Can I come on a test ride?

We welcome you to join us for a ride or two, to experience what we do. Head over to the News page (look for the most recent “What’s been Happening in the Monkey House” post) which will list this week’s rides. Decide which ride you would like to join (if in doubt choose the slower one) and use the contact page to drop us a message and we’ll get you on a ride.

When you turn up for your ride please make yourself known and mention to your ride leader that you are on a test ride. Depending on your experience you might find it helpful to take a look at our Communicating on the Road guide.

Do I need experience?

We welcome members of all levels of experience. If you haven’t ridden with a group much, or indeed at all, we will be happy to teach you the basics, the etiquette and support you in becoming a safe and competent group rider. Just let your rider leader know where you are at and they will do the rest. You can start straight away by taking a look at our Communicating on the Road guide.

What sort of riding?

Although we are a predominantly road-based club, we also organise off-road rides that range from UK gravel to trail center mountain biking. We have members that take part in the West Midlands cyclocross league, time trails, hill climbs, and longer distance exploits such Audax and ultras. From October to March there is a weekly Zwift ride. We are a multi-discipline club and are confident that whatever type of cycling you are into you will find others of a similar mind.

When? Where? How far?

We ride on Thursday evenings, Sunday mornings and some Saturdays – exact timings, length and speeds of rides are available in the sign-up information. Thursday rides go out for roughly 90 minutes and range from 15mph-21mph. Thursday rides normally end in the back bar of the Hare and Hounds for a beer and a chat. Saturday and Sunday rides normally go a bit further, or a lot further, at a more relaxed pace, may involve coffee and cake, with groups normally riding 13mph-19mph. All details of the expected terrain, type of ride - group ride, hill efforts, TT, chain gang etc. will be listed in the ride sign-up details.

Most rides start and end at The Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath  - if this is not the case it will be listed in the ride sign-up details.

What to bring?

You must wear a helmet to take part in any club ride. No helmet, no ride.

A roadworthy bike.

Water and possibly food if the ride is long enough. If you are in any doubt as to whether you need to bring food, bring it.

Spare inner tubes, tools and a pump. Other members will always be happy to help you but you should never rely on anyone else to get you out of trouble. Be self-sufficient.

The weather can change quickly and we can have 4 seasons in one morning, so check the forecast and dress appropriately. If there’s a 1% chance of rain, stick your waterproof in your pocket because it will definitely rain.

A payment method. This could be for the cafe stop or if you need to get a train or taxi in case of an emergency.

Ride leaders and insurance

All official club rides are led by a designated Gorilla ride leader and require members to sign-up in advance. We have a number of female ride leaders who lead both mixed and ad-hoc women only rides.

The club is insured via British Cycling and affiliated to them. Please see this British Cycling Club insurance FAQ for more information.

We recommend members to take out their own personal insurance, be that through of the many commercial insurance providers or via being a member of British Cycling.

All riders are not only expected to obey the laws of the road but also act in a polite a courteous manner whilst representing the club.

Winter riding

The club continues to ride all year round and in most weather conditions. Lights are mandatory and full-length mud guards strongly recommended. There is no better way to make new friends than not spraying dirty water in their face. If the weather adversely changes on the road, ride leaders can and sometimes will change length of route and speed to suit.

There will be times when official rides can and will be cancelled if it is deemed that there is an issue with rider safety. This is usually down to weather conditions (if the temperature drops below 3 degrees or extreme rain/flooding). In these cases a “drop in and ride” will be called which means riders are free to organise their own groups but you won’t be insured, and it is at your own risk.

We will do our best to provide as much notice as possible, via our Whats App community or the Facebook group.

Under 18’s

Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate members under 18 years of age.