Information for New Riders |
New to cycling? Please feel free to join us for a ride or two before you join the club.
Ready to try your first RBC ride? Here are 3 things you need to know:
- Choose the right ride for you! Rides vary in length, hilliness and group cohesiveness. All of the information about the ride is in the RBC Meetup entry (distance, profile, map). That is also a good place to ask questions. If you are new to riding, you may wish to choose a Supported Ride (SR).
- Always bring: A helmet, a route MAP or CUE sheet (printable from the RBC Calendar on Meetup), at least one bottle of drink, a couple of new tubes and a pump in case you get a flat - or a cell phone with a phone number of someone who will come pick you up.
- Arrive at least 15 minutes before the published ride start, find the ride leader and let him/her know you are new. Listen to the advice the ride leader gives.
Riders of varying speeds attend our rides. Typically, on the same ride, participants average 12-13 mph to 17-18+ mph. All riders (including guests) are required to sign a liability waiver, and those under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
The rides labeled Supported Rides (SR) are shorter and flatter. They are ridden as a loose group that will pause to regroup from time to time. To do a SR, you need to be physically conditioned and able to cycle for 2 hours at about 10-12 mph over some possible rolling terrain. The leader rides at the back of the group and is there to provide support and encouragement to those who may be new to group riding.
