January 2021 Top Talk
To ride or not to ride, that is the question. During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when most people viewed the disease as highly fatal, the PBC made the difficult decision to cancel all organized club rides. The decision was difficult because rides are primarily what the club has to offer its members. And the effects were felt: over 30% of PBC members failed to renew their membership in 2020. Many of our members have continued to ride with friends from the club, and quite a few have inquired if their rides could count towards club mileage. ✎
The situation is quite different today. An effective vaccine is on the horizon, and even though the case rate has increased, primarily among otherwise young, healthy people who tend to be less careful in their activities, the death rate has sharply decreased. Despite one’s personal risk, maintaining six-foot distances, wearing masks, and avoiding indoor crowds is advised for all.
What are the current recommendations for cycling? Multnomah County and the State of Oregon consider cycling and similar outdoor activities as safe for groups of up to 50 people. Apart from the New Year’s Day President’s Ride, the annual club picnic and the STP, rides of that size are almost unheard of in our club.
Resuming club rides would not mean a return to business as usual for the PBC. Club meetings will still need to be online, masks will be required at ride starts and rest stops, six-foot distancing must be maintained, and rides will have a hard cap of 50 riders. The crowding around ride sign-in sheets with a shared pen will be a thing of the past.
Every rider will have a different threshold of comfort for resuming group riding. No one should resume riding, or leading rides, until they are comfortable doing so. But for riders who do wish to resume club rides, starting in January would allow their entire year’s mileage to be recorded. The longer that we wait to resume riding, the more members we will lose.
The PBC is your club, its future is in your hands, and the decision of whether to resume club rides rests with you, the members. We are planning a January Zoom club meeting Thursday, January 7, at 7:00 PM, in lieu of our canceled club banquet. Be ready to ask questions, share opinions, and vote your preference.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86887871877?pwd=L3o3Vkxja0Rydlp6OURYLyswazdQUT09
Zoom Meeting ID: 868 8787 1877
Zoom Passcode: 312750
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you there, the 7th at 7:00!
Doug Myers, President