Ohio City Bicycle Co-op

On the first Saturdays of every month, at 10am, we meet at the co-op for a ride. We try to leave by 10:30am, and always return by noon. We choose a destination like a street fair or another interesting place -- and often have a "theme," like Underground Railroad sites, bridges & bike access, Rock and Roll, Cleveland baseball history, community gardens, or public art, with local experts to talk about the stops along the way. We always ride as a group, so no one is left behind.  We do take major holidays off, and sometimes have additional, longer, afternoon rides to more distant destinations, which are announced in advance on our calendar.

It's a casual, easy, friendly ride, and a good informal way to learn about riding in traffic and with other cyclists. Here are a few points to remember:

• Saturday - We ride every month, on the first Saturday, in any weather, as long as someone shows up. This includes winter -- so if you've never ridden when it's cold before, join us -- it's still fun! Dress for the temperature as you would for a windy walk, but if needed, we have some warm clothes you can use (ear-bands, gloves, scarves): be sure to wear warm shoes that are not too tight -- your normal winter coat is more than warm enough. 

• Safety first!  We ride legally on all of our rides, including Saturday social rides (so before we start we'll have a short mechanical Safety Check and explanation of bicycle traffic laws), and helmets are required -- if you don't have one, you can use one of our loaners.

• Social - This ride is a  good way for anyone to get on a bike and have some fun. We don't go fast or leave any stragglers behind, and we don't ride too far (usually no more than 5 miles, and never more than 10 miles); so everyone can have a good time.

• Ride - This is just an easy way to get out and enjoy a bike ride. If you don't have a bike, you can use one of ours. We have small bikes to borrow if you want to bring your riding children along, and tandems or trailers if you want to bring your not-yet-riding children. It's also a great chance to test-ride one of our bikes if you're thinking of buying one.
  

This ride is an easy, fun way to get some experience to be more comfortable riding in traffic: if you'd like more formal help with that, on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month we offer Intro to Traffic Skills, and on the 3rd Saturday, a special Kids' Traffic Skills class.

If you have any questions about this month's ride, please email info@ohiocitycycles.org, call, or visit anytime we are open (hours listed at right).