Pete and Ruth are hosting Friday’s ride, starting from the Port Hope Town Hall parking lot at 5:00 pm.

We’ll follow the Racetrack Ramble route, which is 46 km but can be shortened at a couple spots along the way. We’ll aim to double check the route for gravel sections and either adapt it or propose an alternative route.

A picnic will follow – either bring your own or consider supporting a local business!

Brian is your host for Tuesday’s ride from Presqu’ile Park. He wants to make sure you read this and reserve your spot soon! See his detailed email invitation and instructions for making a day use reservation below.

The Ride: Next Tuesday’s ride will start at the picnic area in Presqu’ile Provincial Park, and it will follow the Presqu’ile Promise route listed under Brighton on the website. Since we are starting inside the park, rather than at Gosport, the rides are a couple of kilometres shorter than listed (54 and 38 km). You should know, however, that the long route is considerably hillier than the short route as the former takes in the dreaded Telephone Road!

How to Get There: After entering the park, follow the Day Use Area signs for 5 km. After 4 km you will arrive at the Lake Ontario shoreline, but keep going for a further 1 km until you see the picnic shelter on your left. Look to the right and you should see my car beside the lake. I plan to be there by 9 AM at the latest, and will likely have my picnic breakfast there!

You Need to Make a Day-Use Reservation! The good news is that you do not have to pay the usual $21 fee to use a provincial park for daytime use Mondays to Thursdays this year; the bad news is that you do need to make a reservation as they are limiting numbers due to Covid.

There needs to be one reservation per vehicle, and here’s what you need to do:

• No more than five days ahead of time (so not before Friday), go to www.ontarioparks.com.
• Click on Reservations (top menu bar), then on Reserve Online.
• If you have an Ontario parks Web account, click on Sign In (top menu bar) and enter your credentials. This will save you time at checkout.
• Click on Create Reservation and then on Day Use. Select the Park (Presqu’ile, obviously) and the Date (July 20th).
• From the map, click on Daily Vehicle Permit, and then click on July 20thagain. Click on Reserve.
• Check the two “Please Read and Acknowledge” boxes and then click the green Confirm Reservation Details button that should appear.
• The Shopping Cart should then appear with an amount of $0.
• Click the green Proceed to Checkout button and then on the green Confirm Acknowledgements button on the subsequent screen.
• Finally, click on the Confirm Booking button and your reservation number will appear! It is not a bad idea to “Print Confirmation Letter” (which you leave on your dashboard) as you can then bypass the gatehouse if it is busy. Don’t worry if you turn up without your confirmation number as they will have a list of the day’s reservations at the gatehouse.
• N.B.: If you do not already have an Ontario parks account, you will need to enter your name at some stage, but I am not sure where that is!)

Although this sounds complicated, it really isn’t. I think you will find the Website to be very intuitive.

I urge you to make a reservation even if you are not certain that you will be attending the ride. There is no charge to make it, and you will not be sent to jail if you do not turn up!
If it is a nice day you should consider joining us for the “apres events” even if you are not riding as this is such a nice location. Take in the boardwalk, take a stroll along the beach, birdwatch, read a book …..whatever! We typically finish riding sometime between 12 NOON and 1:00 PM.

This is a repeat of the Friday ride 2 weeks ago that was cancelled due to rain.

Brian is our host for this Friday’s ride. His invitation is below. Let’s cross our fingers for good weather!

This Friday’s ride will start at the Sylvan Glen Conservation Area at the “new normal” time of 5 PM. The route will be Beautiful Bewdley – the map actually starts at the Port Hope Town Hall, but we will pick it up at Sylvan Glen. On the return leg we may, or may not, take in the Town Hall as there will be lots of other options!

Come prepared for an apres-ride swim and picnic. Do you like this old picture of Sylvan Glen? Although Sylvan Glen will likely be quite busy at 5 PM, it usually quietens down in the evening.

Gail is our host for Tuesday’s ride. We’ll be following the Warkworth Wanderer route which has 53 or 35 kilometre options.

Meet on Main Street as you come into town. Picnic will follow.

Barb and John are hosting this Friday. Their invitation is below.

