Blue Monday
Velo Cape Breton update for cycling enthusiasts.
"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
- Edith Sitwell, Poet”
Volume 15, #3 - Blue Monday
IN THIS EDITION:
Winter Potluck & Curling
Membership Renewal
Rides Captain Blog (Bike Log)
Wow Update
2018 Tracking Log
AT Infographic
Loose Chain Links
About That Funny
EDITORIAL: Blue Monday Well here it is, mid-January, the Christmas rush is over, the holidays done, and nothing left to look forward to but the bills and the long cold winter ahead of us. On the news the other day they were talking about Blue Monday, a supposed day in January claimed to be the most depressing day of the year. The factors determining the level of depression include such things as time spent relaxing, time spent in a state of stress, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, the weather, our personal debt, etc. etc. Personally, I don’t buy into this Blue Monday concept, especially at this time of year. One big reason is that it is the time of year when my daughter was born, and celebrating her birthday always brings back memories of the major snow storm that swept through Nova Scotia on the night she arrived, and brings thoughts of new life. Similar to the year she was born, last night brought a fresh clean blanket of snow here in Cape Breton, making the world bright and sparkly, and beckoning to the skiers and show-shoers and tobogganers to come out and enjoy the winter. Those of you with 'fat bikes' now have the opportunity to try out those wide tires on a snowy trail. If you are struggling to beat the blues, why not come out to the Winter Potluck on January 27 and enjoy some great company while trying your hand at Curling, followed by a potluck meal and some socializing. Rumour has it that Andree is bringing firewood to throw on the fire, so the room will be plenty cozy to warm up after the curling. There will be an announcement concerning the Cabot Trail in 4 Days Tour this summer. If you don’t want to curl on the ice, curl up by the fire with a friend, and enjoy the food. You can renew your yearly membership and have a good time beating the blues.
Winter Potluck Dinner & Curling Please see the flyer below for information regarding the upcoming Winter Potluck Dinner and Curling. Please pre-register at this link: Winter Potluck & Curling.
Membership Renewal Grace Period
Hello to current members as well as those of you considering membership for the first time and those of you who have let your membership lapse. Late last year your executive implemented a "membership renewal grace period" of 6 months, which I will explain momentarily. First, lets review what happens if you make a membership payment on or after September 1. Your membership officially coincides with our fiscal year, which runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year. In previous years, we have considered any membership payment made on or after September 1 to be for the following year, as most of the ride schedule would have been completed by then. So you are added to the current year's membership for the remaining days of September, but also will have full membership for the upcoming year. A great value for those late for payment, or for those making an early payment. This practice will continue. In addition, your membership will not automatically expire on October 1, our fiscal year end. You will remain a member for the next 6 months, however your membership dues will be in arrears. That is, you have 6 months to make your annual payment of $10.00 (adult) or $5.00 (under 19) to renew your membership. If your payment is not made by the 6 months deadline, which is on March 31 each year, then your membership will lapse and your name will be dropped from the current membership list. The upcoming Winter Potluck and Curling Event will be a prime opportunity to renew your membership, while enjoying great food and company. Or, to renew on line right away, please go to this link: http://velocapebreton.ca/application-adult
Ride Captain's Blog (Bike Log)
Greetings fellow cyclists and happy New Year. I am currently putting together the Ride and Event Schedule for 2018. There are many great adventures awaiting this summer, many journeys to be had and quests to be conquered. Be a part of the experience. Many of you may already ride on your own, so why not make it Velo sanctioned and commit one ride on the schedule so others can join in on the fun. I need your help to be a Ride Leader in order to make 2018 the best one yet. What does a Ride Leader do? Well, first commit to show up the day and time of the scheduled ride or find an alternative. Ensure everyone is equipped safely to ride and have fun. If someone is not a member- full membership can be paid on site or pay $2.00 for a single day. Also, make sure you start and end the ride with the same number of people. We hate to lose people! Each ride should have a leader familiar with the route and a sweep. We will be providing Ride Leaders with a Ride Leader Kit so you have everything you need. If you have a route you would like to share with others, let me know so I can incorporate it into the schedule. I can be reached at robocaper@hotmail.com. I will be reaching out for volunteers over the next couple of months. Thank you. – Rosalind Wright Ed. - see this link for Ride Leader Guidelines: http://velocapebreton.ca/ride-leader-s-guidelines
Women on Wheels - Cape Breton Women on Wheels is continuing to grow and with program funding pending, hopefully we will be able to offer some new ideas and surprises for the upcoming year. Currently, there are 2 WOW groups under Velo: Sydney and Glace Bay. This exciting program is open to women of all ages and abilities. I also need women to come forward and offer to lead a ride. WOW event rides can be anywhere in length from 10+ kms. You choose. Make it fun. Make it social. Make it a theme ride. Or, just a chance to ride and enjoy the scenery. WOW also still has some T-shirt style jerseys left in their inventory. These are the short sleeve pink T’s you see the women wearing to be more visible on the road. The following sizes are remaining and selling for $42.00: one XS, one XL, three XXL, two 3XL. They are cool on their own in the summer and great to layer over a turtleneck for cooler days. If you would like to chat or have an idea, contact me at robocaper@hotmail.com – Rosalind Wright, WOW Coordinator
2018 Tracking Log For those of you who are participating in the 52 Week Bike Challenge, or if you just want a convenient way to track your cycling, you can download an updated 2018 excel spreadsheet from the Velo Cape Breton website front page at this link (hint: look for B52): http://velocapebreton.ca/links
CBRM Active Transportation and Transit This is an 'infographic' showing the results of a social marketing project that Velo Cape Breton was involved in along with CBRM and others.
Loose Chain Links Interesting articles in which we thought you, as a cyclist, may be interested. A new electric bicycle designed right here in Nova Scotia, check it out.
< If you have something you would like to share with the cycling community that is not an advertisement or blatant self promotion, please send it in. We reserve the right to publish only those links we are sure that our readers may be interested in.>
About that funny!
What's the difference between a snowman and a snowwoman? Snowballs. What do you call a snowman party? A snowball. What does a cyclist ride in the winter? An icicle.
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