How to Organize a Riding Group

When I received my new Giant bicycle two years ago, I knew that for me to meet my personal health goals using the bike I would need support, so I called a neighbor who had a bike rusting away in her garage and from there our riding group grew. We initially could barely ride two miles before we had to stop for our morning coffee, but two years later we are still riding four times per week and we now ride more than fifteen miles per day.

There are many advantages to organizing your own cycling group. Not only will you get to pick the group’s pace and routes, but you’ll also meet new people who ride at your level, which will expand your pool of riding partners. Plus, you’ll be more motivated to ride yourself if you know there are other cyclists waiting to ride with you.

There are several things you need to think about before you organize your first group ride. What type of riding will you be doing, will it be on the road or on the trail? You’ll want to carefully consider the choice of days and the timing of the rides to be convenient not only for yourself, but also for the type of cyclists you would like to ride with. Seasons change and so does the weather, so be sure your group knows what type of weather conditions will postpone or cancel a ride.

You’ll need to consider the pace and distance of the rides you’ll be planning as well as the terrain. Will your rides be mostly on the flat, include rolling hills or be off-road? Will you include a stop for refreshments in the middle or at the end of the ride? These are some of the important things potential members will need to know.

When you select a starting point for your rides consider locations that are easy to get to and have ample parking. A restroom for changing or potty breaks is also a plus. The members of my group all cycle to the starting point, so we picked a spot that is pretty central to all of us.

Your local bike shop is a great resource for maps of bike routes in your area. Be sure to pre-ride or at least pre-drive the routes before the group rides so you know the road conditions as well as the mileage and best locations for restroom, lunch or coffee shop stops. Your bike shop can also be a great place to recruit new riders for your group, so ask if you can post a flyer outlining the details of your rides.

The ladies in my cycling group have not only motivated me to continue cycling, but they’ve also become my closest friends. Together we have all improved our health, gotten stronger, lost weight and soon we’ll be leaving our bikes at home and traveling together on our second ladies cruise!

Regards,
Diane