A chance for discounted Columbia sportswear. This is your access to the Columbia Employee Store on Lionshead Ave, Carlsbad. Dates are June 2nd - June 25th Store Pricing: all product is current season merchandise and is discounted 40-60% below retail price. To enter, you must show: Photo ID NCCC Membership Card This Columbia Invitation Location & Hours: 3209 Lionshead Ave Carlsbad, CA 92010 (760) 936-0458 Mon – Sun: 10A – 7P  

More than fifty NCCC riders assembled on Saturday April 29th for the first OneClub ride of the year. The initial eleven miles followed a moderate pace, one that your club VP could achieve on a bike without e- assist. After a brief stop and re-group at Guajome Park, four groups set off on different routes with the objective of arriving in time for warm pizza: 50/45/41/36 miles. Amazingly, this objective was largely achieved; not only did most riders arrive at Dos Desperados around midday but so did three huge (28”) pizzas. Thanks to Dana for organizing the pizza and the $1 discount for the beer and to the ride leaders who got their groups to the finish on time. The...

Join the first OneClub ride of the year. All members start together at 8.00 from Restaurant Row, San Marcos for the first gentle ten or so miles and then split into groups at the first break. We'll see the survivors back for a beer and pizza. See y'asll there    

Each year club members elect Board members, one third in even numbered years and two thirds in odd numbered years. For 2023, three members continue to serve and up to six members will be elected for a two year term starting in January 2023. This is a call for candidates who are interested to serve on the NCCC Board and take part in steering the direction of the club. New people, new ideas, new events are always welcome; a chance to turn your ideas into reality. If you have enjoyed being a club member for a number of years or even joined recently, we urge you to consider serving your club and your fellow members. The Board takes care of operations,...

Recently I received from ex club president Peg, several files of club ride routes, meticulously organized by start point and direction, north south east and west.  These route slips, printed on aging and sometimes yellowing paper give a fascinating insight into the NCCC of twenty and more years ago., locations which no longer exist, roads which have acquired another name, routes we no longer use as traffic has increased.  Many of these routes were accompanied by a hand drawn plan of the route, a routing map pre GPS.  Here are some snippets. Would you know where to find Hill Street?  Here’s a hint: it is one of the flattest roads in San Diego County, named, I suspect, for a Mr. or...

After Geneva I had decided to visit Embrun, somewhere I had visited when Charles de Gaulle was the name of the President of France and not of an airport north of Paris. I had found in my archive the 1:50,000 hiking map I had used any years earlier and decided to re-visit the area. The Tour passes Embrun about once every four of five years and part of the route includes the ascent of the Col de Vars, a “categorie 1” climb to 6916’. Embrun is a delightful small Alpine town of some 6000 residents. It was formerly an archbishopric with an interesting small cathedral which dates from the twelfth century, now downgraded...

I was lucky enough to be able to fly to Paris and took the occasion to try out their “Vélib” service, a bike rental scheme   It’s early morning and I am planning to try out the Velib today but first a French breakfast (café au lait, croissant, pastries, yoghurt, juice) at the nearby railway station. This however is no ordinary café: Le Trein Bleu is one of the famous restaurants of Paris, first opened in 1900. Its gold leaf walls and ceilings are decorated with paintings by popular artists of the time. Originally, it was where the beau monde dined before taking the night train to the French Riviera. It’s worth bearing in mind for Sunday nights when most restaurants...

July 3 marked our return to NCCC’s social events with a “July 4th” ride and lunch celebration.   Several members were appropriately clad in red white and blue outfits. In total sixty five members and guests signed up for the event held in the open air at the Agua Hedionda Discovery Center.   Following rides somewhat shorter than usual, members enjoyed sandwiches, chips cookies and ice cream.  Strange fact: long time former member, Jeff Gross, now back with the club got to meet Dana’s husband Jeff who was assisting with the set up. Yes, that’s Jeff Gross too on the right. So it was: “Jeff Gross meet Jeff Gross”. We are pleased to report that the encounter was amicable.   Thanks to the set up...

Have you ever arrived at the start of the ride to discover than you are missing something? The drinks bottles are lost, the shoes in the other vehicle, the glove which disappeared, helmet left on the kitchen counter.  It happens to all of us although probably not many left home, as I did once, without the bike; happily I did notice something was missing after driving a short distance towards the start.  All these mishaps could have halted your participation in the club ride. But more inconvenient and potentially much more dangerous is what you have not noticed is missing or is not properly fixed. This is a cautionary tale about what fell off my the bike and by good...

Several months away from cycling and several more trying to catch up with the group as it disappeared up the next hill encouraged me to investigate the world of e-bikes; not the types that are fully motorized with a throttle (Class 2), nor high powered mountain or boulevard cruiser type electric bikes, but a simple road bike with a battery and motor. Not that I’m trying to conceal my e-assist; in fact, I’m revealing all here. My basic requirement was for a regular road bike of reasonably light weight and a standard gear set, such as 50/34 chain rings and 11-30 cassette. I would like to ride it as an unassisted bike as often as possible and secondly, but also...