I've tested out
a range of different coaches, cycling and triathlon tri groups and clubs in
Toronto over the past 7 years; one might consider me "Goldilocks" when it
comes to my experiences.
I'd like to provide
my 'consumer report' on some clubs in/ around the city for anyone looking to team up and train or maintain their fitness as it's a known fact that it's more fun and motivating to train with others vs. logging hours and kilometers solo.
CYCLING CLUBS >
 |
| Morning Glory Cycling Club 2014 Group Shot! |
Albeit there are
some great cycling clubs in Toronto, ranging from more casual recreational
style to more intense race-focused clubs; know what you’re looking for when
you set out!
Despite the mantra, "it's just like riding a bike", I'd like to caution anyone new(er) to cycling that there's a bit of a learning curve and skills to hone on your own before rolling out with a group (i.e. clipping in/out, signalling and communicating, riding behind/ drafting another rider, fuelling solutions/ requirements, equipment needed , rules/ regulations and laws, etc.).
Here is my take on some of the clubs I've tried or know in the downtown core:
Morning
Glory Cycling Club (MGCC)
With rides in Leaside, High Park and
Oakville, Morning Glory covers a lot of territory. There are rides every day if
the weather cooperates (hills, recovery, etc.). These rides are well organized
and attended. This is a club for folks who are capable of hoping on a bike and
riding +50km, and so not for outright novices (although they do have
development rides and women-only rides to promote development); those looking
to increase the distance and speed at which they ride will find a happy home
here.
Midweek
Cycling Club (MW)
If you want to learn how to race, this
is the club for you. Although there are weekend club rides to participate in,
it's the Monday learn-to-race series and the Tuesday night crits (both in the
West end of the city) that are the main draw here. If you think you've built up
your fitness enough to test it in a competitive environment, a crit is a great
way to start. Big points given here for the work the club does to de-mystify bike
racing, which can be daunting for those just getting into it.
Etobicoke
Cycling Club (ECC)
Rides rarely last more than a couple of
hours and they always try to fit in a stop at a local coffee shop before the
group splits. Although there are some members who like to ride hard and fast,
and others who take it a bit more leisurely, they have a strictly enforced
no-drop policy on their Social Rides™ & Coffee Rides™. No one gets left
behind.
Since 2007, the Dark Horse Flyers have
been at the front of competitive and development cycling in Ontario. Through
the participation of its members, they continue to push limits on the bike: in
road races, triathlon, and charity rides. The club is intended for road,
cyclo-cross, and mountain bikers, as well as triathletes— although they are
mainly road and CX driven. It is open to people who are beginners (who are
active and have a decent fitness level) as well as racers.
Regardless of your ability or ambition you’ll
find a social, fun-loving pack that suits your style with the LapDogs Cycling
Club. Their rides are designed to be social in nature [no matter the level] and
we practice a "nobody gets left behind" policy. Rides range from
social Sunday MTB Rides with post-ride snacks to quick Road Rides out of Duke’s
Cycle, the local shop, to participation in many of Southern Ontario's most
popular Cycling Events and Races.
Provide an environment where cyclists
of varying degrees of proficiency could feel comfortable to ride at their own
pace without the pressures commonly associated with cycling clubs. They want to
enable riders to grow and have an opportunity to advance their knowledge and
skill associated with cycling in a variety of elements through short rides,
long distance, tackling the steep grades or even in racing techniques. Meeting
in the west-end of Toronto.
Their membership consists of men and
women and range in age from youth to senior and various abilities from casual
to advanced. Starting April 1st they have scheduled rides every day
except Friday.
Started as an informal group in 2007
but has grown into a 100+ member club with rides scheduled Tuesday through
Saturday (plus hill intervals on Thursday). Most rides are enthusiast friendly
and relatively laid back, but if you're a racer looking to stretch his or her
legs, the Tuesday advanced ride is fast-paced and populated with competitive
cyclists who know how to stomp it.
Since 1997 they’ve sponsored bike
racing teams every season (Jet Fuel, Ital Pasta, Woodbridge, Real Deal, La
Bicicletta). They have a custom ASSOS club kit, a Sprinter van to transport
club members and their bikes to epic rides outside the city, and the Bici staff
to lead structured, but spirited rides throughout the week, every week, all
season long.
