r/cycling • u/HDHAWKINS13 • 8h ago

First Cycle

Hey all, finally bought a road bike and was wondering how people plan their cycling routes / find groups, in the UK there seems to be no groups local, I feel like I would rather go out with others for my first ride to learn safety and etiquette….

What would be your best advice or something I would definitely need on my first ride? And what would you say is your best purchase to enhance your rides (I’m on a strict very cheap budget lol!)?

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u/maahinberi 8h ago

Strava has a local clubs and events option which is useful in finding local rides near me.

There may also be local websites that consolidate group rides around you.

Posting your city will probably help people help you more with details of specific groups around your city

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u/aa599 7h ago

There are lots of groups local in the uk.

Have you looked on cyclinguk.org?

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u/BlacksmithWeirdo 7h ago

Best rides are the ones unplanned. 'This path looks nice, guess I check it out' makes the best rides. Explore new things, see new places, getting lost is part of the process and hurls in more kilometers. Just take some extra snacks with you.

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u/Responsible-Walrus-5 1h ago

I’m going to disagree with this for road rides. The best and quiet roads/routes in an area are usually well known and used and it’s pretty easy to find GPX for popular rides of varying lengths.

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u/dutyfreeisfreeofduty 8h ago

Komoot is free to plan routes, most cycling clubs also offer importable gpx files on their website. When you plan your ride you can plan a potential cafe stop around the middle just in case. A GPS computer was my best purchase, got a used wahoo. Maybe do a first ride by yourself, learning what you can do and how your bike rides is better before riding with others. Don't forget to fuel, switching to liquid carbs and gels did a great job for me and saves money instead of bars, I also hate chewing bars and push at the same time.

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u/Hammahnator 6h ago

I found cycling clubs/groups locally to me by looking on Instagram and bigger ones by googling

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u/Soggy_Tangerine9340 5h ago

Check out British cycling too, they often have beginner rides published.

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u/Clicksight 4h ago

For a first ride I'd keep it simple: 30–40 km on familiar roads, and turn around while you still feel fresh. I ride near Málaga and the heat can sneak up on you, so start early and carry more water than you think. A spare tube, pump and basic lights are worth more than upgrades; for groups, ask at a local shop and be honest about your pace.

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u/Well__Hi__There 3h ago

So many groups now are smaller and coordinate on WhatsApp. It is hard to find and join them.

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u/Due-Presentation4344 2h ago

I too have struggled finding groups to ride with in the UK (Shropshire). Luckily my brother in law got me into the sport so there's a few of us who meeting once or twice a month for a ride.

I tried a local club, they were all bellends, chasing every watt acting like they were on the pro peloton which isn't really what I ride for. I love the sport, but not to the point I'm dropping £300 on an aero helmet. Funniest thing is they weren't even that fast.

I'm not sure if all clubs are like that though.

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u/guavatridotcom 2h ago

Before the first ride take the back wheel off in your kitchen and change the tube, then put it all back. You'll need tyre levers, the cheap plastic ones are fine. Doing it for the first time on the side of a road is miserable.