Hey folks,
Invitations went out last week for Thursday TTT, and will again this week. Getting the TTT right under Covid may require some experimentation.
Given Covid it's important that we not overcrowd the Ring Road. So we're limiting numbers to 5 groups of 5 riders. We're offering 3 rides down at Beacon Hill Park that people can use as an overflow option (folks who live in that area are welcome to use those rides as a regular option too).
There's no set pacing of groups, because starts are staggered and we're riding on a circle. Find people you want to ride with and sign up for the same group. This requires a little coordination (you can message people privately in Spond).
If rides fill up, please don't show up with a group and freelance. Ride on a different day or at Beacon Hill Park. Same with solo TT'ing. Crowd management gets too hard with too many people, and if people freelance, we'll have to cut down on the number of ride groups we offer there.
Groups that are rolling out should carefully look *back* before heading out. You're not used to groups coming up from behind as you roll out.
When you're done with your set, don't stop and bunch up at the staging spot. Other groups will be forming there for their first set. Roll straight into a cooldown lap in the left lane (hugging the inside curb), and then roll straight into your next set. Groups in the middle of their set will be passing fast in the same lane as you as you do your cooldown lap, so please stay aware of groups approaching from behind and keep safely in a single file line.
As usual, be careful approaching the bottleneck before the stop sign. Passing in the bottleneck is unsafe. While some folks like to turn the end of their set--especially when passing or being passed--into a personal sprint, that tends to get chaotic and therefore unsafe and is also not how TTT works. Typically times are judged by the time of the 4th person across the line. So if you're sprinting off the front of your group coming into the finish, you're doing it wrong. Your 4th person would cross the line faster if you stayed in a tight formation and continued to provide them and the others pulling them with a draft.
We've invested a lot in good relations with UVic and the local police over the several years this ride has been run. Please help to keep it safe and sustainable so members can continue to enjoy it in the future. Thanks.
Cheers!
Martin
Some more information about the TTT can be found here, but note that this is how things were run before Covid. People cannot reconfigure groups during Covid and starts are now staggered with no attempt to order them by pace. http://www.tripleshotcycling.com/rides/ ... ime-trail/
Thursday TTT is back
Moderator: mfarnham