DEAR PARENTS
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Training Ride Cancellations
We occasionally need to cancel training rides due to weather conditions.
We do not reschedule or make up canceled rides, nor do we adjust the starting time by a short interval (e.g., an hour).
Why not? Short notice changes for our large group make child care arrangements and general planning difficult.
We suggest scheduling at least two rides with us each month just in case one ride is canceled.
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Why Training Ride Attendance is Crucial
We understand that mandatory attendance for our training rides can be inconvenient. However, this policy is directly linked to the safety and success of the RAC. Here is the back story:
The Early Days (Pre-2015): The RAC, then called "Bike Club," began with focused training led by Deer Canyon Elementary's 5th-grade teacher Dennis Bueker and principal Mike Fickel. After Dennis retired, training rides were voluntary; training had only two mandatory, challenging rides in March.
Safety Concerns & Dropouts: During this post Dennis period, the RAC was ‘sketchier.’ A significant percentage of participants (around 20%?) would drop out after the difficult mandatory training rides. Parent/kids weren’t trained to ride with large groups
The Shift (Post-2015): When training rides became mandatory, we saw an improvement. Drop-out rates fell , and riders reported being much happier on the RAC because they could enjoy it.
The Most Important Result: Our groups became safer.
Mandatory training ride attendance is for your benefit and the safety of all participants. Thank you for understanding.
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Please remember the The Night Light Bike Ride on Saturday, December 6 at 4 pm. This is one of our prettiest rides and definitely the most sparkliest.
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From Dr. Bob, Bike Mechanic
The Night Light Bike Ride is coming up December 6. Everyone decorates their bikes with lights and it’s tons of fun. Now seems like a good time to get lights and figure out how to mount them on your bike. The mechanic newsletter discusses this and also, what kind of lights you should use for safety.
We still have bikes if you are looking. Contact mechanic@rideacrosscalifornia if you are interested.
There will be no mechanic’s clinic this week. I’m busy getting ready for the El Tour de Tucson. When we resume, we will go back to tire changing. We will also be changing the day and time of the clinic. I’m thinking Saturday’s at 3, but if you would like to see a different day or time, let me know.
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Question: What if two rides are cancelled in one month?
Answer: In the unlikely event of two rainy weekends in one month, we suspend our attendance policy for that month.
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OUR NEXT RIDE
Saturday, November 22
9 am. Please arrive by 8 45 am
Address: 401 Riverside Dr. Oceanside Harbor Lot 1. Oceanside, CA
Please access via Carmelo Drive. Access from Riverside Drive is blocked.
This starting point is a 30ish minute drive from PQ.
The vast majority of this ride is on a dedicated bike path. Some sections are on dirt and might be muddy.
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The weather should be good this weekend. Yay. Thank you for reading.
Christiane