ERTC Weekly Update - Week of September 12

Hey Everyone!

As usual, when there is only 6 days left till one of our races (IT’S THIS WEEKEND!!! AAHHHHHHHHH), I will dedicate the entire intro to begging for help.

We need at least 1 first aider and ideally 2 (so that we have shifts or can race), who are comfortable with treating wounds and maybe making a sling for a broken collarbone. Everything else we will call 911 for. We also need course marshals, which sit at crossings with trails and are able to stop walkers and other trail users for a bit of time so that racers can come through.

Volunteer Signup here: volunteersignup.org/DBFX8

Preliminary Tech Guide Here (remember to read this before signing up to volunteer!): https://www.ertc.org/soc

Race Registration here: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=29563

Updates:

  1. September 13 and September 20 - We will be hosting a cyclocross skills session at Hawrelak park, meeting at the main parking lot, at 6:30. This is completely separate from YEGCross and will not feature intervals at all. You should come to this if you plan on doing any midweek or weekend cross, as we will go through mounting and dismounting, as well as barriers and cornering. Bring a MTB, Gravel or CX bike. These sessions will be led by Sarah Gilchrist, Who is both Pan-am CX Champ and Masters CX Champ. https://www.strava.com/clubs/2845/group_events/1242838

  2. The webstore is currently up for orders - note that there is a 10-12 week delivery time on any orders. https://www.rogellicanada.com/ertc if you want winter items, this is the only time you will be able to order and have it come in the timeframe that you will need it for. Webstore closes on September 15.

  3. The Croken Classic Gravel Race is now live and accepting registrants. Tell your gravel curious friends. No race license required! No ABA Club Membership either, but everyone getting this email is one ;) Want to know more or register? https://www.ertc.org/crokenclassic

  4. Interested in cross but don’t know where to start? Join the #cross-is-coming slack channel here: https://edmontonroada-7u36621.slack.com/archives/C03TPTGKZT4 for all updates and ask all of your CX related questions there!

  5. Weekend rides will go as long as there is interest, however many of our ride leaders prefer riding cross. Not interested in cross but interested in continuing to ride on the weekends? Be a ride leader! Let me know if you are interested, as there are definitely people who prefer the smoothness of pavement to grass!

  6. Think you've got all the skills you need for CX under your belt and want a workout instead? YEG Cross is back this week. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635190320143436

  7. Wednesday Night Worlds is at Argyll this week at 7:00pm. ERTC Folks can race for free (I’ve already paid for you!)

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

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

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of September 5

Hey everyone! 

We need lots of volunteers for our School of Cross cyclocross race on the weekend of September 17th and 18th. Of particular importance is we need First Aiders, and people willing to lend us coolers for the beer and food. 

  1. Preliminary Tech Guide Here (remember to read this before signing up to volunteer!): https://www.ertc.org/soc

  2. Volunteer Signup here: volunteersignup.org/DBFX8

  3. Race Registration here: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=29563 

  1. The webstore is currently up for orders - note that there is a 10-12 week delivery time on any orders. https://www.rogellicanada.com/ertc if you want winter items, this is the only time you will be able to order and have it come in the timeframe that you will need it for.

  2. The Croken Classic Gravel Race is now live and accepting registrants. Tell your gravel curious friends. No race license required! No ABA Club Membership either, but everyone getting this email is one ;) Want to know more or register? https://www.ertc.org/crokenclassic

  3. Interested in cross but don’t know where to start? Join the #cross-is-coming slack channel here: https://edmontonroada-7u36621.slack.com/archives/C03TPTGKZT4 for all updates and ask all of your CX related questions there!

  4. Weekend rides will go as long as there is interest, however many of our ride leaders prefer riding cross. Not interested in cross but interested in continuing to ride on the weekends? Be a ride leader! Let me know if you are interested, as there are definitely people who prefer the smoothness of pavement to grass! 

  5. YEG Cross is off this week. Message me on slack if you are interested in a skills session. Bring an MTB or CX bike and do some grass based intervals! Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635190320143436

  6. Wednesday Night Worlds is at Capilano this week at 7:00pm. ERTC Folks can race for free (I’ve already paid for you!) 

  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


ERTC Weekly Update - Week of August 22

Late night update cause folks like me are productive only after 11pm!

