The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society, April 2026,  Volume 44, Issue #3.

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

NEWSBRIEF – DEVELOPMENT IDEAS

CCCTS has members dispersed across North America, and while most are located within defined groups or Chapters, these entities are quite separate geographically.  The monthly Newsbrief is a major tool for communicating about tours, hub & spokes, Board decisions, activities of note, trip reports, and items for sale. These are all important topics that the members should know about and should be continued, but my question is, can the Newsbrief become something more, that members would really look forward to reading each issue?

Some thoughts that come to mind include:

1. A section on what’s happening within the different Chapters could highlight how the different groups operate, showcase different cycling and non-cycling activities or events (e.g., music nights, theatre nights, group gatherings, etc.), and feature individual members for their contributions to the club.  The idea would be to give members a better sense of being connected to a unique cycling club, to be able to share ideas and best practices, as well as celebrating the movers and shakers in each region.
2. Another section could deal with different aspects of technology, from the way bike frames are actually made (all carbon bikes are not created equal), to the various and always evolving bike computers, and even to the changing scene of e-bike development, especially with respect to battery development. Sharing experiences with using different e-bike designs and whatever issues users have encountered would be of real value to those thinking of going that route.
3. There could also be a section with links to cycling videos from anywhere in the world.  These could be on amazing routes, amusing uses of bike, how-to explanations (e.g., how to master a round-about in the UK), cycling events elsewhere (e.g., the 5 boroughs in New York), on bike modifications for those with physical limitations, or on articles of interest.
4. Still another section could be devoted to letters from members re their experiences on tours or riding within their region, suggestions for others to consider, or requests for information, assistance or technical advice.

These are just a few thoughts that have been circulating in my tiny mind and I’m sure others could provide many more ideas.

How to Proceed

Expanding the content and purpose of the Newsbrief along these or similar lines would require a dedicated person or small group of members to take on the task of developing the Newsbrief into a stellar product of the club. I’m sure that some members subscribe to cycling magazines or podcasts or whatever and are tuned into what’s happening in the cycling world, and would be in a great position to help develop our Newsbrief.  This person or group would not be a member of the Board but would link with the Board through a liaison member currently on the Board.

Next Steps

Please let me or any Board member know of your thoughts on this idea of developing the Newsbrief and especially if you would like to be involved in making it an even more important and lively means of informing and connecting members.

Paul Hough

President

Tours

• 2026 Two Rivers Pannier Tour
  Status: Lottery running now
  Dates: Tue, 18 Aug 2026 ‐‐ Tue, 25 Aug 2026

  Spend a week cycling the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. This pannier tour offers scenic, well connected routes through Eastern Ontario and Quebec.

• 2026 Morocco – Marrakech to Essaouira
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Wed, 30 Sep 2026 ‐‐ Fri, 16 Oct 2026

  Embark on an unforgettable 17-day bike tour through the North African Kingdom of Morocco. We begin in Marrakech, journey into the rugged valleys of the Atlas Mountains, where centuries-old fortresses cling to the hillsides and traditional Berber villages dot the landscape. Then, we descend into the desert and experience the contrasts between the dry Pre-Saharan plateaus and lush oases, before reaching the Atlantic coast and looping back to Marrakech. Each day brings new scenery, cultural interactions, and adventures. We will travel with a local Moroccan friend for several days of the tour.

• 2026 Ultimate Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Hanoi (23 days/22 nights)
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Sun, 15 Nov 2026 ‐‐ Mon, 7 Dec 2026

  This 23-day Ultimate Vietnam cycling tour takes in Hanoi and Saigon, the beach resort of Nha Trang, historic Hoi An, the imperial city of Hue, and the far north, with the Hoang Lien Mountains and some of Vietnam’s most spectacular scenery: Dien Bien Phu, Sapa and Bac Ha. Tour includes a flight from southern Vietnam to northern Vietnam.

• 2026 Tuscany Tour
  Status: Registration closed
  Dates: Mon, 7 Sep 2026 ‐‐ Tue, 22 Sep 2026

  Italy: 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 2027

  A 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 2026

  This 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: Registration closed
  Dates: Wed, 15 Apr 2026 ‐‐ Fri, 1 May 2026

  Enjoy 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.

  Hub and Spoke

• 2026 YCAT Roving Hub and Spoke
  Status: 27 slots are available.
  Dates: Mon, 6 Jul 2026 ‐‐ Mon, 13 Jul 2026

  The new Edmonton Chapter (YCAT-YEG Cycle and Touring) invites you to cycle the north east region of Edmonton.

• 2026 Quebec’s Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Hub and Spoke
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Mon, 25 May 2026 ‐‐ Sat, 30 May 2026
• 2026 Victoria Hub and Spoke
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Mon, 11 May 2026 ‐‐ Fri, 15 May 2026

  Experience Canada’s most beautiful blooming city this spring!

• 2026 Shuswap-North Okanagan Hub and Spoke
  Status: Registration closed
  Dates: Sun, 7 Jun 2026 ‐‐ Fri, 12 Jun 2026

  Welcome to the beautiful and diverse landscapes of the Shuswap – North Okanagan.

  Trip Reports

• Frozen Triangle

  Winter Skiing trip in Central B.C. Frozen Triangle Trip Report

• 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 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.

Video

Elk Island is one of the rides on the upcoming Edmonton Hub and Spoke. It looks amazing.  Still lots of spots left on the tour.  Lets get out there and show our newest Chapter some love.

• New Members

  Gilles	Simard	Edmonton	AB
  Joanne	Brear	Nanaimo	BC
  Mary-Lou	Davies	Ottawa	ON
  John	Emery	Calgary	AB
  Dianne	Clark	Edmonton	AB
  Spencer	Cheng	Ottawa	ON
  Bonita	Roulston	Nanaimo	BC
  Charles	Clark	Edmonton	AB
  John	Shaw	Edmonton	AB
  Doreen	Lipovski	Edmonton	AB
  Normand	Ponton	North Vancouver	BC
  Peter	Parchomchuk	Summerland	BC
  Diane	Parchomchuk	SUMMERLAND	BC
  Rhonda Lee	Curran	Edmonton	AB
  Heather	Piwowar	Vancouver	BC
  Sheila	Powell	Kamloops	BC
  Russell	Beales	NANAIMO	BC
  Beth	Regehr	Vernon	BC
  Francine	Harvey	Edmonton	AB
  Donna	McLean	Edmonton	AB
  Rick	Scrabuik	New Westminter	BC
  Darlene	Gillespie	Nanaimo	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