January 2024 Newsbrief

https://cccts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Newsbrief-image.png

 

 

 

The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society  January 2024,  Volume 41, Issue #1

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

As the incoming president and the first one from the East – I’m in Ottawa – I would like to provide a brief overview of my passion for biking and my connection to CCCTS.

My wife, Nancy, and I started biking seriously back in the late 1990s when she trained and then did the Rideau Lakes tour, an event run by the Ottawa Bike Club that involved riding from Carleton University in Ottawa to Queen’s University in Kingston on a Saturday and back on Sunday, 180 km each way. I was jealous, so we did it together the following two years. In 1999 we were starting to prepare for this tour again but for several reasons, we shifted our focus to other tours and that year did the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton self-supported, a great experience. That was followed by a spectacular trip through the French Alps to Nice. And a couple of years later, we did a tour up the west coast of Newfoundland, a province we would love to return to.

In 2004 we met CCCTS members Rob and Lynne Stewart while hiking in Alberta with Skyline Hikers, a volunteer group out of Calgary, and they invited us to go out west for a CCCTS event. We joined in 2006 and got on the San Juan Islands tour, our first camping tour with the club, met some great people from the west and had a blast on the tour. In 2008 when we learned about the planned CanMex tour from Vancouver to San Diego, we both said we had to do it and signed up immediately. Again a camping trip and we had the smallest tent on that tour, barely big enough for two to sleep. It was a six week tour, but we loved it and there was no blood on the walls of the tent so all good. As it was the longest tour we had undertaken, we didn’t know if we would want to pitch our bikes into the ocean on arriving in San Diego, but as we rode along Coronado Island, we looked at each other and said we could keep going for weeks – an awesome tour. Janet Lever was a top-notch leader and Robin Howe was the best cook of the 24 cyclists.

In 2010 CCCTS sub-contracted with Pedaltours from New Zealand to do a tour of Vietnam. I believe the original estimate of the number of participants was something like 18 to 20 but 52 people signed up! Pedaltours was happy to take three groups of 16 each, two in November and one in January. We really wanted to go in November but the lottery system at the time put us with the January group, so one night we called Eric and Nancy O’Higgins to ask if they would consider switching places, and lo, they really wanted to go in January so we took their spots with the second group in November. Pedaltours and their sub-contractor, Active Asia, did a fantastic job and I’m sure they had some issues as we all did both the South and the North of Vietnam to the Chinese border – one of our most memorable bike tours. The hotel at one stop in the North even made me an amazing birthday cake for my 65th.

Right from first joining CCCTS to this year, we have participated in day rides and the many hub & spokes organized by Nel Ahmed, Geoff Kennedy and Don Taylor in different parts of Ontario and Quebec, always enjoyable events. We are very fortunate here as over the years, the Chapter here has developed literally over a 100 routes for day rides. Lots of them involve remote starts but they are never that far away. Many day rides start in either the west end of the city or the east end, so those members living in the vicinity have easy access to the start points. Those from the west who joined us in 2017 at our hub & spoke over the 150th July 1st celebrations were gob smacked at the variety of rides that we have.

I joined the CCCTS Board of Directors at the beginning of 2017 as a Member-at-Large and in 2019 took on the role of secretary. Having worked with Bruce Daykin and the others on the Board I know that they are a very good crew to work with, so when Bruce and the other members convinced me to take the reins, I was honoured to do so. I know that I’ll have lots of help and support, and I’m also really looking forward to welcoming Dianne Schneidmiller, the one new member of the Board this year.

CCCTS is a great and I believe unique club in Canada in that we have members all over BC, here in the Ottawa area, and in various parts of the US – a scattered group with a common passion for recreational cycling and seeing new places by bike with friends from all parts of the club. I will do my best to foster ever more interaction among the Chapters such that the club thrives and perhaps even grows. If you have questions, comments, ideas or suggestions just drop me a note at paul.hough@rogers.com. Cheers!

Paul Hough

 

From the Tour Director’s Desk – January 2024.

A snowy landscape with mountains and trees Description automatically generated

Skiing in the Italian Dolomites

Happy New Year! Let’s plan for 2024 to be a wonderful year of cycling for all CCCTS members.

We haven’t had any more tours complete since I last wrote to you but we will have our first CCCTS Cross-Country tour leaving later this month. The lucky group will be headed off to the Dolomites, which I can personally attest is an incredible place for cross-country skiing in the Italian Tyrol region. Thanks to Linda Graupner, our H&S Director, for putting this tour together!

