We have more than our regular road rides in store. This week you can look for a morning hike (yeah, that’s right, a hike!) at Hazel Bird Sanctuary on Wednesday.  It’s a great opportunity to mingle with folks from the other Levels without having to try and keep the pace on your bike. And Friday there’s some evening mountain biking for the adventurous ones.

Of course there are the regular road rides, and some are heading out of town for some new & interesting scenery.  On Thursday, Level 2s are exploring the Millennium Trail that’s nice & flat and off-road. Level 4s are going for an evening shorty ride then some social time afterward. On Sunday the Level 1s are starting in Whitby and are planning on visiting the lovely Waterfront Trail, which arguably is the best section—it will feel like a little day-vacation! Level 3s will start up at Beavermead Park and do a lovely route with less-than-average elevation and a coffee & ice cream stop. Meanwhile, the Level 4s will start in Newcastle where Miche has a fantastic route planned.  

The Quick Facts: Upcoming Activities (June 3rd to June 9th)

Tuesday June 4th: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 1 Start location: 100 Keewatin Dr, Grafton
Level 2 Start location: King’s Field at 28 Victoria St S. in Port Hope
Level 3 Start location: Cobourg Community Centre, 750 D’Arcy Street
(6:15 start time) Level 4 Start location: Balls Mill Conservation area parking lot, 2971 Regional Rd 15, Baltimore

Wednesday June 5th: Morning HIKE, 10:00am
Start location: Hazel Bird Nature Reserve, 9636 Beavermeadow Rd E, Baltimore

Thursday June 6th: Morning Ride, 10:00am
Level 1 Start location: Baltimore Recreation Centre, 23 Community Centre Rd, Baltimore
Level 2 Start location: Millennium Trail Parking Lot near Salem Road (link to the Parking lot here)

Level 3 Start location: Westwood Park, 655 Carlisle Str. Cobourg

Thursday June 6th: Evening Ride, 6:15pm
Level 4 Start location: Near 104 Victor Road, Roseneath

Friday June 7th: Evening Mountain Biking, 6:15pm
Level 3/4 Start location: Beagle Club Trail Head, 101 Beagle Club Rd, Harwood

Sunday June 9th: Morning Ride, 10am
Level 1 Start location: Waterfront Trail Parking lot (Whitby), 249 Water Street
Level 2 Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena in Furnace St 
Level 3 Start location: Beavermead Park, 2011 Ashburnham Dr, Peterborough
(9:00 start time) Level 4 Start location: Waterfront Trail parking lot (Newcastle) at the foot of Toronto St.

Some of the week’s highlights: Level 1s are exploring the Waterfront Trail westbound from Newcastle this coming Sunday—it’s a lovely, flat route that’s very scenic with much of it on dedicated bike paths. On Thursday morning, Level 2s start in Colborne and head to Presqu’ile Park, hoping that the food trucks might even be open, so bring a little $$ just in case. Level 3s are going nice & flat on Tuesday evening followed by Mike’s Thursday morning ride that will take on Baby Bickle Hill, and some of the nice stone houses of Hope Township. Level 4s are ramping up some distance and have their first monthly 100-km ride (with a 60km shorter option) out to Presqu’ile Park then down to Consecon and beyond. All the snazzy details about the weekly rides can be found in your Cycle Club account (members).  Guests are welcome to come out for any club ride (we like new people!).  Just bring along a Guest Waiver to give to the ride leader. 

Note about start times for Level 4: Level 4s are going to begin departing at 6:15 for evening rides (it gives those who work a little extra time to make it)

Level 1 Tuesday Evening vs Morning poll: The word went out, and people responded.  It was a fairly even split so Level 1 Evening rides will remain in place.

Pre-announcement: Our annual Canada Day Ride and Pancake Breakfast, which has become a summer highlight. Mark your calendars for July 1st—you won’t want to miss this! It’s an All Levels Ride where the entire club rides together, then we have a fabulous pancake breakfast with all the fixings afterward.  

