain bikes yourself. 


A copy of this email is saved on our blog for posterity, however we usually do updates directly to the blog and link via email. Our blog is over at www.ertc.org - just scroll down after the splash page.



HardCopy

News, views and shameless promotion.

Edmonton's Singletrack Trails are at Risk

Hi everyone, this newsletter is long but really important! Please take the time to read it through!

TL/DR: The City is threatening to make singletrack trails in Edmonton illegal (again...). They are holding consultation sessions next week about new river valley policies. Please consider going to one of these online sessions or doing their survey. Letters to the Mayor and Council wouldn’t hurt either. 

Wait! What's Happening to the Trails?!

The City is updating policies related to the river valley and ravine system, which will impact our amazing network of singletrack. The new policies will determine what activities and amenities are allowed in different areas (called ‘river valley reaches’ in the City’s documentation) - including mountain biking and mountain bike trails. The proposed policies would make the vast majority of the river valley and ravines ‘preservation areas’. Only foot traffic would be allowed in these areas - not cyclists. It seems like new bike trails wouldn’t be allowed and that any existing trails could no longer be used for biking. This would mean that some of your favourite trails like Six Shooter, the Trap, Go Trail, Root Canal, West Coast Trail and many others would become illegal. It would also mean that local clubs and groups would no longer have the City’s permission to maintain trails in preservation areas. Those of you who have been around long enough will remember that singletrack was illegal in the late 90s. We thought we were past that, but evidently not. Ironically these new policies come at a time when access to trails close to home is more important than ever, and as interest in mountain biking just keeps growing.

See Proposed Preservation Areas

How You Can Help Save the Singletrack

Public consultation sessions

The City is hosting two public consultation events in the next two weeks. If you can, please sign up for one of the two online workshops. They are happening Feb 7 (afternoon) and Feb 8 (evening). There is already a waitlist for the Feb 8 session! (Maybe the City should add more sessions?)

City survey

You can fill out the City’s survey, but know it doesn’t give you an opportunity to review the details related to where singletrack trails will and will not be allowed in the future. You''ll still be able to share your thoughts though. 

Write to your councillor

A letter or email to your local council member wouldn’t hurt either. Maybe tell them how important mountain biking and singletrack trails are to you, your family and your community, and that more consultation and more details are needed (now not later) about the future of Edmonton’s trail network. Find your councillor here. 

More on Public Consultation

Find Out More

City of Edmonton Information

You can find maps and information about the ‘Ribbon of Green’ on the City’s website. Their maps don’t show any singletrack trails though. (Be ready to compare with Trailforks and/or Strava). They mention bike trails very briefly in page 9 of their Project FAQs. 

Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance

EMBA has more information about what’s happening on its website. 

Need Some Stress Relief After All That? 

Our bike trainers are on sale! And it looks like there's another deep freeze coming so now's the perfect time to get set-up! We've got a bunch of different ones in stock, including Wahoo Kickr Core, Snap, and V5, Saris Mag+, and Tacx Flow Smart.

Check Out Bike Trainers

Shop Hours

Tuesday - Friday: 10 - 6

Saturday: 10 - 5

Sunday & Monday : Gone Riding

Since 1989, Hardcore Bikes has been the rider's choice for bikes, parts, clothing and advice. We Ride and Race what we Sell.

10008 - 82 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB

www.hardcorebikes.ca | info@hardcorebikes.ca

FOLLOW US

Questions?

780-439-4599

We don't like spam either. If you don't want to receive our newsletter please click Update Profile.


The “It’s Getting Cold Update”

Hey everyone! While we haven’t completely shut down for the year yet due to the unseasonably warm temperatures, rides are slowing down, which means it’s time for our annual general meeting. 

Our AGM is a place where we can discuss how the year went, how we can do better next year, hang out with each other, and elect positions for next year.

Our AGM date is November 26, at 6:30pm. 

Please see this poll for questions relating to hosting the AGM: https://forms.gle/wpdyepHGZgqy1Az66 

We usually have a poll soliciting feedback on our various rides and programs, but we had quite the cut down schedule and very little programming. If you have any direct feedback or thoughts on how we can do better, you can email/DM/chat to anyone on the executive team. 