For this month’s article, I’ll review the Tours presentation for the Annual General Meeting (AGM), in case you missed it. Here it is:

  • Last year, we offered 10 tours (6 international, 2 USA, 2 Canada) and 188 cyclists participated.
  • Tours – The tours were, in order:
    • Bangkok to Phuket
    • Arizona – Tucson loop
    • Mallorca
    • Portugal – Alentejo to Algarve
    • Georgian Bay
    • Okanagan – Vernon, Penticton, Oliver
    • Central Europe
    • Columbia River Loop
    • Croatia
    • Japan – Kyoto to Noto Peninsula
  • Tour Leaders and Tour Coordinators –
    • 13 people led/organized one tour: Nel Ahmed, Garry Esau, Dave Featherstonaugh, Delores Franz Los, Linda Graupner, Geoff Kennedy, Dianne Schneidmiller, Gene Schneidmiller, Beverly Wagner, Maureen Weston, Dianne White, Janet Whitehead, Clark Woodland
    • 2 people led/organized three tours: Dan Carey, Robin Howe
  • Chapters Behind the Club Tours –
    • Fraser Valley – 1 tour
    • Greater Victoria – 1 tour
    • BC Interior – 2 tours
    • National Capital Region – 2 tours
    • Unaffiliated/USA – 4 tours
  • Tour Director’s Future Hopes for CCCTS Tours –
    • More tours in Canada (only 2 in 2023) and USA (2 in 2023).
    • Revival of CCCTS camping tours (zero in 2023).
    • Leaders from all chapters and areas with club membership leading tours.
    • Adding service components to some tours, especially those going to lower income countries.
  • Where the Tour Director is Coming From
    • Personal Mission Statement – Two Objectives –
      • For club members to have fun cycling, socializing, and seeing the world together.
      • For the CCCTS tour “brand” to embody value, equity, fun, and most importantly, kindness.

These are the things I have loved most about CCCTS tours during our 21 years of membership and 67 tours and H&S’s. I think the best thing about our club tours is that you will make friends on tours and then you will see them again on other tours and H&S’s because our club is small enough for this to happen.

  • Where the Tour Director is Coming From
    • What CCCTS Tours Are Not –
      • Our volunteer Tour Leaders and Tour Coordinators are not professional cycle tour leaders.
      • CCCTS tours will not try to meet the standards of a for-profit tour company.
      • CCCTS tours will not be perfect.
      • CCCTS is a club driven by volunteers. It is not a business.

Some of my favorite tours had mishaps and problems to deal with. Tour members and leaders stepped up to deal with each situation and most tour members flexed to deal with whatever happened.

I believe we deliver high quality tours that provide good value compared to “the competition”. Our daily/nightly prices usually compare favorably to the other big touring clubs – BAC, People Cycling – and of course to the for-profits like Back Roads.

  • Where the Tour Director is Coming From
    • Level of Service I will Support as Tour Director –
      • I am willing to volunteer my time to support the friendly, flexible, and imperfect tours that comprise our club’s touring history.
      • I am not willing to volunteer my time to try to deliver tours that are perfect and match a “for-profit” level of cycle touring.

A building next to a body of water Description automatically generated

South Korean Temple

We are busy planning tours for 2024 and now 2025 too. Details for each tour will be posted when tour proposals and budgets are finalized and have been approved by the Board. We would like to publish our tour details sooner, but we have to wait until our tour leaders and contractors are ready and that can take time. This list in the Newsbrief is meant to give you a heads up for your travel planning purposes until the final tour details are ready for publication. So, please watch your CCCTS emails and the website since tours will be posted one at a time as they are ready, and all members will be notified via email when a new tour posts. Tour plans are always changing. As of today, the best information we have on the tours that will be offered for 2024 is below. The list of ideas for 2025 is more tentative and meant to give you an idea of what could happen.

A red sign with a white figure and a yellow circle with black text Description automatically generated

Hiawatha Trail Sign

2024 – Subject to Change

  • Italian Dolomites Cross Country Ski – January 24 – February 2
  • Portugal – Alentejo and Algarve – April 17-May 2
  • South Korea – April 22-May 6
  • Ottawa to Kingston and Back – May
  • Walla Walla, Dayton, and Richland Luxury Tour – tentatively spring or early fall
  • Spokane-Coeur d’Alene via Hiawatha Trail – September 3-12
  • Ireland – Mizen to Malin – September 6-20
  • Discovery Islands and Sunshine Coast – September 16-22
  • Veloroute de Bleuet – September
  • Slovenia – September 10-24
  • Sri Lanka – October 15-November 6
  • Silver Star X-C – December

A rocky coast with waves crashing on the shore Description automatically generated

Cliff in Ireland

2025 – Idea stage only

  • South India – Chennai to Kochin – winter
  • Morocco – spring
  • Japan – Hokkaido – dates are TBD (with our 3 favorite guides from the Kyoto tour)
  • Cross Canada First Section – Victoria/Vancouver to Winnipeg – summer/August to mid-September timeframe
  • Croatia – spring
  • Prague to Budapest – beginning August 18
  • Tuscany – fall
  • Albania – fall
  • North Thailand – early winter

Treats in Portugal

Please give me a call or send an email if there is a tour you would like to lead. I am open to any tour idea you have as long as it is a safe place for cycling. (Robin Howe, robincooksandsews@gmail.com, 206.899.7255)

Update on Cycling Across Canada – Plan B –

– Beginning 2025 with Victoria/Vancouver to Winnipeg

Beverly Wagner and I are beginning discussions on the preliminary planning for this ride. At this time, the tour is planned for 2025.

