Barrie Cycling Club | The online component of the Barrie Cycling Club in Barrie, Ontario Canada

Advocacy, Announcement, Club Events, Interclub Race Series, Meeting, Time Trial Series

Time Flies.

Comments Off 28 February 2010

I can’t believe it’s almost March.

I haven’t made an update here since last year? Well, LOTS has been going on. I guess it’s time for an update.

Our 2010 OCA affiliation forms have been filled out and submitted, this means we will have membership cards in hand very soon. We also will provide all the local shops with forms & some club brochures in the next couple of weeks.

We have a whole bunch of great things that are set for the year ahead.

Saturday, May 22, we’ll be hosting an OCA Youth Cup Road Race & TT for riders ages 10-16. More info on the series is available on the OCA Website.

We will of course be participating in the Interclub road race series as we always have, however this year instead of Owen Sound being the third club, our friends from the Mountainview Cycling Club of Midland will join ourselves & the Newmarket Eagles in the series. The schedule is close to complete, and will be posted this week.

Mike Doble has again volunteered to run the club Time Trial series on alternate Thursdays through the summer, we’re very lucky to have his help!

We have joined a coalition along with the OPP, the County of Simcoe, the towns of Oro-Medonte, Innisfil, Springwater, Vespra & the Blue Mountains to create a rural road safety initiative/education program. After just two meetings a lot of progress has been made. The County has agreed to add a 1m strip of pavement to all new construction and re-pave jobs from herein. Oro-Medonte has agreed to something similar, but with the upcoming Pan-Am games, there is also potential to create an actual network of cycling routes through the area.

We have volunteered to adopt a section of Ridge Rd. The County responded to our request by granting us the section from Range Rd, through the town of Shanty Bay to the 3rd line of Oro. Our responsibility is to spend two days per year cleaning the shoulders of that section of litter & debris. For this, we get a sign along the side of Ridge Road with the Club’s name on it!

We’ve been hard at work to put together a program of rides designed to appeal to people who just like to ride bikes, as opposed to the ‘cyclist’ style rides we’ve typically focussed on.
These rides will be taking place every Saturday through the summer, and we’re really excited to teach new people what it’s like to change a tire, or ride in a group properly!

Hopefully some of the riders who attend these new Saturday rides will aspire to ride in our Charity event for the Barrie M.S. Society on Sunday September 18th. This will be a fully supported, exciting ride of multiple distances up to a full Imperial Century, or 160km! We’re really excited to showcase some of the challenging and picturesque terrain in our backyard.

I am sure that I’ve forgotten some things, but the gold medal game is almost on! I can’t believe it’s been so long since an update went out, apologies for that, but the Barrie Cycling Club is looking for 2010 to be the best year yet!

One last thing. We never had an end of year dinner last year, so I think perhaps a club meeting/pizza night is in order for this month, does this sound like a good idea?

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Announcement, Clothing Update, Club News

BCC Clothing Update

Comments Off 14 December 2009

As Christmas is fast approaching, we wanted to let you know that we do have a small amount of BCC club clothing available for sale.
I can deliver it in town, or you can pick it up from my house. Just send me an email and we’ll arrange it!

This is what we’ve got left:

Send email to: BCC Clothing if you would like to pick any of this stuff up before Christmas!

Advocacy, Meeting

BCC to help spearhead new Rural Road Safety Initiative

2 Comments 30 November 2009

I am helping to set up a stakeholders group to help promote rural road safety. This program will be delivered by the OPP Media Department. The target audience is the general public. Our goal is to educate the public on appropriate driving practices when encountering other users of the roads such as cyclists and equestrians.

Based on indicated support, a meeting of initial stakeholders to promote rural road safety will be held on Monday, December 14th at 1 p.m. The OPP has kindly offered the use of its boardroom at the Barrie detachment headquarters.

