The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society Sept 2024, Volume 41, Issue #8
HUB AND SPOKE DIRECTOR’S REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER
Well, it’s been a great summer, despite all of our weather challenges across the country…too much rain in some places and not enough in others!
June saw the completion of another successful gravel ride in the BC interior. 18 cyclists explored the beautiful grasslands of the Nicola Valley with the guidance of trip organizer George Zorn, helped by co-leaders Craig McBride, Pat Hutchins, Nancy Knight, Lorne Hunter and Judy Murray. Participants came away with more understanding of the importance of grasslands to BC’s environment and a thirst to explore more of this beautiful area. With idyllic pictures like this, we’ll all be wanting to join them next year!
Our hub and spoke line-up contains some fantastic and popular opportunities. Palm Springs promises a well-timed winter escape in March 2025, while our two Puget Sound hub and spokes in June 2025 offer something for everyone with a combination of cycling, ferry rides, and mountain vistas. Also planned for June is a Comox hub and spoke – with its reputation for great fun, food and cycling, this one will surely be popular when it is posted. There is still lots of room for anyone wanting to join our cross-country ski trip at Silver Star in December 2024.
Also in this edition of your newsletter we are recognizing a long-time CCCTS member and National Capital Region Chapter Chair, Barb Wilson. While many of us are busy signing up for domestic or international tours and hub and spokes, we all appreciate the effort that goes into running a local chapter. For many cyclists, it is the opportunity to ride and explore local roads, cycling paths and of course coffee shops and ice cream stops that attracts us to the club. Friendships made on these daily outings can become lasting friendships extending far beyond the club. We witness this at organized chapter events, but also at private events dominated by our cycling friends. Healthy aging means keeping active and keeping socially engaged; our club activities offer both!
The picture below shows a group of Ottawa CCCTS friends out for a casual (non-organized) Canada Day ride, July 1, 2024. Let’s all take a moment to appreciate all our cycling friendships locally and across North America, and to recognize the role that CCCTS plays in keeping us healthy, active and socially engaged, whether on tour or on a local chapter day ride…or just out cycling with friends.
Recognition. Barb Wilson
CCCTS is about much more than Tours and Hub and Spokes! Chapter Day rides and social functions keep us connected at the local level and rely on volunteers to organize and lead. So, in this issue we are recognizing one of our local leaders who makes a difference at the local level, in this case in our National Capital Region.
Kudos and thanks to Barb Wilson who has been a club member for over 15 years, following in the footsteps of her father who was also an avid cyclist and member of the Victoria Chapter of CCCTS. When Barb visited him she would often join his group of cycling friends for some of their social rides, so when she retired, she decided to join CCCTS herself.
Barb has been Chair of the Ottawa chapter for 8 years. In this role, she ensures that the chapter calendar is filled with rides at all levels, every Tuesday and Thursday in the summer, as well as other fun chapter activities such as a summer picnic, new rider clinics and fall get togethers. During her time as chair the activities of the chapter have expanded to include hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing – making sure we all stay engaged and active during our long Ottawa winters! Under her leadership the chapter membership has grown and also raised new capable leaders.
Barb attributes the success of the local chapter to the support of a great group of cyclists who rally around when things have to be done. Says Barb “Nothing I do, I do alone”. She encourages everyone to participate – as a ride leader or in organizing social events, hikes or other activities.
Barb says she has always enjoyed cycling…from her childhood in the U.K. to cycling to work in Ottawa, to the present. She has toured extensively over the past three decades, exploring various parts of Europe by bike, with panniers. Just back from hiking 287 km on the Offa’s Dyke Path in England and Wales, Barb says “at almost 80, I hope to continue my active lifestyle.” Thank you, Barb, for your leadership of the National Capital Region chapter of CCCTS – you are a wonderful role model!