Positions open for this year include:

  1. Vice President (Currently held by Kelly MacGregor)

  2. Secretary / Communications (Currently held by Cheryl Voordenhout)

  3. Women’s Cycling Manager (Currently held by Tiffany Baker) 

Position descriptions are here: https://www.ertc.org/the-executive-team

Kelly and Cheryl will not be seeking re-election and thus their positions will be vacant. The executive team has some people they have asked to consider putting their name into the running, however no-one has confirmed they would like to take part, so I would ask you to consider putting your name forward during the AGM, or asking a current member to nominate you. If you have any questions on how it all works, let me know and I can help answer. 

Tiffany will be seeking re-election with the understanding that this will be her final term if elected, and is looking for people to help fill the gap once she is gone in 2023. She will be reaching out to you personally if she thinks you are a good fit. 

As of this writing, there is still no snow, which means that we will continue to have Thursday Rides (bring lights). Pickup rides are always welcomed and you are always free to propose a ride and meeting place on Slack.


ERTC Clothing Update

Clothing Update September 1, 2021

Hello ERTC Members,

Thee ERTC webstore with Rogelli is currently live and open for clothing orders at:  https://www.rogellicanada.com/ertc.

Ordering will be available until SEPTEMBER 12th which enables enough lead time for the late fall riding and cyclocross seasons.  ERTC also has some clothing float on hand for immediate fulfillment so please contact me directly at mjhaydo@yahoo.ca for details. The Executive plans on opening the webstore for orders approximately three times per season (late fall, early spring, late summer).  Robert Martens, our clothing representative with Rogelli, also has a variety of clothing items on hand for delivery within one week of placing your order on the webstore.  Items are shipped directly to the address provided.  If Robert does not have your item in stock (especially larger sizes or special orders), it will take approximately 6 weeks for creation and fulfillment as these items are created in Europe and shipped to Canada.

A list of all on-hand inventories in an excel file has been posted to the #clothing channel on Slack.  Have a look!

As Rogelli is our new clothing partner, here are a couple general points you may wish to consider when placing an order on the webstore:

 

  1. SPEED LINE – Gender specific; utilizes fabrics with increased stretch to achieve a race/aerodynamic fit.

  2. COMOFRT LINE – Unisex; utilizes a mix of fabrics to achieve a more relaxed but still a more tailored fit.

  3. BIBSHORTS (for both the SPEED and COMFORT lines) – bibshorts are gender specific due to the men’s or women’s chamois; in most cases you generally pick the same size bibshort as your jersey size.

Sizing is available for all men’s, women’s, and unisex clothing from XS to 5XL.  Sizing always remains a very personal preference.  If unsure of your size, a good starting point is to utilize the sizing chart provided on the webstore.  Each size has a measurement range provided in the chart- landing on the low end of the range would be closer to the speed line fit while being on the higher end of the measurement range is closer to the comfort fit for each size.

For example:  A men’s chest measurement on the sizing chart of 88-94 cm is considered a “small” jersey in both the comfort and speed line.  An actual chest measurement of 88-90 cm may be more indicative of the speed fit vs a chest size measurement of 92-94 cm which may be more indicative of comfort fit in the same size small jersey.

Initial feedback provided by members indicates that sizing for both the speed and comfort lines is generally on par with other clothing suppliers but the speed line tends to fit a bit more “snug”.  When your body measurements fall on the low end or high end of the size ranges you may wish to size up or down depending on your preference for the tightness of fit.  You can certainly mix the speed, comfort and gravel lines together as all of the kit pieces work with one another seamlessly (I especially love the aero socks!!!). 

Please reach out to me on the #clothing channel on Slack for any further questions you may have.  You can always arrange a visit to my residence in the Bonnie Doon area to have a look at the clothing or try on some of the items before you place an order.   Also watch for a link on Slack to a survey to help Rogelli and the ERTC Executive serve you better as your input on our new clothing supplier is very much appreciated.

