Believe it or not, the days are getting longer, even if we don’t have warm sunny weather to go with it. Almost one minute more every day! Sunset on Monday is at 8:28pm, meaning almost 90 minutes before lights need to be on bikes. FYI, the Highway Traffic Act requires that bicycles have lights turned on 30 minutes before the sun sets until 30 minutes after sunrise. If you haven’t already installed a light on the front and back of your bike please do so. Dennis will be happy to discuss types of lights at the start of the ride if you unsure.

Level 1: Monday, May 13

Ride leader:  Dennis Benson
Start time: 6:30 pm
Sunset: 8:28pm
Start location:  Parking lot on Albert Street behind the Dutch Oven and Craft Food House

Level 3 Ride: Monday May 13

There is only one “regular” Level 3 ride this week since Wednesday will be an All Levels Ride. Monday will be a no drop 37km ride, with a sweep, catering for all L3 ability levels. Gentle ride up Shelter Valley, round the top end through Castleton, along a bit and then a glorious long downhill back to Grafton.

Ride Leader: Allan Dennis
Start Time: 6:30pm
Sunset: 8:28pm
Elevation gain: 227m
Route Map: “L3 APD – Ince’s Incremental Iteration” Link to route map on Ride With GPS
Start Location: St Mary’s Church car park, bottom end of Lyle St South, Grafton

If the weather holds out we’ll do a ride leaving from the Beagle Club Trailhead for Tuesday’s ride, where roads are quiet and views are great! We’ll do the Millbrook ride this coming Thursday since it was rained out last week. If you’ve never done it before, it’s really quite a nice ride. Nice pavement and some good fast downhill coming back!

Tuesday May 14, Level 4 (45k)

Ride Leader: Randy Albon
Start time: 6:30
Sunset: 8:29pm
Route: “Millbrook and Back” link to route map on Ride with GPS
Elevation Gain: 526m
Start location: George Hamilton Public School parking lot in Welcome

Thursday May 16, Level 4 (44k)

Ride Leader: Randy Albon
Start time: 6:30
Sunset: 8:31pm
Route map: (46km) “Beagle Club, Alderville, Centreton” link to route map on Ride with GPS
Elevation Gain: 387m
Start location: Beagle Club Trailhead parking lot (Northumberland Forest)

It’s long weekend time! For those that don’t head out of town, we will try again for the 36, 43 or 64km route that was recently rained out. These three route options are relatively nice & easy. We head out along the Lakeshore and turn north at different points depending on your chosen distance. Ride leaders will be established as the week progresses and folks weigh in with who may be riding in each of the groups. The start point will be Sylvan Glen Conservation Area in Port Hope.

Start time: 10:00am
Route Maps: (36km) Short Route, (43km) Medium Route, or (64km) Long Route
Start location: Sylvan Glen Conservation Area

IMPORTANT: Please leave a comment so that we can anticipate numbers and also assign ride leaders for the various distances if needed.

RIDE CANCELLATION NOTICE: Here we go again….another ride cancellation! Forecasts are all over the place and its cold…and windy…and there’s a good chance of some rain. We’ll re-schedule this ride till next Sunday and hope somehow the sun shines through.

We’ve got sunshine on the schedule for Mothers Day! For those that are around, we have three route options to choose from. 36, 43 or 64km. None of the routes have any crazy climbing so all are nice & easy (relatively speaking). We head out along the Lakeshore and turn north at different points depending on your chosen distance.

With so many people busy with their Mom’s this weekend we don’t have designated ride leaders so it’s very important to leave a comment to let others know you are planning to ride. From those riding, we’ll hopefully establish a leader for each of the groups. But just in case, everyone should either print the map or have access to it on your phones. The start point will be Sylvan Glen Conservation Area in Port Hope.

Start time: 10:00am
Route Maps: (36km) Short Route, (43km) Medium Route, or (64km) Long Route
Start location: Sylvan Glen Conservation Area

Ride Delay: Due to forecast rain and wind for Friday morning, the Friday Floater ride (May 10) is being delayed a few hours and will start at 12 noon. Same start location. (Hamilton Township Offices)

Ride cancellation notice: There will be no NHCC rides this evening due to rain (surprise surprise!) and potential thunderstorms. Let’s hope for better weather next week!

Cycle Transitions is pleased to announce that it has again secured a Canada Summer Works grant for the purposes of hiring a student to work in the shop. This is a repeat of the last three years – very successful endeavours – where our summer employee tended to the shop, assisted patrons and took care of sales. This year we will hire another student to fill that role.
This is a call for applicants; if you know of someone who could ably fill this role, please have them send their cover letter and resume to Bruce Bellaire – brucebellaire@gmail.com or Rick Nonnekes – rnonnekes@gmail.com. Our application deadline is May 21, the projected start date to be near the end of May or the beginning of June. The grant allows for 9 weeks at 30 hours per week with an hourly pay rate at $15. A copy of the job description can be found here.

A few reminders about Level 1 rides. If you are new to cycling or haven’t cycled in many years, Level 1 is the place to start. We discuss the Highway Traffic Act and what is expected from cyclists. You will learn how to ride safely and confidently in traffic.

Level 1 offers instructional rides for new cyclists at a leisurely steady pace but in a relaxing environment. Safe cycling practices and bike handling skills are developed. Experienced cyclists sometimes participate in order to enjoy a slower social ride and the opportunity to mentor others.

• Any type of bike goes—mountain bike, hybrid, road bike, beach cruiser.
• Easy, fun pace, lots of social talk time.
• No fancy spandex bike shorts required!
• Experienced ride leader to show the way.
• No experience necessary (though you need to know how to actually ride your bike)
• Best for those who have no idea how far they can ride.
• Distances between 10 and 20 km total distance at a nice slow pace.
• Learn group riding techniques (from a recreational perspective).
• Frequent stops as needed. May sometimes stop for ice-cream, freezies, or soft-drinks.
• You will never be abandoned on the road.
• Experienced riders to encourage you along

These are fun rides. Great for any age, any fitness level, and any bike. Helmets are essential! (We never compromise safety).

Level 1: Monday, May 6

Ride leader:  Dennis Benson
Start time: 6:30 pm
Start location:  Diamond Head Industrial Mall at 210 Willmott Street, Cobourg

Level 1: Wednesday, May 8

Ride leader:  Dennis Benson
Start time: 6:30 pm
Start location:  Donegan Park, D’Arcy Street, Cobourg