The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides (May 27th to June 2nd)

Tuesday May 28th: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 1 Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, 10766 County Rd 2, Grafton
Level 2 Start location: King’s Field at 28 Victoria St S. in Port Hope
Level 3 Start location: Donegan Park, 25 D’Arcy St., in Cobourg
(6:15 start time) Level 4 Start location: Balls Mill Conservation area parking lot, 2971 Regional Rd 15, Baltimore

Thursday May 30th: Morning Ride, 10:00am
Level 1 Start location: King’s Field at 28 Victoria St S. in Port Hope
Level 2 Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, 10766 County Rd 2, Grafton
Level 3 Start location: Westwood Park, 655 Carlisle Str. Cobourg

Thursday May 30th: Evening Ride, 6:15pm
Level 4 Start location:Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, 10766 County Rd 2, Grafton

Sunday June 2nd: Morning Ride
10:00am: Level 1 Start location: Bond Head Parkette, at 5 Boulton St., in Newcastle
10:00am: Level 2 Start location: TBD (Guests: email us for the address: secretary@northumberlandhillscyclingclub.com)
10:00am: Level 3 Start location: TBD (Guests: email us for the address: secretary@northumberlandhillscyclingclub.com)
9:00am: Level 4 Start location: Keeler Centre, 80 Division St, Colborne

Notice of change: to the Level 2 start location for Sunday May 26: The start of the Level 2 ride will be from Kings Field in Port Hope on Victoria St. South. 

Calling all Level 1 Club Members! We are discussing the merits of a switch from the Tuesday evening ride to a Morning ride instead (Level 1 only). We are seeking responses from those who currently participate in Level 1 before a decision is made.  Just one simple question to answer, and we’ll share the results when we have them.

Question: Should we switch Tuesday Rides to morning time (Level 1 only)

Sylvan Glen has re-opened so that’s good news for Port Hope routes.  The Tuesday 2s are taking Port Hope Lakeshore for an out and back, providing flexibility in distance. Now that 3s are getting their spring-legs back they’ll start adding a bit of distance over the next few weeks, starting also from Port Hope on Tuesday for a 35km route. Butter tarts for the 1s on Thursday! So, if that sounds yummy & delish, give it a go—L2, 3, and 4s could ride to the L1 start point, join in the fun, and ride home for some nice& easy distance. Level 4s will also be adding some distance on their Sunday rides, starting with the 65km Shimano 3A route where they’ll visit the riverside Silver Bean Cafe along the way.

FYI:

Getting notices about Ride cancellations: In the event of a ride cancellation, notifications are delivered to your Cycle Club account.  You will only receive a notification of a ride if you have RSVPd. Ensure that you have enabled Email notifications—in your Profile settings, scroll down and toggle on “Email notifications”.

Why do you need a Cycle Club account? The most up-to-date and detailed information about rides is on the Events calendar in your Cycle Club account. It’s also the only way that a Ride Leader can access your emergency contact information in the event it’s needed.  It’s really easy to use and you can register in quick time either on your desktop computer or download the app to your phone. Get yourself registered here for Cycle Club

The Quick Facts:Upcoming Rides (May 20th to May 26th)

Tuesday May 21st: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 1 Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg
Level 2 Start location: King’s Field at 28 Victoria St S. in Port Hope
Level 3 Start location: King’s Field at 28 Victoria St S. in Port Hope
Level 4 Start location: Sylvan Glen, 3634 Sylvan Glen Rd, Port Hope

Thursday May 23rd: Morning Ride, 10:00pm
Level 1 Start location: Westwood Park, 655 Carlisle Str. Cobourg
Level 2 Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, 10766 County Rd 2, Grafton
Level 3 Start location: Vernonville Community Centre, 112 George Street, Vernonville

Thursday May 23rd: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 4 Start location: Baltimore Recreation Centre, 23 Community Centre Rd., Baltimore

Sunday May 26th: Morning Ride, 10:00am
Level 1 Start location: Brighton Boat Launch, 162 Harbour St, Brighton
Level 2 Start location: Kings Field, 28 Victoria St. south, Port Hope
Level 3 Start location: Ray Benns Memorial Park, 2360 Northumberland County Rd 23, Centreton
Level 4 Start location: Squirrel Creek Conservation Area, 2520 Wallace Point Rd, Fraserville

This week the rides will all start at different locations from each other.  The weather looks a little unpredictable and ride cancellations are possible.

Upcoming Workshop—“Changing a flat tire”
Next week (Monday May 20th), we have a Members-only workshop to learn how to change a flat tire. We’ll take our time, and make sure you leave confident and competent to be self-sufficient in the event of a flat tire—cuz they happen! RSVP using your Cycle Club account.

Getting notices about Ride cancellations: In order to make sure that you receive notifications of ride cancellations please ensure that you have Notifications set up on your Cycle Club account.  You will only receive a notification of a ride cancellation if you have RSVPd that you are riding. Email notifications from Cycle Club must be enabled by logging in, navigating to your Profile settings, scrolling down and toggling on “Email notifications”.

