Why did YOU join Tripleshot?

[John D]

Hi all;

At Saturday's Xmas Party I thanked John Taylor (as I do each year) for inviting me to join Tripleshot. It was at a UVic Biology Xmas party back in 2009, and I had just bought a road bike, hoping to start riding to work and shed a few pounds. John suggested I come out and try riding with Tripleshot, so I did.

My first Tripleshot ride was a Sunday ride that I completed entirely on adrenalin and endorphins. All I remember is that at one point someone (Mike Lawless?) physically pushed me up a hill.

The following Sunday, I was utterly gassed by the time we got to Matticks. Luckily a group of three riders (Norm, Alan, and Dave Spiers) announced that they were "going short". That sounded like the best idea I'd heard all morning, and so assuming it meant that they were going home I decided to join them. Imagine my surprise to learn that "going short" meant first climbing the Sayward Hill to cross the highway before doing Oldfield, Sparton, West Saanich, and Interurban. Apparently I didn't learn my lesson - seven years later I'm still here, still occasionally being pushed up hills, and still hoping to shed a few pounds.

So...why did YOU join Tripleshot? I know there are some great stories out there (perhaps none better than Mike Dawson's).

J.

[Rolf]

I had different files against both Lawlesses. As I remember it: between posturing in the halls of the courthouse, they talked me into riding the 2009 Nanaimo to Victoria, Cops for Cancer ride—despite never having ridden in a group, or longer than 20K. Then they suggested that since I only had six weeks to train, I should show up on Tuesday morning. That first ride made quite an impression. I also remember Mike Lawless and Dave Spiers (among others) offering many words of encouragement and the occasional push as I made the sometimes-painful transition to a recreational roadie.

And it's been nothing but gits and shiggles since...

[MDAWSON]

Wow, thanks for the call out JD! You're one of the few people to ever actually ask for a "mike dawson story", which my friends would be the first to point out are generally long, meandering, and pointless like those of a senile old man.

I joined Tripleshot in 2012. I had moved a couple years earlier from Ottawa and was looking to join a cycling club in victoria to get back into my favourite sport from when i was a teenager. I didn't know any cyclists in victoria at all, so i started googling away on the interwebs to find some group rides. That summer i rode on every club and group ride I could find in the area, oak bay, russ hays, broad st., irc. I went on a sidney Velos ride where the next youngest rider probably had 35 years on me. I showed up at Rider's Cycles one evening for a ride that obviously hadn't occurred in years, and nobody there knew what I was talking about. I even went out with a local triathlon club, the horror!

Tripleshot far and away had the best club rides to offer. Friendly people, great workouts, and a variety of weekly rides that were fun and different really made it a great experience, and has ever since! For those of you that don't ride much with other clubs, you should know that there is a whole host of TS regulars that are always raving about the club on other rides, and inviting people to come try it out.

The funniest part for me when i joined i'm sure was that I started on the B rides, and for several weeks never finished the rides. I would always get dropped somewhere along Dallas rd. and would then go home (this went on for several weeks). By the way, don't try telling me the B ride is no drop because i know better from personal experience! Finally, after continuing to come out and improve I was able to participate in my first beacon hill laps finish. Afterwards, to my surprise...we went for coffee! I had no idea at all there was coffee at the end of the ride until sometime about a month into riding with the club!
Ever since, if i'm on the ride I'm almost always there for the coffee after

[Alan]

This is a great thread to start. Maybe next we'll start a 'six degrees of separation' thread where we figure out which human part of the web you touched on entering the Tripleshot world.

