The NHCC has laid the foundation for a new flexible ride structure that’s responsive to the needs of our diverse membership—a big departure from the former Levels 1-4 format. Now it’s your turn! We are inviting members to help us put together 3-week ride blocks that suit your interests and needs, and hopefully you can throw your great ideas our way. We will either meet outside in person (safely distanced of course), or make use of a Zoom conference, depending on number of respondents. We’ll talk & discuss the new format, then make plans to populate the ride calendar. How about it? Are you interested? Both new and returning members are encouraged to participate especially if you would like to:

• Learn about how the new format will work 
• Suggest ideas for ride themes
• Take ownership of a 3-week ride block
• Influence the development of our Ride Standards

Let us know you are interested by submitting your name below, and indicate your preference for in-person or Zoom. We’ll get back to you with date and time. (If the form doesn’t appear below, please visit the NHCC website here. 

We are just a little over two weeks away from the official start of Spring! It’s been a heck of a year in so many ways, but we look forward to an exciting new cycling season ahead, making up for lost time last year! We at the NHCC recognize how super anxious people are to get back out on their bikes and ride with friends.

The NHCC has been busy planning in the background. We will introduce a whole new ride structure for 2021 that will optimize flexibility & diversity while maintaining inclusiveness that’s always been important to our Clubs culture.

New Ride Format for 2021:
Rides will be offered in series of 3-week Blocks, each with an associated theme and varying Levels of Difficulty.  While still in development, we are excited about the possibilities of how they might look. Here are some ideas we are bouncing around and we’ll be seeking more from members:

• Friday Floater Rides
• Regular Morning 50-60k ride
• Early Morning Coffee Rides
• Nice & Easy mid-distance rides
• Riding Safely for Beginners
• Bike Handling Skills Rides (Beginners)
• Evening Fast and Furious
• Hills for Strength
• Day Touring Rides
• Long Distance 100k Series
• Northumberland Forest Gravel Rides
• Prince Edward County 50k series
• Escalating Distance (30, 40, 50k)

The list will vary as it develops—it’s an opportunity for the Club to try something new & creative. Its success will depend on feedback from members and the willingness of ride leaders. Ride leaders could take on just a single riding block, or several consecutive ones and build upon them. More importantly, ride leaders won’t be committed to an entire season, just three weeks at a time! Win, win! Leave us a comment, let us know what you think.

The NHCC is taking Memberships now!
Be ready for when the season starts. Get your 2021 membership in now. The regular season begins on May 1st, but traditionally we offer rides as weather permits in March and April. Note: Due to COVID, all previously purchased 2020 memberships have been extended until the end of 2021. 

NOTE about COVID19: All NHCC rides will be subject to public health measures pertaining to outdoor activities and may include limiting group size, screening, etc.

Ride with GPS is the system we use to create routes and maps for Club rides and the NHCC maintains a Club Account for the benefit of all members. Those with their own individual Ride with GPS account (they are free!) can login to the NHCC Club Account at Ride With GPS to access great features including turn-by-turn audio navigation on club routes, the use of our Route Library for independent navigation, the ability to plan routes, print out maps from the Club Library, and more. Below are a few webinars to help Club members learn to make the most of the Club Account benefit. Hey, it’s a lockdown so what else have you got to do?

These lockdown COVID days can be long.  But if you are a cycling techy and fortunate enough to have a trainer set up with Zwift, we could ride together virtually!

What is Zwift?
Zwift is a subscription based ($20 per month), interactive online cycling experience that works together with a smart trainer in your home and a computer/smart phone, or Apple TV. You (your avatar) rides around a virtual course with other local cyclists as well as from around the world. Like a video game for cyclists!

Sooo….any NHCC Zwifters looking for a virtual group ride? We could get it up and running lickety split if there’s enough interest. Please reply with a comment below or just email president@northumberlandhillscyclingclub.com and we’ll go from there.

During the pandemic, many NHCCers made use of the Club’s Ride With GPS Map Library to find places to ride either solar or in small groups. Haven’t you wondered how to plan and customize your own route? Tonight the Ride With GPS organization is presenting a webinar “Plan and Customize a Route”. Winter is a great time to look at routes and dream about the new riding season. You can plan routes around our region, or get creative and think about planning routes in far away lands! It’s free and all you need to do is click on the link below to get registered.

• Session 3: Plan and Customize a Route
  Thursday December 17, 7-8pm

Read more and Register for your session by clicking here! 

As most know, the NHCC uses Ride With GPS for it’s routes and maps. It’s the service that provides our audio turn-by-turn navigation on club rides. There are other benefits for Club members that you may be unfamiliar with, and could benefit from too!  Tonight the Ride With GPS organization is presenting the webinar “Club Member Benefits and How to Use Them”. Last weeks’ webinar was more geared toward administrators, we think this one will be of more relevance to Club Members. Hey, if we can’t ride, at least we can think about riding! It’s free and all you need to do is click on the link below to get registered.