This will be a brainstorming session to begin the process of establishing programs that can be used to educate motorists and groups such as cyclists, equestrians, farm equipment operators, and pedestrians on safe practices when encountering one another on our roads.

Several groups have already expressed interest in participating in this process including the OPP, the towns of Oro-Medonte & Innisfil, The Town of the Blue Mountains, the Share the Road Coalition, the Ontario Equestrian Federation, the Ontario Trails Council, the Ontario Trail Riding Association, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Barrie Cycling Club.

During the process we may identify additional stakeholder groups locally and throughout the province who share our common vision of improved public safety on our rural roads. From our preliminary discussions you have already suggested and pointed to other programs that we may be able to connect with to advance our mutual interests. It would be helpful if you could bring information on these programs to the meeting.

Please contact me ASAP if you are interested in attending and if there are any other organizations that could also benefit by being in attendance.

Cheers,
robb

Cycling News

Our Bike Racks, Ourselves: Crowdsourcing Two-Wheeled Parking

0 Comments 26 November 2009

From an article in Wired Magazine…

Every cyclist has been there: Standing on a street, looking for a rack to secure their steed with nothing in sight but a parking meter. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

Fixcity.org is changing that by tapping the cycling community to identify prime locations for bike racks. The experiment in crowdsourced cycling infrastructure is run by the Open Planning Project, which is testing it out in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint-Williamsburg neighborhood before rolling it out elsewhere in the Big Apple and perhaps beyond.

“We’re currently still working to get FixCity working for all of NYC, but would love to expand it to other cities as well,” spokeswoman Lily Bernheimer said.

So how’s it work?

Let’s say you think there oughtta be a bike rack outside that taqueria down the street. Click Fixcity.org’s “Suggest a Rack” link to mark the spot on the map, then upload photos of appropriate locations. The next step is verifying the rack will actually fit in the spot you want it — for example, it’s gotta be 15 feet from a crosswalk or bus stop, 8 feet from a fire hydrant and so forth. Verifying your location is a snap because Fixcity provides handy guidelines you can print out (.pdf) and consult while doing recon. Still need help? There’s a video you can watch to walk you through the process.

Although Gotham has seen a big increase in bicycling, a dearth of secure, legal bike parking keeps many from city trekking. Transportation officials running the CityRacks program no longer accept one-off rack requests from the public, making it tough for individuals to take action. But with Fixcity bringing together community organizations and individual riders to suggest and verify locations, the city can accept “bulk orders” for racks spanning several neighborhoods.

More than one hundred rack sites have been suggested to far, and there’s a push to get 300 racks mapped out in Brooklyn. FixCity launched earlier this fall and says it can take up to six months for CityRacks to approve and install racks once it gets a bulk order.

Want to launch FixCity in your city? Bernheimer suggests doing some homework first. The first step is ensuring the requirements for bike rack placement in your town are the same as those in New York. Then you’ve got to figure out how racks are installed in your city, whether there’s already a mechanism for suggesting rack locations. A local variation of FixCity would have to be adapted to suit your city’s regs

Thanks to reader Andreas K. for the tip.

Photo: Flickr / Tom Simpson

Announcement, True Sport

What Sport Can Do – The True Sport Report

Comments Off 23 November 2009

Why we produced the report?

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport commissioned this report on behalf of the True Sport Movement – Canada’s national movement for sport and community.

Our goal with this report is to provide the evidence that sport can be a powerful and positive influence in our communities. We want to help communities, policy makers at all levels, business leaders and those in sport, to see the tremendous potential that lies within our community sport system. We hope that they will work together, and come up with new approaches that put this potential to work for Canadians.

There is one very simple idea at the heart of this report – good sport can make a great difference.

We encourage decision-makers to take full advantage of the information when planning policies and programs for their constituents and communities. We hope that they will work together and come up with new approaches that put this potential to work for Canadians.

What is the report?

The report is a comprehensive document outlining the public benefits of community sport. “What Sport Can Do: The True Sport Report” outlines conclusive proof of how good sport can be used intentionally to positively influence a wide range of societal goals, including child and youth development, crime prevention, education, social inclusion and economic and environmental sustainability.

The report demonstrates that sport can be used to influence public policy to the benefit of Canadians in the following areas:

We encourage you to take a look at the report for innovative information on how the deliberate use of sport, with collaboration from all sectors, can be used to the benefit of your community.

Health

Sport can increase the number of active Canadians, and increasing physical activity levels by just 10 per cent would save Canadians over $150 million annually in direct health costs alone.
Participation in sport can stem the tide of child obesity – 10 per cent of Canadian children aged 7 -13 are currently at risk of disability, disease and premature death because they are obese.

Child and youth development

Youth involved in sport are more likely than non-athletes to eat healthily and weigh less, and less likely to smoke, use drugs, engage in sexual activity, or feel bored or hopeless.
Girls experience particular benefits from sport due to its protective effects against osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, suicide and adolescent pregnancy.

Social development

Sport can help to strengthen communities by building social capital and fostering greater inclusion of marginalized groups like the disabled.
Sport can help to facilitate the integration of newcomers.

Economic development

Sport plays a significant role in the economy of Canadian communities by providing jobs and enhancing skills and productivity.
Sport contributes to economic development and renewal. For example, in 2004 Canadian households spent $15.8 billion on sport.

Environment sustainability

Many investments in community sport are investments in green space, with users often becoming advocates for their protection, proper maintenance and expansion.
New greener standards for sport and recreation facilities are helping to ensure that sport is doing its part to make our communities more sustainable.

Charitable Events

Ride to Conquer Cancer 2010

Comments Off 13 November 2009

Update: Registration Closed.

I got this email from one of our club members who has participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer for many years. It’s a great event, with incredible support and all for a good cause. I encourage all members to read up about it, and consider taking up the challenge in 2010. Act soon though, it’s well over 80% filled at this point!

Register here now to make sure you are a part of this epic event in 2010! Don’t miss your opportunity to participate in the Ride and make an impact in our fight to Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime.

Our Ride Guides are standing by to help with any questions you have. Call us right now at [877] 699-BIKE or email us at ontarioguides@conquercancer.ca.

The Ride to Conquer Cancer
Benefiting The Campbell Family Institute at The Princess Margaret

‘Thank you for your continued support of The Ride to Conquer Cancer – because of your dedication we’re already over 80% sold out and could close registration at any time! Now is your chance to get any interested friends and family on board for 2010 and Orientations are a great opportunity to help you do just that. Grab a friend or family member and come out to one TODAY. You’ll both learn even more about the event; meet other participants; pickup some great fundraising ideas; and grab your free 2010 Orientation shirts. Most importantly – they’ll be so inspired by your commitment to this fight that they won’t be able to not take action and get involved.

Click the link below to see a list of our current orientations. If you don’t see one by you keep checking back or give our office a call.

http://to10.conquercancer.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=10_orientation

Remember that if you bring anyone on board to have them reference your unique Participant ID # at the time of registration to give you credit towards becoming a Ride Ambassador. As an Ambassador you’ll be at the forefront of this journey by introducing the event to your community and furthering awareness about The Princess Margaret’s goal to conquer cancer in our lifetime. For more information about the ambassador program click the following link:

http://to10.conquercancer.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=10_ambassadors

Of course if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to give me a call here in the office anytime at 1-877-699-2453.

Sincerely,

Angela Hevey
Ride Guide | The Ride to Conquer Cancer
ahevey@conquercancer.ca

#1605 – 100 Yonge Street | Toronto, ON| M5C 2W1
http://www.conquercancer.ca| (1-877-699-2453′

Announcement, Annual General Meeting, Meeting

Reminder-BCC AGM is TONIGHT!

Comments Off 10 November 2009

Tonight is the night to have your input into how the Barrie Cycling Club should move forward in the year ahead. Don’t miss your chance to shape the club into what you want it to be!

7pm, Upstairs at Michael & Marion’s Restaurant, 89 Bayfield St.

See you there.

Announcement, Annual General Meeting, Meeting

2009 AGM-Tues. Nov. 10, 7pm

Comments Off 25 October 2009

Hey everyone,

With winter fast approaching, and the cycling season winding down, we’ve decided to hold our Annual General Meeting right after this year’s Barrie Cross race.

The race is Sunday November 8, and our AGM will be held on Tuesday November 10th at 7pm.

This years meeting is being held at Michael & Marion’s restaurant in downtown Barrie. Kent Smith, the owner was kind enough to offer us a free space in his private dining room upstairs.
The location also provides us an opportunity for some socializing after the meeting has finished and in advance of our year end dinner.

We strongly encourage all members of the club to come out to the meeting, as it is an opportunity to not only elect executive members for next year, but it also enables everyone to have direct input into the club’s direction heading forward.

In addition to selecting next years executive, we will be discussing things like whether or not we can commit to a charity event next year for the MS Society. Potential changes to the Interclub race series, both clubs involved and race courses used. Along with anything else YOU want to see discussed.

It’s been a great year, lets ensure next season is even better. See everyone on Tuesday November 10th @7pm.

Cross Race

Barrie Cross Race Update!

Comments Off 08 October 2009

On Sunday, November 8th, the Barrie Cycling Club will be hosting its 3rd Annual Barrie Cyclo-Cross Race.
Again this year the event will be held at Hardwood Ski & Bike, a short 15 minute drive north of Barrie. We were fortunate to secure Hardwood as a location for the event and a course has been laid out that we’re sure will be a hit with both seasoned and novice cross racers alike. Hardwood has been the site of numerous provincial and national level events and was the site of Cross Nationals in 2005.

Registration opens at 8a.m and closes 30 minutes prior to each race start. The course will be open for pre-riding after 8am on Nov. 8th.

PLEASE NOTE: One day licenses will be available for this event at a cost of $5. They can be purchased at the time of registration.

Cost of the event is $25 pre-registered, and $30 day of registration for all categories other than Junior and Under 17. For these categories the cost is $20 pre-registered and $25 day of event. All riders are encouraged to pre-register, either through the OCA website or by calling Hardwood Ski and Bike at 705-487-3775.

Race starts will be as follows:
10 a.m. – Under 17; Senior 3/4 Male; Beginner Male; Master 3 Male
11:30 a.m. – Junior (17-18) Male& Female; Senior Female; Beginner Female; Master Female; Master 2 Male
1 p.m. – Senior 1/2/3 Male; Master 1 Male

There will be a cash purse for Senior 1/2/3 Male & Senior Female, along with great merchandise prizes for all other categories. Awards will be held immediately following the completion of each race start.

The course is approximately 2.5kms in length and offers a great mix of the terrain features at Hardwood Ski & Bike. There are fast sections of grass and doubletrack, combined with numerous technical, twisty and bermed sections, 1 double barrier, one run-up and a short, sandy dismount. The course then ducks into the woods for 2 fast sections.
This course is guaranteed to be a hit for all levels of rider, from beginner to expert.

The BCC is pleased and excited to welcome Carriage Hills Resort as a sponsor for this years race. For those wishing to stay over the night before the race and make it a weekend Carriage Hills is offering luxurious accomodations at special racer rates starting at $72/night. To book your room please follow this link: Carriage Hills

Hope to see you there.
BCC

Cross Race

CX Race Planning Meeting-Tonight Monday Oct. 5

Comments Off 05 October 2009

Hey all,

The executives are having a meeting tonight at The Second Cup downtown at 7pm to discuss planning for our CX race which is fast approaching next month.
If anyone is interested in coming out and hearing about our plans, or to help volunteer, please feel free.