NOTICE OF CHANGE: The Level 3/4 Day ride to Toronto tomorrow is being postponed and we will instead do a Breakfast Ride to Rhinos, leaving at 10am from the Hamilton Township Offices on Majestic Hills Rd. See the Cycle Club app for details and to RSVP.  

Just a short reminder that Evening rides begin at 6:00pm.  Also, some of the morning rides may start at 9am.  Be sure to check the start times!

LIGHTS ON BIKES: By the time Thursday rolls around the sun will be setting at 8:23pm. At this time of the year it’s especially important to remind ourselves that at minimum, we need to have a red light on the back of our bikes 30 minutes before sunset, so that means around 6:53 at night.  Not only does it make us more visible and thus safer, the Highway Traffic Act requires it!  When we are travelling westbound on any given road in the evening the setting sun can blind other road users to our presence as they approach from behind.  When the sun is glaring it can be blinding to motorists, and sometimes the only visible signal you have to alert them of your presence might be that little flashing light.  In fact, it’s a best practice to go beyond the minimum and have those lights flashing at all times when you are riding regardless of the time of day.

The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides

IMPORTANT: Please note Start Locations may vary for each Ride Level, as well as Start times
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.

Tuesday August 9: Evening Ride, 6:00pm

Level 1: 
Start location: Cobourg Community Center, D’Arcy St., Cobourg

Level 2: 
Start location: Donegan Park, D’Arcy St., Cobourg

Level 3/4: 
Start location: Northumberland Forest (Beagle Club Parking Lot)

Thursday August 11: Morning ride

Level 1: 
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Wicklow Beach Boatlaunch

Level 2: 
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Donegan Park, D’Arcy St., Cobourg

Level 3/4: 
*Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices (Majestic Hills Road)

Sunday August 14: Morning Ride

Level 1: 
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: To be determined 

Level 2: 
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: The Mill Restaurant Parking Lot, Ontario St., Cobourg

Level 3/4: 
*Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices, on Majestic Hills Rd.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Believe it or not, the sun is setting earlier and the days are getting rapidly shorter. Evening rides will now begin at 6:00pm so be sure to make note of that!  

Pre-announcing some notable upcoming special events that you can start RSVPing to:

• For everyone, we have an ALL LEVELS Ride & Pie Potluck on August 21st and you won’t want to miss that. It’s exactly what it sounds like—we ride, then there will be a potluck afterward that’s all Pie! Dessert pies, chicken pies, mini-pies, you name it.  You see, the Level 2s keep talking about Pie, and we all want some of that action!
• On August 11th the Level 3/4s are going to hop on the GO train and make a Day-trip to Toronto, cycling around some wonderful trails, and exploring what the city has to offer
• Labour Day Weekend (September 3rd, Rain date Sept. 4th)! Maria will be hosting an ALL LEVELS plus FOOD from her home in Grafton. The NHCC will be providing some fabulous food for all members—an awesome way to celebrate summer!

The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides

IMPORTANT: Please note Start Locations may vary for each Ride Level, as well as Start times
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.

Tuesday August 2: Evening Ride, 6:00pm

Level 1: 
Start location: Wicklow Beach Boat Launch, 133 Lakeport Road

Level 2: 
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg

Level 3/4: 
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices, on Majestic Hills Rd.

Thursday August 4: Morning ride, 10am

Level 1: 
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Cobourg Public Library

Level 2: 
Start location: Parking Lot at St. Marys Catholic Church, 103 Lyle St., South in Grafton

Level 3/4: 
Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, (Grafton Arena), 10766 Hwy 2 in Grafton

Sunday August 7: Morning Ride, 10am

Level 1: 
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Donegan Park, 

Level 2: 
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Kings Field, at 28 Victoria St., South, Port Hope

Level 3/4: 
Start location: McDonald Rd parking lot for the Northumberland Forest

“Bicycles for Ukrainians” is a project to outfit newly arrived Ukrainian families with bicycles. Randy Albon (your NHCC prez) is collaborating with Cycle Transitions to collect, repair and distribute approximately 40 new or gently used bicycles for newly arrived families in our area.  We are asking for donations of bicycles (particularly adult sized) or cycling related items, as well as financial donations.

