Author: Meg T

Sunday Gravel Ride | Sept 15th 8:00 AM

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We haven’t been down to Valens for a while, plus it’s time to test your late season punchy hill skills on the LaFarge trail! Should be a beautiful day. Lots of fun friendly trail on this route. Scott is the ride leader. There may still be a food truck in Valens, but bring a snack for a quick break there just in case. There will also be a stop just after coming out of Puslinch at the Little Lake Market (km 69), where you can drink a very expensive latte. Bring some money.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Speed Groups on this ride are:

CatNameAverage Speed
G1Fast26+ kph
G2Advanced24-26 kph
G3Intermediate22-24 kph
G4Relaxed19-22 kph

All rides need a minimum of 3 members signed up in order to officially run. If a ride has the required number of riders, but no Group Captain riding with them, that group ride will be considered cancelled. The group can decide among themselves to hold an ‘unofficial’ ride and follow the route. All group riders take it upon themselves to know the route and are responsible for their own safety.

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 8:00 AM

Start Location: Guelph Youth Music Centre 75 Cardigan St

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: All Speed Groups will follow this map:

Thursday Intermediate Road Ride | August 29th 6:00PM

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Second last for the season 🙁 . Come on out while you can!

Darren has kindly volunteered to lead this ride. You know he’s great to ride with, so you’re guaranteed a fun outing. (Your scheduled ride leader (me, Meg) has a strained hip flexor).

Please load the route on your bike computer (here’s how) if you can.

The sun is setting earlier, so bringing lights is a good idea.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Intermediate Speed Groups

Ride NameSpeed GroupAvg SpeedGroup Name
INT AR628-30Moderate
INT BR726-28Social
INT CR824-26Relaxed

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:00 PM

Start Location: East End Library at Starwood and Watson

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: The Intermediate A & B Speed Groups (R6 & R7) will follow this map:

Route: The Intermediate C Speed Group (R8) will follow this map:

Women Only Ride | August 28th 6:00 PM

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Special Note: We are starting and ending at Fixed Gear Brewing Canteen.

It’s our final Women’s Ride of the 2024 season, so let’s celebrate with (a start) and finish at Fixed Gear. (Note – We’ve blown the budget, so you’ll have to pay for your own drinks and snacks 🙂 )

Krysta is our ride leader. We’re hoping a lot of you will show up, so that we can split the group into a truly leisurely R8ish ride and a faster “recovery” ride for those who want it!

The route is a nice rural romp, once we manage to circuitously get out of town. There’s a bit of gravel on the route, but it’s all nicely hard packed.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:00 PM

Start Location: Fixed Gear Brewing Canteen 5 Edinburgh Rd S, Guelph, ON N1H 5N8

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: All Speed Groups will follow this map:

Thursday Intermediate Road Ride | August 8th 6:30PM

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I so enjoyed riding the no-longer-gravel Townline the other week (thank you Sarah!) that I’m bringing it back in the opposite direction. Days are getting shorter, so bringing lights is a good idea.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Intermediate Speed Groups

Ride NameSpeed GroupAvg SpeedGroup Name
INT AR628-30Moderate
INT BR726-28Social
INT CR824-26Relaxed

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:30 PM

Start Location: East End Library at Starwood and Watson

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: The Intermediate A & B Speed Groups (R6 & R7) will follow this map:

Route: The Intermediate C Speed Group (R8) will follow this map:

DNR Ride | July 31st 6:00 PM

It’s looking like a nice evening for a ride! We did a south-east route for our first ride, so we’ll head north-east this time. A wee bit of hardpacked gravel on the way to Maryhill, and some G2G on the way home to keep us off the busier roads. I’m including a shortcut route for anyone who wants to get to their refreshments sooner!

Special Note: We are starting (and ending) at Fixed Gear Brewing Canteen, how convenient! GCC will pay for pizzas.

These DNR rides are for those of us 60 and older. Route distances are selected to get us to the bar before our glaucoma starts to take affect. But bringing lights is always a good idea, just in case.

Let’s display our tech-savvy (and placate the ride leader), and load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

The Speed Groups on this ride are TBA based on the diversity of those who show up.

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:00 PM

Start Location: Fixed Gear Brewing Canteen 5 Edinburgh Rd S, Guelph, ON N1H 5N8

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: Main course:

Shortcut course:

Women Only Ride – Fixed Gear Edition | July 17th 6:30PM

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And ….. it finally appears that we may not get rained out! So come on out for our (postponed) once-annual Fixed Gear start and finish Women’s Ride, with pizza and a drink on GCC! I’ve kept the route on the shorter side to allow more time for socializing. The speed will depend on who shows up. If the attendees have quite diverse riding strength, we may divide into two speed groups.

