Come and enjoy Canada’s most beautiful city during spring blossom time.  Victoria has something for everyone: a network of walking and cycling trails, many on former railroad routes; history galore; gorgeous seascapes everywhere, magnificent gardens, and quaint old English charm (think double-decker buses and tea at The Empress Hotel).

Up to seven rides will be offered daily, most of 35 to 60 kms in length and two of about 100 kms. Most popular rides will be offered daily. Possible rides include a garden tour, Kinsol Trestle ride, the challenging three ferries ride, a scenic city tour, a brewery tour, and a ride out west to Pedder Bay and/or Sooke, among others.  A more detailed description of all the rides with maps will be e-mailed to participants closer to the Hub & Spoke. RWGPS routes will be available in the CCCTS library.

Note: Participants must be able to maintain a consistent speed of 20 km/hr on level ground for extended distances.

Covid Information: CCCTS riding guidelines including applicable Covid guidelines will apply. CCCTS requires all participants to be fully vaccinated, and proof may be requested by the leaders. Participants should bring a Covid test kit with them on the tour and take responsibility for self-testing if they feel ill.

20 rooms, each with two queen beds, have been blocked out (under “CCCTS”) at Days Inn Uptown, 229 Gorge Road, East Victoria, V9A 1L1. Selected participants will make reservations on a first come-first served basis through Raymond Weber, Front Office Manager, Days Inn Uptown, (250) 388-6611, e-mail guestservices@daysinnuptown.com advising him that you’re reserving through the CCCTS group. The group rate is CDN$144 per night plus 16% taxes for rooms with two queen-size beds.

Please note that the 20 rooms will only be held in reserve until March 31. Due to the hotel’s limited room availability, participants will have to double up.  Single participants are encouraged to find their own roommate from the list of other single cyclists. The Hub & Spoke committee will assist in this only after participants have made all efforts to find a roommate.

For those who would prefer a single room or if the 20 rooms at Days Inn are already taken, we recommend Accent Inn where we have 10 rooms held in reserve until April 1 (800-663-0298, 3233 Maple Street, CDN$175 or CDN$190 plus tax). It’s located about 2 kms from Days Inn and close by the Lochside cycle Trail.  Another alternative: James Bay Inn near downtown (250-384-7151, 800-836-2649) www.jamesbayinn.com; 270 Government Street, Victoria). Very nice; four kms from Days Inn; they don’t hold rooms in reserve there.

It is the responsibility of the participants to do their own research to find alternative accommodation. There is a wide variety of accommodation within five kms of Days Inn.

Participants are responsible for any cancellation fees as well as any policy or pricing changes at your chosen accommodation.

Most rides will be on quiet, paved roads, paved or hard-packed gravel cycle trails. Standard road bikes will be appropriate for all rides. E-bikes are welcome provided the owners ride carefully at the group’s pace.

Be sure to bring a lock and comfortable walking shoes, as some rides will have stops to explore local points of interest. 

While we hope for sunny weather, please come prepared for cool temperatures and rain.

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Near Fantan Alley, Chinatown, Victoria

The CDN$65 fee will cover three happy hours (Mon, Tues, Wed), Capital Regional District (CRD) Victoria bike maps, organizational costs and supplies, and rental of a hotel suite. This suite will be used for administration, food preparation and storage, a general meeting area and a safety/first aid base. Any excess funds from the H&S will go to the Victoria Chapter.

**Please note: an extra fee of CDN$35 per person (optional) gets you a gung-ho nine-course Chinese dinner in Victoria’s famous Chinatown on May 4. If you wish to participate, payment will be required at the time of on-line trip registration. This will be our H&S “zai jian” (goodbye).

Any travel costs (including ferry fares), accommodation, drinks, bicycle rentals, admission costs to local features, any unlisted meals.

Plan to arrive at Days Inn on May 1, 2023 between 11 am and 1 pm for registration, completion of Medical and Emergency Contact Information, and ride signups.  Earliest hotel check-in is 3 pm. Between registration and hotel check-in participants may enjoy either a short, guided bike ride around town or a guided walk to historical sites.

Between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. on Monday, participants will gather at Arbutus Park across the street from the hotel for Happy Hour, the best place to meet old and new friends.  This is where you will meet your tour leaders, volunteers, ride leaders and sweeps, and review the itinerary and have questions answered.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, riders will gather at 8:30 am at Arbutus Park near Days Inn for ride departures at 9 am*. Each ride will be limited to 10 -12 cyclists, including a leader and 1-2 sweeps. Ride details will be explained in a subsequent e-mail and again at ride registration.

Happy hours will be offered also on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons at Arbutus Park.

The H&S will culminate with a Chinese dinner on May 4, but on Friday, May 5, a coterie of Victoria cyclists will coordinate a ride-along with those participants cycling back to catch the Swartz Bay ferry.

*Note: Please remember to carry your BC Driver’s License if planning to do the 3 Ferry or Kinsol Trestle ride, as BC seniors with bikes travel free (but not your car) on Monday through Thursday.

Famous Kinsol Trestle, Cowichan Valley

Registration will be on the CCCTS website on the dates shown. A computerized lottery system and a wait list will be generated if the ride is over-subscribed.   A CDN$65 payment is required at the time of registration, plus an optional CDN$35 fee for a nine-course Chinese dinner on May 4. The lottery signup will run for eleven days, at which time leaders will review the results.

The selection process will consider the following criteria in evaluating candidates:

• Fitness and riding ability and experience required for the event,
• A history of demonstrating safe riding practices,
• Acceptable social behaviour.

The leaders may interview riders or others to verify their suitability for the event.

If registering as a couple, please tick the “couples” box, because with different surnames we can’t always tell your status; then the numerical score of each of you will be averaged. Those sharing a room with a friend should sign on as a couple.

All registrants will be advised by e-mail of their selection status within one week of the lottery closing date. If the ride is not filled to capacity, registration will continue until the final closing date as stated above. 

REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO NON VICTORIA CCCTS MEMBERS ONLY.  IF FULL COMPLEMENT OF 50 PARTICIPANTS IS NOT MET AFTER THE LOTTERY CLOSES, VICTORIA CHAPTER MEMBERS CAN SIGN ON AFTER THAT DATE ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS.

Registration fee payments are considered non-refundable in the event of participant cancellation. Wait-listed cyclists who don’t make it to the ride’s “go list” are eligible for refund of their registration fee unless they request removal from the wait list.

ADDENDUM: Ride leaders Diane Swindell and Chris Hodgson will be travelling 15 January to 17 March and with unreliable communication. Over that time, two Victoria Chapter members will be happy to answer your questions: Donna Kerkhoven (250-858-2779; dkerkhoven22@gmail.com), and Mikkel Bonnor (778-977-1424; mbonnor@shaw.ca)