Affiliated with the Oakville bike shop,
the club offers weekday and Sunday Club Rides for the aspiring road cyclist.
They ride all 4 seasons on Wednesday evenings and Sunday morning. Special
Sportif Ladies rides are run two nights a week in season.
Probably the best club for sheer bike
nerds, Blacksmith's weekly ride is typically composed of bike industry types (Cervelo
employees are a common sight) and local racers looking to put in some group
miles. The level of rider is quite high, but the pace of the rides are
reasonable, so you don't necessarily have to worry about constantly being
dropped. Rides take place on Saturdays and cover about 85km.
Regular rides of widely varying
distances (and speeds), this is the type of club that offers something for
almost all riders – trail rides, short, long, difficult, easy, etc. Rides take
place throughout the week and, the meeting point is dictated by the ride (i.e.
"Sunday Easy Roller" or "Sunday Country Cruises") and can
leave both from the East or West end of the city.
The 25+ year old club is perfect for
east-enders, with a starting point of Lawrence and Victoria Park. Rides
typically head north out of the city to Markham and Stouffville and come in a
variety of lengths depending on the skill level of the riders
participating.
TRIATHLON (SWIM/ CYCLE/ RUN) >
 |
| Start line @ Worlds in Edmonton 2014 |
Finding a club or
coach for triathlon is like dating - before you commit you need to know what
YOU'RE looking for and ask them the right questions. Know what your goals are
and what type of environment you’re looking for before you start experimenting.
If you opt for a
coach, most coaches will have a survey - I suggest you develop one too and to
probe some criteria (i.e. coaching cert/ NCCP designation, # of athletes they
coach throughout the year, amount of communication, feedback method, cost,
philosophy, structure, etc.).
Offering a group
dynamic to train open water swimming in the summers and group cycling year
round. They will provide you with a group to lean on with some coaches for the
entire group; but not custom.
They offer a group
setting and a group program to help you get going. Meeting for swims and indoor
training rides and track or outdoor runs at the University of Toronto Athletic
Facility. Caution that the hours to use the facilities are wonky because the
school has to cater to the varsity teams and students before they
carve out track, pool or spin studio time for the Tri Club. The membership fee
starts to add up: Athletic Club (AC) membership + Tri Club membership + Masters
Track Club (if you want more options for using the indoor 200m track in the
winter) + Masters Swim Club (if you want more options for the 50m pool).
Where I train...my
swim coach James Corcoran is based out of here as a strength trainer. The swim
program is perfect for me (despite the 25 yrd. pool)...lots of strong swimmers
(2 olympic swimmers I get to chase in my lane) and once per week. The winter
indoor training is great and the people are what make it!
NRG Performance Training
(NRGPT) is a professional coaching service working with athletes from across
Canada and around the world. At NRGPT we specialize in endurance sports
training. Our coaches are dedicated, experienced and passionate about what they
do and we work closely with our athletes using individualized training programs.
Their athletes range from first time Tri a Tri athletes to Hawaii Ironman
qualifiers, Elite athletes, runners and cyclists. They don't have facilities so it’s the
programming that you’re paying for. I've done a few clinics (swim) with them
and they know their stuff!
THis is a rockstar team and lineup of coaches! Tara Norton came
from Absolute Endurance and I run with her track team now and Ayesha
Rollinson runs the Cherry Beach open water swimming in season that I
participate in too. These women are wonderful and they can coach you or you can
opt into their programs (swim, run, bike groups) as it fits your calendar.
An informal group of
swimmers who swim in Lake Ontario in Oakville, Rob Kent started the group in
2006 while training for his English Channel attempt. In an effort to try and
bring back open water swimming to one of the most famous bodies of water in
open water history, Rob started LOST Swimming – they meet every Saturday
morning at 8:00 am in Oakville at the Lake and swim a marked course with buoys
and lifeguards!
RUNNING >
There are loads of
running clubs in Toronto if that is your focus! I would recommend looking to a
coach with experience coaching triathletes if you are racing in that sport to
customize your program to fit with the swimming and cycling volume you have or
train with a club that incorporates running (i.e. UofT Tri Club or Toronto
Triathlon Club).
Some options listed on Blog TO include:
No comments:
Post a Comment