Author: condors

You may have seen in the news that British Cycling and Cycling Time Trials have recently updated their policies for transgender and non-binary athletes. We’d like to take this opportunity to update our own club policies, explain what this means for members, and how we’d like to approach this going forwards.

Our response

As a board, we do not agree with the stance that sees trans women as a problem, as suspicious, or as cheats-in-waiting. We consider trans people our friends and club mates, and believe that our duty is to create the structures and space to allow everyone to enjoy cycling.

What are our first steps?

We will begin by following the British Cycling/CTT categorisation for competitive club events, such as our time trials and hill climb. There will be two categories, and for consistency we use the British Cycling terminology below:

Open (formerly Men’s)

“Transgender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals and those whose sex was assigned male at birth will be eligible to compete in the ‘Open’ category”

Women

“remains in place for those whose sex was assigned female at birth and transgender men who are yet to begin hormone therapy.‘

This will be implemented for the next club time trial on 13 July. Those eligible for the Women’s category may enter the Open if they prefer.

Riders will be able to specify which category they want to enter (Open or Women). No other questions will be asked by us.

Is this the best possible solution?

Actually no, we don’t think so. Treating non-binary and trans athletes as ‘quasi men’ doesn’t provide a level playing field and underlines the idea of ‘men-as-norm’. We’d really like to move away from this.

What would we like to see happen?

We would like to add a third category, which we propose to call ‘Inclusive’. Any club member will be allowed to participate regardless of their current or past gender identification. Members and visitors will not be asked to disclose any of these details in order to compete. We hope to grow this category as a space in which all feel welcome, and in which they can enjoy their bodies, rather than have them policed. We appreciate that there are still complexities and nuances within this area, but we are keen to explore a new way of working. We’d love to hear from individuals and groups who would like to help us build and shape this new category. Please contact us at [email protected] if you’d like to be involved.

What about non-competitive events?

There is no change. We will continue to welcome club members to all of our events. Activities that are gender labelled, such as women’s rides or backpacking, are open to all who identify as such. Condors have a long track record of being friendly and inclusive – we intend to keep it that way.

Cheryl Reid (Club President) and the Condors Board

Oxford will be placed in Tier 2 (High Alert) from Saturday morning, 31 October 2020.

Following Government and British Cycling guidance, outdoor activities are still permitted in groups of 6.
Further guidance from Oxfordshire County Council confirms that you can meet up to 6 different households in the Medium alert level, providing that this takes place in an outdoor venue.
As a result, cafe or pub stops on club rides must now only take place outside.

Below are the updated guidelines for Condor rides:

• Maximum group size of 6 riders
• New or returning riders are welcome
• All club members are encouraged to lead rides or be a ‘second pair of eyes’
• Ride details should be advertised on the pink posts. 
• Riders will need to book in on the post, making sure they confirm with words (e.g. ‘in’), rather than hitting ‘like’. This will help manage the numbers and provide an audit trail in the event that tracing is required. 
• Riders should not turn up for a ride unless they have pre-booked on the pink post
• Rides should not start at Beeline. Please meet at the outskirts of town at a suitable location for your route (e.g. Buildbase if heading South-East)
• Riders must also maintain social distancing in line with government guidelines after the ride. So please avoid finishing at the same pub or cafe as other groups.
• Any cafe or pub stops must be outside.
• We encourage flexibility around ride start times so that groups are not all leaving Oxford at the same time
• Please choose routes that go out in different directions, or do not overlap heavily.  Consider running more popular routes in reverse

What we expect from you

• We will trust members to act responsibly and assess the risk to themselves and the people they have contact with. This includes their households, bubbles, wider friendship groups and fellow club members.
• Members must not turn up for a ride if they are self-isolating or experiencing any Coronavirus symptoms. In the event that Coronavirus is contracted, the infected party will need to inform others they have ridden with.
• Members must be self-sufficient. This means bringing enough food and water to sustain you, plus basic tools for roadside repairs such as punctures. This will reduce the risk of having to share items during the ride. 
• Members must take extra care with personal hygiene. Please carry hand sanitiser and tissues. Refrain from spitting or attempting ‘snot rockets’. 

What members can expect from us

• The club will post up Tuesday, Thursday and Weekend posts to help you organise your rides
• The club will closely monitor this to make sure activities are in line with our phased approach. We will take action where they are not. 
• The club will also keep abreast of Government and British Cycling updates. We are prepared to make adjustments to our plan, or call them to a halt if necessary. 

Government Update

The UK government has set out further changes to lockdown measures in England to enable people to see more of their friends and family, help businesses get back on their feet and get people back in their jobs.

They have also set out that where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’. This means staying one metre apart, plus mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission.