To make a donation of a bicycle or bike parts:

Contact Randy Albon: by email at president@northumberlandhillscyclingclub.com  or text to 905-376-8696

To make a financial donation for the Ukrainian Project:

E-transfer to the following email address mentioning “Ukrainian Project“: membership@cycletransitions.org

Tuesday night is an All Levels Ride & Patio Time. That means the whole club starts and finishes at the same time, riding out for 40 minutes then returning back for a total of 80 minutes of riding. Afterward, we have reserved some outdoor patio space, 8:00 pm at Arthurs Pub for whoever wants to make it a social event. Bring a little $$ for beer, wings, nachos….whatever!  The Level 1s are going to test out an earlier start time (9:00am) for the morning rides this week and see how it goes. The Level 3&4s are heading out of town this week—Thursday for a rail trail ride, starting in Lindsay and Sunday in Campbellford—Time to see some new scenery!  Apparently the Level 2s likes Pie—so Richard’s now famous pie will be featured after the Level 2 ride on Sunday.  

The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides

IMPORTANT: Please note Start Locations may vary for each Ride Level, as well as Start times
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.

Tuesday July 26: ALL LEVELS Evening Ride

Level 1, 2, 3 and 4: 
Start time: 6:30pm (Ride), 8:00pm (Patio time at Arthurs)
Start location: The parking lot in front of the Fleming Building in Cobourg, at 1005 Elgin St., W

Thursday July 28: Morning ride, 10am

Level 1: 
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Cobourg Community Centre, 750 D’Arcy St., Cobourg

Level 2: 
Start location: Kings Field, at 28 Victoria St., South, Port Hope

Level 3 and 4: 
Start location: OPS Township Community Centre, Lindsay, 2569 Hwy 7, Lindsay
Click here to see it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/sDXrnTgfoc2S6JzEA

Sunday July 31: Morning Ride, 10am

Level 1: 
Start location: Donegan Park, 25 D’Arcy St., Cobourg
Start time: 9:00am

Level 2: 
Start location: On the street near 145 Park Lane, in Hastings
Click here to see it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/DVWUeEJw1RXnnVAA7

Level 3 and 4: 
Start Location: The parking lot on Saskatoon Avenue, which is at the north entrance to Ferris Provincial Park

 

RIDE CANCELLATION NOTICE: Thunderstorms—although fun & exciting present a safety concern, so unfortunately all morning rides are cancelled for today. Hey, at least weeds are easier to pull when the ground is wet…so there’s that. 

We’re keeping it local for the evening ride! On Thursday the Level 2s are starting out in Port Hope and the 3/4s are expanding the exploration of the Waterfront Trail by starting out in Darlington and heading toward Whitby which is always a fantastic experience. On Sunday, the Level 3/4s are doing the Lang-Hastings Trail toward Peterborough and back for something a little different. The Level 1s Sunday Ride needs your input! Use the Discussion feature on the Cycle Club app to indicate what you’d like—in town, out of town, big adventure, ride & picnic—it’s your call.

Weather this week looks iffy—we’ll see how it goes.  In the event that Thursday is a washout, it’s possible some rides may be re-scheduled to Friday if ride leaders are available, so stay tuned.

The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides

IMPORTANT: Please note Start Locations may vary for each Ride Level, as well as Start times
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.

Tuesday July 19: Evening Ride

Level 1: 
Start time: 6:15 pm
Start location: Cobourg Community Centre on D’Arcy St., (park in the northwest corner if possible)

Level 2: 
Start time: 6:30pm
Start location: St. Mary’s Church parking lot, at 103 Lyle St., South in Grafton

Level 3 and 4:
Start time: 6:30pm
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices

Thursday July 21: Morning ride, 10am

Level 1: 
Start location: Donegan Park, D’Arcy St., in Cobourg

Level 2: 
Start location: Kings Field, at 28 Victoria St., South, Port Hope

Level 3 and 4: 
Start location: Darlington Lower Hydro Fields, 312 Crago Rd., Courtice
Click here to see it on Google Maps https://goo.gl/maps/zbXMBwhKztwVbdXq6

Sunday July 24: Morning Ride, 10am

Level 1: 
Start location: To be determined by you! Use the discussion feature on your Cycle Club account to help work out a fantastic ride experience!

