Author Archives: Tom Blainey

This is a series of helpful tips from Ian Hill to help you become a better cyclist. Future episodes will appear here.

Durham Cycling Event Post – please sign up and reserve your room

Your stay will be at Endaayaan – Tkanónsote Residence, 156 Albert Street, Kingston Ontario.

Price per night is $129 CAD plus taxes for a 2 bedroom unit. Check in time is 3 pm. Check out time is 11 am.

Parking is available at Tindall Field. Monday – Friday 8 am – 4 pm parking is paid for through the HONK mobile app. $3 per hour, $10 for day.

Parking is free evenings and weekends.

Click here to see who is coming!

At this time we are not collecting payment or credit card information. You will be required to pay for your room upon check in.

You may cancel up to 24 hours prior to arrival.

Please reach out to event.reservations@queens.ca should you have any questions.

June 21-23 2024

Picturesque Elora Gorge

Join us for some fabulous cycling in the Waterloo area on our Summer Weekend Adventure. 3 totally different rides will be offered. From the 30 km brewery tour on Friday afternoon to the Elora Gorge Saturday route to the Sunday Mennonite route through St. Jacobs and into farmland. We will be staying at Waterloo University summer accommodation at Mackenzie King Village (MKV). Each suite consists of 4 bedrooms with a single bed, 2 bathrooms with showers, a kitchenette, and a sitting room. You will be allowed to bring your bikes up to the rooms. Prices are very reasonable, a 4 bedroom suite is $305.10 for both nights or $76.28 per person (inc. HST). You can also book a double room if you would like your privacy. Please sign up using the form below and you will be required to pay at check-in. We will work to arrange your roommates if required. Spouses are also invited, there are great restaurants, shopping and attractions in the Kitchener-Waterloo, St. Jacobs, Elora and Stratford areas, all just a short drive away. Cancellations must be made no later than June 16 to avoid charges. Get your foursome together and book the suites, or sign up and let us assign you to a suite. If you are a single, do not click on the Waterloo reservation link as it is for the whole suite.

Click here to make your reservation today.

Click here to see who is coming. View the routes here.Layout of the 4 bedroom suite

The DCC Executive is considering organizing a winter cycling trip to the Algarve in southern Portugal in February 2023. It would be timed to coincide with the 2023 edition of the Tour of the Algarve (a.k.a. “the Volta”) professional bike race. This is a 5 day event which attracts top UCI World Tour teams. Previous winners include Geraint Thomas, Primos Roglic and Tadej Pojacar. The trip would last for two weeks (although individuals could choose a shorter duration of 10 days or 1 week) starting about a week ahead of the Volta and ending a couple of days after it. This would allow participants to get over jet lag, ride some gradually longer/harder routes in the varied terrain of the Algarve before the Voltar and then ride out to see the race at different locations. The dates would potentially be February 8 to February 22, 2023 with the race being from the 15th to 19th inclusive. There would also be time for some sightseeing by car within the 2 weeks.

Home base for the trip could be the “village” of Alvor, on the coast just west of the city of Portimao. Ithas many things going for it, including a 5km long beach with cliffs to walk at one end and a river estuary with mountain views to walk at the other end, an old town with numerous restaurants, cafes and bars (including one where a “pint” costs 1 euro!), lots of self-catering or hotel accommodation and numerous nearby cycling routes to beaches, castles, traditional villages and the coastal mountains. It is only 30 km to the highest point in the Algarve – Foia at 900 m. above sea level. The easiest way to travel to and from the Algarve is to fly Air Transat direct from Toronto to Faro Airport – roughly a 7 hour flight. Faro is about a 45 minute drive east of Alvor. There are other options involving flying to Lisbon which is about a 3 hour drive from the Algarve. Air fare is about $1,000 to $1,500 depending on route and/or options selected. Air Transat will transport a bicycle for $75 each way (you might need to rent a bike box on top of that). There are also local bicycle stores that will rent decent road bikes for about $250 – $300 for 12 days. Local travel would likely be by rental car (rates being very reasonable as it will be the low season) but buses and trains are available between some
locations.

Accommodation would be either self-catered apartments/villas or hotels. Again, because it will be low season, rates are quite reasonable. For example, a two bedroom apartment comfortably sleeping four could be around $900 for two weeks including bed linens, towels and all utilities. More spacious villas or
full service hotels would naturally be more expensive. We hope this brief description of our idea will peak your interest. There are several members of the club/Executive who’ve spent a fair bit of time visiting/cycling in the Algarve in the winter months in the past few years. These include President Kathy N, VP Rob B, ex-President Sharon W and ex-Secretary Eric W. They’d no doubt wax lyrical about the joys of cycling in the Algarve if you asked them any questions you have. If you are interested, please go to the web site and let us know so we can gauge whether it will be worth pursuing the idea. Details will be finalized in the fall once the Volta dates are known and airline schedules are available.

Click here to see updated list of interested members
Click Here to see who is on the list of interested members.

Come celebrate Derek’s 80th Birthday with an excellent DCC 80 km ride ride and pub celebration for this wily old Brit. Sunday June 14 9 AM 80 km– Stopping at Annina’s for coffee Meet at: Municipal Parking Lot between Cassels and Vipond in Brooklyn (behind Corrados) Birthday lunch at Oakridge 1847 pub at approx 1 PM. (45 Baldwin Street, walk east across street from parking lot)

Turn by turn cuesheet 80 km click here.
Turn by turn cuesheet 60 km click here.

Morgan and Derek have proposed an organized spring cycling trip to South Carolina with Carolina Tailwinds. Here are the details:

Greenville, South Carolina; Six days 5 nights; Terrain mainly flat; Each day’s ride supported by a sag truck with snacks and lunches; bring your own bike or rentals are available @$100.00 for the tour; All Lodging in four star hotels along with evening meals except for two meals at times when we are exploring on our own to take in the sights; All taxes and gratuities included in price of $2225.00 US dollars. For more details check the information on the  Carolina Tailwinds website.

 Travel: We are suggesting car-pooling; flight arrangements could be made independently.

 Those who want to participate should notify me by Wed. 4 Dec. I will be able to confirm the amount of our deposits when I get the total number of participants.

 Yours, in pursuit of fitness & fun,

Derek & Morgan

Click Here to email for sign-up or more information.