I’ve always felt that apologizing is a sign of strength of character. Thank you, let’s move on.
Good afternoon Bob,
My name is Curtis from Calgary Cycle, and I’d like to apologize to you directly on behalf of our group for Saturday’s conflict. I am sorry this happened.
We have put up a statement on our Facebook, and to a few groups, acknowledging the group ride’s compromise of your safety on the trail and interference with your trail use. There’s no excuse for putting other users in danger and absolutely no reason to be hostile or hurl insults.Corey has stepped down as Ride Leader and we will be looking to change who is running our rides. Until now it has been a volunteer, but it isn’t reasonable of us to expect someone sacrificing their time and enjoyment to enforce our expectations onto the other riders.
Our hope is to come out of this with clearer expectations and to evolve our group to be better and better. I hope the next time you see our riders, it’s a friendly wave or hello you receive.
Regards,
Curtis Larson
Below is the posting on Facebook’s “Ride the Rockies Trail Reports.”
Hello fellow bikers and outdoor enthusiasts,
I am sad to have to use this page to apologize and not just scope out trail conditions. I have been riding in the Rockies and part of the bike culture in Calgary for nearly 30yrs. We try to be good advocates in all aspects of this glorious sport. We have obviously gone wrong on a group ride yesterday and caused some unneeded drama. All I want is for people to have fun on bikes. That is our moto, “Bikes are Fun!”. This is never intended to adversely affect other users experience on the trails. I(Calgary Cycle) respect xc-skiers, equestrians, hiker and all user groups. Please accept my sincerest apology on behalf of myself and and the store.
Please free to contact me at anytime. I am not on FB avidly so please email me at derek@calgarycycle.com
Sorry again if we have affected your ability to enjoy our amazing trails in the rockies,
Derek
*attached is our official response to the incident.
Calgary Cycle would like to apologize for the incident on Saturday, November 25th, where our group ride violated the regulations for fatbike use in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.
Our first concern is always with user safety, followed by proper etiquette, and care for our environment. We would like to apologize to Bob Truman, whose safety was compromised, and to all users of the trails, for our failure to live up to the necessary standard of care.
We have always considered proper etiquette to be something individual riders can handle and that we could communicate person to person, but that has become more difficult as use of the trails has increased and different groups interact.
Our group rider, Corey Kruchowski, has dedicated a large chunk of his personal time and effort to mountain biking, and to guiding riders through Alberta’s trails on behalf of Calgary Cycle. It is unfortunate as a result of this incident, Corey has decided to step down from his role as Ride Leader. We feel that we have failed to support Corey enough to ensure the quality and etiquette of our rides.
We will be formalizing our existing etiquette statement for our group rides shortly, and posting it in our stores and on our site. Riders who cannot follow said etiquette will not be part of our rides going forward.
At the heart of this incident is an ongoing issue we strive to be good actors within: user groups with different agendas who must find compromise and common ground. These trails are for everyone to use, to use safely, and are not immune to damage or destruction through ignorance or corporate interest. We should be working together to maintain the quality, safety, and longevity of our natural spaces.
We would ask that if any users would like to report past incidents or future issues with our riders acting against proper etiquette, they directly contact Calgary Cycle’s owner, Derek Lee, via email: derek@calgarycycle.com
Stay safe and have fun
Hats off to Curtis and Derek and Calgary Cycle. Their response sets a high standard for tecognizing the issue, acknowledging the error, and a no-excuses unqualified apology. Thank goodness for the tone of respect, sharing, and cooperation among the many and overlapping groups of active outdoor enthusiasts. That attitude prevails for the most part; Let’s all keep it growing!