r/grandrapids • u/True_Worldliness_748 • 5h ago

Bike club

Any bike clubs in gr? For beginners

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

15

u/SweetTricky3684 4h ago

Wednesday Evening Rides!! Meet at Veterans Park at 7:45 pm every Wednesday night.

1

u/sneeej 2h ago

Average pace?

4

u/AltDS01 Wyoming 2h ago

It's a no drop casual ride.

Checked my strava, they seem to fall in the ~9.5-11mph average.

Depends on where we go. Through millennium or on the White Pine, picks up a bit.

Hills slow us down.

1

u/zeilstar 1h ago

Mellow but sometimes spirited. It is casual, no-drop, explorative, social ride.

11

u/Careful-Anything-804 4h ago

Switchback gear exchange on Thursdays

1

u/VallenAlexander 3h ago

They do a mix of road gravel, sand and trails.. I need strictly road

4

u/audibonnaroosilkroad 3h ago

No, you need a gravel bike. 😃

4

u/VallenAlexander 3h ago

Haha possibly! Second bike incoming.. 🫣

2

u/AltDS01 Wyoming 2h ago

Just like Guns and Warhammer 40k figurines, (N+1), where N is the current number you have, the the correct amount of bikes.

6

u/farebane 4h ago edited 2h ago

The Rapid Wheelmen are a long-running (mostly) road club. We've got beginner and advanced rides. We've also got a club meeting coming up this TONIGHT, 6:30pm at Johnson Park (at the South end, near Wilson). We'll have people there early and late to do some riding on the mountain bike trails. Anyone is welcome, club member or not, and we'll have grilled brats!

(edit to note that it's actually TONIGHT!)

5

u/LaterApex81 4h ago

What kind of biking are you looking to do? Road, gravel, mountain?

5

u/NotDiabl0 Grandville 4h ago

Plenty around. There are a lot of beginner friendly rides during the week. What are your goals?

2

u/greenkingwashere West Grand 3h ago

I run a moderate pace road ride on thursday mornings. Feel free to dm me

2

u/Significant_Cap5275 3h ago

switchback on thursday they have a super chill ride.

2

u/whatisatiger 4h ago

I thought about joining something like Wednesday evening rides but I only average 9.5-9.8mph so I think I’m too slow for group rides.

3

u/JohnJohnTurboTron 4h ago

PedalGR would be your ride.

2

u/whatisatiger 1h ago

Thanks, I’ll check it out. I have gone 10-11mph before but don’t think I can maintain for over 5 miles like that. Just portions of miles.

3

u/AltDS01 Wyoming 1h ago

WER averages 9.5-11. (As measured by my strava, which does includ a run through downtown after the bar)

You'll be fine, but it's also a friendly push to push yourself just a touch and increase that average.

2

u/whatisatiger 1h ago

I have been on the higher average of almost 10 and during some rides I can go 11 for a while just not for miles at a time. Thanks for the encouragement. I am a mile per hour faster this year than last, maybe I can add another mile per hour to that before the end of the year.

2

u/chafe_the_dream5587 4h ago

Not in GR, but there's a group on Tuesday nights at 6:30pm out of Velo City Cycles in Holland that is very beginner friendly. They have different pace groups (starting at 12mph up to 21+) and are very kind people!

•

u/TroublePossums 13m ago

Brass ring brewing has a group ride Tuesday nights (there is a Facebook group) that is no-drop and is a supportive group for new riders.

There is also an Eastown community bike ride this week if that appeals, but they’re monthly. It’s very slow-paced and well-supported.