Barb Wilson (above)
National Capital Region picnic July 2024 (below)
Tours
- 2025 Hokkaido North Island Adventure
Status: Registration opens Mon, 23 Sep 2024 5:00 PM
Dates: Mon, 25 Aug 2025 ‐‐ Thu, 11 Sep 2025This AWESOME tour will be the last word in cycling the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Travel traditional trade routes and country roads through The Volcanic Mountain range of Daisetsuzan National Park “translated from Japanese as the Playground of the Gods” to the Pacific Ocean and the Japan Sea. This tour features Farm experiences, Ainu Villages, Cultural interaction and local community support. Don’t miss out!
- 2025 Tour of BC’s Discovery Islands and the Sunshine Coast
Status: Registration opens Mon, 16 Sep 2024 5:00 PM
Dates: Sun, 21 Sep 2025 ‐‐ Sun, 28 Sep 2025British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast is one of Canada’s most beautiful destinations for a bicycle tour, offering stunning coastal scenery, charming towns, and lush forests. The combination of coastal beauty and charming communities promises to make this traditional bike tour a memorable experience.
- 2025 Seattle and Eastside Suburbs Mini-Tour
Status: Registration opens Mon, 6 Jan 2025 5:00 PM
Dates: Sun, 28 Sep 2025 ‐‐ Sat, 4 Oct 2025A pannier ride exploring suburbs to the east of Seattle and several city neighborhoods too. We will have many fun stops, outings, and group meals.
- 2025 Central Europe Tour
Status: Registration opens Mon, 16 Sep 2024 5:00 PM
Dates: Mon, 18 Aug 2025 ‐‐ Fri, 5 Sep 2025Cycle through the heart of Europe on this 18 day tour. Starting in Prague, we will ride through parts of the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and end in Budapest, Hungary. Our route meanders by castles, through rustic villages, and along waterways and winerys – as we enjoy the former territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Highlights include UNESCO heritage sites, national parks, and wine making regions.
- 2025 The Sand Dunes of PEI and Cabot Trail Tour
Status: Lottery running now
Dates: Sat, 19 Jul 2025 ‐‐ Sat, 2 Aug 2025Come and explore PEI and Cape Breton N.S. as it should be experienced — by bicycle! The tour begins in PEI on routes that will have us cycling through a riot of colour: verdant pastures that stretch out to scarlet cliffs, which drop into azure waters, red sandstone cliffs, scenic fishing villages and towering sand dunes as we cycle the island from one side to the other. We then transfer to Badeck N.S. to cycle the Cabot Trail! One of the world’s most beautiful bicycle routes. The Cabot Trail winds through glorious valleys and hills, along an expansive coast as it traverses the Highlands. Pods of whales can be seen just off the coast, while bald eagles soar on the breezes.
- 2025 Croatian Adriatic As it Used To Be
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Sun, 1 Jun 2025 ‐‐ Tue, 17 Jun 2025Come and cycle one of the most dramatic coastlines of the Mediterranean region. Enjoy the mountain vistas, coastal views, and medieval towns. This trip promises to be one you won’t want to miss.
- 2024 Slovenia – On The Sunny Side of The Alps
Status: Registration closed
Dates: Tue, 10 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Tue, 24 Sep 2024Join 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: Registration closed
Dates: Tue, 3 Sep 2024 ‐‐ Thu, 12 Sep 2024This 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 Sri Lanka Tour – Negombo to Colombo
Status: 15 slots are available.
Dates: Tue, 15 Oct 2024 ‐‐ Wed, 6 Nov 2024This 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.
Hub and Spokes.
- Puget Sound Hub and Spoke June 8 2025
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Sun, 8 Jun 2025 ‐‐ Sat, 14 Jun 2025
- Puget Sound Hub and Spoke 2025
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Sun, 22 Jun 2025 ‐‐ Sat, 28 Jun 2025
- Palm Springs Hub and Spoke 2025
Status: Ride is full, wait list only.
