Ride Guide
Everything you need to know to get rolling with us
Trail Ride Levels
We try to offer something for everyone with our trail rides - from new riders to old hats. So to this end, there are four riding levels for our regular Tuesday and Thursday evening rides. As you move up the levels, the rides get longer, faster and require a bit more skill. So how do you know which level is right for you? It really boils down to three things: fitness, skill and desire. The faster ride levels obviously require more skill level and fitness but they also require the desire to ride faster. Not everyone does. Some riders have the experience and the endurance, but for a variety of reasons they choose to take it down a notch or three and enjoy a slower paced ride. On the other hand, there are riders who are constantly pushing their limits - they want to hit those trails and hit them hard. So when you're looking to place yourself, look at not only your skill and fitness level, but what you want out of the ride. In general to help you place yourself:
Rec 1
Designed for new riders with little experience on the trails, who are building skills and endurance OR for riders looking for a ride that's slower, shorter and less challenging. Since our beginner riders are developing their trail skills, Rec 1 emphasizes skill development and has lots of regrouping at trickier parts. A typical ride at the beginning of the season is 5-10 km over two hours on easier trails. As the season progresses and people gain skill and fitness, the rides will get slightly longer and newer riders will typically move on to rec 2. The Rec 1 rider should be able to:
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ride for 10 minutes at a moderate pace without stopping and should be ready to try to...
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climb and descend small hills
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ride low bridges that have a flat, straight approach
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ride over small roots and rocks.
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Riders may also still need assistance in changing a flat tire.
Rec 2
Designed for riders who may be newer but who are starting to feel some comfort on the trails and are gaining some trail skills OR riders with some experience who are content with a shorter, slower-paced ride. There is still some regrouping for shorter periods of time to catch your breath and discuss techniques for tricky sections. A typical ride at the beginning of the season is 12-15 km over two hours, with some hills and technical sections to ride. This will get longer as the season progresses. The Rec 2 rider should be able to:
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climb and descend small hills
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ride for 20 minutes without stopping
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ride low bridges that have a flat, straight approach
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ride over more roots and rocks, as well as small logs.
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Riders may also still need assistance in changing a flat tire.
Sport 1
For riders who are gaining skill and endurance and have the confidence to ride faster for longer periods of time on more challenging trails. There is less frequent regrouping, but groups will still stop to allow everyone to catch up and talk out approaches to the more technical trail sections. A typical ride at the beginning of the season is 15-20 km over two hours, on trails with large hills and technical sections. This will get longer as the season progresses. The Sport 1 rider should be able to :
• Climb and descend steeper hills with some roots or rocks
• Ride for 30 minutes without stopping
• Ride low bridges that have a turn or small hill on either end
• Ride over moderate-sized roots and rocks
• Riders may still need assistance in changing a flat tire.
Sport 2
For experienced riders able to ride for a longer time at a faster pace. There is little regrouping and very little stopping. The expectation is that sport 2 riders will be able to ride most hills, obstacles and challenging trail sections. A typical ride at the beginning of the season is 18-25 km over two hours, getting longer as the season progresses. The sport rider 2 should be able to:
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climb and descend steep hills with lots of roots, rocks and other obstacles
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ride for 30-40 minutes without stopping
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ride higher bridges that have a sharp turn or steep hill on either end
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confidently navigate switchbacks, uphill and downhill
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ride over larger roots and rocks, as well as large logs.
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Riders should be able to change a tire on their own.
Road Ride Levels
Just like for our trail rides, we try to make sure we have something for everyone on the road. As such, we also have three riding levels for road rides. So which group is right for you? Road riding has a little less of a learning curve than mountain biking so skill isn't as much of an issue. But fitness and desire are still important. How's your endurance? Are you able to ride at speed for a sustained length of time? Do you want to go fast and find all the hills to climb? Or do you want to take things slow and low?
To help you place yourself:
Rec 1
For riders who are new to road riding, who are building speed and endurance OR for riders looking for a ride that's slower, shorter and less challenging. The Rec 1 rider should be able to:
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ride at a 16-20 km/h pace
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ride for approximately 20 km or more with breaks
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climb and descend rolling hills.
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Note: mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid bikes, gravel bikes are all welcome on this ride.
Rec 2
For riders who are gaining speed and endurance on the road and are able to ride for longer periods of time on more challenging routes. The Rec 2 rider should be able to:
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ride at a 21-25 km/h pace
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ride for approximately 25 km or more with breaks
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climb and descend rolling hills.
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Note: because the Rec 2 ride is a little longer and faster, road bikes are preferred. It would be difficult to keep up on a different style of bike.
Sport
For riders who are able to ride for a long time at a fast pace. There are few breaks and more challenging routes. The Sport rider should be able to:
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ride at a 26+ km/h pace
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ride for approximately 30 + km with few breaks
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climb and descend bigger hills.
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Note: road bikes are required for Sport.
Not sure you can keep up?
No need to worry!
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All of our rides are no-drop, which means that we never leave anyone behind. Ever.
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And to help everyone get up to speed? We've got you covered with get-your-lungs-and-legs-back-into-shape Early Bird Rides. The month of April is all about getting ready to ride. We have Thursday evening Hydro Hill repeat nights and Sunday double-track rides. You'll be keeping up in no time!