About a year and a half ago, I got wind of a group in the Phoenix area that had such a good time when they met up at a local coffeeshop for breakfast on Bike to Work Day, that they decided to keep the tradition going every Friday. I tend to have a lot of bicycling things I want to talk about, but find it challenging to have good conversations in the middle of bike rides (“Why yes, we SHOULD change that intersection, AUGH, LOOK OUT FOR THAT SKUNK!”). So I thought it would be a good idea to start a homegrown version where it would be possible to gather, eat, and talk about bikes, without having to worry about dodging potholes at the same time. And thus, Bicycle-Friendly Fridays were born!

If this sounds good and interesting to you, I encourage you to join us. We meet up at the Blue Baker on Dominik Drive, and most of us tend to arrive at around 7:15, depending on our individual morning schedules. We’ll have a bite to eat, chat for a bit, and then head our respective ways for work. It’s a nice way to start the morning.

One of the fun and rewarding parts of bicycling, for many people, is a chance to ride in groups. Group rides, ranging from the talkative Monday Social Ride, to the intense Take No Prisoners ride, present a unique set of challenges that are not always immediately apparent to new riders.

What are the best ways to learn good group-riding skills? One source I like are YouTube videos, such as the following one on how to avoid common causes of crashes, and how to minimize accidents and injuries if you do crash.

What resources have you used to learn more about group riding?

Just for fun, this story comes from the Science of Sarcasm Tumblr files:

I (Rebecca) cannot attend this week, but I have it on good faith that James will be present to lead folks on yet another edition of the Wednesday Ride.

Please come out and join us – while our goal is an “intermediate” pace, “intermediate” can vary, depending on the fitness levels and speed of whomever shows up. The most important thing is to be willing to work with others and be patient to make the ride challenging, but fun.

Details for the ride:

Meet at 5:30 by the Flagpole, roll out at ~5:45, and if you’re running late let James know (before 5:20, e-mail james-dot-allan-dot-robertson at alumni.nd.edu).

We’ll average around 16 mph for 32 miles total (that will take 2 hours and change). We regroup at the end of each section to make sure no one gets lost or left behind, and there’s a stop at a gas station partway in to refuel (ha!). If you’re feeling frisky and reach regroup points fast, you can always add bonus miles by U-turning and doing additional laps. Why not?

Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4665389

Bring water (2 bottles recommended), strap on your helment, fire up your bike lights, check to make sure you’ve got a snack and your toolbag, and join us!