Group Rides 2023

• Posted on 13 April 2023
• By KW
• 1

Group rides are starting soon!  Huzzah!  These rides are something we all look forward to for many reasons, and we want to make sure that everyone has a great time and understands all the expectations.  

DAYS AND TIMES:

This year we will be concentrating on our Thursday evening gravel rides because they are the most well-attended.  These are great rides for everyone, and we usually have more than one group.  Groups are divided by speed and distance, and we try to do at least two groups each week.  This year there may even occasionally be a women's specific group as the Lakeshore Mountain Biking Sisters are planning to join us.

The first Thursday of the month will usually see us starting and ending the ride at Farmhaus Cider!  Once in a while we will do a "field trip" to a place like American Char, or maybe somewhere for ice cream (<-- food seems to be a very common motivator...).  The best bet for keeping track of all of this is to follow us on Facebook and Instagram; we update the socials frequently.

Our first Thursday night ride will be on MAY 4 from the shop!  Clip-in and departure at 6:30 p.m.

EXPECTATIONS:

Thursday rides will start at 6:30 p.m. from the shop parking lot.  We don't want to be grouchy or anything, but please help us out by making a 6:30 departure a 6:30 departure.  Arriving early is great; arriving late, not so much! 

Helmets are an absolute requirement, as usual. 

There will be a group that goes a little faster and a little farther - about 17 miles in about an hour or so - and there will be a group that goes a little slower and covers less terrain - about 13 miles in an hour or so.  The goal is to finish within a few minutes of each other and maybe hang at TripelRoot or Frank's for a beer.  During June we can enjoy Music on Main as well!

"What happened to the Wednesday MTB rides??"

We are still in the planning stages for Wednesdays - we will keep you in the loop as our plans finalize!  Keep an eye on our social media accounts for information.

ROAD BIKE RIDES ARE ON HOLD

We've decided to only have road bike rides on special occasions this year.  Based on last year's attendance we just can't make it work any more.  We hope you consider joining one of our other rides during the week if you can.  Meanwhile, for our dedicated roadies, we can happily recommend the Tuesday Night Ride at Velo City Cycles in Holland.  They do a great job and have several groups, so you are sure to find one that meets your needs.

NEW!!  Wednesday morning gravel rides!

A few of us from the shop enjoy riding in the mornings before we open the shop, so beginning in May we are going to try a Wednesday morning gravel ride for whoever would like to join us!  We will start at 8:30 and do 12-14 miles at a fairly easy pace.  Speed (and maybe distance) will probably pick up a little as the season progresses, but we will consider this to be a no-drop ride no matter what.  First ride is scheduled for MAY 3!

As always, we will look for fun events to plan that involve riding bikes, eating food, enjoying beverages, and generally hanging out.  We hope you join us every week for as many rides as you can handle!