My story is simple, I think it was 2006 or 2007 and I was standing on the sidelines at a baseball diamond as our six year old boy was playing Beacon Hill Little League. I was chatting with this guy named Dave Hill who had a boy playing baseball too (come to think of it, I think half the current Farm Team riders had kids out there on that diamond). I said: "i'm taking a break from running because I hurt my foot. So I've been riding around by myself on my bike. I told him cycling alone was a good workout but boring." Dave Hill said: "Come and ride with us, Tuesday mornings." So there I was, joining these Tripleshot guys who had just got their first set of kit (either red/gold or the pre-baby blue argyle greys) and I rode an old carbon-fibre 'composite' Trek 2300 with downtube shifters. I remember asking someone where they put the shifters on their bike because they weren't on the downtube. Whoever it was (maybe Dylan Reeves?) who said: "dude, the shifters are now part of the brake system." And I thought, WTF, how cool is that, having a brake and a shifter in the same lever? I upgraded shortly after that.

The first year or so there were usually 10-15 of us, mostly lawyers and doctors, people like the Lawlesses, Chris Watt, Brian Sinclair, Chris Fraser, Lister, Bobby Cameron, Dave Hill, Galen, Mike Buelle and a few others. We'd all ride together and then go for coffee together. Very civilized. We used to sprint all the way to Ontario street in James Bay, dodging cars, buses, horse-drawn trolleys and other non-cycling detritus until we moved the finish line, first to the Surf Motel, and then to Beacon Hill petting zoo where we are sprinting to now.

[Bosie]

After spending many months getting into this biking thing, I had managed a few farm team rides and had heard about the Tripleshot club. I looked them up on the interwebs and saw that they had a "social" sunday ride. I figured I would give it a shot. I turned up punctually at 7am at SBX in Fairfield as per the website so as not to miss the role out. To my disappointment, no one was there. I hung around for 5 minutes and decided to leave, somewhat miffed. As I was leaving, some guy pulled up in a truck and told me that I was early- that the bikers normally turned up around 7h30. I did a few circles of the parking lot and was relieved to finally meet a few bikers, who introduced themselves and invited me to join them.

The "social" ride turned into my first sufferfest as I was introduced to group riding and even a paceline.
I remember getting home and announcing to my wife that I would likely not be moving from the chair in front of the TV for a few days.

I was always too scared to do the morning rides though because I knew I couldnt go to coffee afterwards because of work commitments and having read the Website, this seemed like a pre requisite. Fortunately, one day I knew I would be able to finish the ride and joined an early morning sojourn. After noticing a few people peeling off early, I realized I might be able to do the same. My life was transformed as I could now effortlessly get my exercise before work.

Unfortunately I must have been a bit too effusive about the club as my wife decided to take up biking as well and I soon had to fight with her for priority on the early morning ride while one spouse stayed home and managed the children.

Fortunately the kids are older now and we can ride together.

Awesome club, awesome people. Best $20 annual investment ever.

[John D]

Wow, thanks for the call out JD! You're one of the few people to ever actually ask for a "mike dawson story", which my friends would be the first to point out are generally long, meandering, and pointless like those of a senile old man.

What happened to the part about you showing up in 'yer ambulance to attend to a bike crash on KGT and then having Peter talk you into joining the club?

[mfarnham]

My next-door-neighbours, Andy and Adrienne told me about Tripleshot back in 2012 or so. Andy was still riding with the group then. I looked it up on the web, and tried to show up for a Tuesday morning ride but was too late and missed the group. I was out early the next morning and passing through Caddy Bay Village when I saw a bunch of people in TS kit coming down Caddy Bay hill (it was the Wed hills ride). I thought about joining in...I'd read about the Wed ride on the website...but then saw this super fit guy coming down the hill and thought, "That guy looks way too fast for me." So I just looked the other way and kept riding solo. Later I figured out that it was Rob Hasegawa whose mere presence on the hill had scared me off the ride.

I think Andy eventually convinced me to turn up for a Friday ride. I rode C and thought it was cool that one of the leaders was also named Martin. A couple rides later I figured out he was actually named Barton. I also remember Mark Ford looking after me on that first ride. I was pretty shy for my first few coffees and thought I would never be able to learn more than a couple names.

The rest is history!

Martin

p.s. Hasegawa's still way too fast for me.