Keep the rubber side down,

Michael

ERTC End of August Update!

It’s a not-so-hot (cause its almost fall, get it?!) update!

Road News

  • Tuesday Intervals are now cancelled for the remainder of the year. Please continue to use strava for updates on Thursday / Saturday rides. Feel free to use slack to organize your own impromptu rides! In lieu of Intervals on Tuesday we will be switching over to Cyclocross with some skill sessions. More information soon!

Track News

  • Track Provincials happened a couple of weeks ago, and our very own Amanda Scott won Women’s Masters 30-39 in a variety of events! Let her know how awesome she is for repping ERTC at the track next time you see her!

Track League is now over for the season, with Courtney Parker getting the best newcomer to track award!

MTB News (MTB? What?!)

  • This past weekend, Emma Bedard took the overall Women’s Open win in the 6 hour Maraton MTB provincials, getting her a provincial champion jersey! Let her know how awesome she is for repping ERTC on the Trails (that’s what the T is for… right?)

Cyclocross News

  • As noted earlier, in place of Tuesday Intervals we will have CX Skill sessions - more on that when we hammer out a plan.

  • ERTC will, once again, be attempting to host our “School of Cross CX Race” - we will be needing volunteers. You can sign-up here: https://volunteersignup.org/T8TE9 - we can’t run this race without volunteers and this race represents one of the opportunities that ERTC has to “give back” to the larger cycling community in Edmonton.

Club News

  • Clothing orders are back open, I will be sending out a separate email as it is very information dense. Shoutout to our new clothing manager, Michael Haydo! You can contact him on slack or at mjhaydo@hotmail.com if you’ve any questions regarding clothing.

  • An outdoor social event with sponsor “beverages” (Read: Blindman Brewing Beers) is in the initial phases of planning.

ERTC - Summer is here update!

Hey Everyone!

Big updates for the club this time around, so let’s swing right into it!

Road Updates:

  1. WoERTC Rides are back! If you identify as female, or non-binary, and would like an inclusive ride for you, please reach out to Tiffany(88keys.t@gmail.com)  if she hasn’t reached out to you yet. Guys - feel free to tell the people in your life who you think would be interested as well!

  2. Tuesday Night Intervals are back at the Research Park: Aimed as a way to get fitter as well as work on your individual cornering skills, this is a great option for people of all skill and fitness levels - https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/group_events/749906 

  3. Saturday rides are back again! If you have been on a group ride before, we welcome you to RSVP on the strava page here: https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/group_events/975120  If you haven’t or are feeling unconfident around others, ERTC-Lite might be for you! More on that in the next point. 

  4. Speaking of ERTC-Lite, we will be booting up ERTC-Lite in the coming weeks and would like your feedback on programming. More information here: http://www.ertc.org/ertc-lite and check out the poll here: https://forms.gle/Nxnr9UwZuk46wUms7 

Track Updates:

  1. Our introduction to track nights have been a huge success with several members over several sessions getting their first few tastes of riding on the track. We will be transitioning to more track programs for Tuesdays, so keep your eyes peeled for that on strava. 

  2. Check out what a couple of our club members had to say about their experiences on for the track so far:

    1. Amanda Scott, our host for the track nights and aspiring nationals racer: “Great to see so much interest from club members in trying out the track! We have had two beginner nights at the Velodrome so far. While our June 28 session was cancelled due to hot weather, we have July 3 booked from 6-8 pm for another club intro session. Stay tuned for information in the next update on some formal instructional sessions from the velodrome that will be available this summer, as well!” 

    2. Courtney Parker, first time “Track League” racer at the velodrome: "I was the only beginner at the track for their first Thursday race. I felt a little intimidated but everyone was really encouraging and supportive. They shared spare parts and worked on my borrowed bike to make me (slightly) more competitive. I'll definitely be there again and hope to see some competition in the C category!"

