Club bits and Pieces

Hi Everyone
The minto road race is two weeks away on June 13, so mark your calendars and please let me know if you can bring a volunteer.
Local club riders recently went down to Washington state and competed in the Mutual of Emunclaw stage race. Highlights are Jordan Duncan winning the Cat4 TT and the Cat4 overall race. And Mark Grant beating the US national champ for his age in the time trial as well. For a full report please see the local paper sometime this coming week.
Local riders are also competing in the Victoria Cycling festival which includes the bear mtn HC, the Sooke-Port Renfrew-Sooke Road race, and the Bastion Square Criterium. For pictures please see here.
Next week club riders will be over at the Westside classic!
Mountain City Cycles is sponsoring the next road race (Minto RR), so feel free to drop by and thank them for there upcoming support!
And for all your energy gel needs that cant be found at bike shops (ie. Gu energy gels) go to Extreme Runners for all the energy gel madness. Mention you are part of the club and thank them for there support!

Tsolum River Road Race Report

Hi All
The Comox Valley Cycle Club kicked off the 2010 Race Season with sunny skies on the Tsolum River Road race course this past Sunday on May 16. Local and out of town riders for a total of 39 riders (15 A, 12 B. 10 C) with a great turnout of 16 volunteers to help put on the race.
After a attack filled 72.5km road race for the A's including; breakaways, solo's, and counterattacks. Local cyclist John Van der Vliet sprinted to the win followed by Aaron Dusseault (Russ-Hays of Victoria) and then Tom Malcylski (Victoria) in a time of 1.53.05. After the race John Van der Vliet was heard as saying he was surprised of the win due to just getting over Bronchitis.

In the B category after another attacked filled race of 51.8km did last years C series winner, and John Van der Vliets son, Jake Van der Vliet take the win with a sprint finish followed closely by Sig Isaac and Paul Sidlick. Perhaps it should be the Van der Blurs?

In the C category race of 31.1km did new club racers Mike Brown, Aaron Prain, James Grant, and bother Mark Grant go for the win followed by fellow learn to race clinic riders Rurik hubner, Leslie Dargie, Crystal Dargie, and Kip Keylock. The clubs first paracyclist, Simon Harrington finished the race after Kip followed closely by young junior Brodie Hay.

A big thanks to Black's Cycle for Sponsoring this road race, all the volunteers who made this race possible,Quality foods for providing drinks and refreshments, Tim Hortons for providing bagels, Carmen Wakeling of Eatmore Sprouts and Greens for organizing all the food/beverages and for providing sprouts to go with the bagels.
Click here to go to the facebook album link

Old CVCC website

Links to all the old club pics.
1987-2003
2004
2005
2006
2007

Club Kit and May Meeting Minutes

Hi Everyone
If you want to order club clothing ACT FAST! and click here. The deadline is Sat. May 15th. There will be two Order Drop-off dates. Monday May 10, 5:30-6p.m. at Vanier Sports Centre to Linda or Chuck at the Race Clinic or Sat. May 15 at Peter’s
(1970 6th St. East Courtenay) from 4-6 pm.
May's club meeting minutes. Usual business for the executive.
This years first time trial on May 5 had an amazing 32 rider turnout for the Headquarters loop. Results here.
Cheers
Doug

Time Trials start Wednesday

Just to remind you that the Umteenth Annual Comox Valley Cycle Club Time Trial Series begins next Wednesday evening, 5 May, 6 p.m. on the Headquarters Road out-and-back. Registration opens at 5:30 near the bridge at the corner of Headquarters and Rennison. See ya all there.

Snow to Surf

Good Luck Tomorrow to any club members competing in the Snow to Surf Team Relay!

Comox Valley Cycling Coalition Needs your help!

Dear Cycling Community,

As you may be aware, the City of Courtenay, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure intends to widen Cliffe Ave. between 17th and 21st St.  It has come to the attention of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition that this project has moved ahead to the final design and the acquisition of adjacent private property.  We are informed that a joint decision has been taken by MOTI and the City (i.e. the City Engineer)  NOT to include cycling lanes in this section of reconstruction.    Neither the City Council, nor any member of the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force or the Cycling Public Advisory Committee has been consulted before this decision was taken.  

This project has moved ahead despite the fact that members of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition as well as the Cycling Public Advisory Committee had repeatedly requested to be involved in the early planning stages of major road improvements; we specifically mentioned Cliffe Ave widening as a project we were interested in.   

We are told it is too costly, and anyway, it's only 4 blocks, and the rest of Cliffe Ave does not have any cycling lanes either and that there is the Riverway and Fitzgerald Avenue which are more bike friendly.  Etc. etc.  

Our concerns:

• 
  
  Cliffe Ave is a designated bicycle route in the 2007 Comox Valley Cycling Plan.  It is the most important north-south artery through the City and it is important that every opportunity be taken to upgrade this corridor to safely accommodate ALL road users, including cyclists.  
• 
  
  Cycling lanes are proposed for Fitzgerald Ave from 26th to 8th St.  This is a welcome improvement, but in no way represents a substitution for the Cliffe Ave Corridor.  We need to make it absolutely clear that all users, including cyclists need to be safely accommodated on all major access corridors into the city.  
• 
  
  The Task Force process is ineffective, if a member of the engineering staff can make a critical decision in contravention of the Cycling Plan without Council involvement.

We have not been provided with the design plans, but we are aware of some technical details:

• 
  
  Land purchase/expansion will be taking place on the east side of Cliffe only (the water side).  As cyclists we can attest to needing only a minimal amount of space (1 meter).  This was deemed too costly during the land purchasing process.
• 
  
  A meridian between the street and sidewalk is included in the design, this is the continuation of the "Mile of Flowers" along the other side of the sidewalk.  
• 
  
  We think the required space IS available but is inefficiently allocated to the various uses. 

As any good bike mechanic will tell you; Buy well, buy once.  Buy poorly, buy often. 

There is no doubt that Cliffe Ave. will one day safely accommodate cyclists.  We are not only the present, but the future of transportation.  The question is, will we pressure our local governments to make the right decisions today, or wait until the slow, dragging political process catches up with reality and has to scramble more taxpayers dollars to make up for the mistakes of the past.

There has been a lack of action since the drafting of the 2007 Comox Valley Cycling Plan (or, even further back, the 1995 Cycling Strategy).

If you want to see the changes actually happen, not anticipate their possibility in 15 years… Join us at City Hall Council Chambers, 4pm , Monday April 12^th and together we’ll let the City know we’re serious about safe cycling routes and clean transportation. We will be asking the City to scrap the current proposed budget until such time that plans to widen Cliffe include cyclists.

Thank you for your support!