FAQ

All you need to do is fill in and sign the cycling club waiver form, and if you are under 18 years old then the form must also be co-signed by a parent or guardian. This is an insurance requirement.

Just download the waiver form and bring the signed form to your first ride. Also please read the following notes:

• Does everyone need to sign the Waiver Form (what about children)?
• Do I Have to Wear a Helmet?
• Is there a Minimum Age?

That's all there is to join!

PS: You should probably subscribe to the cycling club's mailing list. It is used to inform riders about upcoming rides and also to notify about last minute cancellations due to bad weather -- you'll want to know -- so subscribe to the list :-)

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All riders. The cycling club insurance requires that every rider, even children, sign one waiver form per participant. For participants under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must co-sign the waiver form.

You can download the waiver form from the website, fill it in at home (one copy per rider) and bring the completed form(s) to your first ride. We will have blank waiver forms available at the start location if you show up without one.

Do not put multiple names on one waiver form: one form is needed per rider/person/child.

Unfortunately, our insurer will not allow anyone to participate without a signed waiver form, no exceptions.

If you signed the cycling club waiver form in 2013 or thereafter, that waiver form is still in effect (unless you cancel it in writing to the church), so you won't have to sign a new waiver form each year or each ride.

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Each rider that is under the age of 18 must wear a CSA-approved bicycle helmet while riding during cycling club activities. No exceptions (this is the law and also an insurance requirement). Each adult rider is strongly encouraged to wear a CSA-approved bicycle helmet while riding.

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Yes and No. If a rider under the age of 18 is not being accompanied by their parent/guardian on the ride, then they must be a minimum of 13 years old. If a rider under the age of 18 is being accompanied by their parent/guardian, then there is no minimum age. However, each rider should be able to keep up with the group therefore very young, inexperienced riders might not be able to keep up (but the family could go slower at their own pace on the route, which is fine!)

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It depends upon the group of riders that participate on a given ride. Expect to cycle at a nice leisurely or casual pace, but a mostly continuous pace. We do have one or two stops along each route to take a break, have a self-provided, self-carried drink or snack, and to "get off the saddle" for a bit.

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We are hoping to select cycling routes that are mostly on multi-use community trails (e.g. cycling, jogging, walking co-use). However, most trails still cross streets or use streets to bridge gaps between trails.

We prefer trails that don't have significant hills, but elevation changes cannot be fully avoided.

However, we expect to plan the occasional longer-than-usual rides and they will probably make use of more roads than usual, but those rides will be identified as such.

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There is no guaranteed way to avoid all bicycle breakdowns, but here are a couple of suggestions to minimize the probability of technical issues on a ride:

• Get your bicycle serviced at the beginning of the riding season.
• Ensure your bicycle tires have enough air pressure (most important to avoid pinching the tube when you go over a bump on the ride and getting a flat tire).

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First, let's do the steps suggested in entry "How to Avoid Bike Breakdowns".

Second, although the club coordinator has a surname which might imply the ability to repair bicycles, that would be a false assumption... (sorry)

Third, we don't carry the necessary tools and spare parts in a support vehicle (i.e. there is no support vehicle), so we aren't equipped to perform repairs on-the-ride.

However, we will try to carry a few simple tools for the most basic of attempted repairs, e.g. freeing a jammed chain ... but remember that any tools will increase the weight of the bike for the person who is riding that bike.

If someone does experience a breakdown that makes their bicycle unrideable, then they and someone else to accompany them will probably need to walk their bicycles back to the starting location or someone might need to bike back to get a vehicle to pick them up. In all cases, we will try to ensure that no one is left alone while waiting.

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Great question. We are asking (potential) cyclists when *they* would like to see the rides scheduled? Which days of the week suit the most people, what times too?

Please take this quick survey to let us know your suggestions (even if you aren't yet sure if you will be participating) -- Thanks!

PS: We've scheduled the first two rides on Sunday afternoons and after that we'll see what the survey results say...

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If a ride needs to be cancelled due to bad weather, etc., then we will send a "Ride Cancelled" notice to the cycling club's mailing list. If possible, we will also put a big note on the home page of this website.

We hope to send those notices out 30-60 minutes before the start of the cancelled ride, so please check your email before leaving home for the ride.

All riders, or at least one or two riders from each "riding family" should be on the mailing list. Subscribe here.

The mailing list will be used to send out ride cancellation notices and to inform riders about upcoming rides.

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There is no cost to join and participate in the cycling club. Of course, you need to provide your own bicycle, transportation to/from the starting location, etc., but there is no cycling club membership fee. Membership is free!

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