Sportwheels Beginner Mountain Bike ride Monday May 27 6:30 Shubie Park

Come out and join me for the first official Beginners Mountain bike weekly ride for 2019! We’ll meet at Fairbanks Centre parking lot at Shubie Park.
This ride is geared toward beginners but riders of all abilities welcome, last year we had a nice mix of novice and experienced riders. We’ll start the year with easy trails and work up to more challenging trails. Monday nights at 6:30 will be the regular schedule but I will also post when I’m planning other rides throughout the week.
This is a no drop ride, bring bug spray, water, a snack and a light if you have it. Hope to see ya!!!

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Good stuff!

New to the site and learning terms. What is meant by a no drop ride?

No one will be left behind.

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Getting “dropped” is when a rider can’t keep up with a group, and the group disappears into the distance… which happens to me all the time… :slight_smile:

“No drop” means someone will keep pace with you or wait for you to catch up.

Way to go Sportwheels and @Leslie_Dunnington for getting a beginner ride going!

I would call our ECMTB rides “no drop”. The whole group will wait periodically at checkpoints. No one finishes early and leaves.

I can’t imagine how a whole group could ride at the slowest pace without periodic stops.

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The whole group doesn’t have to slow down, but if one or two keep pace with a slower rider so that they don’t have to ride alone, it does make a big difference to the individual rider. The pacer can rotate with others so that they don’t have to ride slow the whole time. Riding alone, especially on night rides is really discouraging. It is really good that the group waits, but riding alone for 10 or 15 minutes at a time sure does feel like getting dropped. Having a designated “sweeper” is great, especially for newbies. I really appreciate when someone who could outride me hangs out with me at the back, and I try to do the same when I’m out with someone newer or slower than me.

I should add that most ECMTB rides have had sweepers making sure no one gets left behind, but there have also been a few rides that I’ve been riding alone in the dark, sometimes getting to intersections and wondering which way the group went… just something to be aware of.

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Is this still on?