Riding for Fun, Fitness and Friendship since 2011!
Northumberland Hills Cycling Club (NHCC) is the largest and most active cycling club centred around Cobourg, Ontario. With 100+ fun people to ride with, 11 regular season weekly rides, hiking and snowshoeing in off-season, and endless friendships to be made!
ALL THE WHEELY FUN CLUB NEWS!
Thursday October 6, 1:00pm: Level 2 Road Ride
Description: The weather just keeps on giving, so we’ll make hay while the sun shines (or so they say). Janine will take the Level 2s out on the Cornish Hollow Route to see some fall colours.
Time: 1:00pm
Event Host: Janine
Level: 2
Estimated time: undetermined!
Start location: Parking lot at The Mill on Ontario Street
RSVP: Members should RSVP using their cycle club account
Thursday October 6, 1:00pm: Level 3 & 4 Road Ride
Description:We’ll make the most of the gorgeous temperatures and fall colours. Road Ride up to Rice Lake & area!
Time: 1:00pm
Event Host: Anita
Level: 3&4
Distance: 53km
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices
RSVP: Members should RSVP using their cycle club account
Thursday Oct. 6 Gravel Ride, and Saturday Oct. 8 Mountain Biking
Thursday October 6: Gravel Ride
Description: We’ll head west on McBride and explore the trails and gravel roads (and there are lots) between Burnham and Hwy 28.
Time: 10:00am
Event Host: Helmut
Estimated length of time: 2 hours
Start location: Parking on McIntosh St just east of Burnham Rd and S of Minifie.
Saturday October 8: Mountain Bike Ride
Description: We’ll start at 10 and hopefully the motorized crowd won’t come out until afternoon.
Time: 10:00am
Event Host: Helmut
Estimated length of time: 2 hours
Start location: Start at Northumberland Forest McDonald Rd parking lot just N of Centreton
RSVP: Members should RSVP using their cycle club account
Hike Northumberland Forest, Monday October 3 (3:00pm)
CANCELLED
It’s our first hike of the autumn! We can check out the Lookout to see how the fall colors are progressing while we enjoy the trails for a couple of hours. It’s a good idea to bring fluids for hydration and a snack in case you feel peckish. Dressing in layers enables you to control your temperature, which can fluctuate during the afternoon.
Date: Monday October 3
Time: 3:00pm
Event Host: Maria Siemiazsko
Start location: Woodland Parking lot (Northumberland Forest) on County Rd. 45
Estimated length of time: 2 hours
RSVP: Members should RSVP using their cycle club account
Guests are welcome: Please bring a signed waiver that you can printout here. 2022 Non-cycling waiver NHCC non-cycling activities are free for Guests!
Level 2 Morning Ride added for Sunday October 2
NEW: We have just added a Level 2 ride for Sunday Morning at 10am, meeting in the parking lot at the Grafton Arena. Janine will take the group out Shelter Valley, Broomfield, Pipeline, & beyond. Those participating will help make a group decision about how far to go to enjoy the beautiful countryside! RSVP on the Cycle Club app.
Rides for the week: Monday September 26 to Sunday October 2
This is the final week of our “Regular” Season. Starting October 1st we switch to Off-Season mode which means that rides won’t appear in regular time slots at regular times. Rather, they will be posted on a casual basis, periodically whenever someone notifies us that they’d like to lead a ride! It could be any level, all levels, any day or time. Usually they are fairly short notice (a few days) as potential ride leaders consult the weather forecasts. You’ll also start to notice that we will switch to hikes from time to time—to keep us moving! For the remainder of this week however, we have a few rides on the calendar, including a gravel ride on Sunday (about 50km total) and a mountain biking ride on Saturday. Lots to see out there at this time of year!
The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.
Tuesday September 27th: Evening Ride (cancelled due to weather)
Thursday September 29th: Morning ride
Level 1:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Cobourg Public Library
Level 2: No Ride Leader, so no ride (sorry)
Level 3/4:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Paul’s place near Centreton. Refer to the Cycle Club app for exact address
Saturday October 1: Mountain Biking!
