Tuesday evening rides will return for the 2012 season starting April 3rd and running every Tuesday night until the end of September. To reduce the amount of time spent riding in city traffic, we have included more "remote" starts this year, with fewer routes leaving from Billings Bridge Shopping Plaza. There is a good variety of routes going north, south, east, and west out of the city, returning at or before dusk. As a result, these routes are shorter than the OBC weekend rides, ranging from under 35 km early in the season and gradually increasing to around 65 km in early summer when the days are longest. Although the Tuesday program attracts a range of abilities, we place particular emphasis on accommodating newer OBC members who wish to obtain group riding experience on the shorter evening routes.
The Tuesday program follows the same structured approach to groups, speeds, and planned routes as do all other OBC touring events, but there is more personalized attention from the organizers due to the smaller size. OBC group leaders are available for all speed groups, from Rambler (20-22 km/hr) through the various levels up to and including the 30+ km/hr range. All group members are expected to ride co-operatively to start and end together, and to follow OBC group riding guidelines and speeds set for the group they are joining.
Rides normally start at 6:00 p.m. except in April and September, when we depart at 5:30 p.m. due to the shorter days. The rides are planned to finish before sunset, but sometimes stuff happens - flat tires, mechanical issues, lengthy latté breaks... You should carry a lighting system on your bike (white light in the front, red in the back) in case the ride unexpectedly extends into darkness. It's also important always to carry water or a sports drink, as well as a light snack (granola bar, banana, dried fruit, etc.) for the longer rides. Although we attempt to take breaks at a store or location with toilets available for riders, this is not always possible.
We have again reviewed all Tuesday routes over the winter, redesigning portions of existing routes, replacing routes that were affected by changing traffic patterns, and adding new routes (and start locations) that would get us out of the city sooner. As the city road construction and infrastructure improvement projects for 2012 are announced, however, we anticipate that further changes to current routes and destinations may be necessary. Start locations will not be altered. Please check the OBC website under "departure locations" for precise Google Map start locations (by clicking the location identified in blue) and for the most recent Tuesday Tour Schedule.
I look forward to meeting many new and returning riders on Tuesdays. If you an experienced OBC member who might be interested in leading a group this season, please let me know.
Hélène Soucy
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