Author: Mel Saari

Killer Beez Sunday group rides will commence this Sunday at 10 AM from the plaza in front of the Landmark 6 building (next to the Bean Scene) on Dickson Road.   With the exception of face masks (wear them if you want), Covid 19 safety protocols must be adhered to by all participants.  This means no pace lines and practising recommended social distancing pre, post and during rides.  Riders will break up into groups of 10 maximum based on desired distance and average speed. 

Please be aware that all participants assume personal responsibility for any  incidents, accidents or injuries that may result during the ride.

Hope to see you on Sunday.

We all know that cycling is one the funnest things you can do with your clothes on.  This fact is now confirmed by Trek’s latest ad which you can view here. 

So let’s get at it.  Time to rinse out the chamois and don the latex for another season.

The first Killer Beez Wednesday evening ride from Kelowna Cycle, will start at 4 PM this Wednesday, April 7th. 

Dates and times for other Killer Beez group rides will be announced later this week on this blog.

Start your Engines.

Thanks to Tom Ferguson, who has volunteered to lead us on a hike around Black Mountain on Friday, April 2nd.   The weather forecast looks decent for Friday – cloudy with a high of 12, but no rain is predicted.  We will gather at the intersection of Mackenzie and Swainson Roads (familiar to cyclists as the Mailboxes at the top of Mackenzie hill) at 9:50 AM to be guided to the trailhead. 

Come out to enjoy a great hike.

Here’s something totally different from what normally appears in this blog. Never mind, you have to read it anyway.

Some of you may have heard that our little cousins, wild bees (not a rival gang), are facing adversity. Wild bee populations are being threatened by the following factors:

• Loss of natural habitat due to urbanization and other human development.
• Diseases due to importation of bees from other countries.
• Use of pesticides harmful to bees.

Why are wild bees important? About eighty percent of the plants we eat depend on bees for pollination. Without bees, many fruits and vegetables would no longer be available. Wild bees are also very important to biodiversity in nature. We must not allow them become extinct. Fortunately, there are a number of ways we can help our little cousins.

We can grow plants native that attract wild bees, monarch butterflies, and other pollinators. For plant recommendations click here. We can also monitor our insecticide use closely (or not use them at all) — even if it’s labeled “organic” — and follow all label instructions before use. For bee-safe insecticide recommendations click here. If we have a garden, we can let it go … just a little bit! Allowing our veggie and herb plants to flower and some dandelions to bloom, will offer forage opportunities for bees. Lastly, we can educate our children, relatives, friends and politicians about the importance of bees and what we can all do to help them thrive.

Let’s make an effort to help our wild bee cousins. It’s for our benefit as well.

Besides being an alternate method to get to a coffee shop, there may be 10 other benefits to cycling.  Who knew?

By the way, there are only about 60 sleeps until the start of cycling season for you hardy ones out there, 90 sleeps for the softies – if you’re counting that is. 

In the meantime there is snow to play in.  Contact Biggi or Mel for snow-play dates and times.

The BC Cancer Foundation has established a Legacy Student Internship Fund in memory of Alistair Baillie, our dear friend and long-time fellow Killer Beez member, who passed away earlier this year.  The purpose of his fund is to support a Summer Student in Medical Physics at the Kelowna Cancer Centre.

Because of his modesty, most of us never knew much about Alistair’s work, other than he worked at the Cancer Centre.  Click here for a summary of the exceptional accomplishments of this soft-spoken, unassuming man, and for information regarding his legacy fund, plus how you may contribute.