[katew]

This guy named Lister, a fellow Oak Bay Preschool parent, and I kept bumping into each other as our kids grew through Margaret Jenkins school. By 2010, I was deep into triathlon and every time I saw him, he suggested that I try riding with his Masters-oriented cycling club. I was askeered of group riding so nodded and smiled politely, and changed the subject to whichever of his kids was mopping up the school sports awards that month.

Then one Sunday, there I was, riding along by the golf club, minding my own business, when a pack of cyclists blew by. Lister all but hauled me onto the back of the group and I was kind of committed, since the front riders rolled back and boxed me in. I completed the ride entirely on adrenalin and endorphins. All I remember is that at one point someone (Lister's brother?) physically pushed me up a hill in Queenswood.

Grateful and mortified in equal parts, I was hooked. And kept coming back. And bringing my kids. And getting voluntold to join the board. And I'd still be riding with you lot if I weren't a few time zones away. I haven't found anything like TS here and may never. (Ann Arbor Velo is a nice, but rather cutthroat club and offers precious little for those of us who are neither A riders nor interested in the Duffers' Ride to the bakery.)

<sniff>

Jeez, I miss you guys.

p.s. Everyone here compliments me on the TS kit

[Alan]

Kate, we miss you out here. Even with the snow.
I chuckled at your 'Duffer's ride to the bakery' comment.
Made me think of donuts...

[Gerry L]

I switched back to road (last done in the 1970s) from mountain biking after hearing about major mountain bike injuries. Survived the first Tour d Victoria and tried the Whistler Grand Fondo X3. Eventually my Triathlete daughter Mary also got a road bike and started some group rides with the Uvic Tri club. It looked interesting so I joined some of the MEC Sunday rides in 2015. After they ended for the winter I remembered seeing some apparently crazy cyclists racing around Henderson very early in the morning. After a little Internet research discovered Tripleshot (web site and forum were very helpful) and tried a couple of Tuesday C rides. The group members were welcoming to a beginner and could I could (usually) keep up with the C group. Decided to join in 2016.

I never would have tried a Masters race (only lapped once!), a few summer B rides or ridden the Big Loop (90 k farther than my previous record) on my own. The coffee and swapping of stories at the end are the carrots to keep going when the legs are unhappy with the last hill climbed. What can top being in a group of cyclists blasting by the anchored boats in Oak Bay at sunrise in Victoria (I'm not so sure about racing up Ash Hill)?



GL

[GarthR]

Before Tripleshot, there was a small group that met at Alec Walton's medical office, Fort and Richmond, in the early hours. I was preparing for a cycling trip in Italy and Alec invited me to join in the fun, 6:00 every Wednesday. Alec had been active in the Wheelers for many years and his cousin Brian,rode with 7 Eleven professionally amongst other achievements- good family foundations. As with all good things, word spread of the early morning rides, as did the number of riders. Eventually, what I refer to as the "French Revolution" of cycling in Victoria occurred: The Lawyers appeared and Tripleshot was born and has never looked back. It has grown to be one of the most successful clubs in BC. All good things have roots.

[norman marcy]

Why I joined TripleShot? As with a few others, I rode with the predecessor group and was there for the beginning. This is how I recall it. My answer is also intended to address previous thread inquiries about the “founding principles”

FOUNDING OF TRIPLESHOT CYCLING

One has to note that Triples hot was the result of an increasing number of riders invading the SpinDoctors cycling group. SpinDoctors had many complementary ideas for a riding group but largely limited to the medical community. Today we still meet at the SpinDoctors meeting location of Dr. Alex Walton’s then offices. Others of the group then included Drs. Chris Fraser, Brian Sinclair, Brian Barry, Richard Backus and Lister Farrar and Bob Cameron. The group was small enough that on Fridays we would go for breakfast together at the bagel shop down town.