Level 3/4:
Start time: 2:00pm
Start location: Woodland Trailhead, Northumberland Forest on Hwy 45
Sunday October 2: Morning Ride
Level 2:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: The Grafton Arena on Hwy 2
Mixed Levels (Gravel Trail Ride approx 80km):
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Stirling Rawdon Arena, 435 W Front St., in Stirling
Rides for this week: Monday September 19 to Sunday September 25
Slight delay in getting out the notification for this week’s rides. Sorry about that! Better late than never! Please consult your Cycle Club account for all the ride details! Be sure to check the start times, because they may vary!
The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.
Tuesday September 20: Evening Ride, 5:30pm
Level 1:
Start location: Cobourg Community Centre
Level 2:
Start location: Parking lot at St. Marys Church in Grafton
Level 3/4:
Start location: Port Hope High School Parking lot
Thursday September 22: Morning ride
Level 1:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Donegan Park, D’Arcy St., Cobourg
Level 2: CANCELLED
Level 3/4:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena parking lot (Grafton Arena)
Sunday September 25: Morning Ride
Level 1+:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Meet at Oliver’s Lane and Sunset Dr/Catherine St.
Level 2:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Pending a ride leader: Details to come
Level 3/4:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Paul’s place in Roseneath (exact address provided on Cycle Club)
Rides for this week: Monday September 12 to Sunday September 18
Evening rides all start at 5:30, but Morning ride start times may vary. All the week’s rides have been posted, but please note that there is no Level 1 ride this Tuesday evening (tonight). Just three weeks left of the “regular” season before we switch to off-season mode. The colours are starting to change, so even though we are seeing the same-old roads, the views are different!
The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.
Tuesday September 13: Evening Ride, 5:30pm
Level 1: (No Ride scheduled)
Level 2:
Start location: The Mill Restaurant parking lot on Ontario Street
Level 3/4:
Start location: Sylvan Glen Conservation Area
Thursday September 15: Morning ride
Level 1:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Cobourg Public Library
Level 2:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Westwood Park, on Carlisle St.
Level 3/4:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Bond Head Parkette at 5 Boulton St., Newcastle
Click here to see it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/95L2Kx79XSovwXKR7
Sunday September 18: Morning Ride
Level 1+:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Kings Field, Port Hope
Level 2:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Marie’s place in Welcome (exact address provided on Cycle Club)
Level 3/4:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Paul’s place in Roseneath (exact address provided on Cycle Club)
Rides for this week: Monday September 5 to Sunday September 11
The sun is setting earlier than ever, and by the weekend it’s going to setting by 7:30pm. Therefore, Effective immediately, evening rides will begin at 5:30pm. Morning ride start times may vary—check your start times! This week the Level 3/4 and also the Level 1s are heading eastward out of town to do the Millennium Trail on Thursday. It’s all off-road trail and FLAT! Not to mention, it looks like beautiful weather all week long!
The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides
RSVP: All the details are on your Cycle Club account. If you plan to ride, please locate the Event in your Cycle Club account and click “Going” so the ride leader knows how many to expect.
Tuesday September 6: Evening Ride, 5:30pm
Level 1:
Start location: Cobourg Public Library Parking Lot
Level 2:
Start location: Donegan Park, D’Arcy St., Cobourg
Level 3/4:
Start location: Northumberland Forest parking lot on McDonald Road in Centreton, about 2km north of Centreton Rd (County Rd. 22)
(Drive to Centreton, then proceed north on McDonald Rd to the parking lot on the right.)
Click here to see it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/62xxawkgFejtbVor5
Thursday September 8: Morning ride
Level 1, and 3&4:
Start time:10:00am
Start location: Parking lot at the bridge in Carrying Place
Click here to see it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/hMqiQaeiuZL9mnz49
Level 2:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Grafton Arena, Hwy 2 in Grafton
Sunday September 11: Morning Ride
Level 1:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Port Hope (exact location TBD—please refer to your Cycle Club Account for details)
Level 2:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Office on Majestic Hills Rd
Level 3/4:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Chronical Brewing Company, 422 Lake Rd #3, Bowmanville
(ICYMI) Group Riding Safety Protocol
Some people reported being unable to read the attachment on the original post, so here it is again for your reading pleasure 🙂
Guiding Principle: The following have been developed by applying the CanBike principles of Manoeverability, Visibility, Predictability and Communication to Group Riding situations.
