From next Friday (Oct 11) we will start the West Kelowna Friday ride at 10am. That might make it a little warmer!
See you on the ride …
Michael.
Update from Paul: Ottawa
Hello from Ottawa!
Lots of tourists on parliament hill. There is definitely an increased security presence. Beautiful views of the Rideau Canal. Now it’s on to Montreal. Hope to reach the Atlantic Ocean next week.
Paul
New start time and PARTY!
From September 29 on, we will be starting the regular Sunday ride at 10am!
The tradition continues:
Our end-of-season party will be hosted, yet again, by Pam and Shaun!
On October 25, starting at 6pm, we will be meeting at the Horan’s at 6-2155 Horizon Drive in West Kelowna. A great chance to socialize and see everybody without lycra!
At the gate, press 6 on the key pad so we can let you in!
BYOB and food item of your choice from the following list:
- Appetizer
- Vegan entree
- Entree
- Salad
- Dessert
Email Pam at [email protected] and let her know if you will be attending and what you will be bringing from the above list!
For the 4 Sundays in November (3/10/17/24) we are again planning hikes in the Kelowna area. Watch the blog for details!
New plan: Armstrong Ride on SATURDAY!
Seems like the September Sundays are cursed đ 
Considering the weather forecast, we are moving the special ride to Saturday (Sept 21) as it should be a sunny and warm day, compared to Sunday.
We decided to do the Armstrong ride instead of Green Mountain as it is lower, has shortcut options if needed and seemed to be very popular, based on your feedback. We want the special rides to be safe excursions that everybody enjoys!
So here are the details for Saturday:
Armstrong Classic on September 21th
We will meet at 8:45am at the Memorial Park in Armstrong (where the Century Ride starts); you should be ready to start cycling by 9:00am. Please try to car pool to Armstrong with other cyclists if you can – meet at 7:30am at the Bean Scene on Dickson to catch or offer a ride.
The park washrooms will be open in Armstrong. Remember to bring enough food and drinks for the ride. We are planning on doing the 90km route from Armstrong via Grindrod and Enderby back to Armstrong (980m elevation gain). There will be a resupply at Farmer Johnâs in Grindrod (at 63km); they have drinks, snacks, ice cream etc. After the ride we can decide if we want to go for lunch somewhere.
Watch this blog for a last update on September 21th at 6am to confirm (or cancel if we really have to) the ride, based on weather. But the forecast looks good!
If the weather is decent on Sunday morning at 9am, we will meet for the regular Sunday ride at the Bean Scene and adjust length if necessary, depending on the forecast.
Update from Paul: Cycling Across Canada!
Just wanted to share the latest on my Cross Canada Bicycle Trip with my Killer Beez friends. Please pass on to anyone who might be interested!Today I’m in Sault Ste. Marie on Day 36 and have completed 3900 of 6000km, so 2100km to go. There have been some rainy days and many more sunny days. I am averaging about 100km per day.
Through most of Alberta & Saskatchewan I had a wonderful tailwind. Manitoba had confused wind.
In Ontario, North of Superior was was very 
hilly with several days of 2000, 2500 and even 3000 foot climbs. Had to really plan ahead as there are only a few small towns and they are very far apart.
hilly with several days of 2000, 2500 and even 3000 foot climbs. Had to really plan ahead as there are only a few small towns and they are very far apart.Tomorrow I head to Sudbury which will take about 3 days, then on to Ottawa.
Paul
Title pic is Kakabeka Falls near Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Green Mountain Ride: Sept 22
Green Mountain Ride September 22 (weather permitting)
Meet at 7:45am at Starbucks on 2231 Louie Drive in West Kelowna to carpool. If you have room for another rider or are looking for a ride, please meet us there! The ride starts in Penticton at 9am in the Skaha Lake Parking lot (corner Elm Ave and Cypress St).
The ride is approximately 90km long with almost 1100m of climbing, see GPS here. Bring enough food and drinks for this distance (one resupply point at 47km).
We will regroup and wait for everybody at the very least at the Apex turnoff, the junction with Highway 3A, Twin Lake Golf Course (to resupply) and Okanagan Falls. If waiting to regroup is not for you, feel free to organize a separate ride!
Watch this blog for a last update on Sept 22 at 6am to confirm (or cancel) the ride, based on weather.
Armstrong Ride cancelled!
As per Tom Ferguson:
“I am going to call a “no go” [for the Armstrong ride on Sunday Sept 15] now … the weather forecast doesnât look good. People might as well know now so they can plan their day.”
We might try to reschedule for sometime in the future but no date yet.
Green Mountain Ride postponed!
With 80-90% chance of rain in Penticton and Keremeos all morning, it is wise to leave this ride for a dry day! The route is too remote to be caught in downpours or thunderstorms. We will postpone to September 22, in two weeks (next weekend is Tom’s Armstrong Classic).
If the roads are dry in Kelowna at 9am today, we can ride from the Bean Scene and stay close to town and shortcuts. If it’s wet, just coffee đ
Sept 15: Tom’s Armstrong Classic – Another favourite!