Level 2: 
Start location: Parking lot just West of the boat launch, bottom of Ontario St. in Brighton at 162 Harbour St. 
Click here to see it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/NSgmnR45MTSzfLFA9

Level 3 and 4: 
Start location: Hastings: Parking lot at the SOUTHWEST intersection of Bridge and Water Streets

 

Yay for the rain we have had, but let’s hope it doesn’t interfere with our rides this week (Tuesday evenings seem to be cursed!).  It’s that time of year when many are vacationing and out of town, and there are fewer people on rides, so we are keeping things local (meaning start locations in Port Hope, or Grafton) For Level 1 and 2, be sure to arm yourself with a little ice-cream $ because you never know where you’ll end up, and at this time of year ice-cream seems to crop up frequently.  For the 3/4s, it’s a Century Ride on Sunday, but there are choices—50, 100 or 160km options! 

The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides

IMPORTANT: Please note Start Locations may vary for each Ride Level, as well as Start times
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.

Tuesday July 12: Evening Ride

Level 1: 
Start time: 6:15 pm
Start location: Cobourg Community Centre on D’Arcy St., (park in the northwest corner if possible)

Level 2: 
Start time: 6:30pm
Start location: Kings Field on Victoria St. south, in Port Hope

Level 3 and 4:
Start time: 6:30pm
Start location: Northumberland Forest parking lot on McDonald Road in Centreton, about 2km north of Centreton Rd (County Rd. 22) 
(Drive to Centreton, then proceed north on McDonald Rd to the parking lot on the right.)
Click here to see it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/62xxawkgFejtbVor5

Thursday July 14: Morning ride, 10am

Level 1: 
Start location: Westwood Park, on Carlisle between Ewing and Westwood

Level 2: 
Start location: St. Mary’s church parking lot, 103 Lyle St., South in Grafton

Level 3 and 4: 
Start location: Sylvan Glen Conservation area in Port Hope 
Click here to see it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/gHwaAU7B5gCZ5usz5

Sunday July 17: Morning Ride, 10am

Level 1: 
Start location: Oliver’s Lane in Cobourg 

Level 2: 
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg

Level 3 and 4: 
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg

Randy (your NHCC Prez) and Dave from Cycle Transitions are collaborating to provide bicycles for newly arrived (and arriving) Ukrainian families in our region—about 30 families.  There are adults, teens and children who could certainly benefit from the utility, adventure and independence that a bike could bring. They could sure use and appreciate whatever help we in the NHCC community can offer:

• Do you have a bike that you could donate? Utilitarian, hybrid, mountain?
• Bike parts and accessories: Bike racks, chains, wheels, tires, spare tire changing biz, lights, you name it! 
• Pannier bags, bells, mirrors?
• Bottle cages, new unused water bottles?
• Bike locks! So they don’t go missing….
• Helmets….to protect their noggins
• Cash donations!! (Cuz sometimes the necessaries like chains and cables just need to be purchased)

Also, we could use a little team of volunteers to help put the bikes in good mechanical working condition.  Cleaning bikes, drivetrains, etc. will also be a valuable contribution! Lubing things so they don’t squeak—we could put you to use if you have a little time!  

Drop Randy a line to let home know you can pitch in! President@northumberlandhillscyclingclub.com

If you can spare a little cash, please let us know and we’ll give you the e-transfer email address to send it to.

RIDE CANCELLATION NOTICE: It’s grey. It’s drizzly. It’s overall not really nice at all out there. Therefore we are cancelling tonight’s rides (Tuesday July 5). Just think! Now you can stay home and vacuum. And empty the dishwasher. And all those other fun, yet rewarding things.