Alright I can’t say enough good things about cross. Just do it. But if you tire of your 33mm tyres, ERTC will be running Thursday Hill Repeats at the very least until the snow flies. 

  1. The Croken Classic Gravel Race is now live and accepting registrants. Tell your gravel curious friends. No race license required! No ABA Club Membership either, but everyone getting this email is one ;) Want to know more or register? https://www.ertc.org/crokenclassic

  2. Interested in cross but don’t know where to start? Join the #cross-is-coming slack channel here: https://edmontonroada-7u36621.slack.com/archives/C03TPTGKZT4 for all updates and ask all of your CX related questions there!

  3. Weekend rides will go as long as there is interest, however many of our ride leaders prefer riding cross. Not interested in cross but interested in continuing to ride on the weekends? Be a ride leader! Let me know if you are interested, as there are definitely people who prefer the smoothness of pavement to grass! 

  4. YEG Cross is meeting at Argyll at 6pm. Bring an MTB or CX bike and do some grass based intervals! Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635190320143436

  5. Wednesday night cross will be starting August 24, pending permits. I’ll throw up links as they become available. 

  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


ERTC Weekly Update - Week of August 15

Welcome to the dog days of summer, where it’s hot, sweaty and you start thinking about riding around in circles in grass. Cyclocross is a great way to recharge from the summer road season, with regular midweek short races, and longer, accessible weekend races. My suggestion is for everyone to come out to a Wednesday Night Race and see what it’s all about. You don’t need to race the first time - just take in the absurdity of 200 people of all ages and ability levels riding around in circles in grass! 

Club Updates:

  1. Thursday hill road rides go until the snow flies. 

  2. Interested in cross but don’t know where to start? Join the #cross-is-coming slack channel here: https://edmontonroada-7u36621.slack.com/archives/C03TPTGKZT4 for all updates and ask all of your CX related questions there!

  3. Weekend rides will go as long as there is interest, however many of our ride leaders prefer riding cross. Not interested in cross but interested in continuing to ride on the weekends? Be a ride leader! Let me know if you are interested, as there are definitely people who prefer the smoothness of pavement to grass! 

  4. Tuesdays will be switching over to cross based intervals and skills run in conjunction with YEGCross. YEGCross is an interclub initiative led by Robin Baillie - you can find more information here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635190320143436 - The first YEGCross interval workout will be held at Kinsmen Park at 6pm. Come with at least 20 minutes of warm up before 6:00. We will be working on holding skill-based sessions in the coming weeks.

  5. Wednesday night cross will be starting August 24, pending permits. I’ll throw up links as they become available. 

  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


ERTC Weekly Update - Week of August 8-ish

Hey everyone, it's a weekly update! As if I would send you an email for any other reason right ;) 

The Pigeon Lake Road Race went off without any major hitches or crashes, adding an important event to the road scene we have in Alberta. A huge thank you to all of the volunteers that came through and showed up to help out, you really know how to give a guy a few grey hairs in the process! I can’t thank you all enough for how many people showed up and helped us put on an awesome event. 

Club Updates:

  1. L’Etape goes this weekend, we have several club members going to it. Use the slack channel https://edmontonroada-7u36621.slack.com/archives/C03L83N8LCC to organize meet-ups!

  2. Cross is coming! Not quite yet but we will be looking to switch over Tuesdays to cross based intervals and skill sessions. I’ll let you all know when that happens. 

  3. Our School of Cross Race is on September 18, and we will need volunteers for that. Closer to the event we will have a volunteer signup for that.

  4. Our Croken Classic Gravel Fondo is on October 9, and we will need volunteers for that. Closer to the event we will have a volunteer signup for that.

  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 Updates:

  1. We tend to see a dip in attendance in August - reverse hills are likely to not go, but continue to switch to reverse hills if you see that the forward one has more than 10 people. 

ERTC Weekly Update - Week of July 25

Ok folks, another update for y’all!

  1. We are actually less than 2 weeks out from our Pigeon Lake Road Race - we need volunteers pleeeaase! (this is me begging) 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. The tech guide and registration is up for our Pigeon Lake Road Race - tech guide here: https://www.ertc.org/plrr and registration here: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=29436&lan=1&cartlevel=1 

  3. August 14 - For those interested in the L’Etape Edmonton, ERTC has a discount code available. It is “TDF20” 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

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.