Bike Roswell! Group Rides

To ride with us you must complete a waiver.

Always check our Facebook group for real-time information. We will confirm if the ride is on, or if weather has gotten in the way, or if there is a new start time: Bike City Facebook Group.

Wednesday evening

Where: Stout Brothers Roswell (corner of Canton & Woodstock)

When: 6:30 PM

Saturday morning

Where: Upper parking lot of Roswell North Elementary School (10517 Woodstock Road Roswell GA 30075)

When: 8:00 AM 

Group Ride Guidelines (eff. August 2024)

RIDE LEADERS
  • Designate a ride leader and sweeper for larger groups
  • Leaders and sweepers should communicate through WhatsApp during the ride if needed. WhatsApp allows you to share location for 30 minutes for example. 
  • A group should not be more than 20 riders. If this is the case, the group should be split.
  • Maintain a consistent pace, avoiding sudden surges or stops.
  • You can do mid-ride announcements on what is working well and what is not working well. For example: when you see surging it should be addressed. 
NEW RIDER CHECKLIST
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT for the group
  • Sign our waiver (pinned post on Bike City Facebook page)  https://tinyurl.com/brwaiver12 
  • Consider supporting BR by becoming a member.
  • Wear your helmet and keep your ears clear.
  • This is a group ride.  Try to keep it as a group and avoid surging / big gaps.
  • Do not suddenly stop, slowdown, etc., without informing people. 
  • Do not take phone calls while riding in a group.
  • .You should not overtake your groups leader other than helping them pull/share the load
    • On longer climbs people can climb their own pace and regroup at top
  • In order for us to keep together, please choose the right group. This is a no-drop ride, meaning that a leader HAS to stay with you if you drop, and you will split the group. If you cannot keep up, indicate to the leader you cannot keep up and drop down to a slower group.
  • Always obey traffic laws, signals, and signs.
  • Use hand signals and vocal cues to communicate intentions, such as turns, stops, slowing down, or hazards in the path.
  • At red lights, stay behind cars. Do not overtake them on the right side unless there is a clear shoulder on both sides of the road and no chance that a car is making a right turn.  (Example, Highway 9 and Riverside)
  • We ride with respect. Respect your fellow riders, laws and cars.
  • Never forget:  Safety, Safety, and Looking Good!
INTRODUCE RIDE LEADERS
  • To identify themselves, the leaders of each group should raise their hand.
  • Have the leader talk about what they are planning to do with their group on that ride.
 Mechanical Protocol
  • When a mechanical occurs, ideally only 1 or 2 people should stay behind to assist, and the rest of the group should continue to the dedicated regroup / break area.
  • The helper will communicate status with the ride leader(s) via CALL / MSG.
  • The ride leader and the mechanical helper should jointly decide to either wait or roll on.

Suggested response guidelines:

  • Typically a fast fix (tire, chain drop, etc., 2-5 min) -- group should wait
  • Long fix (10-15+ minutes)  -- group should move on
 Lights Protocol

Front light 

  • At night:  Solid, on a medium/low setting. The light should be angled down to the road.
  • During the day:  Blinking or solid

Rear Light

         During the day:  Blinking is preferred for visibility

         At dusk / night / Wednesday ride:

  • We strongly urge people to put SOLID lights on when riding in a group.
  • If a Rider has a strong need to keep a blinking light on, they should ride on the back of the pack to avoid blinding riders behind them.
  • Lights need to point straight or slightly down so fellow riders do not get blinded.
  • Adjust the brightness down to the dimmest setting.
Double Paceline Protocol
  • 8 riders or fewer, we will preferably ride single file.
  • 9 riders or more we will preferably ride a double paceline.

Exceptions to double paceline:

  • Steep climbs and/or where the road is narrow
  • South Loop:
  • Norcross past the bridge (Hog Wallow Creek)
  • Grimes Bridge climb
  • Riverside/Dogwood intersection West to Hwy 9
  • Willeo climb
  • Bowen Road climb (to Waverly/Little Sister)
  • West loop
  • Little Willeo to Johnson Ferry (after Karl's Gate regroup)
  • Lower Roswell Road descent (through the roundabout)
  • North loop
  • New Providence first climb after the bridge and the second climb
  • Providence 2-mile climb
  • Wiley Bridge (after Cox Road)

FAQ

Q: What is the route for the ride? How far, what roads, elevation, etc.?

A: The Bike Roswell route is a 20-25 mile route around Roswell that includes flats along the river, riding down Historic Canton Street and several tough climbs that will challenge riders. The full route is along public roadways with motor vehicles, and only some roads along the route include bike lanes. Some of the roads are 25 or 30 MPH roads, but most roads on the route have 35 MPH speed limits.

See the full route here.

Q: Is this a good ride for children/families?

A: This ride is best for riders with some experience in riding on roads, riding in charity rides like the Bike Roswell Mayor’s Ride, GA400 ride, or other recreational charity rides. Generally, that does not include young kids, but we have had several teenage and plenty of college-aged riders participate in our rides.

Q: I ride the Greenway and other trails frequently but want to try a group ride. Is the Saturday ride a good option for me?

A: Going from riding on trails to riding on the road can be intimidating for many riders. In addition, the Bike Roswell! route can be difficult for riders not used to hills and climbs. If you are interested in joining the group but have never done group or road rides, reach out to our members via Facebook or on our WhatsApp chat group.  Members and riders will be happy to discuss more details about the ride and group speeds.

Q: Do I need a “road” bike for this ride?

A: We have had riders use hybrid and even mountain bikes before, but the route has several tough climbs for which a road bike is best suited.

A: I am a racer/triathlete, is this a good ride for me?

Q: Racers and triathletes are welcome, but this is a group ride and not a race.  Riders are encouraged to ride with the group. Triathletes with tri-bars are asked to not use their tri-bars during the ride.

Q: Do I have to be a Bike Roswell! member to join the ride?

A: No! The ride is a free community group ride with volunteers who help lead and sweep (ensure no one gets left behind) the ride.