As more of the doctors abandoned the group to the newcomers like Peter Lawless, Bill Ethier, Dylan Reeves, Galan Davison, Roland Rabian Mike Buel, Dave Spiers and Jeff George, those that attended rides regularly started to think of themselves as a new group and not the Spin Doctors any longer. At coffee one sunny morning after a great ride up Shelborne, Ash Road and the Waterfront, and on the second round of espressos, (tea in Peters case) the TripleShot group idea was hatched. Of course the name came about because three shots of espresso must be better than two.

Part of the discussion that morning included may of the following ideas:

Founding Principles:

1. Group rides that encourage all riders to participate. A reminder/observation that our “c” rides are now faster that any TripleShot rides at the beginning of the club.
2. Early morning rides to avoid the traffic and to allow busy folks to still ride and take care of their kids and get to work on time.
3. No drops - this is a group activity so that everyone gets better. Keep it safe and disciplined to teach proper cycling etiquette
4. Affiliate with no particular Local Bike Shop. Everyone had different shops that they used and liked. There were already bike clubs with bike shops as organizers or key sponsors and they seemed to unknowingly limit participation from folks who were not part of the particular bike shop clique or tribe. Examples at the time included Fairfield, Riders, Physical Culture, Oak Bay, and Russ Hayes. Oak Bay Bikes has gone some ways to alleviate that in their Saturday rides and woman’s rides. OBB has increased their participation by becoming more like TripleShot. Some of the other rides in town still turn into a knife fight very quickly.
5. Give back to the community (this has developed over time and as the club has gotten bigger and had more capacity through greater numbers of participants)
6. Go for Coffee at the end of the ride to solve the problems of the world, get to know your companion riders, and to keep it social.

All but number 5 were a part of those early caffeine fuelled discussions, as I recall.

I agree with the thrust and intent of these principles and continue to believe that we can do well and better in maintaining the ethos that they portray.

Norman

[MWhiticar]

As unlikely as it sounds, my start with TS was due to Lister's broken collarbone (second one?). Well of course there is a back story too. After a camping/mountain bike trip to Hornby with Lister & Co, he suggested that I was a strong climber and should come out and ride with TS. My response: Are you kidding.. ya wanna see me in spandex? Yuk Yuk ... No F'in way!

Well, what do I know... Lister calls me up and says that he is getting back on the iron horse after his convalescence. He said that he would appreciate it if I would join him. He would be slow and would ride with me to show me the ropes. So I went to the shed and dusted off my 1971 10-speed Carlton double-butted Reynolds 531 with sew-ups and bar-end shifters, toe-clips.. figuring that this would be totally suitable for a group ride. Well it wasn't and I felt really, really old, even older than retro...

So Craigslist comes to the rescue and I scored my lovely yellow Fuji that you still see me struggling on.

But the story has an unexpected twist. Having survived that Friday ride, Lister said I should go out for the following Sunday ride. He confidently said that it was kind and gentle ride out to Matticks (he obviously has never been on a Sunday ride). Well when we left the parking lot, we turned right, not left. Well what do I know...I am just a Noobie. I did get suspicious once we crossed onto Esquimalt Lagoon (shouldn't we be going north??). Luckily I was joined by Richard, who was also on his first Sunday ride... Again all went well until we hit Lagoon Rd hill... Richard and I simply did not have enough gears and had to watch the group dance Contador-style up and away from us. BUT... typical TS, everyone was nonchalantly waiting for us at the top. It was an epic Sunday ride, even though we never made it close to Matticks....

And yes, Dave Spiers and Peter Lawless have both placed their kind hands on my butt.....THANK YOU to them and all of you!

[Alan]

Apparently if you're doing renovations (which I'm perpetually working on) this floor plan seems normal to explain to your other half how to proportion things.

[Rolf]

<Bump>

This was a fun and valuable exercise—one among many of JD’s excellent ideas.

May I encourage a fresh round of entries? C’mon folks: you can help pen our Club history here!

[John D]

The most important post in the thread is Norm's - wherein he's lay out club's founding principles (developed over coffee, natch).

Amen,
JD

P.S. Did I mention that I still blame John Taylor for convincing me that riding a road bike at 6:00am was a good idea?

