Level 3 Ride: Wednesday May 1

anita macklin Meet your Ride Coordinator: Anita Macklin
Anita has been with the NHCC since day one! She is trained as a CanBike safety instructor, is the past-president and a founding member of the NHCC.

The weather has been just a little crazy lately, but let’s hope that it holds out for the first ride of the season this coming Wednesday. If necessary, ride-cancellation notices are posted on the website a few hours before the ride start.

What to expect on Level 3 rides: The key to Level 3 is that the pace and difficulty of the ride will be incrementally faster than Level 2 and incrementally slower than Level 4. There will be a ride leader setting the appropriate pace.

  • Road bike strongly recommended
  • Participants should be comfortable riding in a group formation, both single file and two-abreast
  • No one gets dropped; at the same time, pushing the pace will not be tolerated
  • Rides may include a mid-route break (daytime rides only), typically at a convenience store or similar
  • Distances for evening rides begin at around 25km
  • Speed (pace) for the season starts at around 20km per hour on flat pavement (faster or slower in response to hills and wind conditions)
  • Distances and speeds will increase as the season progresses

Note: There are maximum pace parameters for Level 3. The NHCC offers a Level 4 Ride (Tuesdays & Thursdays) designed to have no restrictions on pace so you can ride fast & wild (but safely, of course). 🙂

Wednesday May 1st, Level 3

This route is 26km long. This ride will depart from the arena on Furnace Street at 6:30 pm. We will head north to Baltimore (via Division/ Ferguson/ Racetrack) and then head back to Cobourg (via Nagle)

Ride leader: Anita Macklin
Start time: 6:30 pm
Route map: (26k) Baltimore and Back Route map on Ride With GPS
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St.

Open Call for Ride Leaders

We need your help! The strength of the NHCC ride program relies on the commitment of volunteers like you. We are looking for ride leaders for the 2019 cycling season.  The more ride leaders we have, the more variety of rides we can offer.

You don’t need to be a super cyclist, just willing to commit to showing up and leading the way.  Not necessarily every week either. You could even just be an “occasional” leader. We are looking for all levels of ride leaders – from slow leisurely riders to those speed demons who love hills!  The proposed ride schedule for 2019 is as follows:

Monday evenings: Level 1, Level 3
Tuesday evenings: Level 2, Level 4
Wednesday evenings: Level 1, Level 3
Thursday evenings: Level 2, Level 4
Weekend mornings or afternoons: This can be any level
Friday Floater rides: Level 3

Simply let us know you are willing to lead and we’ll get you ready! Submit your name and a few details in the comments and then you’ll hear from us to plan what’s next.

There’s no commitment or obligation at this point….just an expression of interest.  Thank you!!!

Pre-season Ride today at 1:00

We are making the most of good forecast! This ride is short notice for this afternoon, but since the weather is cooperating we can squeeze in a ride for those who are free to go from Cobourg to Hope Township and beyond, starting at 1:00. These pre-season rides are a little less structured and we’ll set a pace that works for those who come out. The total distance is around 48km but there is an option to extend it further toward Newcastle if people want to once we reach Canton. There are hills on this route!

Start time: Sunday April 7, 1:00pm
Coordinators: Anita and Randy
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena on Furnace St.
Distance: 48k (options for extending if desired)
Route Map: 48k Hope Township Route on Ride with GPS

Pancake Ride: Postponed till further notice

POSTPONEMENT NOTICE: Darnitallanyways! There are multiple conflicting weather forecasts for today and tomorrow. The weather tool we rely on the most is Environment Canada and it shows a high of just 12 today which means a cold ride. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the Pancake ride until we get some more sunshine and warmth. Maybe in another week or two.

Sandy Flats Pancake Ride: Saturday April 6

The forecast for Saturday looks spectacular with 14c and sunshine so it means just one thing—our Annual Sandy Flats Pancake Ride! There are hills and it’s the first ride of the year so may be challenging for some, making it best suited for strong riders. Never fear though, if 60k is a little intimidating for you there is a 30k option. This is a pre-season ride meaning it’s weather dependent so do keep an eye out for changing forecasts.

Here’s how it works: We meet at the Baltimore arena then bike to Sandy Flats Sugar Bush. After stuffing ourselves silly with pancakes, maple syrup and sausages we pedal home again. Hills, baby, hills! No flatness on this route.

NOTE about starting in Centreton (30k option): Be sure to have your bike ready to go as soon as the 60k group arrives—they won’t stop for more than a minute or they’ll chill super-fast.

