
As a social club, most OPCC rides are recreational and non-competitive, although we recognize that many of our members do enjoy faster training rides and we encourage anyone who is interested to organize fast rides and submit them for the club calendar.
A Note About "No Rider Left Behind"On all Oak Park Cycle Club rides, our policy is to never "drop" a rider.Sometimes we will have rides with people of varying abilities and it's okay to split into fast and slow groups for those kinds of rides. But, slower riders should never be made to feel bad about not keeping up, and faster riders should not feel bad about riding slower than they are able.
Having said that, please choose rides that match your riding style. We try to create a calendar of rides that offers something for everybody and to also have some rides that
everyone can feel free to join in on.
Important: Pace refers to the average cruising speed between stops, not necessarily the computer average. Our group rides exhibit a casual, but safe organization. We don't generally ride in pacelines, but faster rides might. Here are the official pace designations for all Club Rides so that everyone will have a clear idea of the expected pace of OPCC rides.
Social Pace: 10 mph or lessSocial Pace rides include the Saturday Morning Breakfast Club, Oak Park Critical Mass and other casual, noodling jaunts around town. If you are looking for a hearty workout every time you ride, you may not enjoy a Social Pace ride.
Moderate Pace: 10-12 mphModerate Pace rides may include Wednesday Night Show & Go, rides on the Prairie Path or other bike trails, as well as spontaneous rides that come up on occasion. Moderate Pace rides can peak at higher speeds but generally are pretty leisurely rides. Again, not for those looking for much of a workout or a competitive pace.
Touring Pace: 13-15 mphMany of our Club Rides are in the Touring Pace category, such as the Sunday Sunrise Ride, Wednesday Night Show & Go and other spontaneous rides that come up on occasion. Touring Pace rides can have cruising stretches of 18 mph or more and can peak a bit higher, depending on conditions.
Training Pace: 16+ mphThe only Training Pace ride at present is the Monday night Faster Fun Training Ride. These rides have an average pace of at least 16 mph over at least 10 miles, with some sprints thrown in. Speed and distance may increase depending on the riders who show up. If you can't sustain that pace, this is not the ride for you.
If there is a ride or a riding style you would like to see on the calendar, you should propose it for the Ride Calendar.