The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society August 2025,  Volume 43, Issue #8

Safety Column by Angus MacIntosh

Ask Richard: Bike Tech Talk

Question: Hi Richard. I have been using RideWithGPS on my phone for a while now but I am having trouble saving the routes to the Library of the app. What is going on?

Answer: Well, there is the long answer and there is the short answer:

The long answer is that you should make sure that the RWGPS app is the latest version and that your phone operating system is the latest that is available. We have talked about the importance of having the most recent apps in previous answers.

The short answer did the trick for this rider: reboot your phone! I always forget to mention this first and it can solve so many problems. A general rule for all of us when we are having unexpected results from our computer, phone or GPS device: look up how to reboot your model and do it.

Each phone has a different way of re-booting. For example, for the iPhone 16 the instructions are, “To force restart an iPhone 16, quickly press and release the volume up button, then quickly press and release the volume down button, and finally, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. Do not slide to power off when prompted, instead continue holding the side button until the device restarts.” It is simple to do and can often get you back on track.

Question: I have heard that there is a new set of maps for the Garmin Edge devices. How can I get them?

Answer: When you buy a Garmin Edge bike computer you are entitled to get free update of the maps that came with the device. Some software updates can be done from the Garmin Connect app on your phone, but maps are usually too large to do it that way. They can be downloaded from a computer using Garmin Express.

You need to connect your Garmin Edge to the computer with a USB cable and sign into your Garmin account on the Garmin Express app. It will offer to update software and maps if they are available. The latest maps are TopoActive North America 2025.10. The TopoActive maps are a slightly different system from the previous Garmin Cycle Maps but serve the same purpose. They may be split into regional maps rather than the full North American maps, for example, Canada plus Alaska. Get the latest versions offered to you and you will have the most recent data for cycle routing.

Thanks for reading! Keep those questions coming. I will respond as quickly as possible and may also use your question as part of a later column.

Richard Tobin

CCCTS RideWithGPS Administrator

rstobin20@gmail.com

Upcoming Tours

• 2026 Cross Canada part 1 – Victoria to Winnipeg
  Status: Registration opens Mon, 1 Sep 2025 8:00 AM
  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: Ride is full, wait list only.
  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.

• 2025 Veloroute des Bleuets
  Status: Registration closed
  Dates: Mon, 8 Sep 2025 ‐‐ Mon, 15 Sep 2025

  The 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 opens Mon, 15 Sep 2025 8:00 AM
  Dates: Tue, 6 Jan 2026 ‐‐ Thu, 15 Jan 2026

  Enjoy 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: Lottery running now
  Dates: Tue, 31 Mar 2026 ‐‐ Wed, 15 Apr 2026

  The 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.

• 2025 Maritimes Camping Tour
  Status: Completed

  Charlottetown, PEI to Sidney, NS.
  Riding the backroads of Prince Edward Island, Northumberland Strait of Nova Scotia and the Cabot Trail of Cape Breton Island.

• TOUR POSTPONED UNTIL 2026 – Updated Ultimate Vietnam Tour
  Status: Registration closed
  Dates: Mon, 3 Nov 2025 ‐‐ Thu, 27 Nov 2025

  The Ultimate Vietnam tour will be a smorgasbord of cultural and historical delights, and at the end you’ll feel that perhaps you might better understand this sliver of a country just south of mighty China. Cycle in both the north and the south of Vietnam with a flight in between.

• 2025 Albania UNESCO Tour
  Status: Registration closed
  Dates: Fri, 29 Aug 2025 ‐‐ Thu, 11 Sep 2025

  Albania…one of the least developed countries in Europe with much to offer!

Upcoming Hub and Spokes

• Vancouver Hub and Spoke 2025
  Status: Registration closed
  Dates: Mon, 11 Aug 2025 ‐‐ Thu, 14 Aug 2025

  This often talked about Vancouver Hub and Spoke will be headquartered on the picturesque University of British Columbia campus. 

Trip Reports

• 2025 Slovenia Tour

  2025 Slovenia Tour – on the Sunny Side of the Alps This tour took place from May 11 to May 25, 2025. Nine people participated: Jim Cilek, Charlene Dorward, Bonita Douglas, Lynda Edmonds, Heye Klaver, Ramona Lee, Bob Myrick, Annemieke Quinn and Deanna Simmons. Being a small group, we bonded quickly. The tour operator, Alen … Continue reading 2025 Slovenia Tour→

• 2024 Sri Lanka Tour

  Nine CCCTS toured Sri Lanka in 2024 guided by tour company Spice Roads. Here is their story in words and stunning photos.

• 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

  The first H&S of 2025 was actually a “Double Hub” with “Hubs” in Indio and Palm Springs. Read all about it here.

New Members

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. 

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