While the infection rate continues to fall, the government has been clear that the public must continue to follow social distancing guidelines to keep coronavirus under control

Condor Response

While a reduction in the 2 metre value may suggest a return to regular club riding, it is clear that the guidance is to remain cautious and keep your distance where possible.

We began a phased reintroduction to club riding on the 4 July which has been successful so far. As of today, 20 August, we can confirm the following updates:

• Maximum group size of 6 riders
• New or returning riders are welcome, especially on social rides and Meet the Condors
• All club members are encouraged to lead rides or be a ‘second pair of eyes’
• Ride details should be advertised on the pink posts. 
• Riders will need to book in on the post, making sure they confirm with words (e.g. ‘in’), rather than hitting ‘like’. This will help manage the numbers and provide an audit trail in the event that tracing is required. 
• Riders should not turn up for a ride unless they have pre-booked on the pink post
• Rides should not start at Beeline. Please meet at the outskirts of town at a suitable location for your route (e.g. Buildbase if heading South-East)
• Riders must also maintain social distancing in line with government guidelines after the ride. So please avoid finishing at the same pub or cafe as other groups.
• We encourage flexibility around ride start times so that groups are not all leaving Oxford at the same time
• Please choose routes that go out in different directions, or do not overlap heavily.  Consider running more popular routes in reverse
• Cafe stops will help support the local economy, however you must plan ahead carefully for these and follow social distancing measures. Again, please do not visit venues at the same time as other groups.

What we expect from you

• We will trust members to act responsibly and assess the risk to themselves and the people they have contact with. This includes their households, bubbles, wider friendship groups and fellow club members.
• Members must not turn up for a ride if they are self-isolating or experiencing any Coronavirus symptoms. In the event that Coronavirus is contracted, the infected party will need to inform others they have ridden with.
• Members must be self-sufficient. This means bringing enough food and water to sustain you, plus basic tools for roadside repairs such as punctures. This will reduce the risk of having to share items during the ride. 
• Members must take extra care with personal hygiene. Please carry hand sanitiser and tissues. Refrain from spitting or attempting ‘snot rockets’. 

What members can expect from us

• The club will post up Tuesday, Thursday and Weekend posts to help you organise your rides
• The club will closely monitor this to make sure activities are in line with our phased approach. We will take action where they are not. 
• The club will also keep abreast of Government and British Cycling updates. We are prepared to make adjustments to our plan, or call them to a halt if necessary. 

Final Thoughts

We have really enjoyed the chance to reconnect with other riders since group rides have been reintroduced. But we must be responsible and continue to take sensible precautions wherever possible. Keep up the good work.

Government Update

The UK government has set out further changes to lockdown measures in England to enable people to see more of their friends and family, help businesses get back on their feet and get people back in their jobs.

They have also set out that where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’. This means staying one metre apart, plus mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission.

While the infection rate continues to fall, the government has been clear that the public must continue to follow social distancing guidelines to keep coronavirus under control

Condor Response

While a reduction in the 2 metre value may suggest a return to regular club riding, it is clear that the guidance is to remain cautious and keep your distance where possible.

With this in mind, we would like to trial a phased reintroduction to club riding, effective 4 July. 

• Maximum group size of 6 riders
• All riders to be paid up club members with up to date contact details and previous experience of Condors group riding. (In the event that things go well, and lockdown measures continue to be lifted, we would hope later in the summer to welcome new riders through Meet The Condors and Women’s Sessions)
• Ride Leaders to please volunteer through the Facebook pink posts. We will not be running a ride leader rota at this time.
• Ride details should be advertised on the pink posts. Members will need to book in on the post, making sure they confirm with words (e.g. ‘in’), rather than hitting ‘like’. This will help manage the numbers and provide an audit trail in the event that tracing is required. 
• Ride speed should be social. Development rides and Screamers are currently off the table. Please be sensible with ride length/duration. 
• Members must not turn up for a ride unless they have pre-booked on the pink post.  
• Rides must not start at Beeline. Please meet at the outskirts of town at a suitable location for your route (e.g. Buildbase if heading South-East)
• We encourage flexibility around ride start times so that groups are not all leaving Oxford at the same time. 
• Please choose routes that go out in different directions, or do not overlap heavily.  Consider running more popular routes in reverse.
• Cafe stops will help support the local economy, however you must plan ahead carefully for these and follow social distancing measures. Again, please do not visit venues at the same time as other groups. 

