We wanted to pass along some plans that the leadership team has put together.
The bad news:
1.) Unfortunately, we had to cancel the mountain bike season and Labor Day retreat. We couldn’t, in good conscience, organize a season that has us traveling and congregating across the southwest.
2.) Cyclocross is still very much up in the air. We probably won’t host a race open to the public this season.
3.) For now, we’ll pause weekly team group rides. We’d like to wait and see how the first couple of weeks play out.
Ok, now the better news:
1.) All dues-paying members ($40) will get a custom team mask and water bottle.
2.) The team meeting/coffee ride will be outdoors (park TBD and weather dependent). Being outside will give us space to spread out a bit, but we’ll ask you to bring a mask. Since we won’t be racing this semester, the team will provide and distribute doughnuts/empanadas- you’ll have to bring any coffee or tea.
The website allows us to select ten segments with points awarded for the fastest times. We’ll run this for road and MTB. Winners will receive swag from our sponsors. It does require a Strava premium account ($60/year), but since we won’t collect race dues for this semester, it is a reasonably even swap. Plus, you’ll get access to the new mapping tool, which is incredibly useful when riding in new areas.
4.) We’ll have a “most improved rider” series using A Mountain. It’ll be a five-event series spaced out every two weeks. The first event will establish your base time, and then subsequent weeks will award points based on who improved the most (prizes for the fastest ride of the week as well). We’ll collect times using the Strava segment. I’ll have more details later.
5.) We’ll have scavenger hunts. An experienced rider on the team will select an object/area to take a photo at and then post clues. The first rider to post the photo wins the prize.
6.) Later in the fall, we’re looking at holding a small cyclocross omnium consisting of track and field events:
-Fastest lap
-Sandy hill climb (like a long jump)
-Bunny hop (like a high jump)
-Match sprint
-Relay
7.) We may hold small weekly non-contact skills rides with masks/buffs a few weeks into the semester.
Finally, a note on group rides.
We strongly recommend keeping it small and forming a riding group of 3-4 you trust. If you are a new member, we’ll try to facilitate this. Again, we’d like to see how the first few weeks of the semester plays out.
Additional guidelines for rides can be found here:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/usac-craft-uploads-production/documents/COVID-19-Event-Resources/Group_Ride_Recommendations_061220.pdf
Of course, this is all subject to change based on caseload, public health guidelines, and UA policies.