  3. And now, a bit of promotion for the track ;) : Want to try racing track, and feel like skipping Hills Night? The velodrome's summer Thursday Night Track League will also start July 8. Come once to try it out, or come regularly to accumulate series points and have a chance to win category prizes. Participants must have prior experience riding on the track (past track racing experience, or participation in several weeks of Learn to Ride or Learn to Race sessions) and have an understanding of the Argyll Velodrome’s rules and etiquette. More information here: https://www.argyllvelodrome.com/2018-results (yes, weird URL…) 

  4. Have you heard? Edmonton is building an indoor velodrome, with estimated completion in 2024. You can find more project information Here: https://www.edmonton.ca/projects_plans/parks_recreation/coronation-district-park-development

Club Updates:

  1. With restrictions being lifted, we may start looking into social events soon, with an outdoor park meet-up in our fine river valley. If you haven’t been to one of these before, these are catered events with food and hanging out, and usually some treats from our sponsor, Blindman Brewing (https://www.blindmanbrewing.com/)  at no cost to you. More information soon! Summer is a busy time for all of us between families, vacations, and just wanting to ride your bike so don’t worry, there will be more! 

  2. Water Bottles are now in stock! Buy them online here: http://www.ertc.org/teamkit/ertc-water-bottle and you can pick them up at a ride or at the residence of one of our Executives! Someone will reach out to you about arranging that after purchase. 

  3. Join Slack (https://join.slack.com/t/edmontonroada-7u36621/shared_invite/zt-r9cz31ub-0OIcKY_Ow33BJCw_yyAQCg) for ride updates and general chat among your clubmates!

Women of ERTC Kick-Off and Season Outline

Hi,

For those new to the club whom I haven’t met, I’m Tiffany. I’ve been riding with ERTC for the past 8 years, and formed the Women of ERTC (WoERTC) in 2015. And I’m the textbook example proving you don’t have to be fast, a racer, or have much experience riding at the front to be a leader in cycling. I truly subscribe to ‘if I can do it, so can you’ - and this is the driving force behind the WoERTC.

The WoERTC is a group within ERTC geared towards anyone not identifying as male. Our structure and focus has morphed through the years, and we completely paused WoERTC specific rides during COVID. Given this long pause, and influx of new members, the WoERTC is going back to basics for 2021.

Our focus will be developing group riding skills and comfort first, fitness and miles second - although depending on your road riding experience, you may develop the latter while focusing on the former!. Our regular ERTC rides certainly address fitness development, so we will aim for WoERTC rides to both be a stepping stone, creating comfort and confidence to try the regular club rides, as well as an opportunity for the women/not identifying as male club members to ride together.

What does that look like for the rest of the season?

  • When: Weekly on Monday evenings, 6:15pm until usually around 8:30pm-ish.

  • Where: Start location and routes will vary between the following, and will be communicated weekly in the WoERTC Slack channel:

    • Millbourne Mall : Riding southeast of the city out Millwoods Road

    • Hawrelak Park: For a city loop or a forward-hills circuit

    • Terwillegar Rec Center: Riding west towards Devon out Cameron Heights

    • Research Park: Interval/cornering/speed work

    • Muttart: Reverse hills circuit

  • Distance: Anywhere between 25-50km with breaks. Estimates will be given each week depending on the route.

  • # of riders: For now, I’m capping the rides at 10 riders. RSVP’s are required on Strava, similar to all club rides. After a few rides, we may increase to 15 or add an additional group (pending response to the next bullet) .

  • Ride Leaders/Sweeps: I’m looking for experienced riders to either lead a second group or be responsible as a sweep on rides. Ride leading experience not required to be a sweep - just good knowledge of group riding and the routes.

Next week’s ride is up on Strava, and the bulk of informal communication regarding any WoERTC rides will be communicated through our Slack channel. If you haven’t been added, please let me know! And if you haven’t joined ERTC’s Slack space at all - CLICK HERE.

If you have any questions about what to expect, or anything else WoERTC related - feel free to reach out either via Slack, or to Women@ertc.org.

I’m (tentatively) hopeful that this is truly our path back to a more normal cycling season, and am looking forward to riding with you all!

See you on the road!

Tiffany