by Galit Minuskin
This year's 10th anniversary Cyclon weekend, held at Brock University in St. Catharines, was an unqualified success! Those of you who remained undecided until after the deadline missed out on an impeccably organized, three-day event that ticked away like clockwork, thanks to the many hundreds of volunteer hours contributed by Cyclon committee members Dave MacLean (Cyclon director), Brenda Porter, Marc Kramer, Bill Hannaford, Léo Charbonneau, Alan Burke, and Rob Long. The committee members extend their thanks to everyone who pitched in to help.
While most of the 181 who attended were pleased to spend a short one-and-a-half-hours driving to St. Catharines, TBN veterans Doug Bowers and John Bedford not only cycled the 100+ kilometres from Toronto to Brock and back but also participated in three splendid days of cycling in picturesque Niagara region. There were plenty of great routes to choose from, for all levels of cyclists. Rides included hills, many opportunities to stop at wineries, hills, a swim in Lake Erie, hills, scenic lunch stops and, for those who like a challenge, hills!
The Cyclon hospitality suite and its the adjacent courtyard area where we checked in Friday night became the "in" place to gather between activities. It was here that Dave Scovell, who earlier on Saturday had led the Cyclon instructional ride, conducted a clinic on bicycle maintenance, increasing the enjoyment of the weekend for those who took part. That evening some ventured out in search of the hopping St. Catharines nightlife, while another group was delighted to attend a showing of Hobson's Choice at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. On Sunday there were three great lunch destinations to choose from - and the cycling was great too! After lengthy negotiations with Alan Burke, Brock made its Olympic-sized pool available for après-cycling, and at least a third of the group took advantage of this well-earned opportunity to cool off.
Sunday evening Cyclon's magic wand transformed the cafeteria into a gracious dining hall, where a delicious dinner was served (the incredulous catering staff at Brock said they had never seen a group that ate as much as us!). The evening was hosted by Dave MacLean, who brought along a piece of cement chipped off his mattress and some humorous T-shirts customized to show the Cyclon committee members that their hard work was much appreciated. A night of dancing followed, to the tunes of, who else?, DJ Barry Templeton. Mother Nature blessed us throughout the weekend with near-perfect conditions, continuing right through to Monday as we made our way to Ball's Falls for our final official gathering, a group picnic where we participated in our second favorite activity (after cycling)--we ate! The weekend was fabulous and people are already talking about next year's Cyclon. Until then, Dave MacLean is happy to have his telephone back to himself so that he can spend the next 10 months preparing for more midnight Cyclon "emergencies." Well done everyone.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Cyclon Committee gratefully acknowledges the support of Bell Mobility Cellular (416-674-2233, 1-800-677-0123). We'd also like to thank Velotique for donating the spot prizes for our Sunday night dance. For a free catalogue, call Velotique at 416-466-3171 in Toronto or toll free at 1-800-363-3171.