Northwest Tandem Rally Ride to Butchart Gardens
The Victoria section of the NorthWest Tanden Rally organization will be offering a Special Event prior to the official start of the rally. This years Special Event will be a guided ride and a tour of the World famous Butchart Gardens. Anyone arriving at the Gardens entrance on a Tandem bicycle in the afternoon on Friday, July 3rd, will be admitted at a special reduced price (adults $25.20; youth 13-17 years $14.00; children 5-12 years $3), and a safe storage area will be available for their bicycle while in the Gardens.
If you plan to participate in the Friday afternoon ride to the Gardens, please indicate your interest on the registration page (Do NOT submit payment at this time).
For further information on the sites, tour maps of the gardens, etc., please consult the Butchart Gardens website.
A ride schedule has been prepared and will be posted at the registration desk at 10:30 am, Friday, July 3rd. Participants will leave the area in groups of 10 or 12 tandem riders, starting at 12 noon, in 5 to 10 minute intervals. Although this is a guided ride to the Gardens, you will be required to return to the University, or your downtown residence, at your convenience. To assist, we have prepared a return route map which offers a choice of two route alternatives, depending on your final destination. Please consult your guide if you have any questions. Maps are available at the registration desk, or downloadable as Butchart Return Route.pdf
Northwest Tandem Rally 3-Ferries Ride
Maps and Ride Descriptors have now been prepared for the unsupported ride called the 3-Ferries Ride. This ride, described under our webpage Program Routes, offers spectacular views of Gulf Island scenery and a challenging climb over Salt Spring Island from Ganges to Fulford Harbour. Due to passenger limitation on each of the three ferries, we have to impose a limit of 30 tandem riders per group, per sailing. Therefore, there will be three rides which will coordinate with the Brentwood-Mill Bay Ferry time schedule. On Friday morning a sign-up sheet will be available on a first come, first serve basis. For a preview of the route, please refer to the pdf file, 3-Ferries Ride.pdf
Sunday Cadboro Bay Beach (Gyro Park) Social
On Sunday evening, around 5 PM, all tandem enthusiasts are invited to go to Cadboro Bay Beach for an evening of entertainment and fun. This is a time to renew old acquaintances, make new onces, or simply relax on a log on the beach and wait for the sun to go down. On the other hand, there will be activities to prevent you from becoming bored.
Our friend Bob Coates intends to show up with his Optimist Club food concession trailer, and Ben will be arriving with the Villages Pizza Van to offer 5 delicious pizza toppings. In case you’re not hungry, then may we recommend that you attend Bike Mechanics 101, a demonstration by one of our top tandem mechanics on the when, the why and probably the what not to do with your tandem. And, if you need some action, then prepare yourself for some tandeming on water. Our friends from Ocean River Sports have kindly offered to bring some double kayaks to the beach to demonstrate the art of paddling with the stoker up front. The young folks, however, may wish to learn the techniques and to develop the skills in the ARTof UNICYCLING from one of the worlds experts, Kris Holm. So, come prepared for an entertaining evening.
Last updated June 13, 2009