Date: April 10th
Sign in: 6 pm on Urdal Rd.
Ride start: 6:15 pm
Trails:
We'll be running 3 different loops:
Beginner — Happy to Lower Mackenzie
Intermediate — Happy, Waco to Hawaii/ Lower Mackenzie
Advanced — Happy, Waco, Nimby to Bob Gnarly/ Hawaii 3
Après:
Urdal road tailgate.
Notes:
Don't forget your PORCA membership, and along with you bike, make sure you have a helmet, tube, and pump.
PRE-SEASON INTRO
PORCA's Women's Wednesday Social Rides saw an incredible turnout last year - we hosted 27 rides, with an average of 24 riders per week! How cool is it to see so many amazing women in our community getting out there biking, supporting each other, and connecting? People come to Bike Club for many different reasons but the main goal is for everyone to have fun and feel welcome. It's a non-competitive ride for women to share knowledge and to support each other in learning.
Starting
We're going to start in waves to spread riders out on the trail and keep similar riders together so no one gets lost or left behind. Sign-in will open 15 minutes before the ride starts. Come right when sign-in opens so you can get organized in to a ride group.
Ride Guides
For the first couple of weeks, we're going to have "ride guides" - women who know the trails well and are eager to share their love of the terrain. We'll split in to beginner, intermediate, and advanced (short, medium, and long) rides, so you can pick what type of ride you're feeling on that particular day. If you are one of those women who knows the trails well, we encourage you to reach back and take new riders under your wing. If you would like to volunteer to be a ride guide, sign up here to let us know your availability, even if it is just for one day.
If you're unsure of what group you should be riding in, message or ask Bree or Ming and we'll be happy to figure out your ride and introduce you to other people.
However, since we are all about female empowerment at Bike Club, if you're not sure about where you're going, its always a good idea to be prepared, even if it just means downloading the Trailforks app and familiarizing yourself with how to use it. This also means you have a tube, pump and tire levers, and know how to change your own tire.
Beginners
Please come! We have a supportive, inspiring, and dogged group of beginners/ begintermediates that absolutely crush it on the trails. It can be intimidating learning to bike, especially in a community of talented athletes. We don't want you to feel like you have to be a certain level of rider to ride in Bike Club. Believe me, most women feel the same way when they are starting out; they don't want to hold up other riders, they are nervous, etc. The scariest step is coming for the first time! But, you will find other women just like you, and finding that buddy to ride with is key to learning. That said, the Social Rides are not coached. You should have a basic understanding of how your bike works to stay safe on the trails. If you need to learn the basics, sweetskills.ca offers clinics that are great confidence boosters.
Volunteers and Après
Volunteer - Don't feel like riding sometimes? Volunteer to do sign in; sign up here with the days you can help out.
Feel like hosting an apres? Amazing! Jot your name down here for the evening you would like to host.
Bike Club Ride Guide, Volunteer, and Après Sign Up
Other items
If someone catches you on a climb or decent, pull off to the side to let the faster rider past. It's no big deal, we are all slower or faster than someone else so just cheer each other on!
Don't forget your PORCA membership (www.porcabikes.com) before the first ride. Our fully electronic system makes sign-in a breeze, but you need to have a membership before you show up.