At the moment the forecast calls for rain. But we’re an optimistic bunch of folks who like to ride their bikes, so we’re going to do a little sun dance and hope that we can make the rain go away. Meet again at the industrial park (same place we started the first ride). This ride goes a little faster than the Monday rides, but not as fast and furious as the Thursday/Sunday rides. Hopefully we’ll see y’all there!

Time: 7:00pm
Difficulty: Level 2
Start location: South end of parking lot at industrial plaza (see map)
Ride Leaders: Mike McLellan

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Next weekend is the long weekend and that means Century Ride on Sunday! The NHCC has a century ride planned for every long weekend this season. The first one will be the easiest (code for “flat”) and the final one on labour day weekend will be the most difficult. For this first ride, we’ve extended the invitation to members of both the Cobourg Cycling Club and also the Ganaraska Freewheelers. Now, we don’t expect everyone to be able to do this distance, but there are some who have been getting a lot of time and distance in, so are ready to go!

Century Ride distance
There are metric Century’s and imperial Century’s. Metric is 100 kilometres and imperial is 100 miles (approx. 160km). The club will do an Imperial Century on labour day weekend, so if you want a really big goal to work toward, there’s one for you.

More on the Century ride will be posted later this week. We’re just letting you know for now so that you can plan ahead.

It doesn’t matter what level you ride at, the Port Hope ride accommodates riders. Speed and distance will vary but will remain a No-Drop ride. (That means nobody is going to leave you behind in the dust) It’s all about being social, making new friends, and seeing some new scenery. If you’re biking over from Cobourg meet in the parking lot of Canadian Tire at 6:35pm sharp. The trip to Port Hope Town Hall is 7k, so if you ride around 18-20km per hour pace you should arrive right on time. Please use the commenting section to let others know if you want to start from Canadian Tire.

Time: 6:30pm at Port Hope Town Hall (6:05 from Canadian Tire)
Difficulty level: (to be determined)
Start Location: Port Hope Town Hall north parking lot
Ride Leader: Pamela Tate

Keeping an eye on the Weather
If you haven’t noticed the weather links in the right hand column of the website, check ’em out. They’re a great way of monitoring the most current weather. There are three different outlooks: Radar (animated), Hour-by-hour, and Daily Forecast from three different sources.

The weather is supposed to be a little better on Monday (11°C), but hey, after today’s cold and wind we’ll take it.

Meet in the parking lot behind the Dutch Oven. Bundle up! We recommend layering so that you can adjust as necessary. Front zippers are good to let heat in or out. Warm gloves and socks make a big difference. Note the 7:00 start time, which is the regular start time for all of evening rides.

Time: 7:00pm
Difficulty: Level 1
Start location: Parking lot behind the Dutch Oven in Cobourg
Ride Leaders: Maria Garrett

A note on departure time:
It’s good practice to arrive 15 minutes early so that you can get your bike assembled and be ready to ride. If we say 7:00 departure, we really mean it. 🙂 And if you arrive at 7:03, you might just see an empty parking lot. One of the reasons being consideration for those who bike over to the start point from a distance away, arriving warmed up. Stopping and waiting for more than a few moments causes body temperatures to drop quickly.

The weather’s going to be a little cooler than it’s been (11°), but there may still be some who want to venture out this Sunday (Mother’s Day). We usually offer the same ride on Sunday so that those who can’t ride on weekdays won’t miss out. Therefore, here it is again!

How Levels 3 and 4 work:
Level 3 and Level 4 groups take the same route but level 4s start a little earlier. They meet up with Level 3s at their designated start time and then everyone rides together. The level 3s must be ready to ride as soon as the group arrives so that nobody has to wait around and cool off too much.

Start Time (Level 3):10:00am sharp
Start Location (Level 3): The cemetery at Precious Corners (park along side of road)

Start Time (Level 4): 9:40am
Start Location (Level 4): The arena on Furnace St.

Route Map: Printable Route map with elevation chart or, if you are equipped with a GPS View the link on Ride with GPS
Ride leader: Anita Macklin (will start with level 4, then ride with level 3)

Let us know where you’ll be starting from so we know to expect you.

This ride will have a few hills and definitely some more distance. But there’s always a reward that goes along with that, and it’s the scenery. We’ll head up to Harwood where you can re-load your water bottles with great spring water, take in the view of Rice Lake, and then return.

How Levels 3 and 4 work:
Level 3 and Level 4 groups generally take the same route, but the level 4 group puts in some added distance prior to meeting up with the Level 3s at their start point. It is imperative that the level 3s be ready depart at 10am sharp because once the level 4s arrive they’ll be warmed up from cycling already and will chill quickly if they stop moving. Please be considerate and be dressed with your bike ready to roll.

Start Time (Level 3):10:00am sharp
Start Location (Level 3): The cemetery at Precious Corners (park along side of road)

Start Time (Level 4): 9:40am
Start Location (Level 4): The arena on Furnace St.

Route Map: Printable Route map with elevation chart or, if you are equipped with a GPS View the link on Ride with GPS
Ride leader: Anita Macklin (will start with level 4, then ride with level 3)

This is why we use the commenting section of the website! To let others know where you’ll be starting from so we know to expect you.

Wow! What a great turnout, and a fabulous bunch of people on bikes. We counted about 38 smiling faces as we rolled down the road on the first of our Level 1 rides. A lot of new people came out which means it’s going to be a great season, getting to know everyone. And the BBQ certainly was well-attended and those hamburgers were quite yummy. The cookies were even yummier. 🙂

A really big thanks goes to Mike and Rose for their hospitality, letting all those funny folks on bikes into their back yard and their home.

Here’s a little of what you missed:

[Show as slideshow]

If you find that Level 1 is just a bit too easy for you, come on out on Wednesday evening. This route is 17k long with a little bit of country and a little bit of town. It’s a no-drop ride and will still be fun and casual but with a little more distance. For more about Level 2, read about it here.

Start Time: 7:00am
Start Location: The park on Carlisle St. between Ewing and Westwood
Ride Difficulty: Level 2
Route Map: Printable route map with elevations of, if you are a little techy View the link on Ride with GPS
Ride leader: Mike McLellan

See you all then!