June 2026 Newsbrief

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The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society, June 2026,  Volume 44, Issue #5

Health News

A couple of articles regarding two forms of cancer.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

BPH is a common noncancerous condition in men over 50 where the prostate gland enlarges, squeezing the urethra. It can lead to complete blockage requiring a catheter placed into the bladder to drain the urine into an external bag. Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) surgery is a common procedure to restore normal urination.

I am now in my 80’s and had been experiencing BPH for about five months. I found the external bag very inconvenient, especially while hiking and biking, and have reengineered the catheter to use my bladder and eliminate the external bag. I used this up to the time of my TURP surgery, and I didn’t have any problems with it.

This may not work for everyone, and you may want to check with your urologist before trying it, but I have found it far more convenient, and I can cycle (and urinate) as normal. Full details of the how this works is available at Cycling with BPH.

Richard Hatherill (CCCTS member since 2009)

Peeing With Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a common non-cancerous condition in men over 50 in which the prostate gland enlarges and squeezes the urethra. In severe cases, it can completely block the flow of urine, requiring a catheter to drain the bladder into an external bag. A common treatment is Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) surgery, which restores normal urination.

The following is a fairly detailed account of my own experience with BPH. Since many men may face this condition in the future, and there is quite a learning curve involved, I hope this may be helpful.

I am now in my 80s. I began having significant urinary problems in November 2025, and by mid-December I could not urinate at all. I ended up in the emergency department with a potentially serious kidney problem caused by urine backup. A catheter was inserted, and more than two litres of urine were drained from my bladder. Fortunately, there was no kidney damage. If you find yourself unable to urinate, do not delay getting medical attention, as it can become serious very quickly.

I was sent home with a urinary catheter connected to a 500 mL drainage bag strapped to my thigh. I was advised to contact the CCAC for supplies, and they provided both 500 mL daytime bags and 2.5 L nighttime bags. Since urine drains continuously into the bag, I found I only needed to wake once or twice during the night to empty the smaller bag, so I did not bother using the larger nighttime one.

I gradually got used to the catheter and bag, but I found the setup inconvenient. The bag had to be emptied carefully in a toilet stall, and when full it tended to slip down my leg.

This became especially frustrating while hiking and cycling. One day it occurred to me that my bladder was probably still functioning normally, and that perhaps I could allow urine to collect in the bladder rather than continuously draining into the bag. I therefore removed the valve from the bottom of the day bag, sanitized it, and connected it directly to the catheter, see below.

My bladder behaved normally and signaled when it was time to urinate. I simply opened the valve and emptied my bladder. The relief – it worked!

I monitored things carefully over the next few days and experienced no complications. When I later saw my urologist to schedule TURP surgery, he did not express any concern about the modification. Since then, I have cycled more than 350 km without side effects and greatly appreciated being able to urinate almost normally.

I eventually had the TURP procedure, which went very well. According to the surgeon, my prostate was extremely large (140 cc), so the operation took longer than usual, but there were no complications, and no side effects or postoperative pain — which surprised me.

The catheter was removed five days later, and I was back to urinating normally. I feel very fortunate that my prostate problem was resolved relatively quickly.

For anyone who has to go through this experience, I found that the catheter modification described above made life much easier – best of luck!

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has already used this approach, or who decides to try it.

Richard Hatherill

hatherill@gmail.com

Tours

  • 2027 Walking the Essence of the Fabled French Camino de Santiago
    Status: Registration opens Mon, 8 Jun 2026 5:00 PM
    Dates: Sun, 2 May 2027 ‐‐ Sun, 16 May 2027

    The Camino de Santiago has been an historic pilgrimage in Spain since the 9th century following the reported discovery of St. James the Apostle’s remains. Today, the Camino is a perfect balance of accessibility, cultural richness and natural beauty. This tour is a 2-week walking tour covering 154k in France and Spain to reach the pilgrimage site in Santiago.

  • 2026 Two Rivers Pannier Tour
    Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
    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: 1 slots are available.
    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.

Hub and Spokes

Trip Reports

  • 2026 Japan’s Setouchi Islands

    The report recounts a 14‑day CCCTS cycling tour through Japan’s Setouchi region, following a series of island‑to‑island routes connected by bridges and ferries, with daily rides ranging from short warm‑ups to challenging 100 km options. Riders experienced dramatic coastal scenery, cherry blossoms at peak bloom, engineering landmarks such as the 4.1 km Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge, quiet rural roads, small cafés, and memorable stops like the Towel Museum, Gogo Island, and the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima. The narrative highlights weather shifts, logistical challenges, ferry timing, scarce services on remote islands, and the camaraderie that developed among the group, ultimately emphasizing that while the landscapes were spectacular, “it was the people we experienced it with that made it so special and memorable.”

  • 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→

    New Members

  • first_name last_name city province
    Catherine Dobbin West Kelowna BC
    Calvin Francis Chilliwack BC
    Melissa Griswold Nanaimo BC
    Chuck Amerongen Edmonton AB
    Abdol Nouraeyan Kanata ON
    Kevin Zaychuk Edmonton AB
    Carolyn Pim Ottawa ON
    Hector Muniz EDMONTON AB
    Barry Bowden Kanata ON
    Peter Freeman Salt Spring Island BC
    David Zemrau Sherwood Park AB
    Corri Riddell North Vancouver BC
    Bill Stowell Vernon BC
    susan hamersley Whistler BC
    Arianna Brown Campbell River BC

Newsbrief

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