Overview
The aim of our rides is to have fun while training so that we are improving or maintaining our fitness and cycling abilities. The rides are scenic and social and we consider safety a priority. We aim to provide a variety of speed and distance based groups to match differing abilities and levels of confidence.
Our rides are mostly centred around weekly Wednesday and Saturday rides. We meet at a number of locations, including the Bar on Park Lane where we often finish for refreshments and a natter.
All rides will be advertised on our Facebook group beforehand. If you haven’t joined our VSCC Facebook group, please do so.
For an overview of our group classifications and average group speed, see Ride Groups
Below is a rough guide to the ride speeds of each group, in general a flat ride will be near the top end of the speed range and a hilly ride will be near the bottom end of the speed range.
| Group | Pace |
| C | 10 - 12 mph |
| B- | 12 - 14 mph |
| B | 14 - 16 mph |
| B+ | 16 - 18 mph |
| A- | 17 - 19 mph |
| A | 18+ mph |
To join the A group you must have a recommendation from a ride leader.
If in doubt contact us via Facebook for advice before joining a ride.
Some of us participate in race criteriums, road races, triathlons, duathlons, and cycle-cross, but the majority of us enjoy road riding and sportive type events.
Code of Conduct
Valley Striders Cycling Club use the British Cycling Code of Conduct. Please take time to read this and follow at all times. Click here.
Our main meeting point
for VSCC rides is The Bar on Park Lane, Park Lane, Leeds, LS8 2EH, but sometimes rides meet elsewhere (the meeting point for a ride will always be in the event posted on Facebook for that ride).
Our usual weekly ride programme includes rides on Wednesday evenings & starting Saturday and Sunday mornings (and other times too) and is split into summer & winter as follows:
SUMMER RIDE PROGRAMME (April – September)
Mudguards desirable in summer if wet
Wednesday Wander Evening Rides
Saturday and Sunday Rides
WINTER RIDE PROGRAMME (October – March)
We switch to Winter Rides at the start of October to avoid Wednesday Wander rides returning in the dark, with increased risk.
Mudguards compulsory when wet October and March
Mudguards compulsory at all times November - February
Wednesday Evening Rides on set Winter Routes
Saturday and Sunday Rides
Our Ride Leaders have the freedom to post rides outside these guidelines and/or on different days so keep an eye on Facebook
You must join the event on Facebook if you're thinking of riding with us
Events often fill up, and while we will usually attempt to recruit additional ride leaders to take a split group, this is not guaranteed. Once a ride has reached it's maximum (usually 8 but check the event description), it is considered full.
If you’re in any doubt about which group you might fit into or concerned about not keeping up then better to pick a slow group and build up or contact the Ride Leader to discuss further.
If you're new to VSCC and/or group riding it's best to start at a level one below your expected level so that you're free to concentrate on learning the calls and how VSCC ride as a group.
To see a list of our events please Click here
About The Rides
Wednesday Rides (Wednesday Wander in Summer / Set routes in Winter)
These rides start between 17:00 and 18:30 with the aim of being back at the Bar on Park Lane before 21:00 so no time for a café stop! We have ride-groups heading out for 25-50 mile rides and enjoying a well-earned drink and a chat afterwards. Please arrive at the Bar on Park Lane at least 10 minutes before the ride start, to allow time for a safety briefing.
Saturday Rides
On a Saturday we usually have several ride-groups meeting at 09:00 for rides from 45 to 100 miles. The majority of these rides aim to be back by about 14:30 (a little later for anything over 70 miles) and would include a café stop along the way (cake is very important to us!).
Sunday Rides
On Sundays, we do a steady café ride for beginners and those wanting to take it easy, usually at 09:00. These rides tend to be 30-35 miles at the pace of the slowest rider (typically 10-12mph pace) with a stop for coffee & cake along the way. For those looking for more of a workout we have the Sunday Supplement, which is usually a B paced (15-16mph) ride of approximately 40 miles without a café stop – again starting at 09:00 and aiming to be back by midday.