Dates: Sun, 16 Mar 2025 ‐‐ Sun, 23 Mar 2025Let’s get on that bike for some spring riding in Palm Springs, California. Join other CCCTS cyclists March 16-23, 2025 for great riding through Greater Palm Springs, a desert resort city surrounded by four gorgeous mountain ranges with plenty of bike lanes and coffee shops to explore. We will enjoy 5 days of riding near and around Indio while enjoying a comfortable stay in fully furnished rental homes. Then off to spend the last two nights exploring Palm Springs.
- Silver Star Cross-country Ski 2024
Status: 11 slots are available.
Dates: Tue, 3 Dec 2024 ‐‐ Tue, 10 Dec 2024Get an early start to the ski season with our 2nd CCCTS cross-country ski event! Silver Star is known for its early snow and its excellent network of groomed trails winding through the hills. Join us for an “east meets west” chapter-wide event which will include plenty of opportunity for apres-ski socializing with your CCCTS friends from across the country.
Trip Reports
- 2024 Grand Coulee Dam Loop
2024 Grand Coulee Dam Loop By Deb Chamitoff If I were to use one word to describe this 13 Day Bicycle Tour, it would be VARIETY! Eleven days of touring with only one designated rest day, Doris, our leader did a great job of designing a fun and challenging tour. The … Continue reading 2024 Grand Coulee Dam Loop
- May, 2024 Ottawa to Kingston Tour along the Rideau Canal
It was a beautiful spring jaunt through rural eastern Ontario following the early 19th century Rideau Canal. Such a pleasure with 21 of us, mostly Ottawans, six from BC and one from Virginia, cycling from Ottawa to Kingston and back. And under perfect weather except for one morning shower. Linda Graupner led the convoy, … Continue reading May, 2024 Ottawa to Kingston Tour along the Rideau Canal
- 2024 CCCTS South Korea Tour Review
In April of 2024, 15 keen cyclists from across North America embarked on a cycling tour of South Korea, taking us through bustling cities, beautiful valleys, and along stunning coastlines. Over the course of 15 days, we grew closer to each other, made lasting memories, and deepened our knowledge of South Korea and its … Continue reading 2024 CCCTS South Korea Tour Review
- Dolomites Cross Country Ski Trip, 2024
by Linda Graupner We were very lucky with the weather. Day after day of sunny blue skies. Temperatures would drop at night, keeping the snow in good shape and then we had clear sunshine until mid-afternoon when shade would cause the the temperature to drop like a stone. Everything was well groomed and well signed. … Continue reading Dolomites Cross Country Ski Trip, 2024
- Nicola Valley Grasslands Gravel Roads Hub and Spoke: June 9-16, 2024
CCCTS BC’s Nicola Valley Grasslands Gravel Roads Hub and Spoke: June 9-16, 2024 by Maureen Angen 18 CCCTS Member cyclists spent 7 days exploring the beautiful grasslands of the Nicola Valley with the guidance of trip organizer George Zorn, helped by co-leaders Craig McBride, Pat Hutchins, Nancy Knight, Lorne Hunter and Judy Murray. See the … Continue reading Nicola Valley Grasslands Gravel Roads Hub and Spoke: June 9-16, 2024
- CCCTS May 2024 Ottawa Hub and Spoke
CCCTS May 2024 Ottawa Hub and Spoke Once again, the Capital region put on an excellent Hub and Spoke. The trip ran from May 12 – 18. We were based in the Kanata area of Ottawa at the Comfort Inn. The hotel was very accommodating to our large group of cyclists. There were quite a … Continue reading CCCTS May 2024 Ottawa Hub and Spoke
- 2024 Everett H&S
2024 Everett H&S Written by Swee Lee Cycling to Snohomish Sunday, May 19: A large enthusiastic group of us CCCTS members met at the lobby of the Hampton Inn in downtown Everett for the “Everett to Snohomish” pre-ride arranged by our leaders, Elaine and Dick Carpenter. Old and new members alike chatted with excitement, hopped … Continue reading 2024 Everett H&S
Buy and Sell
2022 TREK POWERFLY FS9 EQ ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE
SIZE S (52”)
DROP SEAT WITH REMOTE LEVER
27.5” WHEELS
SHIMANO SHIFTER, REAR DERAILER, SHIMANO 12-SPEED CASSETTE AND CHAIN
SHIMANO 4-PISTON HYDRAULIC DISK
$6500. (Pd. $8100. before taxes)
Powerfly FS9 EQ is a full suspension electric aluminum frame mountain bike that’s built for singletrack sessions and rugged commutes. You get high-end parts, a powerful drive system, and a rad suspension setup for tackling rougher trails. And, it comes with utility-focused features for daily riding, like fenders, lights, and a rear rack.
