We’re back. Kind of.
That kind of has been incredibly useful over the past year. We’ve been, admittedly, over the top in our adherence to local and CDC guidelines, and the new changes have meant that getting the band back together is much safer than it has been in a long, long time. We’ve put together a quick checklist for joining rides; ours, other group rides, and yes, probably races, too.
We aren’t the CDC, but we can read and I did get a B+ in Biology at NMC one semester. These are really tenants of common sense that are built around our second, less frequently used motto: Don’t Be A Dick. (Sorry for the strong language, kids)
Get Vaccinated. For our rides, you have to be vaccinated. Just do it. It’s not hard. It’s free. And not only do you protect your own health and the health of your friends, but you’re also doing your part to protect the health of your friends’ friends, your friends’ family, and every string of the web that keeps our community connected.
Note: Don’t get your vaccine information from your crazy sister-in-law or someone random person filming themselves on YouTube or Instagram. Get the facts. You know, from doctors.
Don’t Show Up Sick. Got a cold? Stay home. Got a sore throat? Stay home. This is kind of a thing whether there’s a pandemic or not. No one wants your germs, and no one wants to wonder if they’re getting the ‘rona because you couldn’t do the smart thing and ride solo for a day. If anything, the pandemic has taught us to be more considerate and respectful of other people’s health; working at the bike shop, I remember customers that were sick as dogs coming in to chat. Didn’t need anything, didn’t buy anything, just to say hello and spread their cold, coughing and sneezing. The days of that being acceptable have got to be over. No one wants your germs.
Don’t Share Food. We just don’t need to risk it, and it’s also really annoying to have Wes eat my Clif Bar on every ride we’ve ever done that has been over two hours.
Don’t Be Late. Again, this has nothing to do with a pandemic, I just wanted to put this on here. Showing up late is annoying and messes with the domestic bliss of those around you. If a ride starts at 8am, be there at 7:55. Showing up at 8 and scrambling to put on your shoes is not being on time. Life happens every once in a while, but there are plenty of guilty parties who make tardiness a part of their life. Don’t.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be working in more and more group rides on the weekends. At this point, if anyone wants to volunteer to lead Speed of Light on Thursday nights, I’ll do the numbers, but I probably won’t be there. We are still going to try to keep rides limited to 10-15 people and may divide up if we have more than that show-up.
Finally, make sure you get in your time and your donation for the Trofeo Mark Dressler by the end of the month! We’ve got a great crew for the 2021 Less Cancer Bike Ride America on June 5, and your entry ‘fee’ for the Trofeo is a donation or to join us here.
We’ve missed you all. From Cody, Wes, and the whole kolo squad, let’s make this a summer of family reunions….without the cousins.