Bringing lights is always a good idea.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:30 PM

Start Location: Fixed Gear Canteen, 5 Edinburgh Rd S

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: The Women Only Route will follow this map:

Recovery Ride | Monday July 15th 6:30PM

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Feeling tired from your Super Sunday or Reggie race? Or simply social? Join us for a short recovery ride and meet some of our newest members who will be there for Learn-to-Group-Ride! We are considering adding this to our weekly ride repertoire.

Meet at Flow State Bike Co. parking lot

There is limited parking at the Arkell United Church

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:30 PM

Start Location: Parking lot at Flow State Bike Co., Arkell

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: The Recovery ride will follow this route:

Thursday Intermediate Road Ride | July 4 6:30PM

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It’s time to do our annual bumpety-bump ride before the days get any shorter! And sorry for the late posting – my bad! Hope to see a good turn-out – this is a fun route.

Bringing lights is always a good idea.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Intermediate Speed Groups

Ride NameSpeed GroupAvg SpeedGroup Name
INT AR628-30Moderate
INT BR726-28Social
INT CR824-26Relaxed

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:30 PM

Start Location: East End Library at Starwood and Watson

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: The Intermediate A & B Speed Groups (R6 & R7) will follow this map:

Route: The Intermediate C Speed Group (R8) will follow this map:

Learn to Group Ride | Monday June 17th 6:15PM

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All new club members are required to attend a Learn to Group Ride session (LTGR).

What is it? Instruction for those new to the club and/or Group Riding.

Where: Flow State Bike Co., 599 Arkell Rd

When: Learn to Group Ride will be offered weekly on Mondays starting May 6th through June 24th, and July 8th and 15th.

Parking: Arkell United Church, 600 Arkell Rd

How it will work: Riders will gather in the Flow State parking lot and identify themselves to the Ride Leader (usually in a red jersey). Riders will be given group riding instruction, followed by a parking lot lesson. Afterward, the riders will be led ride on public roads over an approximate 40km route with more instruction.

Who: You MUST be a GCC member or approved Try-a-Rider to attend.

Sign up closes at 4:00 PM on the day of the Ride. You must sign-up for the ride in advance. See below

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:15 PM

Start Location: Flow State Bike Co.

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Thursday Intermediate Road Ride | June 6th 6:30PM

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For tonight’s ride, let’s take our lives in our hands and cross the Hanlon! It’s worth it to get to those sweet quiet roads on the other side.

Bringing lights is always a good idea.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Intermediate Speed Groups

Ride NameSpeed GroupAvg SpeedGroup Name
INT AR628-30Moderate
INT BR726-28Social
INT CR824-26Relaxed

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:30 PM

Start Location: East End Library at Starwood and Watson

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: The Intermediate A & B Speed Groups (R6 & R7) will follow this map:

Route: The Intermediate C Speed Group (R8) will follow this map:

DNR Ride | May 29 6:00PM

It’s time for our first (of two!) DNR rides. We have a few new members in our elite group this year; some have just aged in.

We start and end at the Fixed Gear Brewing Canteen on Edinburgh.

There are only a couple appropriate-distance good routes from Fixed Gear (we try to get back to the bar before our glaucoma starts to take effect), and I’ve selected my favourite. Several of you will be familiar with this route. I’ve posted two versions – one avoids Downey Road by using a little trail that requires most (but not all) of us to dismount; the second avoids the trail, but puts us on Downey. We can take a vote tomorrow : )

We’ll see who all shows up and break into speed groups appropriately. But we’ll all gather on the patio for some club-subsidized pizza and refreshments after, so bring some warm clothes to change into. Someone always has a car you can stash them in if you don’t drive to the start.

Remember to bring some lights.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:00 PM

Start Location: Fixed Gear Brewing Canteen 5 Edinburgh Rd S, Guelph, ON N1H 5N8

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: We will will follow one of these slightly different maps:

Tuesday All Members Ride | May 21st 6:30PM

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This is the second last ‘Early Season’ route for the TAM Ride. Bringing lights is always a good idea.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Speed Groups on this ride are:

Speed GroupAvg SpeedGroup NameFormation
R138-40+HammerfestRace Tactics
R236-38Hammerfest LiteRace Tactics
R334-36Team PursuitConstant Rotation
R432-34Very FastPaceline
R530-32FastPaceline
R628-30ModeratePaceline
R726-28SocialPaceline
R824-26RelaxedPaceline

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:30 PM

Start : Calvary Baptist Church at Arkell and Carter Rds

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: The R1, R2, R3, R4 & R5 Speed Groups will follow this map:

Route: The R6, R7 & R8 Speed Groups will follow this map:

CANCELLED Women Only Ride | May 8th 6:30PM

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Well, sadly it turns out to be not a glorious evening for a road ride, with wind gusts up to 60 kph. The ride is cancelled. And looking at the small signup, I think many of you had already made that decision.