Route Map: Link to it on Ride with GPS

Date: Saturday April 6, 2019
Ride Leaders: Anita and Randy
Starting place (for the 60k): Baltimore Community Center (10:00am)
Starting in Centreton (30k): Main intersection (10:30-10:45, approx. Be ready to ride!)
Anticipated arrival at Sandy Flats: 12:00-ish

Don’t forget to bring some $$ with you if you plan to feast on pancakes.

Please let us know you are coming by leaving a comment below, indicating where you plan to start from (Baltimore or Centreton). It really helps us to plan ahead!

The NHCC has a new website

The NHCC has a new website with a new look and new functionality as a few have already noticed. The most exciting change is that the NHCC now takes memberships online with a credit card! You may also notice that the Comments feature has moved. Comments now appear directly underneath the main heading of the post as shown on the image below:

We certainly welcome feedback and constructive input on website features, issues with email notifications etc. If you happen to notice something isn’t working quite right, or can’t find what you are looking for, please drop us a line and let us know so we can happily make repairs.
Email webmaster@northumberlandhillscyclingclub.com

Stolen Road Bike: Please keep your eye open

Please be on the lookout for a stolen bicycle. Last night Paul Mills had his Giant Defy Bicycle stolen out of his garage in the east end of Cobourg, along with a new pair of clip-less shoes, grey in colour with orange soles. If Club members could pay attention to local buy/sell sites, or any other possible venues it would be much appreciated. If anyone has any information that could be helpful, please email nhcycling2010@gmail.com Let’s keep our fingers crossed that his bicycle can be found!

 

Second Annual NHCC Bicycle Shorts Film Festival, April 12

Here we go again folks, another chance for us to get together, lycra free, and have some fun. It’s the Second Annual NHCC Bicycle Shorts Film Festival. We have a bigger venue this year thanks to the generosity of HTM Insurance Company (Hamilton Township Mutual) on Elgin St. in Cobourg.

Similar to last year, but with new material, there will be short bicycle-themed films carefully compiled by my good friend Rob Wilkes at Big Sky Design in Peterborough. For a sneak peak on what to expect visit VeloVID.com

Seating is limited to 40 people,  first come first served so sign up quick by leaving a reply and we will confirm your spot. Pizza, Coffee, tea, & soft drinks will be available at a nominal cost, so bring a few extra $ if you wish to partake. Any extra proceeds will be to the local food bank.

Date: Friday April 12th, 2019, 7–9pm
Location: HTM Insurance Company 1185 Elgin St. W. (Elgin and Wilkins Gate).
Cost: Free!

Three Great Workshops at Cycle Transitions!

Just in time to help you get ready for the cycling season, Cycle Transitions has three workshops scheduled for the month of April.

Spring Tune-up Workshop

Learn how to prepare your bicycle for this year’s cycling season. Adjust your derailleurs and brakes as needed, replace worn parts, clean your bike, and more This is a hands-on workshop so bring your bike.
Date: Tuesday, April 9
Location: Cycle Transitions, 390 King St. W., Cobourg
Time: 6:30-9:00 pm
Cost: free for Cycle Transition members. $35 for non-members (gives you a year’s CT membership in addition to the workshop fee). Parts extra.
Leader: Dave Singfield
How to sign up: send an email to cycletransitions@gmail.com
There is a limit of 8 persons for the workshop.  If there are more than 8 who indicate an interest, a second evening may be scheduled.

Maintenance Workshop for Women Only

Learn how to clean your bike, clean and lubricate your chain, and change a tire. This is a hands-on workshop so you will get an opportunity to practice some of these skills right away. Bring your bike and don’t wear your good clothes!
Date: Tuesday, April 16
Location: Cycle Transitions, 390 King St. W., Cobourg
Time: 6:30-9:00 pm
Cost: free for Cycle Transition members. $35 for non-members (gives you a year’s CT membership in addition to the workshop fee).
Leaders: Maria Siemiaszko, Sue Throop, Freda Dong
How to sign up: send an email to cycletransitions@gmail.com
There is a limit of 12 persons for the workshop.  If there are more than 12 that sign up, a second evening may be scheduled.

Touring Prep Workshop

Learn how to prepare for a self-guided bicycle tour with Randy and Anita, recently returned from a tour of Cuba.  If you followed their blog of the trip (randyandanitaadventures.com), you can be assured they know all the “ins and outs” of what you’ll need and how to get ready for your tour.
Date: Tuesday, April 23
Location: Cycle Transitions, 390 King St. W., Cobourg
Time: 6:30-9:00 pm
Cost: free for Cycle Transition members. $35 for non-members (gives you a year’s CT membership in addition to the workshop fee).
Leader: Randy Albon, Anita Macklin
How to sign up: send an email to cycletransitions@gmail.com
There is a limit of 12 persons for the workshop.