Hi Everyone!
We’ve been getting quite a few questions regarding plans for club activities in the fall, so thought it would be best to make one post with our current answers. Given the situation, many of our activities will be different from how they’ve previously been run, but we’re confident that with modification, we can safely go for rides and have fun as a club this semester! As is standard protocol, members who have traveled outside Canada in the past 14 days, who have been in contact with a suspected case, or who have any covid symptoms will not be permitted at activities. Additionally, social distancing will be protocol at all mid-ride stops and gatherings off the bike (this means you should be bringing a mask to rides). Although it will be difficult to move past the loss of the 2020 ECCC season, lets now turn our attention to the fall and what is currently being planned for the coming weeks!
Le Club Rides: these run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings and are usually about 1 hour long, followed by a stop for coffee. They’re a good way to see some of the roads if you’re new to Montreal and want to go with a group, but there won’t necessarily be any McGill riders attending them until August 26. More information can be found here.
First Organized Meetup: the weekend before school starts (August 28) we’re planning to have an afternoon/ evening spin to welcome new riders to the club, followed by some sort of activity… watch the the forum for a post with the specifics, but for now clear your calendar!
Montreal Training Camp/ 5 days of fun to makeup for any downfalls of the past 5 months: on September 9 we will be starting a 5 day training camp based out of Montreal. Each day we have a ride planned, and a social activity in Montreal to spend time in each others company! The trip is free, and information can be found here.
Introduction Ride: this will likely be the weekend of September 20, but again, watch the forum for details.
KOM/ TPR: on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, we will again be running our KOM and TPR series. Expect these to begin around the second week of school.
Pie/ Coffee Weekend Rides: these won’t be following any schedule, but periodically we will be going for group rides on weekends (and now that school is online, likely weekdays too!) Watch on the forum for these rides, or post about one if you don’t see any but would like to go with a group!
Winter Training: as it stands we will likely not be having indoor spins at the McGill gym through the winter. Options including group zwift+ zoom rides are being explored to replace these. Toguri (indoor, coached spin classes) are expected to be a go.
It wouldn’t be MCT without potlucks, so prepare recipes for a few of those throughout the fall. If it hasn’t been made apparent yet, the most important thing to do to stay aware of club activities is to sign up for the forum and check it periodically, so do that if you haven’t already!
If there are any questions about anything, feel free to reach out to me or another exec member. As the situation with social gatherings and McGill policy changes, our plans will as well, so bare in mind that these plans are all tentative. We’re hopeful that MCT will be a safe place to relieve school stress and be involved in the McGill community, but it’s important to remember that everyone is responsible to act smart when approaching these situations. As planners we are ensuring our activities comply with provincial rules, but we ask that as participants everyone consciously works to do their part in keeping the club safe. With that being said, I am personally very excited to get back riding with the club and welcome new members!