LIVE BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 20th, 2020 – Watch live at live.cycleforsight.ca

8:00 am PDT | 11:00 am EDT Opening Ceremonies

8:15 am PDT | 11:15 am EDT Exercise Sessions

  • Spin Cycling Class #1 with Mike Porter
  • Strength & Cardio with Marla Erickson
  • Zwift Ride with Lowell Taylor

9:00 am PDT | 12:00 pm EDT Break and Announcements

9:10 am PDT | 12:10 pm EDT Exercise Sessions

  • Spin Cycling Class #2 with Mike Porter
  • Relaxing Yoga with Vivian Chong
  • Zwift Ride continues with Lowell Taylor

10:00 am PDT | 1:00 pm EDT Closing Ceremonies

Event Details

Cycle for Sight Virtual is for anyone and everyone who wants to get active to support vision research. Teams, families and individuals can participate in the following three ways:

1.     Join the Cycle for Sight Live Broadcast Indoor Program on June 20th.

We are planning a special two-hour Cycle for Sight Virtual program on Saturday, June 20th hosted by Ramya Amuthan that is going to be challenging, rewarding and fun-tastic for all participants.

  • A custom, indoor Cycle for Sight program led by spin instructor and running coach Mike Porter from Positive Edge! This program is also great for anyone participating on a treadmill. Start now and enjoy spring workouts with Mike and his big, motivational smile. He'll have you inspired and in cycling shape in time for June 20th. Click here to learn more.
  • A special interactive Zwift ride, led by Parapan Am silver-medalist and Paralympic hopeful Lowell Taylor. Learn how to participate in this Zwift Ride in the FAQs below.
  • An accessible strength and cardio movement session led by Marla Ericksen, a highly experienced trainer. And a yoga class led by teacher and performer Vivian Chong, who lives with blindness after a rare pharmaceutical reaction. Nurture your mind, body and heart while developing strength, mindfulness and flexibility at Cycle for Sight Virtual – no equipment necessary.

And special guests across Canada will be sharing inspirational words of encouragement to keep us moving through our cycling and fitness challenges.

The technology to participate in this memorable indoor program will be very simple, so that participants can easily switch between the three programs. All that is required is a computer or mobile phone and internet access.

At 10 am PDT | 11 am MDT | 1 pm EDT | 2:30 pm NDT the Cycle for Sight closing ceremonies will begin to bring everyone from coast-to-coast back together to celebrate what we have achieved physically, and more importantly, the impact our collective fundraising will make in our fight against vision loss.

2.     Choose your own route and cycle safely outdoors.

If you can cycle outdoors safely, then join the Cycle for Sight Club on Strava to build your route. Post your rides and be inspired by where other cyclists like to ride along similar routes. Be sure to upload photos, and give kudos to fellow riders who are training to Cycle for Sight.

Here are some helpful tips to ensure your ride is fun and safe:

  • Check out your province’s return to cycling guidelines during the pandemic and rules of the road
  • Turn on your bike lights so you are as visible as possible
  • Make sure your cell phone is fully charged
  • Bring full water bottles and some type of nutrition, i.e. your favourite gel or bar
  • And remember your sunscreen

Wear your Cycle for Sight jersey from a previous year if you’ve got one, and post a pic of your ride on Facebook or Instagram using hashtag #CycleforSight. We'd all love to see your ride this year, and you could win a Spirit Award!

3.     Choose an athletic pursuit of your choice!

Cycle for Sight is for anyone, even if you don’t have access to a bike this year. You can set a different fitness goal, how ever you would like to move and get active this spring. Run, walk, climb stairs, jump rope, sit ups, dance, yoga, Zumba are just a few ideas. (See also the indoor movement program on event day just above.)

FAQs

Can I Cycle for Sight on a different day?

Yes you can! If you are not able to Cycle for Sight with us on June 20th, then you can complete your route or personal challenge on any day prior to June 20th. Some of our participants have already begun their Cycle for Sight challenge by tracking their mileage on-going from now until June 20th.

Should I track my mileage?

Whether you are cycling or have chosen a different way to move, you do not need to track your mileage. You can just participate in the event day program, or cycle outdoors on the route of your choice, or have a family dance or Zumba party.

If you’d like to set a mileage goal (like 1,000 kms), or a specific fitness goal (like 10,000 sit-ups), then definitely go for it! You can begin personally tracking your mileage anytime between now and event day on Saturday, June 20th. You can provide updates to your supporters on your Cycle for Sight online participant page.

How can I track my mileage?

If you decide to track your mileage, you can join the Cycle for Sight Club on Strava or your own personal fitness tracker.

Do I have to sign up for Strava to participate?

No, you do not have to sign up for Strava, or have access to any fitness tracking apps to participate. The only thing required to participate in the Cycle for Sight Virtual program on event day is access to the internet on a computer, tablet or phone. The technology will be very simple!

How do I participate in the Zwift ride with Lowell Taylor?

Zwift is an indoor training app, and one cool feature is this: as long as you keep pedaling at any pace, you won’t get dumped and will stay with the Cycle for Sight group. To join the training ride on Thursday, June 18th at 4 pm MT or to join the Cycle for Sight Virtual Zwift ride on Saturday, June 20th, follow these instructions:

  1. Download the Zwift Companion App at least 24 hrs before the ride
  2. Go to "Find Zwifters" and search for Lowell Taylor - click the orange add friend icon
  3. You will be invited to attend the meet-up
  4. Go into the 'Events' tab of the Zwift companion app and select that you are 'going' to the ride led by Lowell?
  5. For either the training ride on Thursday, June 18th or the Cycle for Sight ride on Saturday, June 20th, you must be on your bike riding on Zwift at least 5 minutes before the official start time!
  6. A few minutes before the official start time, Zwift will ask if you would like to join the meetup. Select yes, and it will bring you into the starting area with all of the Cycle for Sight participants
  7. You can chat to the group using the Zwift companion app or on the device you are using to Zwift
  8. We will be using the rubber-banding, so as long as you keep pedalling, it will keep you with the group no matter how hard or light you are working.

If you miss the start of the meet up for technical issues or getting that last energy gel in, you can still ride along, but you will not have the rubber banding effect.

If you miss the official start, use the “Ride with option” in Zwift to be placed in the ride in progress with Lowell. When you log in to Zwift, select the Watopia World - the list of riders currently on course will be listed on the screen. The names of people you’re following are listed first. Select Lowell Taylor [CycleForSight.ca] in the rider list and hit the “Join” button. Be ready to start pedaling as soon as your avatar appears! Zwift will keep you alongside the other rider for a few seconds while you get up to speed.

If you are not currently a Zwift member and would like to participate in the Zwift ride with Lowell, then you must register for Zwift and familiarize yourself with the Zwift experience in advance of June 20th. Information on the free one-week Zwift membership here. And the instructions on what type of trainer you will need to use Zwift and how to get started is here.