The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society  March 2024,  Volume 41, Issue #3

From the Tour Director’s Desk – March 2024

Dolomite Ski Trail with Mountain scape

Since I last wrote to you, our first cross-country skiing tour in the Italian Dolomites completed. We hear that everyone had a fabulous time. So fabulous that we are planning to offer another tour to the same area in 2026 (if not before). Once you look at the photos in this article, you may want to think about joining us on that tour. We don’t have any tours taking place in March but two tours will be taking off in April – for Portugal and South Korea. These should be excellent.

For this month’s article, I would like to go over the process for how tour members are selected, especially for when the tour oversubscribes. We have had some questions on this topic and some unhappy “customers”, so I want to explain how it works. Here are how the leaders decide who is on the Go List and the Wait List:

• Lottery Number – Everyone who registers for a tour is assigned a lottery number by our website’s random number generator.
• Primary Sort by Lottery Number – People are sorted in order of their lottery numbers. The lottery numbers for Couples are an average of both persons’ numbers and this is the same for two “single” persons who register as a Couple because they want to room together. Singles must register as a Couple in order to have their numbers averaged. It can’t be done after the fact. (Yes, we are aware that in the past people have tried to “work the system” and decide whether they want to be a Couple after their lottery numbers are known. Your Tour Director happens to be a retired Fraud Auditor and this sort of thing really hacks her off.)
• Singles and Roommate Matches – Note that when people register as a Single Woman or Single Man, that person is matched to the next same gender single with the highest lottery number. This can result in someone with a lower lottery number getting moved up to the Go List because a roommate match is needed. Leaders will assume everyone wants a roommate unless they are told otherwise when a Single registers who wants a solo room and is willing to pay the Single Supplement fee.

 

• Leader’s Right to Not Accept or Reject a Registrant – The Leader has the right to not accept registrants with the approval of the Tour Director and for a valid reason. These reasons could include cycling ability or safety, social behavior, or just that the leader cannot stand to be in the same room with the person. Our leaders are volunteering their time. The decision to reject an applicant for a tour is not taken lightly. However, the Tour Director will be inclined to support the volunteer leader’s choice whenever possible. Anyone who is not accepted for a tour is not added to the waitlist.

 

• Leader’s Right to Prioritize 30% of the Tour Group – The Leader has the right to prioritize up to 30% or a maximum of 6 people of the tour for any reason. Most leaders use their priorities for friends who would have been on the waitlist based on their lottery numbers but leaders can prioritize people for any reason they want to. If the leader uses a priority, the prioritized person(s) bumps the person with the lowest number on the lottery-based Go List (i.e., single man, single woman, couple). However, most leaders only prioritize one or two people even if they are allowed six, because it turns out it isn’t that easy to use them. You may end up bumping people that you also want on the tour and then have to use more priorities to get them back on.

 

• Waitlist – Everyone else is put on a waitlist in order of their lottery number priority. If people register “late” or after the lottery period closes, they go on the Waitlist in the order in which they registered.
• Accommodation Limitations Impacts – The policies covered above sometimes need to be adjusted if there are limitations with tour accommodations. There could be a limit on the number of rooms available with one bed or two beds and this can place constraints on the number of Singles, Couples, and any Single Supplement’s the leader will be able to accept.

Dolomite X-C Tour Group Photo

The 2024 season is planned now unless someone should come forward with another tour idea. (We have heard a few rumors and are hoping they may materialize.) We are just starting to think about the 2025 season too, and even 2026. Details for each tour will be posted when tour proposals and budgets are finalized and have been approved by the Board. This list in the Newsbrief is meant to give you a heads-up for your travel planning purposes until the final tour details are ready for publication. So, please watch your CCCTS emails and the website since tours will be posted one at a time as they are ready, and all members will be notified via email when a new tour posts. Tour plans are always changing. As of today, the best information we have on the tours that will be offered for 2024 is below. The list of ideas for 2025 is more tentative and meant to give you an idea of what could happen.