[Rob Berry]

Others of the group then included Drs. Chris Fraser, Brian Sinclair, Brian Barry, Richard Backus and Lister Farrar and Bob Cameron. The group was small enough that on Fridays we would go for breakfast together at the bagel shop down town.

Dr. Brian Berry's son has taken up his torch!

[Marc]

I picked up cycling while mending from a weight lifting injury, discovered that I absolutely loved it, and kind of went nuts with it - lots of bike packing trips and long weekends of exploring. A friend introduced me to Strava while on a trip to Whistler, and I got hooked on competing for segments. I wanted to get into the top 10 for all the sprint segments in town, so I started searching for group rides and races in town to try and get faster. In that search, I went to Paul's Rumble 100K ride at one point and met Mike Dawson, who told me that I had to try Tripleshot, which I'd seen on Strava, but had no intention of going to because it was so early. Mike eventually talked me into it and I gave it a try, had a blast, and TripleShot has been a part of my weekly routine ever since.

[Claire]

I saw this thread back in the fall and had intended to chime in. It took until now (COVID-19 has been really good for catching up on nearly-forgotten to-do lists) to follow up. Hopefully others will share their origin stories, too. It's starting to feel like forever since the "normal days" of TS morning rides but I'm hopeful that it won't be too terribly long until we're back at it. And, even if it's long, it will be eventually. In the meantime, let's reminisce!

It was early spring 2015 and I'd been running fairly seriously for some years* when I got a sudden injury mid-race (at the Comox half marathon). The stubborn injury kept me from regular training for long enough that I got impatient with the waiting and the "rehab" and dusted off my old road bike to satisfy my outdoor exercise needs. Pretty soon my running friend Julie (yes, that Julie) was encouraging me to try a TS ride so I showed up one Friday for the B ride. According to Julie, some of the regulars were impressed I wasn't dropped (which my praise-hungry brain interpreted as praise) and I was hooked.

By that fall, my running friend Garth (yes, that Garth) was also sidelined with a running injury and we started exploring the local riding routes together and showing up regularly for TS Sunday rides. Apparently some people thought we were a couple because we usually appeared together, partway into the ride. Not true! By that winter, I was fully hooked on the early-morning riding routine, chasing fast people around the peninsula regularly (suffering in Lund's slipstream was always such a "treat") and gobbling up all the mileage I could.

Claire

* The running was preceded by a handful of years of childrearing and a decade or so of competitive cycling (mostly off-road) before that, so two wheels on technical dirt trails was arguably my foundation and first sporting love.

[conway]

Hi:

Why did I join Tripleshot? Before I can answer the question, I need to provide background to my cycling history. After 25 years of no physical activity in 2005, with encouragement from my son Kevin, I decided to ride to work on my old 30 year old Raleigh. This lead to riding the Randonneurs' 100K Populaire event in 2007. I was hooked . I then rode a number of randonneuring brevets in the following years leading to riding the 1400K London-Edinburgh-London brevet in 2019. In early 2010 Kevin suggested I needed a new challenge so he encouraged me to join Triple shot. With a great deal of trepidation I turned up one early Tuesday morning and rode “C”. Subsequently, on a few occasions, I rode above my station, by joining the “B” group. I have continued to ride with Tripleshot ever since.

There is one more question to be answered. Why after ten years do I remain a Tripleshot member? Two words assist me in answering the question - ethos and empathy. The club's “ethos” can be best described as “no-drop social” club. The club's ”empathy” can be summed up in words such as friendship and encouragement – all are welcomed to join the Tripleshot rides, from the very young to the not so young. From my very first ride I have been the beneficiary of the club's ethos and empathy. I received nothing but friendship and encouragement from all Tripleshot members. Sometimes it has been in the form of when climbing a hill, other times by a gentle helping hand on the back or other times the very welcomed words “steady-up” when lagging. These are the reasons I continue to ride with Tripleshot and enjoy the friendship and spirit of the club.

Mark F.