The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society, January 2026, Volume 44, Issue #1.
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER December 30, 2025
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!
May 2026 bring good health, much happiness, lots of cycling adventures and memorable experiences, and hopefully much less strife in the world.
The year 2025 was, I believe, a very successful one for CCCTS – a significant number of really interesting, and in some cases, challenging, tours, as well as several well-attended hub and spokes – I really enjoyed being able to participate in the Comox H&S last June. But most of our members join to participate in the day rides and other activities organized by the Chapters. Of course, none of these tours, hub & spokes or local rides or other activities would happen without the dedication and creativity of the members who organize and lead them and the great support provided by our hard-working tour and hub and spoke Directors.
Membership is up and a new Chapter has been formed in the Edmonton area. Chapters are very important but the concept has evolved somewhat informally, so the Board has established a set of criteria for defining Tier 1 Chapters and has set a level of annual financial support based on membership groups (25 to 59, 60 to 79, 80 to 99 and 100+). Not all of the members in CCCTS fall into one of the existing Chapters, but groups of less than 25 (non-Tier 1 Chapters) are encouraged to organize rides and other activities in their respective regions.
2026 promises to be another great year for our members, with several really attractive international tours already defined with more being developed, along with some hub and spokes also set or being planned. In recent years, CCCTS has had a number of international tours and these have been fully subscribed in spite of the costs being greater than for tours in Canada. The Board is very aware of this trend and is always seeking members to propose more North American (Canadian?) tours be they camping tours or other types.
Enough! Have a great 2026!
Paul Hough
From the Hub & Spoke Director’s Desk……
2026 is off to a great start with 4 Hub & Spokes already scheduled for this spring.
Victoria Hub & Spoke
Victoria Spring Cycling Escape May 11 – May 15, 2026
Registration opens February 1, 2026
Come and celebrate spring in Victoria, Canada’s garden city at its finest. With blossoms lining the streets and ocean views around every corner, it’s the perfect place to explore on two wheels. You’ll find an inviting mix of pathways and quiet roads, many following old rail lines, along with plenty of history, scenic waterfront, and a touch of classic British charm.
See Victoria Hub and Spoke for more details.
South Okanagan Hub & Spoke
May 31 – June 6, 2026
Registration opens January 6, 2026
Join in the fun on this 7 day Hub & Spoke based in Penticton BC on the south end of Okanagan Lake. Enjoy cycling on quiet roads in Canada’s premier wine district. The area boasts over 80 wineries, 8 craft breweries and 2 cideries. Two ride options will be offered on each day.
See 2026 South Okanagan Hub & Spoke. for more details.
Shuswap North Okanagan Hub & Spoke
May 7 – May 12 2026
Registration opens January 18, 2026
Back by popular demand, the Shuswap-North Okanagan Hub & Spoke is based at the Sorrento Centre Retreat and Conference Centre on Shuswap Lake. Enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of nature as you explore quiet paved back roads. In addition to several cycling routes offered each day you can also enjoy short walks, visits to local wineries, swimming, bird watching, scenic views and cycle friendly cafes.
See 2026 Shuswap – North Okanagan Hub & Spoke for more details.
Additional Hub & Spokes
More details to follow in February on a Hub & Spoke in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (south of Montreal) May 24 – 29.
Upcoming Tours
- 2026 Tuscany Tour
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Mon, 7 Sep 2026 ‐‐ Tue, 22 Sep 2026Italy: where pasta, history, and breathtaking landscapes come together to create a dream cycling destination!
- 2027 Trails and Tastes of the South Island – New Zealand
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Sat, 13 Feb 2027 ‐‐ Mon, 8 Mar 2027A spectacular three-week, “once in a lifetime” cycling adventure.
Journey around New Zealand’s South Island experiencing genuine and authentic Kiwi hospitality, breathtaking scenery and delicious New Zealand food. Peddle past snow-capped mountains and lush sheep-dotted pastures, cross viaducts and rail tunnels and enter charming towns and villages before experiencing some of the best seafood, lamb and wine in the world. - CANCELLED DUE TO LOW REGISTRATION NUMBERS – 2026 Cross Canada part 1 – Victoria to Winnipeg
Status: Registration closed
Dates: Fri, 17 Jul 2026 ‐‐ Sat, 29 Aug 2026This is the ultimate way to see your country – or at least the western third of it. Begin at the beaches of western British Columbia, move into mountain territory, then the Okanagan, the stunning Rocky Mountains, and drop down into a rural landscape of the farmlands and small towns of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as well as the big cities of Calgary, Regina and Winnipeg. This tour is a six-week camping tour with 12 hotel nights. (This is the first section of the Cross Canada ride in what we hope will be a three-series ride.)
