Want to find people to ride with in your region, but not a member of a club? Cyclists in Britain can do just that thanks to British Cycling’s Ride Social network, which provides a new pathway into group riding for the wave of adults joining or returning to the sport.
The traditional structure of club cycling in the pre-web world was straightforward: children were introduced to club cycling through parents, youth groups or schools. They remained attached to those clubs as they grew up, or joined new ones when they moved location. For many cyclists the club became the centre of their social lives.
[YOUTUBE ID="5vgWGbIXML8"]
For the many people who were never introduced to club cycling as children, however, the world of competitive cycling is unfamiliar, alien and can feel unwelcoming. British Cycling’s membership has soared to over 100,000 over the last few years, but not all the members are embedded in a club structure.
That’s where Ride Social fits in: cyclists can set up a profile and search for rides, groups or just cycling ‘buddies’ in their area. These can then be filtered by distance, time, type of riding or difficulty. Certain rides are open only to women - or women and children - as part of British Cycling’s Breeze network.
Stewart Kellett, British Cycling’s Recreation and Partnerships Director, said:
"We are delighted to have created a place for cyclists of all abilities to make friends, form groups and get out and ride their way.''
"Ride Social is a great addition to our existing ride programmes, Sky Ride Local guided rides and Breeze bike rides for women," he added.