Kanata-Nepean Bicycle
Club - Frequently Asked Questions
...and
answers
What is the OCA insurance?
INSURANCE AND THE OCA
License/membership fees in 2009 will remain unchanged — and
this
includes a component for insurance.
For the Ontario Cycling Association (OCA), insurance is a "flow through
expense", meaning we collect the money and remit it directly to the
insurance company. There are several factors for the price stability
this year. One reason is our risk management plan. Provincially, this
has worked fairly well and our clubs are responding to and
understanding best practices. Nationally, we are developing a strong
plan that is well received by our insurers. Our insurance program
carries both general liability and accidental death and dismemberment
(AD&D) coverage.
GENERAL LIABILITY COVERAGE
The general liability insurance covers your exposure to loss in which a
third party suffers a bodily injury or property damage, as a result of
an incident caused by your actions, and for which you are held legally
liable. If the injured party should sue you as a result of this
incident, the insurers will provide for your legal defense costs and,
in the event you are found negligent, will pay the sum awarded to the
injured party up to the limit of insurance provided for in the policy
of $5 million. The policy also provides you with protection during
approved events. If, as a result of an incident during an event,
another participant sues an organizer or instructor for negligence
leading to damage or injury, the policy once again provides for legal
defense costs and damages which may be awarded.
AD&D COVERAGE
The AD&D pays a small amount for injuries sustained as a result
of
an incident while cycling in an OCA-approved cycling activity. The
coverage does not require proof of negligence or legal proceedings of
any kind. The AD&D coverage is not medical insurance. This is
especially evident when traveling internationally. You must have
additional medical travel insurance when leaving Canada. OHIP will not
cover all of your bills when out of the country.
WHY ARE INSURANCE RATES SO HIGH?
There are several reasons why Insurance costs are high, including:
- increased claims against
insurance policies;
- legal action against the OCA
by an individual member;
- some clubs/organizers are
not following proper and safe cycling
protocol thus inflating risks and causing concern with underwriters;
- international insurance
trends and extraordinary events;
- the financial position of
insurers; and,
- increased litigation and
litigation costs.
It's our job to reduce the risk and minimize the insurance rate
influencers. With responsible riding, we can all keep the rate
increases at bay, and hopefully experience some decreases!
What is KNBC's approach to the
rides themselves?
KNBC's philosophy is to encourage riders to bike at the speed they are
comfortable with and to enjoy the companionship and scenery. We ride
spread out over a significant distance, and once in a while, we will
stop to re-group.
Each ride has a Tour Leader and a “Sweep”. The
Sweep is an
experienced cyclist who rides at the end of the group, ensures that
everybody is all right, and helps with any problem that occurs. The
Tour Leader and Sweep usually communicate by cell-phone.
Unlike some biking clubs, KNBC does not
ride in a small,
high speed “pack” with the riders taking advantage
of the
reduced wind resistance that is achieved by following closely behind
someone else. We feel that riders in a pack are so focused on the rear
wheel immediately in front of you that they cannot enjoy the scenery or
chat with others.
Do I need to phone the Tour
Leader ahead of time to let him/her know
that I will be on a tour?
KNBC has two standard starting points: Centrepointe in Nepean and the
(old) Town Centre on Katimavik Road in Kanata. For tours starting at
either of these locations, there is no need to phone the Tour Leader
– unless you have a specific question. All tours starting at
other locations are called “remote starts” and we
ask that
all riders phone the Tour Leader ahead of time to let him/her know that
you will be on the ride.
Do I pay anything extra for
each ride?
No. The KNBC membership fee is for the full season and includes all
one-day and multi-day rides. Members are, of course, responsible for
the cost of their refreshments, meals, and (for multi-day tours) the
cost of accommodation.
Can you explain the difference
between the different speeds of rides?
- S1 = 18–21 km/hr.
If you have not done much cycling
recently, we recommend that you start with S1 rides and work your way
up as you get fitter and gain experience.
