Ganaraska Freewheelers Cycling Club

Great fitness, great food, great friends!

Author: Ruth Louden

Career counsellor, education consultant, employment coach, technology addict, cyclist, homebuilder

Riding from Port Hope Town Hall – Friday, June 8

June 5, 2018

Deb P. is hosting Friday’s ride from the Port Hope Town Hall. We’ll follow the Beautiful Bewdley route which is 51 km but can be shortened.

Note that Brian H. is planning to make a couple of changes to the route map so hold off until late Thursday/early Friday to print your maps.

Our apres-ride festivities will be at Turtle Johns in Port Hope.

Note: Next Friday, June 15 ride needs a host! Anyone up for it? Contact Brian H.

 

A message from Brian, your friendly Friday Ride Coordinator

May 27, 2018

 

As you undoubtedly know by now, I am looking after the Friday evening rides until the end of July when Peter takes over the onerous task.

Club members have been wonderful at hosting this year and we only need six more hosts (five Friday evening hosts and one Saturday / Sunday morning host) between now and the end of my watch.

Either you can host a ride from your home or from any other location in our riding area. You need to decide upon a route (which could simply be one of the many routes available on the Wonderful Website!) and either provide (paper) maps or ask folks to download them.

Most members who host rides from their homes also host a pot-luck supper afterwards, but this is not essential. Alternatively, you may elect to host a ride from a location other than your home and simply arrange for somewhere for folks to eat (restaurant, pub, picnic, etc.).

Also, July is my stay-at-home month, so if you would like to host a ride from your home without the hassle of planning a route, I would be delighted to look after the riding (route planning, ride leading, etc.) aspects for you.

The following rides need looking after as of May 25th, so step right up and volunteer for the good of your Club.

  • Friday June 8th
  • Saturday June 16th or Sunday June 17th (you get to choose!)
  • Friday June 29th
  • Friday July 6th
  • Friday July 22nd
  • Friday July 29th

If by the Tuesday before the Friday ride, no-one has volunteered as host, then “Plan B” will kick in. In that case, the ride calendar will say that the ride has no host. However, a starting location and route map for the ride will be announced by a post on the Website. It will be up to participants to figure out where to eat after the ride. One of the Friday Coordinators may, or may not, be there.

Thanks to the generosity of our members we haven’t actually had to enact “Plan B” yet this year. Wouldn’t it be nice to keep it that way?

Hosting a Friday ride can be quite painless – all you have to do is to email me at bhedney@gmail.com and say “I’ll do it!” and I will take it from there.

 

Blossom Ride from Port Hope – Tuesday, May 29

May 25, 2018

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Your ride host Marshall invites you below to join the Blossom ride this Tuesday.

Winter is finally over and our Northumberland Hills are now bursting into full bloom. If the lilacs we saw while climbing up Lilac Valley Road on last Tuesday’s ride are any indication, we are in for a special treat at our annual GFW Blossom ride this Tuesday. Your Club Blossom Guru is predicting that the lilacs and apple blossoms will be at their peak and that the weather gods will be shining down upon us.

Our ride this year will follow the usual Marshall’s Blossom Ride route but with a few changes. The usual downtown start and climb out of Port Hope will be replaced with a start and finish from the home of Marshall and Glennis and will be followed by a pizza lunch with ice cream for dessert. We will ask for everyone to share the cost. Bring your favourite drink and don’t forget your dishes.

Be sure to bring your cameras and be prepared for a few fun challenges during the ride. Dependent on the turnout, we may even break into a couple of groups and have ourselves a little contest.

A comment on our website to verify if you are coming would be appreciated to help in the planning.

Riding from North Cobourg – Friday, May 25

May 21, 2018
A Randy among three roses
Former GF members Randy and Anita will host Friday’s ride from their home North of Cobourg Their address is in the Ride Calendar.
Start time: 5:30
Route: We’ll take a route that travels up to Rice Lake via Lander Rd. In Gore’s Landing where the decision to make it shorter (29k) would mean turning south on Burnham and riding all the way back down to Smylie Rd. It’s a fast, mostly downhill 10k! The longer route carries on along Rice Lake Scenic Drive to Harwood and then beyond.
Dinner: Traditional potluck. (Don’t forget plates, cutlery, and BYOB)
Rumour has it there might be a bonfire after dinner. No promises, just sayin’.

Riding from Bewdley – Tuesday, May 22

May 18, 2018

Weather last week made Harold’s Tuesday ride a no-go! Instead, the ride took place on Wednesday and was a great success for all who were able to attend.

This Tuesday, Brian H. will host the ride from Bewdley, following the Two Lakes route. Coming down C.R.9 to Harwood on that new paved shoulder is apparently awesome.

Rhino’s patio for lunch – hopefully!!

Now there is a small possibility that weather will again take a turn for the worse. If it does, the ride will move to Wednesday. This year, we’re not letting Mother Nature interfere with our Spring training!

New date for Ride from Campbellcroft – Monday, May 21

May 18, 2018

 

We are cancelling this Saturday’s ride from Campbellcroft due to anticipated inclement weather. Instead, Jennifer and Andy will host a Monday morning ride from their home that will follow the Oak Hills map offering 50- and 37-kilometre routes. Note that the area is hilly, but the route can be shortened to avoid some of the bigger hills!

Our traditional pot luck will follow, so don’t forget your utensils, plates, and beverages. Jennifer plans to defrost a big ham, so the potluck will happen rain or shine. Bring an offering that will complement the ham as well as salads and bread. Desserts, of course, are welcomed.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday!

IMPORTANT – PLEASE COMMENT ASAP ON GF WEBSITE

May 17, 2018

IMPORTANT – WE NEED YOUR INPUT REGARDING THIS WEEKEND’S RIDE FROM THE HOME OF JENNIFER AND ANDY!

The weather forecast for Saturday, May 19 (the day the ride is scheduled for) does not look good. Rather than cancelling the ride, we are seriously considering moving it to either Sunday or Monday. The forecast for Sunday looks a lot better than it does for Saturday; Monday looks even better. The problem of holding the ride on Monday, of course, is that it is the day before our Tuesday ride! Assuming that Saturday will be a “wash out”, please let us know if you would come on Sunday, Monday, or either of these two days. We obviously need to make a final decision by Friday evening so PLEASE take a couple of minutes to fire off a comment!

Join Liz & Bob on June 2, 2018

May 12, 2018

GF members Bob and Liz invite you to join them for the GoScugog2018 fundraising ride to raise money for Camp Scugog, a charitable organization that offers 1-week residential camp stays for children who live in poverty.

Distances are 30, 60 and 90 kilometres. Liz and Bob are debating between the 60 km and the 90 km route. A visual of the routes can be found on the website link below.

Date: Saturday, June 2, 2018, 8:30 registration opens

Ride start: Camp Scugog on Christopher’s Beach, Lake Scugog

Entry fee: $25

Fundraising goal: $200 would be ideal but fundraising is not required in order to participate.

Link to the GoScugog2018 website for more details. If you’re interested, talk to Liz and Bob on one of our regular rides.