Important message to Members: If you haven’t activated your Cycle Club account you may miss out on important details about rides, and also your ride leader will not have access to your emergency contact information in the event it’s needed.  If you haven’t set up your account yet, please do so by getting started right here: Cycle Club app

GUESTS: We welcome guests on up to three rides.  Guests will need to bring a signed Guest Rider waiver (no cost) o give to the ride leader. 

The Quick Facts:Upcoming Rides (May 14th to May 19th)

Tuesday May 14th: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 1 Start location: (unconfirmed—pending a Ride Leader) Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg
Level 2 Start location: King’s Field at 28 Victoria St S. in Port Hope.
Level 3 Start location: Donegan Park, 25 D’Arcy St., in Cobourg
Level 4 Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, 10766 County Rd 2, Grafton

Thursday May 16th: Morning Ride, 10:00pm
Level 1 Start location: Donegan Park, 25 D’Arcy St., in Cobourg
Level 2 Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg
Level 3 Start location: Diamond Head Industrial Park 210 Willmott St Cobourg

Thursday May 16th: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 4 Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices, 8285 Majestic Hills Dr, Cobourg,

Sunday May 19th: Morning Ride, 10:00am
Level 1 Start location: Wicklow Beach Boat launch, 133 Lakeport Rd, Colborne
Level 2 Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, 10766 County Rd 2, Grafton
Level 3 Start location: Diamond Head Industrial Park 210 Willmott St Cobourg
Level 4 Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, 10766 County Rd 2, Grafton

All rides are posted on the Cycle Club Events Calendar for members to view and RSVP. Guests are welcome to attend but must bring a signed waiver to the ride to give to the Ride Leader. (available on the website)

MEMBERS: Get your Cycle Club account set up—that’s where you find all the information including routes, who will be riding, and notifications regarding weather cancellations and other announcements. If you haven’t already done so, start here! https://www.cycleclubapp.com

Need a Bicycle Check? Got some Questions?
For Tuesday Evening, volunteers will be on-hand for 30 minutes prior to the ride start. You are invited to have an experienced member check over your bicycle for obvious safety concerns. Or, if you have a few questions you’d like to discuss, we’ll be there!  

The Quick Facts:Upcoming Rides (May 6th to May 12th)

Tuesday May 7th: Evening Ride
Start time: 6pm
Levels: (1, 2, and 4)
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg

Level: (3)
Start location: Baltimore Recreation Centre, 23 Community Centre Rd., Baltimore

Thursday May 9th: Morning Ride
Start time: 10am
Level: (1)
Start location: Baltimore Recreation Centre, 23 Community Centre Rd., Baltimore

Thursday May 9th: Morning Ride
Start time: 10am
Level: (2,3)
Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena 10766 County Rd. 2, Grafton

Thursday May 9th: Evening Ride
Start time: 6pm
Level: (4)
Start location: McDonald Trailhead, Northumberland County Forest, 507 McDonald Rd, Grafton

Sunday May 12th: Morning Ride
Start time: 10:00am
Levels: (1, 2, 3, and 4)
Start location: Donegan Park, 25 D’Arcy St., in Cobourg

FAQs

Why do I need  to sign up for a Cycle Club account?
To RSVP to a ride: Ride Leaders are able to anticipate numbers and plan accordingly.  You get to see who’s riding too, so you can also anticipate. Among others things, it also gives the Ride Leader access to your emergency contact information in the event of a mis-hap.  

Where and when do rides start?
Variety is the name of the game! Start locations vary, depending on where the Ride Leader chooses. Occasionally start times may also vary, for instance in the heat of July and August when sometimes you may see morning rides shift to 9am in order to beat the heat.  As the season progresses and days become shorter, evening rides will also begin to start a little earlier than the standard 6pm.

How can I ask questions about a Ride beforehand?
Within 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—Ride cancellations are usually at the discretion of the Ride Leader (unless a club-wide cancellation is warranted) and may be due inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances.  Through your Cycle Club account you will receive notifications of such.

Guest Riders:
We like guests! It’s great when you have company visiting, or just know of a friend or two who might like to try it out. Guest Waivers are located on the NHCC website. Guests need to sign the waiver and give it to the Ride Leader.  Guests may ride for up to 3 rides before a full membership would be required.

Group Rides, Ride Leaders, and Sweeps:
All of our rides are Group, No Drop Rides.  There will be a Ride Leader who is familiar with the planned route and also a Sweep whose role is to ensure nobody gets left behind—cuz after all, nobody joins a club to ride alone.

