We now have 50 signups! Registration is closed for 2015... questions? Email b-sts@nycc.org
Attention registered B-STS participants: we have a BRAND NEW website for you
Bookmark http://nycc.org/ridesevents/b-sts/home now!!!
The B-STS is a weekly series of progressive Saturday rides for dedicated and committed NYCC members. The goal of the series is to increase your riding stamina in a group riding environment, to make new friends and to reacquaint with old friends, and to have fun doing it.
Online registration for the 2015 B-STS opened on Wednesday, February 11 at 7am. The STS is free, but you must be a current NYCC member (join / renew) to register and participate. You may register for only one 2015 SIG or STS program. All are welcome to attend the February club meeting to hear more about the B-STS program and meet its leaders.
If you think the B-STS is for you and if you would like to participate in the series, please read the following:
The Basics
The B-STS is reserved for current, dues-paying members of the NYCC. Rides will be held on Saturdays. In the case of inclement weather, we may ride on Sunday. The series will be for 9 weeks.
- Registration for the B-STS will open on the NYCC website on February 11th
- Space will be limited to 50 registrants
- You must be a NYCC member to join the B-STS
- You must be logged onto the website to access the signup button at the bottom of THIS page. The button will be active once registration opens
Once registered, all riders will be expected to attend all the rides, though each participant will be allowed a few excused absences. If you miss three rides, your name will be removed from the program list. This is an important element in the series that ensures the integrity of the group. If you know beforehand that you expect to miss at least three rides, we suggest that you do not register and that you please leave a spot for someone who hopes to ride every week. (Email the club’s B-Rides Coordinator if you are looking for spring group riding opportunities for just a few weekends) Additionally, everyone must participate in the first ride of the season or else risk losing your spot. If you are not present for the first ride, and the leaders have not been notified of your absence, your spot will be given to the first person on the waiting list.)
Safety has always been, and will remain, the primary objective. You should note that the B-STS is NOT an instructional ride series. All participants are expected to be proficient in group riding etiquette, including single and double pace lining skills, to have a familiarity with most common NYCC routes in Bergen, Westchester and Nassau counties, to know basic bicycle maintenance, and to have a willingness (and responsibility) to take turns pulling during the rides. All B-STS participants should be graduates of the B-SIG or experienced B-level riders.
What to Expect
We assume a lot of us are not in tip-top form in early March. We also expect to accommodate a wide variety of skill and ability levels. At first we will ride together. Eventually the program will transition into two groups: a “fast” group and a “not as fast” group. We would urge you to find your best-fit group in the initial weeks, and stay within that group. This will enable you to be comfortable with your partners, and to develop cohesiveness within your group, which is one of the goals of the series. If you intend to go “off the front” if the group is not keeping up with your pace, just let the ride leaders know when you make that decision.
Everybody is expected to ride the same route.
Please make every effort to meet at the appointed starting place, and be on time, and not join the ride en route. Important information is shared during the pre-ride remarks, and it is necessary to be present. It is possible that during the first few weeks the rides speeds may be slower than advertised, but the objective will be to achieve a solid 16 - 18 mph by the second half of the series. Riders will be notified via email of the start time and place as well as the ride details a few days before the ride.
The Rides
Our rides will start off easy (flat + short), than gradually progress in mileage and degree of difficulty. Please be aware that your commitment to the B-STS is a significant one, and that the rides in the second half of the series are all-day affairs.
You will be required to obtain a Metro North bicycle permit as several of the rides will require us to take the train. Rest stops will be kept to a minimum, in both number of stops and their duration. In lieu of stopping at a diner for a sit down lunch, quick deli stops will be the norm. In this regard, the B-STS rides will more closely resemble A Rides in spirit.
The Fine Print
We will make every effort to accommodate a wide variety of cyclists with different abilities, especially in the beginning. Each participant is expected to be able to keep up, and if necessary, to be able to find his or her way home. Therefore, please be deliberate in choosing the sub-group within the B-STS that you will be riding with. B-STS may drop sluggish riders and all participants should be self-sufficient in case a severe mechanical issue or a fitness issue keeps you from proceeding.
For all B-STS-related questions, please send an email to: b-sts@nycc.org.
We’re looking forward to a great B-STS in 2015 and we hope to see you on the road on March 7th!
NOTE: Our 2015 roster is full, and registration is closed - hope to see you on a ride in 2015!