For those who prefer something significantly less than 100km on Sunday, why not join Klaus (fellow club member) and others to make a 24 km ride by riding to Port Hope and back again? Read about the Ride for Hope below.

Ride for Hope
Heather Smith, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity North Day, and her friend Nellie have decided to bike from Newfoundland to her home in North Bay, raising money for Habitat for Humanity North Bay along the way.

Since starting their trek on July 15, Heather and Nellie have travelled through 4 provinces and crossed into Ontario on Sunday. The pair will be arriving in Cobourg on Saturday August 11^th, resting for the night and then setting off for Toronto Sunday morning.

To show our support and appreciation for their commitment to affordable housing, a group from Habitat Northumberland will be accompanying Heather and Nellie from Cobourg to our construction site on Harcourt St in Port Hope before wishing them the best on their trip to Toronto.

Start time: 9:00am
Start location: The Arena on Furnace St. in Cobourg
Route: To the Port Hope Habitat Build and then returning.

Randy has had a request for overnight accommodation from a cycling tourist through the warmshowers.org website (A community for touring cyclists and hosts) and that he can’t accommodate. The person is travelling 200km per day to circumnavigate Lake Ontario. Are there any NHCC members who are able to offer the gentleman a place to stay for the night while he passes through Cobourg? If so, please contact Randy. randyalbon@gmail.com (after 4pm) or randy.albon@opg.com (before 4pm).

This is the ride that essentially got washed out this past weekend due to the stormy weather that kept most of us at home, so we will do it on Thursday. The Rice Lake Ramble  is a classic Freewheelers route. Three distances to choose from, so there’s something for everyone. The start location will be at the Arena on Furnace St. rather than the Marina as indicated on the map

Start time: 9:00am
Start location: The Arena on Furnace St.
Route Maps Below:
Long route (87 km)
Medium route (74 km)
Short route (61km)

Please comment below to let others know which distance you plan to do. It’s the best way to ensure that you will have others to ride with!

The days are getting shorter so we will now start our evening rides at 6:30 pm. This will be an EASY ride, as we keep in mind that some may be  preparing to do the 100k this weekend.

Start time: 6:30pm
Location: Cobourg Memorial Rink and Recreation Centre on Furnace St.
Route Map: Wicklow Beach and Back
Ride Leader: Volunteer needed

Please comment below to say you’re coming to the ride. Does anyone want to lead this ride?

These rides will continue to start at the Town Hall in Port Hope for the month of August. The route and pace are adjusted accordingly to accommodate the least experienced rider making it ideal for new members and those who just want an easy ride with a little newish scenery.

If you wish to ride over there from Cobourg, meet at Canadian Tire at 6:20.

Start time: 7:00 pm (6:20 from Canadian Tire Cobourg)
Start location: Port Hope Town Hall
Ride leader: Volunteer Needed

Please comment below if you are riding, especially so if you think you could volunteer to be the ride leader.

This will be an EASY ride, with speeds appropriate for the newest riders, and certainly lots of fun for everyone. We’re getting ready for the Presqu’ile 100 this weekend, so you’ve got a few more opportunities to get in some mileage before Sunday.

Start time: 7:00pm
Location: Cobourg Memorial Rink and Recreation Centre on Furnace St.
Route Map: “Easy Route 2” 24 or 32 km route map here
Ride Leader: Volunteer Needed 

Please comment below to say you’re coming to the ride. Are there any volunteers to lead the ride?

Let the planning begin! To make a full 100km, we depart Donegan Park at 9:00am, travel to Presqu’ile Park then continue all the way to the Lighthouse before returning. It’s a lovely, flattish route, ideal route for your first 100k. A lakeside lunch spot in Gosport is an ideal opportunity to break the ride into two parts. There will be two different speed groups (Non-Stoppers and First Timers), so pick the one that’s most suitable for you.

First-Timers: “Am I capable of the distance?”
“Flattish” means it’s easier, but some endurance is required. If you’re able to complete a 60km on some our regular hillier rides (with few stops) comfortably, then you can likely handle it. If you find that you typically struggle to keep up with the regular paced group on 40k rides, then we wouldn’t recommend it. If you just aren’t sure, talk to some experienced club members who would be happy to help you determine whether or not this ride is for you. Below are a few tips to ensure a successful and fun ride:

• Plan to take a break for lunch
• Have 2 bottles of water/gatorade on your bike
• Hydrate well the day before. Drink at least 8 glasses of water!
• Plan to drink about 1 bottle every 1-2 hours (re-fill Colborne and Brighton)
• Carry some food in your pockets (granola bar, trail mix, or banana etc.)
• Pace yourself and don’t go too fast. You have all day.
• Spare tire, pump/CO2, patch kit, and tire levers are essential
• Rest for two days prior. Don’t ride.
• Have a cell-phone on hand

Nobody will be left behind. It’s not a race. Plan to take your time and enjoy. An experienced club member will accompany the first timers and will be available for support, encouragement and assistance.

Restaurant Reservations: Reservations will be made at the Harbourview Cafe in Gosport for 11:30–12:00 (Non-stoppers) and 12:30-1:00 (First Timers). Of course that estimated time of arrival can only be approximate.

Start Time: 9:00am
Start Location: Donegan Park
Route Map: Coming Soon

Please indicate below which group you plan to ride with and more importantly, if you are planning to have lunch at the Harbourview Cafe. We’ll need to know so that adequate reservations can be made.

This is an announcement just to let you know that we are planning the 100km ride to the lighthouse at Presqu’ile Park for next Sunday (August 12th). This is a great opportunity to achieve that goal of a 100k ride. It is a flat course and probably the easiest 100k you will get around these parts.

If next Sunday doesn’t work for you, we will do it again on September 2nd.

More details will follow next week.