What we expect from you

• We will trust members to act responsibly and assess the risk to themselves and the people they have contact with. This includes their households, bubbles, wider friendship groups and fellow club members.
• Members must not turn up for a ride if they are self-isolating or experiencing any Coronavirus symptoms. In the event that Coronavirus is contracted, the infected party will need to inform others they have ridden with.
• Members must be self-sufficient. This means bringing enough food and water to sustain you, plus basic tools for roadside repairs such as punctures. This will reduce the risk of having to share items during the ride. 
• Members must take extra care with personal hygiene. Please carry hand sanitiser and tissues. Refrain from spitting or attempting ‘snot rockets’. 

What members can expect from us

• The club will post up Tuesday, Thursday and Weekend posts to help you organise your rides
• The club will closely monitor this trial to make sure activities are in line with our phased approach. We will take action where they are not. 
• The club will also keep abreast of Government and British Cycling updates. We are prepared to make adjustments to our plan, or call them to a halt if necessary. 

Final Thoughts

Returning to group riding should be a joyous occasion. Reading through the new list of rules doesn’t make for fun reading. However we are not out of the woods and must continue to take sensible precautions. Let’s give this a try and see how we get on.

For newer riders who are keen to join the club please know that we are really keen to welcome you in and will do so as soon as we can.

British Cycling has announced the next step in its plan to resume all sanctioned cycling activities in England, with coaching and group activity beginning to return from today.

These must be delivered in line with Government guidance on group sizes and social distancing. As of today, that means no more than 6 riders, each maintaining a distance of 2 metres from each other.

However, it is the view of the Condors Board that club rides are not safe to resume under these conditions.

Maintaining that distance at all times on open roads would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Member welfare is of the utmost importance and we are not prepared to put riders in unsafe situations.

We know this is disappointing. I would love nothing more than to go on club rides with you all (preferably getting a massive tow at the back).

But we need to be patient and wait for guidelines that enable safer club riding.

For those of you who’d like to get a ‘Condor fix’ please join our Treasure Hunt this Saturday. Hope to see you there!

Cheryl
Club President

As the legal restrictions on ‘lockdown’ ease, we are writing with an update to club guidance.

As of 1 June the public are allowed to meet in groups of six, provided that a distance of 2m is maintained at all times. We are in agreement with British Cycling’s guidance that this is not practicable for cyclists, and that riding in smaller groups—i.e. solo and in distanced pairs—ought to remain the advice in all but exceptional circumstances.

In line with this policy, British Cycling has made clear that all of its sanctioned events, as well as club and group rides remain suspended. This advice lasts until at least 4 July, when BC will begin fortnightly reassessment. There will be no Condors rides before this date, but we will be sure to let you know as soon as anything changes.

We are a volunteer-led club of adult amateur cyclists: we cannot police individuals or enforce a set of behaviours. We rely on our members making responsible decisions for themselves. Our club is the friendliest in Oxford, and we’d like to demonstrate this by being considerate to the people in our area whom we’ll never meet: the aged grandmother of that clubmate you like to ride with; the partner of your riding buddy’s workmate, who’s just had chemotherapy. Keep isolating yourself and your family, stay patient, be kind.

We miss you too. KTFU

The government announcements today included a strong message about avoiding non-essential social contact. Whilst we really love riding our bicycles together and sharing experiences in person, we must also be responsible and play our part in delaying the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With this in mind, we must announce that Condor organised events will not take place for the foreseeable future. This means group rides, time trials, talks and social events will be cancelled, effective immediately.

These may seem like drastic measures, but these are extraordinary times and we must do our bit to protect the vulnerable in society.

The Condor community is large and sociable. We will find a way to keep our spirits positive and legs turning during this difficult time. Please keep safe, and stay tuned for updates.

Cheryl
Club President

Dear all

Unless you have lived in a cupboard over the last few weeks, you will all be aware of the novel virus, Covid-19, and that a worldwide pandemic has now been declared.

The UK Government has tonight declared that we have now moved to the ‘delay’ phase of the response to the virus with the aim of delaying the spread of the virus through the population to allow NHS resources to manage the situation and in the hope that coming warmer weather will delay the spread of the disease.

As of today, no formal bans on social gatherings have been made, but this may change over the coming weeks.

For the time being, the advice is that if you have a persistent cough or a fever you should self-isolate at home and contact the NHS 111 online system for assistance. The Condors Board would ask that if you exhibit any of these symptoms, take Public Health advice and please do not show up for any Condors events or rides. 

Please consider bringing some tissues and hand sanitiser in your back pockets on rides, especially if there’s a planned coffee stop. As the situation develops, we will update this advice with regards to official Condors events.

Formal government recommendations can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england

Stay safe peeps,

Jen Graystone, Condors Welfare Officer

Safety first – there will be no official club rides on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 February. Stay safe.

Safety first – there will be no official club rides on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August. Stay safe.