CORRECTION: Start time for weekend Ride & Social
CORRECTION: The start time for Marias Ride & Social this Saturday is 11:00am
Rides for this week: Monday August 29 to Sunday September 4
August has come to an end, but we are hoping for plenty more rides in September! Our Club rides will resume on Thursday (if of course there are ride leaders available) and they will be posted on the Cycle Club account in the next day or so. Given we are short a few ride leaders at the moment, now’s a great time to let us know if you can volunteer to lead a ride or two!
We take Safety seriously! If you haven’t yet seen and reviewed the Group Ride Safety Protocols, please do so. We’re a team, and we need to look after each other.
We also take Fun seriously! And on Saturday September 3 (Rain date is Sunday), Maria and Andy are hosting the NHCC at their lovely Grafton property where everyone will go out for an out and back ride (45 minutes each way) then enjoy a fabulous meal complements of the NHCC. It’s a great way to finish off August, and celebrate Labour Day Weekend,
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.
Thursday August 25: Morning ride
Level 1:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: To be determined
Level 2:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: To be determined
Level 3/4:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Centreton Park at the intersection of County Rds 22 and 23
Saturday September 3: Afternoon Ride & Social
(Note that Sunday will be the rain date)
Level 1, 2, 3, and 4:
Start time: Ride at 11:00am, Social & Food at 1:00pm
Start location: Maria and Andys house in Graft. (exact address provided in your Cycle Club Account)
NHCC Policy: Group Riding Safety Protocol
It’s been a rough week in these parts! To best respond to the safety needs of our Club and it’s members the NHCC has reviewed and is implementing new Group Riding Protocols that will apply to all Group Rides. Please take a moment to review them before coming out for your next Club Ride and let’s all do our part to keep each other safe. We’re asking all club members to understand that it takes everyone to pitch in so let’s remind each other (gently) on rides how we can do better. These will be reviewed and modified from time to time but should for now be considered club policy. You can click on the image to read the complete policy or click on this link here Group Riding Safety Protocol
Congratulations to Randy
In the past couple of weeks there’s been one less person on Club rides….Randy Albon has been out of town in Dundas, Ontario immersing himself in the intensive Winterborne Bicycle Institute’s Professional Mechanics course (huge shout-out to Cycle Transitions for sponsoring him!). The course takes a meticulous methodical approach to bicycle repair, teaching the skills to repair bicycles for optimum function and safety. He learned wheel-building from a Master Wheel Technician, and also gained a serious in-depth understanding of all major bicycle components, including frames, bearings, wheels, drive trains, brakes and shifting systems. He’s now well-versed (even more so than he already was!) in troubleshooting, repairing, and preventative maintenance!
He’s happy to share his training & knowledge with others, so feel free to pick his brain on rides—about those weird squeaks, the funny rumbles, or those unexplained chain skips—or maybe just for preventative maintenance advice on how to protect your investment! He’s happy to plan a few workshops if there’s interest—let him know what you’d like! You can also drop in an see him where he volunteers at Cycle Transitions.
Congratulations Randy, on a job well-done!
Randy in his Bike Garage!
Rides for this week: Monday August 22 to Sunday August 28
Reminder that Evening rides begin at 6:00pm and morning rides may start at 9am or 10 am—check your start times! Sunset on Tuesday is 8:02pm which shrinks our evening ride down yet again. Make sure your lights are charged and on by 7:32pm. We still have some rain in the forecast for Tuesday night so we’ll monitor all the weather gods and make a decision around 4:30. It’s our last week of August, but the season goes all the way to the end of September and then beyond if the weather cooperates. In the meantime, we’ll just skip to the details of this week’s rides!
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 August 23: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 1:
Start location: Sydenham St., Cobourg (refer to your Cycle Club account for the exact address)
Level 2:
Start location: The Mill Restaurant on Ontario St., Cobourg
Level 3/4:
Start location: Cobourg Community Centre, D’Arcy St., Cobourg
Thursday August 25: Morning ride
Level 1:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Westwood Park, on Carlisle St., Cobourg
Level 2:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Westwood Park, on Carlisle St., Cobourg
Level 3/4:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Squirrel Creek Conservation Area, 2520 Wallace Point Rd., Fraserville
Sunday August 28: Morning Ride
Level 1:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Wicklow Beach Boat launch, 133 Lakeport Rd., Colborne
Level 2:
Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Park Lane in Hastings (refer to your Cycle Club account for exact address)
Level 3/4:
Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices, 8285 Majestic Hills Rd., Hamilton Township
Ride Cancellation Notice: Sunday August 21
RIDE CANCELLATION NOTICE for Sunday August 21: So unfortunate! All those wonderful pies! But alas, the radar shows rain, and it’s not likely to turn into sunshine anytime soon. There are a few surrounding communities with severe thunderstorm warnings in effect. The good news is that you all have pies already made for dinner tonight! Sorry……but we have to cancel the Pie Potluck Ride. Looks like I’ll have to figure out something else for my pecan pie with chocolate and bourbon!
Rides for this week: Monday August 15 to Sunday August 21
Reminder that Evening rides begin at 6:00pm. Also, some of the morning rides may start at 9am. Be sure to check the start times!
