The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society July 2023, Volume 40, Issue #7
Kudos to Bruce McLean. Thanks For All the Hard Work!
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Open in new tab From the Hub and Spoke Director’s Desk – July 2023
Greetings from Ottawa to all CCCTS members! The summer cycling season is upon us and we have already completed 2 successful hub and spokes, with two more planned (Napanee in September, and Saint Augustine Florida in November). As with our tours, we are finding most of these events are popular and generally fill up during the lottery period.
So what’s the big deal with a hub and spoke? Why would I do a hub and spoke when I can tour exotic destinations in Europe and Asia? Well, it turns out that many chapter members actually prefer hub and spokes because they allow us to experience a region or city in more detail…all while staying put and not packing and unpacking our bags every day. Relax, socialize, eat and ride! Hub and spokes are well suited to everyone, including those who may feel uncertain about having to ride every day. They provide a great venue for socializing and for sharing a love of cycling with CCCTS friends, often from all across Canada and the US.
So…if you’re interested in leading a hub and spoke, let me know. All you need to do is pick a destination with a variety of good safe cycling roads, find a hotel that can accommodate the group, and develop a daily plan with route choices and possibly some group food experiences. My hope for the next few years is that we can offer hub and spokes in our major chapter locations, and that more members will consider attending in other parts of the country. For example, Ottawa is considering hosting a hub and spoke around the time of the tulip festival in May 2024, and we hope that many of our BC and other Canadian and US friends will plan this into their 2024 travel itineraries.
We have just completed two successful…and very different…hub and spokes.
In early May 50 CCCTS members from BC, Ontario and the US gathered in Victoria for a 5-day hub and spoke. A huge thank you to Diane Swindell and Chris Hodgson for your leadership in organizing this, and to the 20 Victoria chapter volunteers who made the event a success. The tour offered six rides every day, and although some were cancelled due to ferry cancellations, there was still plenty of variety. Highlights included the Galloping Goose trail, azalea and rhododendrons in bloom, happy hours at Arbutus Park and an authentic 10-course Chinese dinner.
A Hub and Spoke can also include more than one “hub”…and it can also use gravel roads to access awesome scenery that the usual paved roads miss out on. In late May 15 gravel riding enthusiasts explored the beautiful Fraser River canyons and grasslands in the Clinton, Hat Creek and Lillooet region. They camped in tents or RV’s in Clinton and Lillooet, proving that there is no need to sacrifice creature comforts on a Hub and Spoke. This Hub and Spoke, the second in the area, was hosted by Salmon Arm, B.C. Club members, Pat Hutchins, Craig McBride and George Zorn. Got an idea for a gravel roads Hub and Spoke in your area?” We hope more gravel roads Hub and Spoke and Tour events will be hosted by Club members in 2024!
Linda Graupner
Director, Hub and Spokes
Linda.graupner@sympatico.ca
Trip Reports
Tours
- Georgian Bay Pannier Tour Trip Report
Georgian Bay Pannier Tour Trip Report May 28th – June 4th, 2023 Prepared by Bonnie Evoy and Bill Bourne Over hill, over dale, As we hit the dusty trail And those bikers go rolling along In and out, hear them shout Truckers back and car about And those bikers go rolling along Thirty lucky cyclists … Continue reading Georgian Bay Pannier Tour Trip Report
- Okanagan Tour 2023
What’s not to love about the Okanagan? Our eight rides led us through tranquil and verdant rolling countryside from Vernon to Penticton to Oliver. Scenery included beautiful lakes, vineyards, and orchards, and vehicle traffic was minimal on many sections of the routes.
- CCCTS 2023 Portugal Algarve and Alentejo Bike Tour
CCCTS 2023 Portugal Algarve and Alentejo Bike Tour April 17- May 3 2024 Our group of 16 riders, plus our leaders met in Evora Portugal to begin a 16-day bike ride through Alentejo and the Algarve regions of Portugal. Some arrived early, some came from other bike tours or sightseeing adventures. After picking up our … Continue reading CCCTS 2023 Portugal Algarve and Alentejo Bike Tour
- Mallorca 2023
Weary from a long winter in Canada and the USA, fifteen riders took off for the warmer climes of Mallorca, Spain in March 2023. They were rewarded with two weeks of perfect cycling conditions – cool mornings for the inevitable first climb of the day which seemed to always give way to warm sunny afternoons … Continue reading Mallorca 2023
- 2023 Arizona Tour
Leave the rain gear home, she said. Don’t bother bringing warm clothes she said. It will be the right time of year for the wild flowers display, she said. Don’t listen to the weatherman! The recent Tucson tour was successful in spite of the disappointing weather! Arriving in Tucson a few days ahead of the … Continue reading 2023 Arizona Tour
Hub and Spokes
- CCCTS Fraser River Canyons & Grasslands Hub & Spoke 2023.