Bosch Performance Line CX motor 625 Wh battery
Bosch Performance Line CX sets the standard for eMTB performance with up to 85Nm of torque and an intelligent eMTB mode with Extended Boost that automatically adjusts the amount of assist based on the terrain.
Bosch LED Remote
The Bosch smart system LED remote lets you easily change assist modes, activate walk mode, or turn on optional lights. The bright LEDs are easy to see in any light, and show you your battery level and assist mode at a glance.
You get a kickstand, front and rear lights, plus fenders and a rear rack custom made for clean integration.
Download the COBI, Bike app and your phone becomes an on-board computer. Attach it to the smartphone hub to charge, make or take calls, listen to music, get turn-by-turn directions and more.
Wide Line Comp 30 wheels provide more tire support so you get better traction and control.
27.5″ wheels
For more information or questions, please email or message Maryann at larkin@telus.net
LOCATION; KELOWNA, BC.
Cannondale Tandem
Bob is open to fair offers.
Contact: Bob Townsend. 250-384-1553 robertt@shaw.ca
Guerciotti Libra Cross gravel/cross, carbon frame 50 cm
3 x 10 speed $925
All bikes in excellent condition.
Full specs. available upon request.
Colnago C40 carbon frame 54 cm, Time forks, 2 x 9 speed. $1100
Paul Lindsay
maclin@sympatico.ca
Bike shoes for sale …. All new or nearly so…. Size 42 metric …. $20/pair
Paul Lindsay
maclin@sympatico.ca
In Search Of…
Pat
CERVELO C5
Trek FX3 stagger hybrid bike,
2 hard shell bike cases
total price $125.
Woman’s 56cm Trek Neko Bike
Sugoi bike shorts
Shimano SPD biking shoes
Price: $75.000
Title: women’s Shimano SPD biking shoes, size 37
Desciption: Size 37, never worn, still in the box. Black with fluorescent
orange trim with Crank Brother cleats included.Contact:brian.money@telus.net
Brian’s cell #250-886-9782
Ridley Women’s XS.
Asking price $800.
The bike is in good shape. The chain was cleaned on August 31, 2024.Contact:Donna Kerkhoven250-858-2779
Chapter News
|
Ottawa Chapter Summer Picnic
What a great turnout for yesterday’s picnic. Just over 40 members arrived at Rockcliffe Park from various parts of the city. A bit of a cool day with only a hint of sunshine.
We were graced with the company of Eddie Wayland and Jacquie Glanz, unaffiliated members from Lynchburg, VA, who were visiting Linda Graupner and Tim Musclow.
A great big thank you to our picnic committee, Bill Lumley, Paul Lindsay and Carol Collins, for supplying the drinks, fruit and sweets and arranging the tables for the event. Thank you to Caroline Allen for leading a group of 10 riders from Britannia Park Thank you to Geoff Kennedy for leading a group of 10 riders from Hogs Back Thank you to the rest of you, 22 riders, who made your own way to the park. And two of us who came from Orleans |
Click the Link below to see a video of Riding in Central Europe
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.
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