NHCC Group Riding Safety Protocol
Keeping your distance
- When single file, stay one to two bike lengths apart. Do not overlap wheels. The rear rider inevitably receives the worst of it in the event of a wiggle or sudden braking.
- One or two bike lengths allow room for braking and to manoeuvre around road obstacles.
- Increase distance between riders on gravelly roads, wet roads, wet leafy roads, rough roads with potholes and patchy shadows
- When Riding two abreast, maintain one to two bike lengths behind the rider ahead and about 1 metre apart from the rider next to you. (This is endorsed by police who say cyclists have a right to occupy a lane occasionally)
Riding two abreast is the safer option on roads without a shoulder or bike lane. This allows faster moving vehicles to overtake properly rather than encouraging traffic to squeeze past slowly.
Riding three abreast (or more!) is not permitted
Three persons abreast reduces manoeuvring space for the middle rider and our roads aren’t wide enough to also accommodate unexpected oncoming farm vehicles, wide trucks etc. It also takes too long to re-form back into single file.
Passing others
- Always pass on the left.
- NEVER pass on the right.
- Communicate loudly and clearly “Passing on your left” or “On your left” — leave plenty of physical space (minimum of 3ft—preferably more) to manoeuvre in case either of you encounters obstacles, pot holes, rough surface etc.
- Do not pass unpredictably—too close, unannounced or at high speeds
Communicate with hand signals and/or voice
- When passing
- When stopping
- When slowing down
- When encountering obstacles, debris, potholes,
- Call out – “car back”, “car up”, “walker up”, “on your left” (when passing) or if unsure – “heads up”
- Know the hand signals for turning, stopping, slowing down, and obstacles
- Do not call “All clear” at junctions—It is every rider’s responsibility to negotiate junctions as an individual.
Hill Ascents
- All riders must stay as far to the right as is practicable. The slower you are, the further to the right you should be
- Ride single file unless passing
- Pass when necessary but return to single file after passing
- Do not pass near the summit—the group must be in single file as you crest the hill.
Hill Descents
Descents are when we go the fastest, have the least time to react and are at our most vulnerable. We must be extra vigilant to:
- All riders must stay as far to the right as is practicable. The slower you are, the further to the right you should be
- Leave additional space around and others, especially when passing
- Passing: Communicate “On your left!” allowing sufficient time for the person to anticipate you
- Maintain situational awareness—Be mindful of each others road positions and speed
- Ride at a speed appropriate for the conditions, your skill level & confidence
- Be aware of hazards—potholes, loose gravel, debris, wet patches, patchy sun and shade that can mask potholes, wet leaves, roadkill
- Leave room for the unexpected - cars pulling out from driveways, dogs running out, potholes!
Red lights and Stop signs
- DO NOT congregate at junctions for re-grouping, discussions or shade-breaks—position yourself 20 meters before or after the junction and off the road.
- DO NOT wait for other riders at a stop sign. Proceed through the intersection and wait at the other side clear of the intersection if necessary, at least 20 metres away and off the road out of harms way.
- DO NOT communicate “All clear” at intersections: The cyclist in front cannot ensure safety for those who follow. Proceeding safely through an intersection is the responsibility of each individual to assess before proceeding through.
- DO communicate observed hazards such as “Car left” or “Car right” that you notice as you proceed through the intersection.
Group size & Gapping
It is recommended that big groups (10-12 plus) split into smaller ones where conditions merit, such as riding on roads without bike lanes where faster moving vehicles will pass, and roads with frequent hills and curves. 6–8 riders are easier for other road users to interact with.
Carry ID
Carry a card with you that has your name, birthdate, emergency contact info and Health Card #, medications and allergies.