It’s looking like a glorious evening for our first-of-the-season Women Only Ride (a.k.a. the gab fest). However, there is a small chance of rain, so check here at 5:30 to make sure the ride isn’t cancelled. The ride will be led by Krysta, one of our longest-term GCC members.

This ride is intended to foster a supportive and safe riding culture where women can help women grow in the sport of cycling. If there is a larger turnout, the ride may divide into two speed groups; otherwise we’ll all ride together at a speed that is comfortable for everyone. The GCC is keen for the women’s ride to grow as more participants and ride leaders become available.

Bringing lights is always a good idea.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 6:30 PM

Start Location: Calvary Baptist Church, 454 Arkell Road

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: The Women Only Route will follow this map:

Sunday Not-the-P2A Gravel Ride | April 28th 9:00 AM

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Ride is on – we can turn back if it gets too yucky.

I am offering a local gravel ride for the few of us who chose to not spend a bunch of money (more than the annual GCC membership fee!) to ride a not particularly scenic route with a couple thousand other people : )

This is the 2020 BGR route, always a good early season ride. Unfortunately, there is no coffee stop (unless we want a late stop in Rockwood), so bring something for a roadside snack. As rain is predicted, the start time may be adjusted if there is a 3-4 hr predicted rain-free window later than 9AM. If there isn’t a rain-free window, the ride will be cancelled (there are still so many rides remaining with your annual membership fee!)

Mostly gravel, but tail lights are still a good idea.

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Speed Groups on this ride are:

CatNameAverage Speed
G1Fast26+ kph
G2Advanced24-26 kph
G3Intermediate22-24 kph
G4Relaxed19-22 kph

All rides need a minimum of 3 members signed up in order to officially run. If a ride has the required number of riders, but no Group Captain riding with them, that group ride will be considered cancelled. The group can decide among themselves to hold an ‘unofficial’ ride and follow the route. All group riders take it upon themselves to know the route and are responsible for their own safety.

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 9:00 AM

Start Location: Guelph Youth Music Centre 75 Cardigan St

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: All Speed Groups will follow this map:

Sunday Gravel Ride | November 5 11:00 AM (Standard time!)

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Update: We are starting at 11:00 AM.

We haven’t been down to the lovely Hilton Falls trails for awhile, so here’s a bit of an out-back to get there. Trying to keep the distance reasonable, as although it’s going to be a relatively nice day for November, as many of you know, I am a fair weather cyclist.

I’m hoping, but not guaranteeing, that we can stay dry on the hydro line; we’ll figure it out when we get there! We’ll stop in Campbellville on the way back for a hot drink, so bring some money or plastic. Tail lights are a good idea.

Don’t forget to move your clocks back by an hour before you head to bed Saturday or you’ll be an hour early to the start!

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Speed Groups on this ride are:

Advanced            G1        25-28   kph average

Intermediate     G2       23-25   kph average

Relaxed     G3       21-23   kph average

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 11:00 AM

Start Location: Guelph Youth Music Centre 75 Cardigan St

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: All Speed Groups will follow this map:

Sunday Gravel Ride | Oct 22nd 11:00 AM

Update #2: I have posted the new shorter (50k) and more sheltered route. We will be doing quite a bit of in-town trails again, but I’ve tried to make some changes and add some new stuff from last week’s ride.

With much disappointment, we have cancelled the planned BGR#2 up in Beaver Valley. It’s just too cold. However, it’s a couple degrees warmer in Guelph, getting all the way up to 8C! (maybe), so is anybody crazy enough to go for a ride? Our scheduled ride leader is buggering off to race CX, so what better way to celebrate ones 69th birthday than to lead a really cold ride?

Load the route on your bike computer if you have one, here’s how.

Disclaimer: Depending on rider turn out, some Speed Groups may have to be combined.

The Speed Groups on this ride are:

Advanced            G1        25-28   kph average

Intermediate     G2       23-25   kph average

Relaxed     G3       21-23   kph average

GCC members only. To become a member join HERE

Advance sign-up required. Reserve your spot by clicking HERE

Start Time: please be ready to pedal at 11:00 AM

Start Location: Guelph Youth Music Centre 75 Cardigan St

Check here for weather cancellation posted no less than one hour before the ride begins

Route: All Speed Groups will follow this map: