Another milestone has been reached with Stage 2 of Alberta’s Covid 19 ‘Open for Summer Plan’ coming into effect . Among other changes, it states:

• Youth and adult sports – resume with no restrictions, indoors and outdoors
• Outdoor social gatherings – up to 20 people with distancing (indoor social gatherings still not permitted)
• Distancing and masking requirements remain in effect

With the easing of restrictions, especially for adult sports, the EBTC Board is thrilled to advise you of the following welcome changes to the 2021 cycling program, effective immediately:

1. Masking at ride start locations is no longer required – The Club’s masking protocol, instituted for member safety and comfort in joining group rides, went beyond the public health restrictions, and was well received.

Of course, members still have the option to wear a mask, and are expected to comply with the ongoing public health restriction for masking indoors (e.g., in the Ardrossan Recreation Centre).

• Distancing continues to be encouraged – This applies before, during and after a ride, and extends to not sharing food or beverages (same household excepted).   For more detail, see the Cub’s Covid 19 Protocol (but note that masking has been rescinded).
• Ride registration will continue in 2021 for all EBTC rides – Readily adopted by members, Karelo ride registration has advantages beyond capping the number of ride participants as per public health restrictions.   

Here are a few benefits of participant lists created on-line by Karelo:  no messy and hard to manage paper sign-up sheets at rides; ride leaders can contact registrants before a ride about such changes as weather related cancellations; proof for the Club’s insurance that all riders were EBTC members should an accident occur; useful data to plan an interesting ride program; contact tracing if required.

• A cap on the number of ride participants is at the discretion of the ride leader – If a ride is capped, it will be noted on Karelo during the registration process.  

As communicated at the AGM in February, ride leaders are in the position to know whether a cap is warranted based on their ride characteristics, the mix of riders and their own preferences in leading.

• Ride with GPS (RWGPS) remains EBTC’s navigational tool –Paper maps will not be handed out at the start of rides.    Member adoption of RWGPS has been excellent, and a free Club RWGSP account allows access to the Collections of 2021 rides on the website.  
• EBTC social events are not yet being planned – While the EBTC Board recognizes the value of fun social events, it is still considered premature to commence planning, given current restrictions on outdoor social gatherings, and the need to move to Stage 3 and gain more experience without restrictions.

Please take advantage of the great rides planned for 2021 to fully enjoy the remainder of spring, the summer ahead, and the fall too.

A 30-minute weekly information session via Zoom on topics of interest to EBTC members. 

Hosted by Scott Keast (of Cycling 101 fame) and Frank Potter, the show starts at 7pm (Sharp!) but be sure to come a bit earlier to chat and socialize with club members.  We will be done by 7:30pm and there will be lots of time for questions. 

One of the benefits of being a member of EBTC is to both share and receive the collective knowledge of hundreds of years of cycling experience from our club members.  While Scott will provide his considerable expertise, please plan to share your tips, tricks and hard-won lessons on the subject at hand.  

Topics covered:

1. May 9, How to ride during restrictions.
2. May 16, No Meeting – Board Meeting pre-emption.
3. May 23, Ride with GPS – advance and real cool features that Queen Victoria would have loved.  
4. May 30, Did I sign up for the right ride, understanding the ride-rating system.
5. Other possible topics: 
   1. Riding in hot weather, safety, survival, and comfort. 
   2. I lost my riding group, what do I do now?
   3. Fueling your ride – what to eat and drink. 

Click the date to register:

May 9

May 5, 2021 message from the EBTC President, June MacGregor

Dear EBTC’ers. As you may have heard, the provincial government has implemented new public health restrictions for the province as a whole and for hot spot areas including the metro-Edmonton region. These additional restrictions will be in effect for three weeks or until the relative rate of infections has declined.  

Given the reduced number of participants allowed for outdoor activities and a restriction on source households, EBTC is placing the 2021 cycling season on hiatus effective May 5th.  All rides are now cancelled.  The Club is hopeful that rides can resume in late May.  

EBTC members, however, have the opportunity to cycle privately, in keeping with the new public health restrictions. With your free RidewithGPS account through EBTC, you can access more than 400 cycling routes under Organization Routes and Collections. If you don’t yet have an account, click on the link below for step-by-step instructions on how to get and start using your account. The rides in Collections have been ridden recently as part of the planning for the 2021 EBTC riding season and are highly recommended.  

The EBTC Board will continue to monitor the situation and will communicate with members via the newsletter, website, FaceBook, and the Sunday Evening Cycling Show.  

Thank you for your patience, understanding and support for the Club during this very challenging time. I hope to see you on the road and at Club events in the not too distant future!