What we’re about
This is a very informal and friendly group that I formed in early July of 2017 shortly after my arrival in Paris from California. We are a B-Group, which means that we are fit enough to ride a 100 km weekend ride, but we aren't terribly concerned about speed. Our ride is more about the experience, seeing some beautiful countryside and making some friends.
- See our list of member-recommended bike shops in the Paris region
We offer no-drop rides, meaning no one gets left behind, namely ME. We regroup along the route as necessary at key turns and at the tops of significant climbs. We average about 22 km per hour over an entire ride of 60-100 km.
If you're looking for a weekend training ride with a faster group of cyclists who compete in races and triathlons, this is not the group for you. I recommend checking out Paris Cycling Group, which often rides at a pace between 27-30 kph. They have a new organizer and are also doing no-drop rides. There are other groups organized by several bike shops in Paris.
If you can ride faster and don't mind stopping on occasion during a ride to wait for others in the group -- like me -- who fall behind a little on climbs, then this may be the ride for you. If you do mind doing this, then it probably isn't.
I formed this group specifically for you...and me, of course. After trying unsuccessfully to ride with some of the fast groups in Paris, I wised up and formed my own group.
We have a distinctly international flavor, which is a byproduct of my poor French language skills and how I first promoted the group (Expat was in the name of the original group). Riders who have joined meetups thus far include men and women who hail from France, Great Britain, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Iceland, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Mexico, Canada, Poland, Spain, Italy, Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine and the U.S.
What we all share in common is a love of cycling and possession of passable English language skills, although many languages are spoken during each ride.
We ride most often on Sundays because the streets have less traffic than Saturdays, but in the warmer months we frequently schedule rides for both weekend days.
If this sounds enticing and about your speed, please join us for a ride. FYI, most of us have cycling computers with GPS, which we have found indispensable. I highly recommend that you get one if you don't have one. And, of course, helmets are required.
Be advised that when you click the Going box to RSVP to join a ride, you are agreeing to wear a helmet, ride safely and responsibly, accept responsibility for your own behavior and not hold the group or organizers responsible for any damages you may suffer that are no fault of the group or organizer.
Cheers,
Jeff Ballinger
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Saturday loop to St. Remy-á-Chevreuse - 57km gruppetto pace 19-20kphPlace de la Porte de Châtillon, Paris
Strava route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3353004470017905368
Saturday looks better than Sunday, so let's get it while we can. This ride starts at 8h30. The route is 57 km and we'll average a sane pace of 19-20 kph. Hence the moniker "gruppetto group," which is the Italian name for the group of cyclists that forms behind the peloton typically occupied by sprinters and domestiques.
If you're looking for a longer and faster ride, check their ride out here. It is 105km at a 25kph avg and departs 30 minutes later at 9h.
This no-drop ride begins at 8h30 at Place de la Porte de Chatillon. Potentially a brief coffee stop along the way.
As always, please check the following:
- do you have the cycling fitness and experience for this ride? no half-wheeling, try to stay around 30cm away from the wheel in front of you.
- safety comes first: no helmet, no PCB ride.
- this ride is for road bikes/velos de route, not for VTT etc.
- bring spare tube, bidons, energy bars, gels, etc.
- bring money.
REMINDER*: PCB rides are no-drop with a focus on staying together. Our rides fill a niche and are designed for people who want to ride in a group, together, at a medium pace with others who are more interested in the experience than in riding as fast as possible. We regroup at the tops of significant climbs and key turns, so no one gets left behind.
If you are looking for something different, perhaps a weekend training ride with a fast group of cyclists who compete in races and triathlons, then this is not the group for you. I recommend checking out Paris Cycling Group, which typically feature rides at an average speed of 25-28 kph. There are other groups, as well, which are organized by several bike shops in Paris.
For more information about Paris Cycling B-group, please check out our What We Are About section on our MeetUp landing page.