We are finally cautiously celebrating riding out from months of restrictions and able to ride and picnic outdoors in larger groups.

John and Barb will happily host this coming Friday, July 9th ride from their home (address and directions on members’ only menu), starting at 5:00 p.m.

Lots of parking, preferably in the driveway and backyard picnic (firepit?) after the ride.

We will ride the East Danforth route. This route has options for shorter, flatter rides.

Please bring your chairs, picnic dinners (s’mores makings?) and beverage of choice and please feel free to join in for ‘afters’ if you are not riding.

Lilianne and Barry invite you to join them in Brighton this coming Tuesday for the First Half Flat ride.

Meet at 10am at Proctor Conservation Area. From Highway 2, turn North at the Beer Store onto Kingsley Avenue and proceed 4 blocks to the park gate.

The ride has 2 options for distance, 56 with some hills, or 44 kilometres flat. Bring food and hydration for our apres-ride picnic. Vito’s and Lola’s, among others, will be open for those wanting to pick-up a lunch order.

Brian is our host for this Friday’s ride. His invitation is below. Let’s cross our fingers for good weather!

This Friday’s ride will start at the Sylvan Glen Conservation Area at the “new normal” time of 5 PM. The route will be Beautiful Bewdley – the map actually starts at the Port Hope Town Hall, but we will pick it up at Sylvan Glen. On the return leg we may, or may not, take in the Town Hall as there will be lots of other options!

Come prepared for an apres-ride swim and picnic. Do you like this old picture of Sylvan Glen? Although Sylvan Glen will likely be quite busy at 5 PM, it usually quietens down in the evening.

Paul is our host for Tuesday’s ride starting from Whitfield Landing east of Fraserville. His invitation is below. Socially-distanced picnic will follow so bring your stuff! Hope to see you there.

We are doing the airport ride but starting from Whitfield Landing on the Otonabee river. It is a 48 Km. down and back to Campbellcroft and Garden Hill with a 40 Km cutoff route.

The simplest way to get to Whitfield Landing is to drive north from Port Hope on County Road 28 to Whitfield Road (Fraserville. Esso station on corner). Turn right and drive straight. Where the road turns left, continue straight through a gateway to the river.

I checked it yesterday and it seems fine. No mosquitos when I was there. They were adding gravel to the road around the airport runway, so I am hoping they will put calcium on it. Starting at Whitfield landing avoids that stretch of road. I will make new maps that I will hand out at the ride.

Jennifer and Andy are hosting Friday’s ride.

They suggest leaving from their home Friday @ 5 pm and we shall ride The Oak Hills 50 k or the shorter route of 37 k.

Bring your costumes for a swim après ride …..picnic in the garden thereafter.

For those who prefer not to cycle a walk is always a possibility either from the house or the Ganaraska Forest.

Sadly Piper is suffering from a torn ACL/CCL so he will not be able to roam free to grab socks, shoes or apple fritters this year!!!

There are mossies so bug spray might be helpful.

Marshall will be leading this Tuesday’s ride. His invitation is below.

This Tuesday’s ride will start at Millbrook (Millbrook Arena parking lot behind the Pastry Peddler) at 10:00. Please join me for a beautiful 55K circle from Millbrook over to Pontypool and back. The ride can be easily shortened to 45K (refer to map) for those who might want a little less distance. Note there will be a bit of climbing as there is no way but up to get out of Millbrook, but the descent at the end back into Millbrook will more than make it all worthwhile.

Our after ride picnic will be held in the beautiful park area by the creek and dam. Be sure to bring your comfy chair, a yummy lunch and your favorite beverage.

The Pastry Peddler café is open for take-out with their regular menu amd lots of great desserts available. Check them out online, you may want to take advantage of it for your lunch.

Hit the link to either a paper version or link to electronic map of the route:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34557706

Keep in mind that nasty little COVID bug is still kicking around out there so we must all continue following the standard social distancing rules.

A NOTE: At this point the weather isn’t looking all that great for Tuesday so a Wednesday rain date is planned for those who could make it.

Hoping to see you all in Millbrook.