Much help will be needed to make this tour go and especially for the second and third sections of the country. We could use leaders for those segments. Please keep it in mind and send any offers to lead these tours my way.

Have an excellent start to your New Year!

Vineyard in Slovenia

Robin Howe, CCCTS Tour Director

Upcoming Tours

  • 2024 Slovenia – On The Sunny Side of The Alps
    Status: Registration opens Wed, 17 Jan 2024 8:00 AM
    Dates: Tue, 10 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Tue, 24 Sep 2024

    Join us in September, a perfect time to discover this special little country of Slovenia, a green jem squeezed between Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia! On a bike is a great way to do it! Turquoise lakes, the Adriatic Sea, the Julian Alps, alpine and medieval villages, the capital Ljubljana guarded over by its castle, turquoise rivers, mountain valleys, terraced vineyards….. We will have two weeks to sample it all, especially Slovenia’s native wines and wonderful cuisine!

  • 2024 Trail of the Coeur D’Alene’s including Route of the Hiawatha
    Status: Registration opens Tue, 2 Jan 2024 5:00 PM
    Dates: Tue, 3 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Thu, 12 Sep 2024

    This tour involves three cycling segments. It begins in Harrison Idaho with two days of cycling, then moves on to Wallace, Idaho for two more day rides, including the Hiawatha trail, and ends in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with a two-night pannier ride on the Centennial trail to Spokane, Washington. The scenery will be lovely all along the way.

  • 2024 Portugal – Alentejo and the Algarve
    Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
    Dates: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 ‐‐ Thu, 2 May 2024
  •  
  • Dolomites cross-country ski tour 2024
    Status: Registration closed
    Dates: Wed, 24 Jan 2024 ‐‐ Thu, 1 Feb 2024

    Swap out your cycling gear for cross-country skis and join us for our first CCCTS cross-country ski trip – in the Dolomites region of Italy! We will ski through the gorgeous valleys of the Dolomites, on well-groomed trails, with the mountains as our backdrop, staying 2 nights in each pretty Tyrolean ski village. Come for the beauty of the area and the Tyrolean culture…and a chance to ski with your cycling friends.

  • 2024 Cycling South Korea – Seoul to Jeju
    Status: 7 slots are available.
    Dates: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 ‐‐ Mon, 6 May 2024

    This 15 day cycling tour is the ultimate exploration of South Korea – discovering both the old and the new – as we traverse 615 km of varied terrain from the vibrant capital, Seoul, to peaceful Jeju Island.

  • 2024 Sri Lanka Tour – Negombo to Columbo
    Status: 16 slots are available.
    Dates: Tue, 15 Oct 2024 ‐‐ Wed, 6 Nov 2024

    This adventure is the final word in Sri Lanka cycling tours! Over the course of 23 exhilarating days we explore the island’s pristine beaches, ancient rock fortresses, temple-studded cities, lush national parks, and tea field-covered mountains. We leave no stone unturned as we delve deep into Sri Lanka’s rich heritage and natural beauty. We will also spend 1-2 days dedicated to a service project for a local Sri Lankan community.

  • 2024 Ireland Mizen to Malin
    Status: Registration closed
    Dates: Fri, 6 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Fri, 20 Sep 2024

    The west coast of Ireland is rich in awe-inspiring landscapes, fascinating characters, and foot-tapping music. Cycling Ireland End to End from the most southerly point to the most northerly will leave you with rich memories, new friends, and a thirst for more!

Upcoming Hub and Spokes.

Things are in the works.

Tour Trip Reports

New Members

first_name last_name city province
Elizabeth Kirchhoff Ottawa ON
Suzanne Howze THE VILLAGES FL
Tom Facklam Edmonton AB
Peter Coumbis COOMA AU
Mary McKelvie Sun Peaks BC
Deanne Ryan Ottawa ON
CAROLINE VAN UNEN NANAIMO BC
Hugh Aitken Victoria BC
Jan Naylor Salmon Arm BC
Donna Roy Surrey BC
David Millard Salmon Arm BC
Lynn Gaudet Nanaimo BC
Tricia Anderson Kelowna BC
Laurie Cole Kelowna BC
Jennifer Ellwood Victoria BC
Lesley Anderson Vancouver BC
Lisa Rohrick Langley BC
Eric O’Higgins North Saanich BC
David Fleming Nepean ON
Andrew Bacon White Rock BC

Published at least ten times a year by The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society, a non – profit organization for retired people and others who enjoy recreational cycling. 

Items for the NEWSBRIEF must be received by the 28th of the month. The Editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity and suitability of publication. The views expressed in the “NEWSBRIEF” are not necessarily those of the CCCTS or the Editor.

Submissions for NEWSBRIEF should be emailed to alaird212@gmail.com