To help members navigate our processes …
| Topic | Question | Response |
| Membership | ||
| 1 | Where do I find information on my membership status? | Under MemberZone/ My Account. Profile info on main page, on top Subscriptions and Transactions. |
| 2 | How do I update my member profile? e.g. change email address. | Login to your account from any TBC webpage. Go to My Account, make your change and save. The change will automatically be applied to outgoing mail, your bookings etc. |
| 3 | Where do I see the membership terms? | Membership terms are listed on the Join page. Copies of the Waiver and Code of Conduct ( required for membership) are posted on the Club policies page. |
| 4 | How do I prove I have an active membership? | TBC’s online event management (i.e. Ride booking and Trip registration) automatically validates your membership status. If ever asked to show proof, present your subscription page. |
| 5 | Why does my membership expire in December when I joined mid year? | Some clubs use a 12 month membership term. Depending on when a member joins, this could result in their membership expiring after registering for an event but before or during the actual event. To prevent this, event registration only opens the year of the event and all memberships expire December 31st when the events of that year are complete. |
| Event Categories | ||
| 1 | Where do I find an overview of the types of events TBC hosts? | Under the “About Us” menu on the website. https://www.tbccycling.ca/types-of-events/ |
| Day rides | ||
| 1 | Why do we use event booking for day rides ? | Online booking is a type of RSVP. It was requested by members and organizers for the purpose of planning & follow-up. The online feature fosters fairness for members (first come-first serve signups) , courtesy to our volunteers, and automatically validates membership status. |
| 2 | When does the booking open and close for rides ? | Booking for all single day events (e.g. rides) open 7 days out, to the minute. The default times for booking to open and close is 9:45am for day rides and 6:45pm for evening rides. The “Submit” button will appear up to the start time if there are spots available. |
| 3 | What is latest that a member can cancel their booking. | Members may cancel anytime before the start time without penalty. We do insist that members maintain accurate booking status and if cancelling, allow more than 2 hours notice. This gives others time to fill the spot and organizers time to re-plan accordingly. |
| 4 | Why do we set booking limits and how are they determined? | TBC rides are meant to be small group, guided tours. For safety, manageability and optimum member enjoyment we limit the group size. The default capacity for rides is 20 based on average past participation. This may be adjusted for special events where additional support has been arranged (i.e. Canada day ride) |
| 5 | Can we invite guests? | TBC events are restricted to members with active membership subscriptions. |
| 6 | Can I just show up to a ride in case someone does not show up? | Members must be booked on that ride to participate – See item 1 above. |
| 7 | Why don’t we have a wait list? | Our system does not have this feature. Cancellations to free up spots are very common, especially closer to the day of the ride. Side note: Wait listing blocks high demand spots for hours at a time. It is not recommended for weather dependent events where cancellations may occur up to the start time with no penalty. |
| 8 | How do I get a new ride added to the schedule? | Each Spring (Jan-Mar) the Ride Coordinator works with ride volunteers to prepare the seasonal schedule. In April, the completed schedule is published on the website. To add a new ride to the schedule before or after publish date, please contact the ride coordinator who will collect ride information to ensure that the route is suitable for our club and there are no conflicts. We also ask you to review the Ride category descriptions and Ride leader guide in the MemberZone. |
| 9 | When is the best time to book on a ride? | TBC’s booking process is free, easy and requires no real commitment until the official start of the ride. Rides do fill quickly but many bookings are cancelled due to weather or schedule conflicts. If a ride appears full you should check for openings within a day or two of the event date. |
| 10 | Why are rides not classified by difficulty and speed? | Many things can impact the ride speed and experience (weather, terrain etc.) TBC rides are intended to be social escapes on 2 wheels. All rides are guided and our moto is leave no man behind (once we start peddling). As such we keep the descriptions basic, adjust rides as needed and do not pre-post route maps. There is, however, unique criteria for each ride category. Links to the category information page are found on the Ride Schedule page, the top of each ride page and on the “What we do” page. |
