Group rides
Find a group ride at your pace
Most UK cycling clubs ride every weekend, in groups that average anywhere from under 12 mph on a café social to over 20 mph on a chain gang. Here is how the groups work, what each pace feels like, and how to find one near you.
Lead rides for a club or a group? Post a ride. It is free.
What speed do club rides go at?
Most UK club groups average between 12 and 20 mph (19 to 32 km/h) over the whole ride, climbs and junctions included. A social group usually averages under 12 mph, a steady group 12 to 14, a moderate group 14 to 16, a brisk group 16 to 18 and a fast group 18 mph or more. The table sets out what each one feels like.
| Group | Average speed | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| SocialNo-drop | Under 12 mphUnder 19 km/h | Chatting the whole way, regular stops, usually a café in the middle. |
| SteadyUsually no-drop | 12 to 14 mph19 to 23 km/h | Easy conversation. The group regroups at the top of climbs. |
| ModerateOften no-drop | 14 to 16 mph23 to 26 km/h | Full sentences on the flat. Climbs take real effort. |
| BriskVaries by club | 16 to 18 mph26 to 29 km/h | Talking in short bursts. You need to sit close to the wheel in front. |
| FastUsually drop | 18 to 20 mph29 to 32 km/h | Little chat. A steady hard effort, often riding through and off. |
| Chain gangDrop | Over 20 mphOver 32 km/h | A rotating line at close to race pace. Not a first club ride. |
These are typical whole-ride averages on mixed UK roads, with climbs and junctions included. Some clubs quote their speed on the flat instead, which reads a few mph higher for the same group. Every club sets its own bands, so the ride listing always wins.
How fit do I need to be to join a club ride?
If you can ride 25 miles (40 km) on your own at around 12 mph without a long stop, you can manage most social and steady club groups. Speed matters less than being able to ride steadily for two to three hours and hold a straight line near other riders. Some clubs also run an introductory ride for newcomers.
Your solo average is a fair guide, with one adjustment. Sitting behind another rider saves a large share of the effort on the flat, so most riders find they can hold a group roughly 1 to 2 mph faster than they ride alone. Hills take that advantage away, which is why climbs are where groups split.
Choosing between two groups on the day is covered in how to pick the right group.
When do UK cycling clubs ride, and for how long?
Most clubs ride on Sunday morning, meeting between 8 and 9.30am, and many add a Saturday social or a midweek evening ride from spring to early autumn. A typical Sunday ride covers 25 to 60 miles (40 to 100 km) in two to five hours, including a café stop. Winter rides are usually shorter and slower, and some clubs merge groups.
Midweek chain gangs usually run on summer evenings from a fixed spot, often a lay-by or a car park on the edge of town, and are the fastest thing a club does.
Clubs cancel or shorten rides for ice, snow and high winds, and they usually say so on the morning itself. Check the ride listing or the club’s group chat before you leave the house.
What do A, B and C groups mean?
Group letters and colours are set by each club, not by any national standard, so a B group at one club can be faster than an A group at another. What matters is the speed a club attaches to each label. One Yorkshire club runs C2 at 10 to 12 mph up to A at 18 mph plus, while a London club grades by colour, from green at 20 to 25 km/h on the flat up to black at 35 to 40 km/h.
When a listing gives both a letter and a speed, trust the speed. When it gives only a letter, look for the club’s ride guide or ask the ride leader; most clubs publish one. British Cycling’s own led rides use three words instead: easygoing, steady and challenging.
Watch which kind of speed is quoted. The Yorkshire bands above are whole-ride averages; the London ones are cruising speeds on flat roads. Both clubs could describe the same group, and the numbers would look nothing alike.
What does no-drop mean on a group ride?
A no-drop ride waits for everyone. If a rider falls off the back, punctures or cannot hold the pace on a climb, the group slows or stops until they are back on, and nobody is left to find their own way home. A drop ride holds its advertised pace regardless, and riders who cannot keep up are expected to know the way back.
No-drop is a promise that the group waits, not that it rides at your pace all day. If a listing does not say which it is, ask before you go. Social and steady groups are almost always no-drop; chain gangs never are.
If being the slowest is what worries you, read this first.
Do I need to join a club or have a licence to go on a ride?
Usually not for a first ride. Most clubs let a guest try a ride or two before asking them to join, and membership is normally a small annual fee. Some clubs ask riders to hold British Cycling or Cycling UK membership, because both include third-party liability insurance. You never need a racing licence for a club run.
Third-party liability cover pays out if you damage someone else’s property or injure someone. It does not cover your own bike. Theft and accident damage to your own bike need separate cycle insurance.
Buying a used bike to start riding with a club? Before you pay, check it has not been reported stolen.
Are there women-only and beginner group rides?
Yes. Many clubs run women-only rides or a women’s section, and most run at least one social or beginner group that rides at under 12 mph and stops at least once. Look for the words no-drop, social or intro in a listing, and if a club page does not mention them, ask the club directly.
Plenty of clubs organise women’s rides informally through a group chat rather than on a public calendar, so the absence of a listing does not mean the absence of a ride.
Rules for riders under 18 vary a lot between clubs, so ask before you bring a young rider along.
Can I bring an e-bike on a club ride?
Often yes, but ask first. UK e-bike motors must stop assisting at 15.5 mph (25 km/h), so an e-bike helps most on climbs and in social or steady groups, and helps very little in a fast group. Some clubs welcome e-bikes on every ride and some only on their social rides, so check with the ride leader before your first one.
What counts as a legal e-bike in the UK, and what does not, is set out in UK e-bike law explained. Looking for one? Browse used electric bikes.
How do I find a group ride near me?
Start with a local club rather than a single ride. Most clubs ride every week from the same meet point, so finding the club is finding the ride. Search the directory by town, then check each club page for its regular ride times and any upcoming rides posted by members. Local bike shops often run a weekly shop ride too.
Can I post a group ride on Cyclesite?
Yes, and it is free. Any rider with a verified email address can post a ride with a date, start time, meet point, ride type, level, distance and an optional limit on numbers. Signed-in riders can then say they are going, and a ride posted for a club also appears on that club’s page.
Keep the meet point to a public place people can find: a café, a car park, a station, a shop. Never a home address.
Getting ride-ready
Any road or gravel bike in good working order will do for a social or steady group, and a well-kept used bike is a sensible way to start. What to carry, and the winter mudguard rule, are in what to bring on your first club run.
Upgrading? See what your current bike is worth before you sell it.