Your Ride Leader has the skill, experience and leadership ability 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 your 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 easier than what you think you can handle. It’s better to promote yourself to the next Level on a subsequent ride than to be discouraged right from the start if you can’t keep 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 can drift among the different Levels for variety.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road!  🙂

Our 2024 Regular Season begins! By “Regular” we mean that there will be recurring rides on

• Tuesday Evenings at 6pm (Levels 1, 2, 3, 4)
• Thursday Mornings at 10am (Levels 1, 2, and 3)
• Thursday Evenings 6pm (Level 4)
• Sunday Mornings at 10am (Levels 1, 2, 3, 4)

All club rides are posted on the Cycle Club Events Calendar for members to view and RSVP. Other rides will also appear on our Ride Calendar from time to time as well, but will be above and beyond the Regular rides. 

IMPORTANT: Get your Cycle Club account set up—that’s where you find all the information including routes, who will be riding, and notifications regarding weather cancellations and other announcements. If you haven’t already done so, start here! https://www.cycleclubapp.com

Ride Cancellations: Although Tuesday is our first ride, the weather at the moment isn’t looking too promising—but hey, it’s fun to get excited! Ride cancellations typically occur when weather makes it either dangerous or too uncomfortably cold & wet. When a ride is cancelled you can see notification of such on your Cycle Club account. Ride cancellations are usually at the discretion of your Ride Leader so while one Ride Level may get cancelled, others may proceed.

Start time for rides: Usually morning rides start at 10am and evening rides at 6:00 but sometimes you may see a ride start time that’s different in order to maximize warmer daytime temperatures. Be sure to always check start times 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.

Need a Bicycle Check? Want to buy a Jersey? Got some burning Questions?
For Tuesday Evening and Sunday morning this week only, you are invited to have an experienced member check over your bicycle for obvious safety concerns. We’ll have jerseys for sale too ($85).  Or, if you just want to get a little reassurance about what to expect and have a few burning questions, we’ll be there!  

The Quick Facts:Upcoming Rides (April 30th to May 5th)

Tuesday April 30th: Evening Ride
Start time: 6pm
Levels: (1, 2, 3, and 4)
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg

Thursday May 2: Morning Ride
Start time: 10am
Level: (1)
Start location: Westwood Park at 655 Carlisle Street, Cobourg

Thursday May 2: Morning Ride
Start time: 10am
Level: (2)
Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena 10766 County Rd. 2, Grafton

Thursday May 2: Morning Ride
Start time: 10am
Level: (3)
Start location: Vernonville Community Centre 112 St. George Street, Vernonville

Thursday May 2: Evening Ride
Start time: 6pm
Level: (4)
Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena 10766 County Rd. 2, Grafton

(CANCELLED) Sunday May 5th: Morning Ride
Start time: 10:00am
Levels: (1, 2, 3, and 4)
Start location: Donegan Park, 25 D’Arcy St., in Cobourg

FAQs

Why do I need  to sign up for a Cycle Club account?
To RSVP to a ride: Ride Leaders are able to anticipate numbers and plan accordingly.  You get to see who’s riding too, so you can also anticipate. Among others things, it also gives the Ride Leader access to your emergency contact information in the event of a mis-hap.  

Where and when do rides start?
Variety is the name of the game! Start locations vary, depending on where the Ride Leader chooses. Occasionally start times may also vary, for instance in the heat of July and August when sometimes you may see morning rides shift to 9am in order to beat the heat.  As the season progresses and days become shorter, evening rides will also begin to start a little earlier than the standard 6pm.

How can I ask questions about a Ride beforehand?
Within 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—Ride cancellations are usually at the discretion of the Ride Leader (unless a club-wide cancellation is warranted) and may be due inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances.  Through your Cycle Club account you will receive notifications of such.

Guest Riders:
We like guests! It’s great when you have company visiting, or just know of a friend or two who might like to try it out. Guest Waivers are located on the NHCC website. Guests need to sign the waiver and give it to the Ride Leader.  Guests may ride for up to 3 rides before a full membership would be required.

Group Rides, Ride Leaders, and Sweeps:
All of our rides are Group, No Drop Rides.  There will be a Ride Leader who is familiar with the planned route and also a Sweep whose role is to ensure nobody gets left behind—cuz after all, nobody joins a club to ride alone.

Your Ride Leader has the skill, experience and leadership ability 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 your 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 easier than what you think you can handle. It’s better to promote yourself to the next Level on a subsequent ride than to be discouraged right from the start if you can’t keep 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 can drift among the different Levels for variety.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the road!  🙂