Rides

ALL RIDERS MUST WEAR HELMETS TO BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE BIC RIDE. BIC is always looking for ride hosts for Wednesday night rides only.  Tue. and Sat. rides have assigned ride hosts. You can volunteer to be a ride host through a "Volunteer!" button linked to each ride on our calendar or you can click on the Volunteering tab from the home page.  No experience necessary! Contact Rick Walton for more info about being a ride host, richard-walton@uiowa.edu   EVENT RIDES RAGBRAI Charter with BIC Ride Sign-Up Sheet

Weekend Rides

SATURDAY rides take place April through September (weather permitting), ranging in distance from 10 to 60 miles. You do not need to be a member of BIC to join in on the rides, however we hope that after a few rides with us, you will see the benefits of membership. All scheduled ride opportunities are posted on the BIC Calendar online! Check the time and start location.

Saturday rides are intermediate to advanced rides with a pace of 13 to 15 mph. Faster riders may break away; anyone is welcome to keep pace, or remain with the larger group. We make regrouping stops along the route. Typically these rides include a stop at a dining establishment before the group ventures back, or we plan this as a choice at the end. Saturday rides often venture to a city festival or other attraction. The ride  host may freely ride with all members of the group and will not always ride with the slowest rider of the group.

Weekday/Weeknight Rides

Tuesday Morning Rides

TUESDAY morning rides (aka Tuesday 2-Wheelers or T2W) take place mid-April through October (weather permitting) and range in distance from 20 to 40+ miles. Club membership is not required, but it is encouraged.

Start times and locations change with the calendar. Start time is when bikes are expected to depart. Plan on arriving 10 to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start for sign in and ride briefing. Consult the online BIC Calendar for each ride’s location and start time and to DOWNLOAD the GPS route file to your phone or bike computer. (Instructions here.) In case of inclement weather, the ride host will post the cancellation on the BIC Facebook Page at least two hours before the scheduled start time.

Tuesday rides welcome any rider comfortable with the distances we ride. It is not uncommon for riders to ride less than the full route, but tell the ride host if you plan to do that. Most T2W riders average 13-16 mph. Faster and slower riders will ride at their own pace. That includes the ride host, so it is important that all riders have access to the route map. Most T2W routes will have one or two scheduled rest/refuel stops at restaurants or convenience stores. There may be additional regrouping stops at the ride host’s discretion. Ride hosts will communicate this information prior to departure.

Wednesday Night Social Rides

Wednesday night rides April through September meet at a designated starting point at 6:00 pm and take a loop that varies in length from 18 to 28 miles.  These rides, for experienced riders, offer fewer stops and an average speed of 13 to to over 18 mph--a bit more brisk than a leisure ride. Slower riders are always welcome to join the group and can easily shorten the route by turning around to retrace the route home at any time.  Each weekly ride has a ride host, and lights and blinkies are important as we sometimes ride at dusk or in the dark.  We often enjoy beverages and dinner after the ride at a local establishment near the ride start. Check the BIC Ride/Event calendar for start time and location. 

You'll see a few different routes as well as some favorites, such as the Sugar Bottom Loop. Sometimes we start at the same location for two or three weeks--Quinton's Bar & Grill or Flannigan's Restaurant in Coralville, for instance, or North Liberty, or Solon.

Thursday Evening Leisure Rides

Thursday evening leisure rides, at 6 p.m. Thursday May through September, tie in to co-sponsoring groups. These rides begin in Solon the first week of the month, Coralville the second, a choice of Grant Wood Elementary (South Side Iowa City Neighborhood Association) or Tiffin the third week, and North Liberty the fourth. Beginners or casual recreational riders will appreciate a pace of 8 to 12 mph on trails and low-traffic roads. Riders stay together as a group and typically stop for refreshments after or during the ride (it's often ice cream!).   This is a "no drop" ride (no rider will be left behind) with friendly riders who will look after you. 

Cancellations & Weather Conditions

If the weather looks uncertain, you should check Bicyclists of Iowa City Facebook and or the BIC web site event calendar page to see if a ride has been cancelled.  If there is no updated status, then please contact the ride host.  The ride host may cancel the ride at his or her discretion. If there is no ride host indicated for the ride please use your own discretion.  Usually, ride cancellations follow the same criteria:

• Rain or snow falling
• Heavy fog
• High Winds
• Lightning & Thunderstorms (Severe Weather Warnings)
• Temperatures below 32°F/above 100°F (Heat indexes above 100°F, Wind Chill below 32°F)
• Air Stagnation Warning
  

Rides Classification System

BIC depends on its members to ensure a good time is had by all. Therefore, please review our ride classification system so that you select a ride that matches your cycling style and abilities. When in doubt, select the lower level. Note that ride policies are more of a recommendation than a rule. Some ride hosts will follow the practice they feel works best for their ride.  WE ARE NOT USING IS RATING CHART AT THIS TIME.