This week we are going to have some fun on Sunday with our first ever Ride and Pie Potluck! It’s exactly what it sounds like—we’ll ride for 90 minutes (45 minutes out, 45 minutes back) and then we’ll all share Pies potluck style outside near the sheltered picnic table at the Grafton Arena. You can credit Richard inspiring this—all his talk about pie! Here’s what you need to bring to the Pie Potluck:
- A pie to share! It can be any kind of pie—dessert pie, chicken pot pie, meat pie…..anything goes, it’s all about treating ourselves
- Be sure to include a knife and a pie-serving utensil with your creation
- Bring your own utensils & your favourite drink
- Bring a lawn chair
NOTE: We have a number of vegetarians in our Club—it would be much appreciated if you could please identify if your pie is vegetarian-friendly
The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides
IMPORTANT: Start Times may vary for each Ride Level
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 August 16: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 1:
Start location: Cobourg Public Library
Level 2:
Start location: King’s Field in Port Hope
Level 3/4:
Start location: George Hamilton Public School in Welcome
Thursday August 18: Morning ride, 10am
Level 1:
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: To be determined
Level 2:
Start location: Park Lane in Hastings (Login to your Cycle Club account for the exact address)
Level 3/4:
Start location: Boat Launch in Brighton (Ontario Street Dock)
CANCELLED: Sunday August 21: Morning Ride & Pie Potluck
Level 1, 2, 3, and 4:
*Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Haldimand Memorial Community Arena (Grafton Arena)
Change to the Level 3/4 ride tomorrow (Thursday August 11)
NOTICE OF CHANGE: The Level 3/4 Day ride to Toronto tomorrow is being postponed and we will instead do a Breakfast Ride to Rhinos, leaving at 10am from the Hamilton Township Offices on Majestic Hills Rd. See the Cycle Club app for details and to RSVP.
Rides for this week: Monday August 8 to Sunday August 14
Just a short reminder that Evening rides begin at 6:00pm. Also, some of the morning rides may start at 9am. Be sure to check the start times!
LIGHTS ON BIKES: By the time Thursday rolls around the sun will be setting at 8:23pm. At this time of the year it’s especially important to remind ourselves that at minimum, we need to have a red light on the back of our bikes 30 minutes before sunset, so that means around 6:53 at night. Not only does it make us more visible and thus safer, the Highway Traffic Act requires it! When we are travelling westbound on any given road in the evening the setting sun can blind other road users to our presence as they approach from behind. When the sun is glaring it can be blinding to motorists, and sometimes the only visible signal you have to alert them of your presence might be that little flashing light. In fact, it’s a best practice to go beyond the minimum and have those lights flashing at all times when you are riding regardless of the time of day.
The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides
IMPORTANT: Please note Start Locations may vary for each Ride Level, as well as Start times
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 August 9: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 1:
Start location: Cobourg Community Center, D’Arcy St., Cobourg
Level 2:
Start location: Donegan Park, D’Arcy St., Cobourg
Level 3/4:
Start location: Northumberland Forest (Beagle Club Parking Lot)
Thursday August 11: Morning ride
Level 1:
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Wicklow Beach Boatlaunch
Level 2:
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Donegan Park, D’Arcy St., Cobourg
Level 3/4:
*Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices (Majestic Hills Road)
Sunday August 14: Morning Ride
Level 1:
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: To be determined
Level 2:
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: The Mill Restaurant Parking Lot, Ontario St., Cobourg
Level 3/4:
*Start time: 10:00am
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices, on Majestic Hills Rd.
Rides for this week: Monday August 1st to Sunday August 7
IMPORTANT NOTE: Believe it or not, the sun is setting earlier and the days are getting rapidly shorter. Evening rides will now begin at 6:00pm so be sure to make note of that!
Pre-announcing some notable upcoming special events that you can start RSVPing to:
- For everyone, we have an ALL LEVELS Ride & Pie Potluck on August 21st and you won’t want to miss that. It’s exactly what it sounds like—we ride, then there will be a potluck afterward that’s all Pie! Dessert pies, chicken pies, mini-pies, you name it. You see, the Level 2s keep talking about Pie, and we all want some of that action!
- On August 11th the Level 3/4s are going to hop on the GO train and make a Day-trip to Toronto, cycling around some wonderful trails, and exploring what the city has to offer
- Labour Day Weekend (September 3rd, Rain date Sept. 4th)! Maria will be hosting an ALL LEVELS plus FOOD from her home in Grafton. The NHCC will be providing some fabulous food for all members—an awesome way to celebrate summer!
The Quick Facts: Upcoming Rides
IMPORTANT: Please note Start Locations may vary for each Ride Level, as well as Start times
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 August 2: Evening Ride, 6:00pm
Level 1:
Start location: Wicklow Beach Boat Launch, 133 Lakeport Road
Level 2:
Start location: Cobourg Memorial Arena, 206 Furnace St., Cobourg
Level 3/4:
Start location: Hamilton Township Municipal Offices, on Majestic Hills Rd.
Thursday August 4: Morning ride, 10am
Level 1:
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Cobourg Public Library
Level 2:
Start location: Parking Lot at St. Marys Catholic Church, 103 Lyle St., South in Grafton
Level 3/4:
Start location: Haldimand Community Memorial Arena, (Grafton Arena), 10766 Hwy 2 in Grafton
Sunday August 7: Morning Ride, 10am
Level 1:
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Donegan Park,
Level 2:
*Start time: 9:00am
Start location: Kings Field, at 28 Victoria St., South, Port Hope
Level 3/4:
Start location: McDonald Rd parking lot for the Northumberland Forest