Presented by Tom Ferguson:
Armstrong Classic on September 15th (weather permitting)
We will meet at 8:45am at the Memorial Park in Armstrong (where the Century Ride starts); you should be ready to start cycling by 9:00am. Please try to car pool to Armstrong with other cyclists if you can. The park washrooms will be open. Remember to bring enough food and drinks for the ride. There will be a resupply at Farmer Johnâs in Grindrod (at 63km); they have drinks, snacks, ice cream etc.
The ride is approximately 80km with 815m of vertical gain (see GPS here). There is an option at the beginning of the ride to add another 10 km (with a little climbing) for those keen and interested. We would regroup on Otter Lake Road.
After the ride, for those interested, we will meet for lunch at Spallumcheen Golf Course. They have decent food with a nice sitting area outside. The easiest way to get there is to drive south on Otter Lake Road.
Watch this blog for a last update on September 15th at 6am to confirm (or cancel) the ride, based on weather.
What the Beez are all about …
Recently, we have been speaking to the group before heading out on our group rides, to reinforce what the Beez are all about. As a reminder, we are a social group, with no pace goal for our rides, but with the clear rule to wait at strategic points and not to drop anyone (though anyone can opt to leave the ride/cut it shorter after letting us know). If you want to hammer out a strong pace without waiting, we would prefer you go on your own.
Rail Trail: This is a great option to get out of or back into town quickly. However, it can be busy with pedestrians and casual cyclists so please use good judgement when using it. A loose group of 5-8 of us, stretched out and going at a casual pace while being conscious of other users is fine. A bulk of 15 road riders going 40km/h is not.
We usually do not ride pacelines unless on the highway. For those situations, please note the following:
The Killer Beez is a social riding group rather than a gung-ho bunch of racers. We do not ride with the speed or intensity that requires a structured paceline most of the time. However, there are some basic rules that come from a racing paceline that we should be using as standard procedures to maximize safety and to spread the workload (not to ride faster); we should also use this when doing a paceline on the highway.
The Killer Beez always try to remember the mantra of “Do not pass on the rightâ. This is because you may get trapped between the cyclist ahead and a hazard at the side of the road. Also, the rider ahead is not aware of your passing attempt. However, riding in a paceline seems contrary to our most basic rule, because we pass a former leader on their right. So letâs try and clear up this contradiction:
Always ride as far to the right as possible (safety permitting), which is usually in a marked bike lane, or to the right of a white line painted on the right of a roadway (a shoulder). Leaders of Killer Beez groups will try to choose routes with such a lane or shoulder along the route.
Bicycles have the same rights as all other vehicles and are allowed to use the roadway (i.e. to the left of the white line) if a bike lane or shoulder is not available or is unsafe (due to debris etc.). But be careful because some drivers donât understand your need for space in their roadway.
When leading:
- Point to any hazards in the lane, plus call and signal any upcoming turns or stops.
- Donât over-accelerate after a tight turn or climb because the riders behind are still going slowly and will get dropped.
- When ready to give-up the lead, check there is no traffic behind, move slightly to the left, give a âflickâ with your right elbow so the second rider knows to assume the lead.
- Ease off on your power slightly and “slideâ to the back of the group. Note that you are “abreastâ of other riders.
From the BC Motor Vehicle Act.
183 (2) A person operating a cycleâŚâŚmust not ride abreast of another person operating a cycle.
However if you checked the road was clear of traffic there should be no conflicts with drivers.
- Not all of our Beez are strong enough to take a pull at the front. If that is you, please merge back as described above.
When taking over the lead:
- DO NOT speed up.
- DO NOT change gears, unless really necessary.
- You should just feel a little more strain in your quads as you start to pull into the headwind.
- Donât overdo your effort and rip the group apart.
- Listen for a call of “Gappingâ from behind in case you start pulling away and need to slow down a little.
- Remember that you are now responsible to send back hand (and voice) signals to other riders behind you.
- If the previous leader rode faster or slower than normal for the group, try to reset to the normal pace.
- The length of time each leader spends at the front will vary for each rider. Donât be a hog at the front. When safe, pull out, do an elbow flick and slide back.
In the paceline:
The pull rider will ride at a constant pace and therefore will not coast. In order for the whole pace line to stay together and maintain a constant pace, no rider should be coasting. If you must slow slightly, a soft pedal may become necessary, or even a slight use of brake while maintaining soft pedal.
To summarize: The riders are not really “passing on the rightâ. It is more a case of the former leader “regressing on the leftâ. This is quite safe because both the former leader and the followers are aware of that happening. Also, the roadway to the left should be clear of traffic and safe for the former leader to slide back.
Climbing
The pace and structure of the group will change dynamically when climbing a hill due to the different speeds of each rider. A lot of passing will occur.
Our basic rule of âNo passing on the rightâ applies here as this is not a paceline situation. The steepness of the hill will determine when the group dynamic changes. Leaders are no longer sliding back, and strong riders are moving to the front.
Remember to keep as far to the RIGHT as possible, so that a stronger rider can pass on your left. If you are a slow climber, stay right. Other riders will pass on your left when they can safely do so. The onus of safety is on the rider that is overtaking.
If you wish to pass a slower rider, wait until it is safe to do so, and pass on their LEFT side. Call “On your leftâ (unless there is lots of room and the group is going very slowly). Then move to the right so that a faster rider can pass you.