Good morning!

Another great week for ERTC, and just because the race season is over doesn’t mean our rides are over! We ride right up until the snow flies, and then switch our bikes and keep riding. Tuesday saw the women’s ride go off without a hitch, Wednesday was a great casual ride where we had some new faces, and a few beers, Thursday was another great hills night, where we are still welcoming more new members! Saturday’s 2-up TT was a stunning success as well, with over a dozen of us testing our bodies to the limit. We definitely hope to have more of these in the future over the course of the season so we can gauge how we are improving.

Cross season is almost upon us, and with those come a few changes to our ride schedule, and I will be outlining those later.  Late season Cross Race Licenses are now available for $75 from the ABA. Also starting up next week is Midweek Cross Races, more information on that later. As part of our “Try Racing” program, if you have not held a race license in the last year, or don’t hold a current one, we will be PAYING FOR your registration for these midweek races via a coupon code during registration. Also, should you decide to get a race license, we will be discounting a pair of shorts and jersey by $75, or just the jersey by $25 via coupon code. Please e-mail me or message me in order to receive your coupon codes. Cross is a fun and casual way to dip your toes into racing, as races are less than an hour, and there is a fun/party atmosphere to them.  

Announcements/Major Events:

August 31st (Weekly)- Midweek CX racing is a great way to try out racing – there are tons of people and you will have people to race with no matter what your fitness level or age is! The age range of participants is7-77 and there are plenty of ability levels. They take place either at Argyll or Capilano Park, and last no more than 30-45 minutes. There is a very fun, casual atmosphere and the races see in excess of 100 people! More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1045472902214539/ and registration link here: https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=12975 please message me if you are taking part in the “Try Racing” program and want a coupon code to register.

 September 5th - ERTC is fielding a team for the Velothon on September 5th for both the 60KM and 100KM versions. The Velothon is a race held on the same circuit as the Tour of Alberta which will be held later in the day. This is NOT an ABA race however is still a great opportunity to test yourself on the very same roads we ride on! You do not have to race this, but it will be a fully supported ride of our wonderful city on closed completely closed roads! If you do register, please use our discount code provided by our sponsor Revolution Cycle: “REVO1239” to save yourself $25. Please use the team code “ERTC_60” for the 60km version if you are interested in a shorter ride, or “ERTC_100” for the longer option. Our race team will be out doing the 100, however there will be plenty of us in 60 and 100 that will be out for just a solid ride! Register here: http://velothon-edmonton.ca/

September 10th, DV100 – The race/ride is definitely one of the biggest in Alberta with a bunch of racers showing up even though there are no points – it interferes with cross a little so it’s a tough choice, but definitely a great event! We have several racers confirmed for this already, and with a trip to Belize and $14000 on the line in prizing, it is sure to get real rowdy! http://dv100.ca/

Ride Changes:

Starting THIS WEEK – Tuesdays will now be a Casual Cyclocross ride and skills session led by Brandon Langille instead of Intervals. Meeting in Hawrelak at 6:00, it’s a great way to practice your cyclocross specific skills and go for a cruise in our wonderful river valley.

Starting NEXT WEEK – Wednesday night casual cruises will be officially changed to Midweek CX racing. There may still be Wednesday night cruises (please check facebook or post for interest) and if you do come out, feel free to stop by the races and say Hi!