| 11 | When do rides actually start ? | Riders depart no later than 15 minutes past the event start time. In other words, if the ride start is listed as 9:45 members should arrive by 9:45 to set up and hear any announcements. Rides depart as soon as everyone registered is ready, up but no later than 15 minutes past the start time. In short – Arrive by the posted start time and be prepared to leave within 15 minutes. |
| 12 | How do I contact a ride leader? | For privacy reasons we cannot list personal info such as email and phone numbers on a public page. Unlike the trip registration where the commitment is greater and trip leaders manage more details, ride booking are made with the club, not the ride organizer who may swap out. We encourage members to use FB messenger to contact other members safely. (see Tips & trick under MemberZone for help with FaceBook) |
| 13 | How are post ride BBQ’s handled? Payment etc? | Occasionally a ride organizer will offer a post ride BBQ’s to those members that come on their ride. For these “member sponsored” activities, the organizer pays for food and participants in attendance reimburse them at the event. Details and reimbursement amounts are usually listed in the event description. (See item #3 under Social/Winter) |
| 14 | How do a know if a ride is cancelled? | Go to https://www.tbccycling.ca/ride-cancellation/ |
| 15 | Can I include a pre-paid activity as part of my ride? | For any event there can be no separate (pre-paid or time sensitive) registrations as this may cause conflicts. All Bookings will use the TBC registration process. |
| Multiday ( Trips / Excursions ) | ||
| 1 | What is a trip vs day ride? | Trips (excursions) are over 1 hour driving distance from the GTA and include arrangements for overnight accommodations and all or some of the meals. Advanced payment is required and we have a cancellation policy. Day rides are within 1 hours drive and all event activities take place on the same day. |
| 2 | When is a trip open for booking? | Trips open at different times, the default is 60 days prior to the trip’s start date. |
| 3 | How do wait lists work? | If the trip is full, a member can add their name to a wait list. In the case of a cancellation the system will automatically promote from the waitlist. That member must then complete payment with in 24 hours or lose their registration altogether. Due to gender matching some trips will still use a manual promotion process. |
| 4 | How do I propose a trip? | Trip ideas are submitted to the Trip coordinator (Fall AGM through April). The Trip coordinator, working with the trip leaders and executive, evaluates the proposal to ensure that the trip is suitable for our club and there are no conflicts We also recommend you read the Trip Leader guide in the MemberZone. |
| Social/ Winter | ||
| 1 | Are Social events paid by the Club? | Membership dues are used to cover all or part of the costs associated with a TBC sponsored social events such as Spring and Fall Parties. |
| 2 | Can I bring a guest? | TBC events are restricted to members with active membership subscriptions. |
| 3 | Is a pre/post ride gathering/activity considered a TBC sponsored social event? | Gatherings outside of an official ride or TBC sponsored social are not part of the club’s formal offerings. The club does not cover costs for member sponsored events such as post ride BBQ’s. Reimbursements must be made directly to the host at the time of the event. |
| 4 | Can we ask members to purchase a ticket for a 3rd party activity as part of a TBC ride ? | No. There can be no separate (pre-paid or time sensitive) registrations as this may cause conflicts with the TBC event booking/registration. |
| General | ||
| 1 | How does club information get distributed? | The source of record is the TBC Website. Depending on the message, timing, and target audience, we may supplement with other methods. The TBC Facebook group targets approx. half of our membership. Our weekly notices target 100% of our members. Depending on the time of year only 30-70% are read. There are always delivery and read delays on emails. If a message is time sensitive ( eg ride cancelled), the best place to find it on the Website. |
| 2 | Where do I find a list of the Club policies? | Under the “About Us” menu on the website. https://www.tbccycling.ca/policies/ |
| 3 | How do I volunteer to lead a ride or trip, or just help with a social? | We encourage all members to volunteer. Although it is not required, volunteering is fun, rewarding and helps keep the club strong. To learn about our volunteer roles check out the Member Zone volunteering page. Volunteer roles – Toronto Bicycle Club – Toronto’s Fun bicycle club (tbccycling.ca) |
| 4 | How do I volunteer for a role on the Exec or planning committee? | Send a note using the button on the “About us/Contacts us page” . https://www.tbccycling.ca/contacts/ |
| 5 | How can I get a copy of an old member notice? | Past issues are available under the Member Zone – tip page (past emails> Note that information and links in the weekly member notice are member status and time sensitive so it may no longer be accurate. |