2024 – Subject to Change

• Italian Dolomites Cross Country Ski – Completed
• Portugal – Alentejo and Algarve – April 17-May 2
• South Korea – April 22-May 6
• Rideau Canal Pannier – May 20-26
• Grand Coulee Dam Loop – June 10-22
• Spokane-Coeur d’Alene via Hiawatha Trail – September 3-12
• Ireland – Mizen to Malin – September 6-20
• Veloroute de Bleuet – September
• Slovenia – September 10-24
• Sri Lanka – October 15-November 6

2025 – Idea stage only

• Morocco – spring
• Tuscany – May
• Japan – Hokkaido – dates are TBD (with our 3 favorite guides from the Kyoto tour) -spring or fall
• Walla Walla, Dayton, and Richland – spring or fall
• Croatia – early June
• Prague to Budapest – beginning August 18
• Discovery Islands and Sunshine Coast – September
• Albania – fall
• North Thailand – early winter
• Taiwan, the Philippines, India and more are also under consideration for 2025.

Skiers on the trail.

Please give me a call or send an email if there is a tour you would like to lead. I am open to any tour idea you have as long as it is a safe place for cycling. (Robin Howe, robincooksandsews@gmail.com, 206.899.7255)

Update on Cycling Across Canada – Plan B –

– Beginning 2026 with Victoria/Vancouver to Winnipeg

Yes, we have “kicked the can down the road” and this tour is now planned for 2026. This is to accommodate the Tour Director’s need to get both knees replaced in 2024/early 2025 and make a full recovery before she is ready for a long camping tour. Lots of getting up and down from the ground. Beverly Wagner and I have already begun some preliminary planning with the help of a fellow club member, Suzanne, who just completed the entire ride across the country last summer. We will keep you posted on new developments.

Happy early spring cycling!

Robin Howe, CCCTS Tour Director

Dolomite ski trails and farming sheds

 

 

 

 

 

Tours

• 2024 Grand Coulee Dam Loop
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Mon, 10 Jun 2024 ‐‐ Sat, 22 Jun 2024

  The Grand Coulee Dam has been called “man’s greatest creation” that turned the mighty Columbia River “into a slave of man.” A book published five years later called it “the eighth wonder of the world.” It first opened it’s spillway June 1, 1942 to a crowd of 10,000 onlookers. Beautiful little lakes of various shades of blue lie throughout Washington as we travel south. Our journey gives us the opportunity to cycle the Great Coeur D’Alene Trail and the Centennial Trail before completing our loop and returning to Grand Coulee Dam

• Rideau Canal Pannier Tour 2024
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Mon, 20 May 2024 ‐‐ Sun, 26 May 2024

  The Ottawa chapter of CCCTS invites you to join us for a self-supported “pannier tour” following the Rideau Canal from Ottawa to Kingston and back.

• 2024 Slovenia – On The Sunny Side of The Alps
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Tue, 10 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Tue, 24 Sep 2024

  Join us in September, a perfect time to discover this special little country of Slovenia, a green jem squeezed between Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia! On a bike is a great way to do it! Turquoise lakes, the Adriatic Sea, the Julian Alps, alpine and medieval villages, the capital Ljubljana guarded over by its castle, turquoise rivers, mountain valleys, terraced vineyards….. We will have two weeks to sample it all, especially Slovenia’s native wines and wonderful cuisine!

• 2024 Trail of the Coeur D’Alene’s including Route of the Hiawatha
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Tue, 3 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Thu, 12 Sep 2024

  This tour involves three cycling segments. It begins in Harrison Idaho with two days of cycling, then moves on to Wallace, Idaho for two more day rides, including the Hiawatha trail, and ends in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with a two-night pannier ride on the Centennial trail to Spokane, Washington. The scenery will be lovely all along the way.

• 2024 Portugal – Alentejo and the Algarve
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 ‐‐ Thu, 2 May 2024

 

• Dolomites cross-country ski tour 2024
  Status: Completed

  Swap out your cycling gear for cross-country skis and join us for our first CCCTS cross-country ski trip – in the Dolomites region of Italy! We will ski through the gorgeous valleys of the Dolomites, on well-groomed trails, with the mountains as our backdrop, staying 2 nights in each pretty Tyrolean ski village. Come for the beauty of the area and the Tyrolean culture…and a chance to ski with your cycling friends.

• 2024 Cycling South Korea – Seoul to Jeju
  Status: 7 slots are available.
  Dates: Mon, 22 Apr 2024 ‐‐ Mon, 6 May 2024

  This 15 day cycling tour is the ultimate exploration of South Korea – discovering both the old and the new – as we traverse 615 km of varied terrain from the vibrant capital, Seoul, to peaceful Jeju Island.