15 CCCTS Member Cyclists explored the beautiful Fraser River canyons and grasslands in the Clinton, Hat Creek and Lillooet region on the dry side of BC’s Coast Range mountains for four ride days in late May 2023. CCCTS Fraser River Canyons & Grasslands Hub & Spoke: May 23 – May 28, 2023 – Group Trip … Continue reading CCCTS Fraser River Canyons & Grasslands Hub & Spoke 2023.
- 2023 Victoria Hub And Spoke
CCCTS VICTORIA CHAPTER VICTORIA HUB & SPOKE 1-5 May 2023 Trip Report by Ilka Olsen. Visitors from away enrich us all. They came from as far away as Ottawa and Portland. There were reunions and friendships formed with the 50 out-of-towners. Diane Swindell, chapter president, and Chris Hodgson, chapter ride coordinator, organized this wonderful Hub … Continue reading 2023 Victoria Hub And Spoke
- CCCTS Florida Gulf Coast Hub & Spoke
Welcome to “stormy” Florida! Yes, this 2022 CCCTS bike trip started with a big bang: A tropical storm (level 1 hurricane) with the east coast taking the brunt of it. The impact on the Gulf side -where our Hub & Spoke took place- resulted mostly in heavy downpours and high velocity winds. However not … Continue reading CCCTS Florida Gulf Coast Hub & Spoke
Upcoming Tours
- 2023 Columbia River Loop
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Tue, 5 Sep 2023 ‐‐ Wed, 13 Sep 2023Cycle in beautiful inland Washington and Oregon – through mountain, desert, and high-plateau farmland areas. Ride along the mighty Columbia River and through Washington wine country. Stay in the scenic towns of Hood River and The Dalles, Oregon. Weather is normally sunny and warm this time of year.
- 2024 Ireland Mizen to Malin
Status: 4 slots are available.
Dates: Fri, 6 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Fri, 20 Sep 2024The 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!
- 2023 Georgian Bay Pannier Tour
Status: CompletedSelf-supported tour that will take us through that section of Ontario south of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. We will explore several interesting regions; the western shore of Lake Simcoe and the city of Orillia, the historic Huronia region around Midland and Penetanguishene, the Georgian Bay/Wasaga Beach coastline, the Blue Mountain escarpment near Collingwood, and the Big Bay coastline near Owen Sound.
- Central Europe 2023
Status: Registration closed
Dates: Mon, 21 Aug 2023 ‐‐ Mon, 4 Sep 2023Cycle through the heart of Europe through parts of the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Our route meanders by castles, through rustic villages, and along waterways as we enjoy the former territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- 2023 Japan Tour – Kyoto and Noto Peninsula
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Sun, 8 Oct 2023 ‐‐ Mon, 23 Oct 2023This tour is about enjoying cycling, Japanese culture and heritage, stunning fall color, and Japanese cuisine! You surely will not want to miss it.
- POSTPONED TO 2024 – Going to the Sun Tour – Glacier and Waterton Parks
Status: Registration closed
Dates: Wed, 6 Sep 2023 ‐‐ Sat, 16 Sep 2023Cycle through some of the most fabulous mountain scenery on the planet. Tour visits both Glacier and Waterton National Parks. Self-supported tour.
Upcoming Hub and Spokes
- Napanee Hub and Spoke 2023
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Sun, 17 Sep 2023 ‐‐ Sat, 23 Sep 2023Join us for a fall Hub and Spoke based out of Napanee Ontario, located midway between Toronto and Ottawa. Enjoy a variety of rides south of Napanee to Prince Edward County and Lake Ontario, as well as north of Napanee into the rolling hills of the Canadian Shield.
| First Name | Last Name | Chapter | Provence |
| Norm | Radford | Ottowa | NCR |
| Theresa | Davies | Vancouver | BC |
| Shawna | Fletcher | BC Interior | BC |
| Joan | LeDrew | Fraser Valley | 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.
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