Photo by by Global Jet
While Cycling alone can be a great way to exercise, commute to work, or find your next home :), group events where dozens or hundreds of cyclists gather are one of the best perks of being a cyclist. Grouping up and biking en mass offers a safer and more enjoyable experience. It allows you to connect with other cyclists, get tips on biking and routes, and make new friends who share your interest. Boston has a number of groups and events all year round which help bring cyclists of the city together.
Critical Mass is a community run group which holds groups bike rides the last Friday of every month throughout the city of Boston and Cambridge. It is community run with branches in many other major cities. The group typically meets up at Copley Square at the time and date described on the website and ensues on 8-12 mile bike ride around the city. There are families, individuals, and friends which call come together to raise bike awareness throughout the city. The group can be as small as 50 people in the winter, but in the warmer summer months, numbers swell to hundreds. The ride is slow paced enough that anyone with some minimal cycling experience can enjoy and partake in the event.
Mass Bike offers many resources, such as safety tips, cycling routes, and a forum for cycling groups to come together and post meeting points for new members to partake. There are many clubs, enough so a cyclists with any degree of experience can find a group to ride with and enjoy the city. They span recreational, racing, and off road or cycle-cross. Back Bay Bicycles also offers a group ride once or twice a week depending on demand. Route information and sign-ups can be found in this great centrally located bicycle shop. Typically occurring on weekend, the excursion is led by a few of the staff from the cycle shop and ranges from 10-25 miles.
The city of Boston also sponsors a few biking programs and group rides itself. June 28th, July 26th, and August 30th this year will be cycle Fridays. These days are biker appreciation day in the city of Boston. Group led commutes to work allow for cyclists to band together and enjoy a nice summer day’s ride into work. A detailed schedule of locations and times the convoy will stop at on its journey to City Hall Plaza is listed, and below is a general outline of the ride
6:45 AM Meet with convoy.
7:00 AM Convoys depart (except from Needham).
7:30 — 8:30 AM Convoys finish at City Hall Plaza.
7:00 — 9:00 AM Free breakfast and expo
Boston also holds a Bike Week Celebration, held this year the week of May 17th. This is part of the Massachusetts Bay State Bike Week which runs from May 11th to the 19th. Bike week is the kick of off Cycle Fridays. At the end of this first Friday commute, at city hall plaza, there is breakfast and refreshments served, as well as a group of vendors showing the new seasons latest gadgets and wares, and local bike shops available to take a look at your cycle, tune it up, and give tips on maintenance and riding. Also, there is always a great group of fellow commuters with great energy and excitement, making it a fun way to begin the weekend. There are other festivities to sign-up for at the event and also at the Bike Week Celebration website. The city of Boston’s hosted cycling events can be found on its web page which is updated on a rolling basis.
While community events are a great way to meet fellow cyclists and get to know one’s city, Boston and the outlying regions also host several great charity fundraiser events as well. Harbor To The Bay is a wonderful 11-year strong charity ride to raise funds for to cure Aids. It is a 190 mile ride from Boston to the end of Cape Cod, Provincetown. If you feel 190-miles is too much, they also offer half-ride, in which, you can either ride from Boston to the Sagamore Bridge, or be dropped off at the bridge to ride from there to Provincetown. During the ride, technicians, snacks, and water are provided by a supply van which runs with the bulk of the riders. There are huge festivities held at the finish line and ferry rides are available for a relaxing 90 minute harbor cruise back to Boston. It is a true test of endurance and great way to see Massachusetts like never before.
There is also the Martha’s Vineyard Bike for MS offering 15, 30, or 60 mile paths through scenic Martha’s Vineyard. There are water and snack stations located throughout the ride, and the trails run through the historic forest, down small local avenues, and by pastoral and oceanic scenes. Explore the vineyard and work up a healthy appetite while raising funds for a good cause. Afterward, there is a barbeque and social for all those who have ridden, or go down to the Harbor and enjoy the sunset before taking the ferry back to the mainland. The National MS Society hold several cycling fundraisers throughout the summer at different locations throughout New England such as the Minuteman Bike Tour exploring the historic minuteman trail and The Great Maine Getaway offer routes over 2 days ranging from 50 miles to 170.
There are many ways to enjoy cycling in groups. Most local bike shops have a group roster, and if they do not, typically a few of the employees will be in a group you could join. For a list of local bike shop, refer to my colleague’s blog post here (Derek’s Blog about Bike Shops). Most bike shops on this list carry local maps for cycling routes and carry information on cycling groups.
