REMINDER:

• OBC group rides are for current OBC members only.

• All riders must have taken the OBC Group Riding Clinic before participating in group rides. Significant, current group riding experience can be acceptable in lieu; contact the event organizer to discuss.

• Anyone who is not an OBC member but wishes to try out the club may be able to participate by first discussing participation, well in advance, with the OBC Group Rides Director and obtaining an Ontario Cycling club day pass. Non-members are not able to participate in club events without prior arrangement and approval.

2 weeks to Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour!

(Is it true that a person can drive to Queen's, hide one's car behind Vic Hall and coast on their bike down the (very short) hill to be first to the bbq and beer garden? Asking for a friend.)

Upcoming Club Events:

Please take a look in the calendar to see all the upcoming events you may wish to take part in.

June 6/7 - Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour

Although registration is closed, remember that many many volunteers are needed for the RLCT to function. Even if only for a couple of hours and whether or not you are riding the tour.

Please tap the Volunteer button on the tour website to see how you can help out.

Also, there is a need for "marshals" on the ride: "Road Marshals are respected riders who are the Ottawa Bicycle Club’s safety ambassadors to help keep the RLCT riders safe while on route.

"On the Tour weekend, safety is our number one priority and is critical to keeping a quality Tour. As such we need registered, experienced cyclists who can set a great example for our riders."

🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴🚴‍♀️🚴

This & that

Road Etiquette: Please remember to do your part to keep your pack compact, tidy and predictable to be a good example to other road users. It's also safer. I don't like seeing angry posts on Facebook about anarchic cyclists in places and at times where our groups were riding.

Keep an eye out for trash, rocks, sand, gravel, etc. on the roads, especially rounding corners.  

Bike Lights

For safety reasons, many cyclists, including myself, ride during the daytime with very bright front and rear lights. These are generally effective for keeping yourself visible to drivers on the roads but can be annoying to riders behind in a peleton. I have had a complaint, for example, in a private cycling group I ride with, about the brightness of my rear light by a person following (I can turn the brightness down a notch). I have also heard from a Sunday rider about annoyingly bright lights. So, I'd like to get a feel for what Sunday riders feel about these lights.

Unfortunately, in my view, there are no gov't regulations that I know of (beyond the Eurozone) that standardize bike light characteristics which would facilitate some form of guidance to club members. The market appears to resemble a "maximize the lumens" free-for-all.

How broadly, within the Sunday ride community, are strong opinions held regarding our bike lights? If you have an opinion (with, perhaps, a suggestion on how to deal with the concern), please send it my way.

On to the ride...

Event Description

Departing from the airport to points south and southeast.

Note that I have extended the ride lengths due to training for the RLCT. I'm holding back D distances, somewhat, to bring our new members, just having taken the Group Riding Clinic, into the fold. D riders can expect that distances will increase over the coming weeks. C distances might be shortened to reduce the difference between C and D. For new members, I hope you make weekend or weekday OBC rides a habit to unlock, through fitness, the benefits of your membership, such as our longer rides, and increased confidence that you are able to, indeed(!), safely enjoy a 50km (or longer) ride in the Ottawa region.

Note also that I am adding extra speed ranges - slower and longer. That means there is an increased possibility that we won't have ride leaders for all; a bit of reorganizing might be needed on the day. Just something to be aware of and to keep in mind.

Start Location  : NRC Airport

Start Time         : 9:00 AM Departure - gather: 8:30 - 8:45

Bonne route!