• Session 2: Club Member Benefits and How to Use Them
  Thursday December 10, 7-8pm
• Session 3: Plan and Customize a Route
  Thursday December 17, 7-8pm

Read more and Register for a session by clicking here! 

Wow, what a non-year it’s been! We had such big plans for the NHCC’s 10th Anniversary, but it was not to be. The season needed to wait….but trust us, we will be back as strong as ever as soon as conditions allow! The board has continuously monitored COVID-19, reviewing and discussing options since this all began.

When it comes to safety, we are a conservative bunch and decided not to ride this past cycling season. We had hoped to launch off-season Hikes and Cross-Country Skiing but with increasing COVID numbers we have chosen yet again to put that on hold until the numbers stabilize. Disappointing, but necessary. I hope that you were able to make the most of our unprecedented situation and stayed active this past summer.

We recently conducted our virtual AGM and elected some new board members to replace ones whose terms were expiring. I would like to introduce you to your new NHCC Board of Directors:

Randy Albon (President)
Freda Dong (Treasurer)
Anita Macklin (Secretary)
Debra Parks (Past President)
Bill Glover (Director)
Helmut Bock (Director)
Jim Breckenridge (Director)

We’d like to recognize outgoing board members Geoffrey Honey and Maria Siemiaszko, both who have contributed so generously to the success of our Club. We are so very grateful and fully intend to keep them close by! I have the distinct pleasure of being chosen as President for the second time since the club was founded! For those who may be wondering, there was a smooth transfer of power with no rioting nor recounts necessary.

The new Board has been meeting virtually and discussing exciting new directions for the Club including several committees that have been established (Rides, Mapping, Social, etc.). We are truly hopeful, crossing our fingers & toes that the 2021 cycling season will start on time in spring. In the meantime, why not join one of our committees and help with some planning this winter!—just email secretary@northumberlandhillscyclingclub.com to let us know you’re interested! This club is only as strong as its volunteers.

“Ride With GPS” Club Account Webinar Series: Looking for something to do? Ride With GPS is the mapping tool that the Club uses. They are offering a three-part Webinar series to learn how to make the most of Ride With GPS for 2021. It’s free, and you can choose any or all of the sessions.

• Session 1: Club Admin Features and Options
  Thursday December 3, 7-8pm
• Session 2: Club Member Benefits and How to Use Them
  Thursday December 10, 7-8pm
• Session 3: Plan and Customize a Route
  Thursday December 17, 7-8pm

Read more and Register for a session by clicking here! 

The NHCC was founded as a community based bicycle club, accommodating and encouraging fantastic people of all ages and abilities in their cycling pursuits. I give you my word that this will continue as the club moves through then beyond this “unprecedented” year! We’ve been going strong for more than 10 years, and value each an every member!

Sincerely,
Randy Albon, President, NHCC

It’s been a year like no other, and there’s nothing normal it seems! So here it is—the 2020 Annual Meeting for the NHCC on Thursday October 29th, 2020, 6:30pm will be conducted virtually (via Zoom) following best practices for a safe, socially distanced event. All 2020 NHCC members are invited to attend and are eligible to vote, and hey, you can participate from home in your jammies if you so desire!

So what happens at the Annual Meeting? We will do a few official things, such as review the minutes from the 2019 Annual Meeting, take a look at our financial position, and elect a few new Board members. Then we’ll have an informal exchange of thoughts and ideas about new directions for the Club. It’s an opportunity to be social from afar, and stay connected!

RSVP: You must let us know you want to participate by dropping a quick note to the secretary so she can plan ahead and get you all linked up.  Email here: secretary@northumberlandhillscyclingclub.com

Agenda
Format of meeting: Virtual (online)
Date & Time – Thursday, October 29, 2020, 6:30pm
Chair: Debbie Parks (President)

AGM Business
1. Welcome address (President: Debbie Parks)
2. Approval of Agenda and Minutes from 2019 AGM (President)
3. Treasurer’s Report, Special Resolution: To waive a Review Engagement of the NHCC 2019 Fiscal Year (Secretary/Treasurer: Freda Dong)
4. Membership Report (Membership Director: Geoffrey Honey)
5. Election of directors (Secretary: Freda Dong)
-Candidates for re-election: Freda Dong, Anita Macklin
-New candidates for election: Bill Glover, Helmut Bock, Jim Breckenridge
6. Adjourn (President: Debbie Parks)

Informal Discussions
1. The impact of COVID on the NHCC
2. Off-Season activities
3. New directions for 2021

Click here to review the relevant documents for the meeting.

Stay positive, stay active and stay safe everyone!

For all who ordered and paid for their helmet mirrors, the shipment has arrived! Here’s how you can do the pickup. If you know where Randy and Anita live, you can stop by tomorrow:

Friday June 19: 12 noon to 8pm

If you need the address, text us your name and we’ll send it to you! 905-269-6815 (Anita).

If you need an alternative pickup time, you can also just text, phone, or email and we’ll sort it out. If you stop by the house, we may just be waaaaaayyyy out in the backyard, so do come around and yell!