The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society, May 2026, Volume 44, Issue #4
A Message From your Humble Editor.
As many of you may know (and most do not) I have been compiling and publishing the CCCTS Newsbrief Since January of 2019. I think it is time some new blood comes to the table as I’m getting on in years and not really bringing my A game anymore.
So this message is a call out to anyone in the club who would be interested in taking over the position for us and continuing the fine tradition of the monthly Newsbrief going back over 40 years. It is not a hard job and takes a couple of hours a month to do. I can create a video that will explain the mechanics and talk you through it on Facetime (or in person if you live in Victoria).
So that’s it. I look forward to hearing from you whoever you may be.
Cheers,
Alex Laird
Ask Richard: Bike Tech Talk
Special Topic: RideWithGPS special offer
As the RWGPS Administrator for the club, I recently received a note about our club membership in the software. RideWithGPS would like to make it easier for all CCCTS members to access the privileges the club is already paying for. At present, only about half of our club members are listed in the RWGPS database, which means many members may be missing benefits they can use at no extra cost.
Some of those benefits include:
• Turn-by-turn voice navigation on club routes.
• Offline maps that can be downloaded and used without cell service.
• Club routes bookmarked and ready in your account.
• Wireless route sync to your GPS device.
• Printable PDF maps and cue sheets for club routes.
What next?
I will soon submit the CCCTS membership list to RWGPS, and they will compare it with the email addresses already registered in their system. Where it appears a member is not yet using the software, RWGPS will send an invitation email explaining how to join the club account and begin using the member features.
The invitation will tell you to click the link to accept it. You can sign in with an existing RWGPS account or create a free one if you are new.
Please note that CCCTS members can sign up for a free account on RWGPS because the club already pays for the club membership. Some prompts may encourage you to upgrade to a paid plan, but that is not required.
A few members who have changed the email address they previously used may also receive this invitation. If that applies to you, you can use the link to update your account access.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions on this or other issues, let me know. I’ll respond as quickly as possible, and your question may appear in a future column.
Richard Tobin
CCCTS RideWithGPS Administrator
rstobin20@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 2027The 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 2026Spend 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 2026Embark 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 2026This 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 2026Italy: 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 2027A 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 2026This 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 2026Enjoy 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 Spokes
- Sept 2026 South Okanagan Hub and Spoke
Status: Registration opens Sun, 3 May 2026 8:00 AM
Dates: Sun, 13 Sep 2026 ‐‐ Fri, 18 Sep 2026Back by popular demand, come and enjoy late summer cycling in the South Okanagan
- 2026 YCAT Roving Hub and Spoke
Status: 24 slots are available.
Dates: Mon, 6 Jul 2026 ‐‐ Mon, 13 Jul 2026The 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: Registration closed
Dates: Mon, 25 May 2026 ‐‐ Sat, 30 May 2026 - 2026 Victoria Hub and Spoke
Status: Registration closed
Dates: Mon, 11 May 2026 ‐‐ Fri, 15 May 2026Experience 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 2026Welcome to the beautiful and diverse landscapes of the Shuswap – North Okanagan.
Chapter News
Victoria. May 11th is the much anticipated Victoria Hub and Spoke. The flowers are in bloom and the weather is amazing.
-
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
Links to Some Bike Articles
New Members
Wow. Lots of new members this month.
| Joanne | Gervais | St. Albert | AB |
| Ian | Brown | Surrey | BC |
| Kimberly | Brown | Surrey | BC |
| Kevin | Zack | Delta | BC |
| Don | Gray | White Rock | BC |
| Richard | Chau | Edmonton | AB |
| Sue | McMillan | Bowser | BC |
| David | Folster | Edmonton | AB |
| Blake | Drummond | Nanaimo | BC |
| Laura | Gray | White Rock | BC |
| Dave | Bell | Surrey | BC |
| James | Stewart | Kingston | ON |
| Bev | Bell | Surrey | BC |
| Susan | Zander | Burnaby | BC |
| Wayne | Walsh | Edmonton | AB |
| Carol | Roberts | Courtenay | BC |
| Kenneth | Dumont | Stittsville | ON |
| Jackie | Ng | Port Coquitlam | BC |
| Paul | Jones | Courtenay | BC |
| Blair | Gunn | Surrey | BC |
| Matthew | Cobbett | Malkerns | NA |
| Mercedes | Mompel | North York | ON |
| Marilyn | Wagner | Maple Valley | WA |
| Janet | Hutchinson | West Vancouver | BC |
| Joel | Canfield | Nanaimo | BC |
| JoAnn | Gunn | Surrey | BC |
| Jack | Sommers | Edmonton | AB |
| Robert | Griffioen | Ottawa | ON |
| Chris | Price | Nanaimo | BC |
| Marshia | Roberge | Victoria | 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