Group Rides

We hold a group ride every Saturday morning throughout the year and during the summer we will typically run one or two mid-week rides. We divide our groups according to either terrain or speed. To help choose the right group for you, please read the descriptions below. 

Rides are announced through the Marlborough CC Strava club and, should you wish, via WhatsApp groups for the club or individual ride groups. The groups generally meet at the Town Hall on the High Street unless arranged otherwise. 

WHITE JERSEY RIDES

New for 2023 are the WHITE group rides starting on Saturday 28th of January at 8.00 am. This new group is intended to appeal to those riders looking to build some new fitness and/or start riding in a group. The initial rides will be about 50km (about 31 miles) around the Pewsey Vale. Speed will aim to be 22-25kpm (13-15mph) but the idea will be to ride as a group without dropping any riders.

YELLOW JERSEY RIDES

Our YELLOW Saturday rides normally leave at 7am from the Town Hall. Yes, that is a bit on the early side, but many of the riders have families and getting the ride done early ensures we all keep out of trouble. Also, the roads are quieter and we’re back in time for a cuppa, cake or a sausage sandwich in a cafe in town. The YELLOW Saturday rides typically post a short and long route. The short is between 2.5 and 3 hours and ranges from 65km to 75km in length. The long version is about 100km but will share as much of the route as possible with the short version. Sometimes we’ll go longer, especially in the summer when there’s more light. We ride to the speed of the slowest rider unless we’re going up longer hills, where the mountain goats head off and wait for the rest at the top. Normally we’ll ride at between 24km/h and 28km/h as an average.

Group ride meet-up

GREEN JERSEY RIDES

The GREEN group are for the more speedy amongst us. The average speed is 30km/h to 35km/h and the rides tend to be that bit longer, often over 100km. Where possible the GREEN group meets the YELLOW long group at a cafe mid-ride. The GREEN group often ride to a drop policy – these are more fast training rides than chatty social rides. Before joining a GREEN ride, please talk to one of the ride leaders about expectations. GREEN rides will ride as a pace-line for the majority of the ride, so please make sure you’re comfortable with this before joining. 

GRAVEL

Marlborough is blessed with some of the finest forest tracks, bridleways and byways in the country and club rides now include regular sorties off the beaten track.  We welcome gravel/cyclocross, MTB, and E-bikes on Wednesday evenings around 6pm (starting at the Town Hall) come rain or shine, all year round.  A Sunday GRAVEL group ride is also offered which are longer and more adventurous. Whilst the courses are not highly technical you still need well-maintained equipment, good lights, and clothing to cope with wet and dry conditions.  Rides are typically 30km long and often conclude with a pint and a natter.

MID-WEEK RIDES

Summer mid-week rides tend to start at 6:30pm, depending on light. As with Saturdays, we meet at the Town Hall. There are normally both a YELLOW and a GREEN mid-week ride. As these are more ad-hoc, please check the various outlets for information. Mid-week rides for both groups are typically shorter (about 2 hours long) and are often a bit quicker, depending on who is riding and what they want to get from the ride. YELLOW Tempo Tuesday rides are an introduction to pace-line riding and so will be about going quickly efficiently. YELLOW Wandering Wednesday rides are more social. 

For those coming from outside Marlborough, there is parking on The Parade, which is also handy for the cafe. On Saturday Marlborough holds its market on the High Street, so parking there is often tricky and is Pay and Display.

How To Take Part

We tend to organise the routes for our rides a day or two before and then post it on here, Facebook, the Strava Club and WhatsApp. If you’re interested in giving them a go, please let us know if you’re going to turn up (so we know who’s missing). If you have enjoyed a few of the rides, you like us and we like you, it would be great if you’d join the club as a member.

Expectations

To ensure everyone has a good ride, stays safe and enjoys themselves, we have some expectations of those taking part in our group rides:

  • Wear a helmet! If nothing else, it gives us something to scoop your brains up with…
  • Look after your bike! Not only do we expect your bike to survive the ride, you should also come equipped to fix your own punctures. Mostly so we can stand around saying things like “oh, you do it like that, do you?”.
  • Be nice! We’re not a club who tolerates bullying or any other antisocial behaviour. Nothing wrong with a bit of friendly banter and the odd sprint for a village sign, but we will not stand for idiots.
  • Have a clue! Riding in a group is great fun and easier than riding on your own. But it also requires that you follow some simple rules. If you’re not used to it, let us know and we’ll be happy to show you the way.

Please read our Code of Conduct before joining our rides.