- 2026 Portugal – The Alentejo, Atlantic, and Algarve
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Wed, 15 Apr 2026 ‐‐ Fri, 1 May 2026Enjoy early season cycling on quiet, country roads bordered by cork, olive, lemon, and orange groves in the sunniest part of Europe, the Alentejo and neighboring Algarve regions of southern Portugal.
- 2025 Veloroute des Bleuets
Status: CompletedThe Veloroute des Bleuets (Blueberry Cycling Route) pannier tour is 256 km of pure cycling fun that loops around Lac Saint-Jean in Quebec’s Saguenay region (about 230 km north of Quebec City). We will cycle around Lac Saint-Jean over 4 days then drive to Quebec City for 2 more full days of riding.
- 2026 The Frozen Triangle Ski Tour
Status: Registration closed
Dates: Tue, 6 Jan 2026 ‐‐ Thu, 15 Jan 2026Enjoy wintertime in Canada! Join us for cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, and/or snowshoeing. We will stay in three locations for three nights at each, with two days for winter activities at each spot: Lake Louise, Radium, and Golden.
- 2026 Japan’s Setouchi Islands – A Cyclist’s Paradise
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Tue, 31 Mar 2026 ‐‐ Wed, 15 Apr 2026The coastal area of the Setouchi is one of Japan’s major tourist destinations and there’s no better way to enjoy it than by bike. It is a virtual utopia for cyclists. One of cyclists’ many touring options is the 70-kilometer Shimanami Kaido highway linking the city of Onomichi and Imabari. We will also cycle the Kamijima Islands, Kakishima Kaido and Tobishima Kaido, three other popular chains of islands for cyclists.
Buy and Sell
For Sale: Tacx Flux2 Smart Trainer. Bought January, 2021. Paid $1,468, asking $650. Ottawa area. Used during COVID, not much after that.
Contact Chris Hayes. cehceh@gmail.com Phone 613-762-1470
Trip Reports
- CCCTS Northern and Central Thailand Tour
CCCTS Northern and Central Thailand Tour (Chiang Mai to Bangkok) Nov. 18 to Dec. 11, 2025 Ride Leader: Robin Howe Day 1: All participants arrive in Chiang Mai. Sequestered at the Rachamankha Hotel. Day 2: (Nov. 19) began in Chiang Mai with bike fitting and a short 44.7 km ride from Wiang Ku Kan … Continue reading CCCTS Northern and Central Thailand Tour
- 2025 Sunshine Coast Tour
Sunshine Coast, Discovery Islands Cycling/Camping Tour This was a change, a cycling and camping trip close to home, what’s not to like? At least for west coast CCCTS members. No flights involved, private accommodations, no need to rent a bike or even box it up, fantastic scenery and all meals included. Yes, the cycling was … Continue reading 2025 Sunshine Coast Tour
- Hokkaido Japan 2025
Hokkaido Report
- 2025 Albania Tour
Albania Trip Report This first CCCTS Albania UNESCO Tour, capably led by CCCTS member Janet Whitehead working with Cycle Albania, ran from 29 August-11 September 2025. There were 14 hotel nights with 8 days of riding. Of the 20 participants, 13 were on E-bikes and 7 used pedal power. Total distance ridden was 438 kilometers … Continue reading 2025 Albania Tour
- 2025 Vancouver H&S
VANCOUVER HUB & SPOKE, August 11-14, 2025 Orientation Ride UBC – CCCTS Vancouver Hub & Spoke staying @ UBC Pacific Spirit Hostel, 5 days cycling 45 participants Day 2 Vancouver Neighbourhoods – Shaughnessy – the old money mansions, False Creek, Kitsilano. Yaletown CCCTS Vancouver Hub & Spoke staying @ … Continue reading 2025 Vancouver H&S
- 2025 Puget Sound H&S’s
Read all about the two H&S’s held in Puget Sound WA in 2025.
- 2025 Comox Valley H&S
The 2025 Comox Valley H&S took place on Vancouver Island from June 16 -20, 2025.
- 2025 Palm Springs H&S
The first H&S of 2025 was actually a “Double Hub” with “Hubs” in Indio and Palm Springs. Read all about it here.
Cycling in Morocco.
New Members
| first_name | last_name | city | province |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snezana | Minic | New Westminster | BC |
| Douglas | Thorson | Medicine Hat | AB |
| Louise | Proulx | Ottawa | ON |
| David | Foster | Ottawa | ON |
| Virginia | Merrick | Edmonton | AB |
| Sandra | MacDowall | Stittsville | ON |
| Helene | Weber | Victoria | BC |
| Sandra | Baxter | Kelowna | BC |
| Ingrid | Neumann | Coldstream | BC |
| Wally | Neumann | Coldstream | BC |
| Glen | Babichuk | BEAUMONT | AB |
| Laurie | Fowler | Vernon | BC |
| Darren | Okrainec | Edmonton | AB |
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