• 2024 Sri Lanka Tour – Negombo to Columbo
  Status: 16 slots are available.
  Dates: Tue, 15 Oct 2024 ‐‐ Wed, 6 Nov 2024

  This adventure is the final word in Sri Lanka cycling tours! Over the course of 23 exhilarating days we explore the island’s pristine beaches, ancient rock fortresses, temple-studded cities, lush national parks, and tea field-covered mountains. We leave no stone unturned as we delve deep into Sri Lanka’s rich heritage and natural beauty. We will also spend 1-2 days dedicated to a service project for a local Sri Lankan community.

• 2023 Columbia River Loop
  Status: Completed

  Cycle 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: 1 slots are available.
  Dates: Fri, 6 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Fri, 20 Sep 2024

  The 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!

Hub and Spokes

• 2024 Everett H&S
  Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
  Dates: Sun, 19 May 2024 ‐‐ Thu, 23 May 2024

  Four days of cycling in beautiful rural Snohomish County based out of Everett. Enjoy a lovely variety of rides in north Puget Sound, including Whidbey Island, Snohomish, Monroe, Mount Vernon, Arlington, and Index. Farmlands, coastal scenery, and the foothills of the Cascade mountains. Don’t miss it.

• Ottawa 2024 Hub and Spoke
  Status: 12 slots are available.
  Dates: Sun, 12 May 2024 ‐‐ Sat, 18 May 2024

 

• 2024 B.C.’s Nicola Valley Grasslands Gravel Roads Hub and Spoke
  Status: Registration closed
  Dates: Sun, 9 Jun 2024 ‐‐ Sun, 16 Jun 2024

  Based from Merritt, B.C., we’ll explore six scenic, Nicola Valley Grasslands ranch roads. These are mostly gravel road routes on the dry side of B.C.’s Coast Mountains, between Kamloops and Princeton. Bring your camera and binoculars for a series of BC backroads cycling adventures!

  In Memorium

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“Swing low sweet chariot”

By Dave Charles .

 

(Is there a recumbent trike in your riding future?)

What can veteran roadies do when faced with giving up their two wheeler? About six months ago my doctor laid down the law and told me that my days of riding on two wheels were over. I’d had a couple of minor falls on stopping. With aging brittle bones he didn’t think it was safe for me to risk the consequences of hip or lower limb fracture. My balance had been getting worse since turning 82. Switching from road bike, to step-through, and removing pedal clips helped, but eventually I had to admit I no longer had the chops to safely handle riding on two wheels. Loving riding as I do, I was desolated, fearing that my cycling life was over.

In desperation, I looked at tricycles hoping to find a solution. I got lucky and struck gold on my first visit to a Victoria trike dealer. I took test ride. It was a complete revelation to me. I had always been sceptical about recumbents, but here I found I enjoyed the feel of speed, control and pleasure rivalling my road bike experience. It felt like a go cart. I was hooked.

I bought the bike on the spot. It was a “pre-owned”, well cared for Catrike model 5.5.9. The dealer installed a Bafang electric motor and I was back on the road again. Since September I’ve racked up over 1500 kms on the back roads and trails here on the Saanich Peninsula. For those cycling relics like me who no longer feel comfortable on two wheels, but want to stay riding, I heartily recommend you take one of these out for a spin. You may never look back – except in the rear view mirror.

• Marketplace

  Used Medical Equipment.

  1.     Joern’s Electrical Bed.   Bought new in 2015.  Adjusts back/legs/up and down. Frame in excellent working condition. Mattress included no charge. $600.00
  2.      Easy Track Ceiling Tracks.  3 Available.  8ft. by 13ft.  8ft. by 9.5ft. 7ft by 9.5ft. Bought new for $3500.00.  $500 each or $1200.00 for the set.
  3.      Hoyer Advance E-Personal portable Patient Lift.  Electric lift with sling.   Bought new in 2022 for $4700.00.  Folds and rolls for storage in closet or car.  Able to dismantle into 2 parts under 40lbs each.  340lb lifting capacity.  $3000.00 OBO.

                       Located in Victoria.  Local delivery and assembly available.  Contact email:  shanibd@gmail.com   

 

•  

  Videos

  Check out some of the excellent riding in the Ottawa Valley.

            Lot of room still left on the upcoming Hub and Spoke.

 

• Valley.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqeSulhVQ6Y

 

 

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