It was a beautiful San Diego day - Cruisers, Clippers, Roadies and Long Riders all rode together to Walnut Grove Park and then went on their ways. Here are some photos (thank you Dana!) of the gathering afterwards at Dos Desperados:

April 30 is the 5th Saturday of the month, so following tradition it is time for another One Club Ride. We will all ride out together at 8:00 am from OCRR. All routes follow the same first section, out through CUSM towards I-15, Rock Springs and Richland to Walnut Grove Park, where we stop and re-group. Each section will then go their own route (Cruisers 30 miles, Roadies and Clippers 40+, Long Riders 50+) . Afterwards we meet up for: Beer and Pizza at Dos Desperados Gather at Dos Desperados, just a block from OCRR on Linda Vista Dr., for beer and free pizza starting at 11:30. Wear your club kit and receive $1 off your beer (thanks Dana for negotiating this).

Everyone I’ve ridden with in NCCC over the past several years probably heard that my goal was to do a bike tour in Southern Africa. I finally got the chance this March. This trip story is actually two rides in one. My wife Pam came to South Africa with me, and after spending a few days shopping and sightseeing in Capetown we did a four day tour of the “Winelands” to the east. Then, after viewing wildlife in Kruger National Park for a few days, Pam flew home and I joined an organized ride from Victoria Falls (Zambia), through Botswana and ending in Windhoek, capital of Namibia. Capetown Winelands We had never been to Africa before, and of course weren’t sure what...

Once again here is your access to the Columbia Employee Store on Lionshead Ave. Sale dates are March 4th to March 27th. Bring with you: Photo IDNCCC Membership CardThis Columbia Invitation Location & Hours: 3209 Lionshead AveCarlsbad, CA 92010(760) 936-0458Mon – Sun: 10A – 7P

It’s a fifth Saturday on January 29th, so time for a One Club Ride. All groups (Cruisers, Clippers, Roadies, Long Riders) will start together on the same initial route at an appropriate pace. Grand depart at 8.00 am. The ride will be followed by a gathering at Dos Desperados brewery starting at about 12:00.

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...

The Toy Drive will be different this year. New unwrapped toys will be collected at club rides on December 4th, 11th and at the Holiday Party. Interfaith Community Service will distribute the gifts. Interfaith Community Service is a charity with a 4 out of 4 star rating. They provide supportive housing for over 2,000 people in North County. The toys you donate will go to 125 families who have case managers to assist them with reaching goals toward self sufficiency. You can help these children have a Merry Christmas by bringing a new unwrapped toy. So no toy ride, but the board feels that Interfaith Community Service is an enthusiastic recipient of the toys and that they will be effective in distributing...

Once again it is time again to elect members for the NCCC Board.  This year there are three seats up for election, with the other six Board members continuing until January 2023.  The Board takes care of operations, legal and financial affairs, rules and most especially social events. Insurance and our registration as an unincorporated association in California ensure that neither as a club member, a Board member, nor as an officer, do you have personal liability for acts performed in good faith. Our ByLaws specify four Board meetings a year, which we usually hold on a weekday evening. This is a call for candidates that would be willing to volunteer to serve on the NCCC Board and take on an operational role.  Members...

The Columbia Employee Store will be open to NCCC members for December. Maybe a chance to buy some gifts? North County Cycle Club is invited to shop at the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store from December 1st to December 31st, 2021. What to bring: The Columbia Invitation Photo ID NCCC Membership Card Location & Hours: 3209 Lionshead AveCarlsbad, CA 92010(760) 936-0458Mon - Sun: 10am - 7pm

Dick, a good friend with whom I worked in Haz Mat at the County of San Diego Environmental Health Department and I have kept in touch since he switched jobs years ago. He retires this week from the City of San Diego. It has been over two years since our cycle trip along the Danube. I have put off writing up the trip long enough; so, as it’s a blustery fall day I have resolved to get it done. Another reason I finally got started was a promise I made to dear 98-year-old friend that I visited in Canada this summer. She made me promise to write this story since she really enjoyed my STR story a few years...