Hello Vancouver RCC members,

As the days get longer and snow lines higher the road calls. After our inaugural year of community reactivation, we have some great rides and collaborations in store for 2024.

Firstly, a celebration of last year's great rides. Hurrah to good times and a vibe filled variety of routes and terrains. Our monthly hero rides took us to Whytecliffe Park, Iona Beach, Deep Cove, Seymour Dam and a tour of urban forest gravel. A core group also started a weekly after-work Thursday ride to make the most of our summer nights. A personal favourite was the Grouse Gravel Grind organized by Chase.

The highlight last year, and an indicator of what's to come this year, was the RCC Seattle collaboration for the Triple Crown. RCC members came out of the woodwork, we conquered summits and enjoyed good coffee at our friend's Enroute.

Before setting out the plan for 2024 I want to thank everyone who came out last year to an RCC ride. You may know I moved back “home” to Vancouver last year after over a decade living abroad in London, UK and Paris. I had the privilege of being a Ride Leader on the streets of London, the heart and soul of the Rapha brand. It’s been a joy to bring a bit of the community and ethos of RCC to Vancouver. I particularly appreciated learning your version of Vancouver and getting out to new places with new faces. Thank you. Now for this year…

2024 Plans

So, it's time to think ahead, make some plans and set some goals. For the RCC YVR, the wider goal is to bring members together by bike, do what we do by riding together, and sharing experiences. Individually, you may also have big event goals, or just a desire to get out, be active and be social. Many have both goals in mind. As the world's largest cycling club, RCC has both ends covered.

Here's what we have in store to support your aims.

Expanding the ride leader roster. We build it when people come, not the other way around and there have been a number of dedicated rides and riders. As such we're going to add two ride leaders to offer a fuller calendar, broader geographical coverage and a wider range of stories. Stay tuned for a dedicate gravel and women’s program
Collaborating with our neighbours. Jeff Street is Rapha's RCC community manager based out of the awesome Capital Hill store in Seattle. He's pulling together a program that units Portland, Seattle and Vancouver members with some shared riding and travel opportunities. The Seattle club is also always happy hosts. Visit them, and say hi. Book one of the sweet Factor bikes soon available in the hire quiver.
Expanding our partners. Landyacht is a hometown hero who supports, makes and builds awesome gravel bikes. In addition to being an East side meetup location, we intend to line up a regular ride or two with their team.
Capturing the moments. A great ride can make your day, restart a week or mark the year. Working with Jeff we wish to capture some of our key moments and invite your recommendations for cycling photographers. They might come from Vancouver's roster of amazing professional sports photographers or be a cyclist with a good eye for the moment. Send your recommendations to me (Brett).
👇 What to expect

Come Out and Ride

If you didn't join us last year, please do this year. Clubs are shaped by members, their ideas and our support of each other. Rapha's RCC YVR isn't an 'either-or' kind of club, it's 'and and'. We can have rides for people who just want to be social, and rides for people who are doing massive events like say Paris-Brest-Paris and rides for people who want to modestly push themselves with a Triple, Double or Single Crown. It's all good.

If you haven't already, join the RCC YVR's WhatsApp group where we do most of our planning. Also, you'll get updates when rides go up in the Rapha app.

Join RCC YVR WhatsApp group - https://chat.whatsapp.com/BuglnpVmXTb9oYXhj22V8H

If you have other ideas, please tell me or share in the WhatsApp group.

See you on the road,

Brett

me@brettmacfarlane.com

2024 Highlight

Monthly Saturday Hero Ride (Whytecliffe Park, Iona Island, Deep Cove, SFU, Seymour Dam.)
One hero ride per month - starting mid to late April
Fast Fridays 7am - at Enroute for a UBC lap and Coffee
Decompression Thursdays 6pm - an after-work 30km rip
Glorious Gravel - a monthly ride with Landyacht
Gravel Bonanza - Three days of gravel in partnership with RCC SEA
Triple Crown - tackle all three or just one of Vancouver's epic road climbs with our RCC Seattle friends.
Summer Social - TBC - ideas welcome