- S2 = 22–24 km/hr.
The majority of people in the club
generally prefer rides in this range.
- S3 = 25–27 km/hr.
For riders who prefer slightly faster,
longer rides or S2 riders who get their bicycle legs back as the summer
progresses.
- S4 = 28+ km/hr. A number of
people in the club savour these
longer, faster rides. There is usually a long distance between the
regroup points.
For a day trip generally what
time is the ETA at the endpoint?
The rides generally start between 9:00 - 10:30, depending on the
distance and whether it is a remote start or not. We are normally back
at the starting point by 3:00 - 4:00 and sometimes a bit later. For
remote starts, there is also the additional time to get home.
How many calories do I burn on
a ride?
How many people are on day
rides?
Most rides are generally in the 10-20 range. When we have more than 16
people on a ride we usually break into two groups. When the weather is
not good we could have less than 5 participants.
What are the ages of the people
in the groups?
The average age of KNBC members is about 55. We have some members in
their 30's and a few in their late 60's and early 70's
What sort of roads and trails
do you ride on?
The routes within Ottawa are on paved paths, arterials with bike lanes,
and residential streets. Outside the city limits, most of our rides are
on quiet paved side roads. Sometimes, a ride takes us on busier roads,
but we try and keep these to a minimum. The club bikes on unpaved
trails far less than we used to, but sometimes we cannot avoid a short
section of unpaved road or trail. If there is a portion of the ride on
unpaved road this is usually mentioned in the tour information on the
web and in the notes section of the brochure.
What sort of bike should I buy?
Buying a bike is like buying a car: it is a very personal decision.
What works for one person may not work for another.
To keep things simple, there are three basic categories of bikes:
mountain bike; hybrid or touring bikes; and road or racing bikes.
The one thing that most people will agree on is that mountain bikes are
unsuitable for medium or long-distance touring. The wheels are smaller,
fatter (more rolling resistance) and far more "knobby". Also, the frame
is heavier, and the gearing is optimized for hills rather than roads.
Within KNBC, both hybrids and road bikes are very popular.
Road bikes (often with drop handlebars) are certainly the fastest, and
the skinny tyres offer the least rolling resistance. But the thinner
wheels are less forgiving on stone dust trails, unpaved roads, etc.
Hybrids / touring bikes are a compromise: wider tyres than a road bike,
but smaller than a mountain bike. They have a heavier frame than a road
bike, but lighter than a mountain bike. These can be equipped with
either drop handlebars or the straight variety.
Regardless of the type of bike, the size of the frame is very
important, as are the adjustments to the handlebars and saddle. We
suggest you go to a reputable dealer or take an expert with you.
What else should I buy?
When buying a bike, there are some accessories to consider:
- A helmet is essential. KNBC
insists that everybody on a ride
wears a helmet.
- Bike gloves are inexpensive
but very useful for absorbing the
vibration of the handlebars.
- Do buy a couple of water
bottles and holders. Staying hydrated is
essential for long hot rides in the middle of summer.
- A pump for keeping the tires
properly inflated is also a must.
- Many KNBC'ers have a bag
that sits on a rack over the rear wheel.
You can use this to hold a wallet, keys, jacket (as the day warms up),
tool kit, lunch, etc.
- A bike lock is always useful.
- Everybody gets a flat tire
once in a while and we encourage
riders to buy a flat tire repair kit. We also recommend carrying a
spare inner tube for those flats that are better left until you get
home. The Tour Leader, Sweep (and others) will be enthusiastic in
helping you with the repair -- but they may not have the right size
inner tube for your bike.
- There are also many optional
items that you can buy later as and
when you want to: padded biking pants, biking jacket, bike mirror, a
computer that measures speed and distance, biking shoes, a tool kit,
and a first aid kit.
- Most KNBC rides are in
daylight. We suggest you not buy a
headlight and rear light unless you expect to be out after dark.