The 2023 NHCC Regular Ride Season Starts next week!

The much anticipated start of our 2023 regular cycling season begins! This means that there will be recurring rides on Tuesday Evenings at 6:00 (Levels 1, 2, 3/4), Thursday Mornings at 9 or 10am (Levels 1, 2, 3/4), Thursday Evenings 6:00pm (Level 3/4), and Sunday Mornings at 9 or 10am (Levels 1, 2, 3/4). The rides for next week have now been posted on Cycle Club! Other rides will also appear on our Ride Calendar from time to time as well, but will be above and beyond the standard rides. 

Full details of next week’s rides are all found in your Cycle Club Account.  If you haven’t already created your account, please do so.  Start here! https://www.cycleclubapp.com

**Although this Tuesday is our first “Regularly scheduled ride”, we anticipate it may get cancelled due to really miserable weather—we will watch & see! Ride cancellations typically occur when it becomes imminent that the weather is just making it either dangerous or too uncomfortably cold & wet. When a ride is cancelled you can see notification of such on your Cycle Club account.

Start time for rides: For the month of May the start times for rides may start earlier or later than usual in order to maximize warmer daytime temperatures. Be sure to always check start time as they may vary.

Note about ride scheduling: Rides are posted on the club’s calendar a week or two at a time. They are NOT posted for the entire season.  This allows the Club to best be flexible and respond to changing needs of those who come out to ride, and those who lead.

The Quick Facts:Upcoming Rides (May 1st to May 7th)

Tuesday May 2: Evening Ride
Start time: 6:00pm
Levels:1, 2, 3, and 4
Start location:  Donegan Park (D’Arcy St. in Cobourg)

Thursday May 4: Morning Ride
Start time: 10am
Levels:1, 2, 3, and 4
Start location: Westwood Park on Carlisle St. in Cobourg

Thursday May 4: Evening Ride
Start time: 10am
Levels: (3/4 only)
Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena

Sunday May 7th: Morning Ride
Start time: 10am
Levels: 1, 2, 3, and 4
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena

FAQs

Why do I need  to sign up for a Cycle Club account?
To RSVP to a ride: Allows Ride Leaders to anticipate participants and plan accordingly.  You can see who’s riding too, which is kinda nice, isn’t it? Among others things, it also gives the Ride Leader access to your emergency contact information in the event of a mis-hap.  Ride Leaders only have access to that critical information if you have RSVPd! 

Where and when do rides start?
We like variety! Start locations will vary ride to ride, depending on where the Ride Leaders wish to take the group. Occasionally the start time will also vary, for instance in the heat of July and August when we move the morning rides to 9am in order to beat the heat.  As the season progresses and days become shorter, you may see evening rides starting a little earlier.

How can I ask questions about a Ride beforehand?
With your Cycle Club account, there is a Discussion feature attached to each and Event (Ride) where you can post questions that the Ride Leader or other participants may respond to.

Ride Cancellations:
Bad weather happens—Rides may sometimes be cancelled due inclement weather, and other unforeseen circumstances.  Through your Cycle Club account you will receive notifications of such.

Guest Riders:
We welcome guests! So if you have company visiting, or just know of a friend or two who might like to try it out there are Guest Waivers on our website that they’d need to sign and bring to a ride.  Guests may ride for up to 3 rides before a full membership would be required.

Group Rides, Ride Leaders, and Sweeps:
Most of our rides are Group Rides.  This means that there will be a Ride Leader whose role it is to ensure that the ride is safe and enjoyable while following the Club’s Risk Management Guidelines.  There will usually be a Sweep working with the Ride Leader, and whose role, among others, is to be at the back of the group, ensuring nobody gets left behind. 

Your Ride Leader is the one with the skill, experience and leadership abilities to help guide others. During a ride, a Ride Leader will establish the pace (speed) of the ride. They will not necessarily be at the front of the group all of the time but rather mingling and integrating to ensure overall cohesiveness of the group.  They are the first point of contact for troubleshooting issues and safety concerns.

Which Level should I choose?
Start easy and work your way up! Aim for a level lower than what you think you might be able to handle, and if it’s far too easy for you, you can certainly try out the next level up. We have four Levels to choose from, starting from Level 1 and increasing in speed and difficulty as you move up.  You are not locked into any particular level! You are welcome to participate in any level on any ride, if you are able to keep the pace.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road!  🙂