Ride Leader Development Zoom Conversation – Wednesday, November 17, 2021

CCCTS Ride Leader Development

Zoom Conversation – Wednesday, November 17, 2021

SUMMARY – Nov. 26, 2021

Objective: To identify sustainable, practicable and doable actions that can increase the club’s ride leader capacity.

Process: All CCCTS members were invited via the Club’s November 2021 Newsbrief and a Nov. 2/21

all-members email to participate in a Nov. 17/21 Zoom conversation by registering online for the event. Twenty-four of ~ 500 members registered. See the List of Participants on page 3 below.

Registered members were emailed pre-conversation reading references. See the list on page 3 below of CCCTS Ride Leader background and context references. George Zorn, CCCTS Hub & Spoke Director, briefly reviewed these references using Zoom screen share prior to our breakout group conversations. Conversation Participants were assigned to five virtual breakout rooms to discuss the question: “How can CCCTS members help to grow and to support our Club’s Ride Leader capacity?” for about 20 minutes. Once all were back in the main room, a spokesperson for each group provided a summary of the main points and ideas from that group. We also considered the question, “Which of these shared ideas do you consider to be sustainable and practical by our Club?” Paul Hough, CCCTS Secretary, co-hosted the Zoom conversations. Paul summarized each breakout group’s report to the whole group using Zoom’s recording feature. Several members who were not available on Nov. 17 shared their thoughts by email. These thoughts are reflected in this Summary. See page 3 for a list of names of emailed responders.

Overarching Comments:

  1. The club has experienced ride leaders who are willing to mentor new ride leaders who would like to lead a tour or hub & spoke but who are unsure of how to do it well. Thanks to
    Nel Ahmed, Allan Buium, Dick Carpenter, Holly Evans and Ken Levine!
  2. Well over half of the Club’s members signed up for tours or hub & spokes in each of the three non-Covid affected years (2017, 2018, 2019). Members also join CCCTS to be able to participate in weekly Chapter rides in their area.
  3. Hub & Spoke events appear to be gaining in popularity. Over the past three non-Covid affected years (2017, 2018, 2019) there were a total of 17 Tours and 13 Hub & Spoke events offered. An average of 67% of all member registrations in those three years were for Hub & Spoke events. Total Member Registrations for the 17 Tours over the 3-year period dropped from 43% in 2017, to 32% in 2018, to 24% in 2019. Total Member Registrations for the 13 Hub & Spoke events over the 3-year period increased from 57% in 2017, to 68% in 2018 to 76% in 2019. Some Chapters have had large hub & spokes involving over 100 members.
  4. Age 71: that is the average age of both the 500+ CCCTS members and the ~55 members who have served as Ride Leaders since 2013. 61% of the Club’s Ride Leaders are age 66 to 75 years, while 80% of the Club’s membership is 65 years and better. We need to consider and initiate effective ways to invite younger cyclists to join CCCTS. What is our story that will engage younger cyclists? One participant suggested posting Club invitations in bike shops;
  5. As an incentive, the club has a policy, invoked in November 2017, that Tour Ride Leaders are exempt from paying all fees that apply for a given tour. Hub & Spoke Ride Leaders and co-Leaders do not need to pay the typical $25 Hub & Spoke registration fee. This policy may benefit from some revision to recognize the work involved in planning a large Chapter hub & spoke event. Since the 2017 policy was invoked there has not been an increase in the number of Tours offered.
  6. How does the Board of Directors, which represents all Members, intentionally thank both new and experienced Ride Leaders each year for their time, dedication and effort to host safe, affordable and fun cycling adventures?


Specific Comments:

  • Encourage the Chapters to use the Meetup program to make CCCTS better known and to attract people to try it out by doing day rides with a view to some becoming members and eventual ride leaders;
  • Encourage people to consider developing tours or hub & spokes in their own local area or personally encourage members to take on the planning of an event that they are keen to see take place. Instilling confidence that there is support and assistance available to undertake such a new role is important;
  • Having smaller numbers participate in tours or hub & spokes may be less intimidating to new leaders, but the size of group needs to be large enough to make it worthwhile. It has also been found that having several people involved in the planning to share the load makes the process much more enjoyable;
  • Holding one or more Zoom seminars on leading a Tour or Hub & Spoke event could help as people would see what is involved in the planning process, and be made aware of the resources that are available (e.g., routes, accommodations, useful tips, etc.) and the mentorship or advice from experienced members that can be tapped into;
  • Asking members where they would really like to go, locally, nationally or internationally, could highlight new areas that would appeal to members, some of whom could be encouraged to be ride leaders to ensure the event(s) take place. See the pie chart of CCCTS Tour and Hub & Spoke locations since 1983 posted on the Club’s website here
  • Individual Chapters could organize trips open to members in their region. The National Capital Region Chapter has held a few of these and they have been very popular with 16 to 20 cyclists and motel accommodation;
  • Incorporating themes or activities such as hiking, visiting historical sites or cultural experiences into a tour or hub & spoke could attract people who would otherwise not sign up some of whom might be encouraged to be involved in the planning;
  • Having several people working on an event not only spreads the load, but also increases the confidence of those involved, but the best way to create such teams is to personally approach individuals to suggest that they bring their skills to the planning process. Any member could initiate such discussions, not just Board members;

The saying goes, “None of us are as smart as all of us!” Based on your experience as a CCCTS Member and after considering the above Summary of Members’ comments, what are your sustainable, practical ideas on how WE can help to grow our Club’s Ride Leader capacity?
Please share your ideas via the online form HERE between Dec. 1, 2021 and Jan. 4 , 2022.

Zoom Conversation 21 Participants

Marg Hurley, Donna Kerkhoven, Dawn Minett, Maureen Weston, Allan Buium, John Stephenson, Pat Hutchins, Jean MacDonald, Ed Weymouth, Ed Dillon, Barbara Wilson, Lawrence Vea,
Dick Carpenter, Jenni Lynnea, Holly Evans, Ken Levine, Bill Bourne, Sam Ludmer, Chris Hodgson, Michael Bonnor, Neil McNeil. Some members who registered were not able to attend.

Comments received from CCCTS Members not available for the Nov. 17/21 Zoom Conversation:
Linda Graupner, Jim Belair, Terry Chalmers and Cal Bergenstein

CCCTS Ride Leader background and context references (6) presented prior to the conversations:

An Oct. 12, 2017 Board discussion paper by John Pringle titled, “Possible Strategies to attract new Tour Leaders and More” –– will be posted on the Club’s website.

Proposed Next Steps: 1. Club Member comment period:(Dec. 1, 20211 to Jan. 4, 2022.
2. Board review of Club Member comments in January 2022 – key actions identified.
3. CCCTS Ride Leader Capacity Working Group initiated by Board in January 2022?