Rides
Our recreational, social rides cater to different speeds and primarily explore the counties of Lehigh, Northampton, and Berks. We are fortunate to enjoy the varied terrain and lightly travelled roads that define this region of Pennsylvania. Many of our rides can be found on Ride with GPS.
Official LVCC rides are posted on Meetup, use the link above. Joining this Meetup group allows notifications for new rides and sign-ups, but does not make you an LVCC club member. For your first ride, you can sign in as a non-member, but for subsequent rides, you must join LVCC. Membership is inexpensive and easy.
Please Join US!
We maintain a short list of rides hosted by other clubs that club members may find of interest.
Please inform us here if your club wishes to add a ride to the list.
These rides may be posted on the LVCC Meetup calendar only if a member plans to attend and invites other club members to join them.
Getting Ready To Ride
- Select a posted ride on Meetup. Review the ride description to ensure that your riding ability matches the ride. Sign up for the ride.
- It's highly suggested to download the Ride with GPS route to your bike computer or phone.
- Arrive 20-30 minutes before the start time.
- Sign-in with the ride leader.
- Bring your helmet (required), water bottle, bike lights and an extra tube.
Ride Classifications
Classification: D
Pace 10-20
Terrain, Any
Pace 8-10 mph
Comments
These rides are designed for riders who are new to cycling or are working to build or regain fitness and skill. The rides may include informal discussions of bike handling skills, safe riding techniques and rules of the road. Terrain is generally rolling with no long or steep climbs.
Classification: C
Distance 20 - 40
Terrain & Pace
Rolling, 10 - 14 mph
Moderately Hilly, 10 - 12 mph
Very Hilly, 9 - 11 mph
Comments
C rides emphasize the pleasure of riding together with other cyclists, enjoying the scenery, and having fun. Participants in C rides are often working to improve fitness. Riders can expect to regroup as needed with the goal of allowing everyone to stay together.
Classification: B
Distance 20 - 75
Terrain & Pace
Rolling, 15 - 17 mph
Moderately Hilly, 14 - 16 mph
Very Hilly, 12 - 14 mph
Comments
These rides are appropriate for cyclists who have developed good fitness and enjoy getting a good workout while still emphasizing the recreational aspects of a group ride. The rides frequently split into two or more groups at some point on the ride. Regrouping is less frequent than on C rides. Every attempt is made to make sure that riders unfamiliar with the route or unable to maintain the pace are not left alone. However, riders who habitually elect B rides and cannot maintain the pace should not expect the group to wait.
Classification: A
Distance 20 - 100
Terrain & Pace
Shorter, Flatter avg, 20 - 22+ mph
Longer, Hillier avg, 18 - 20+ mph
Comments
You should have a high level of fitness and bike handling skill for these rides. Drafting is common and you can anticipate speeds of 18 – 25+ mph in pace lines. These rides are significantly more strenuous on both flat and hilly terrain. They are appropriate for strong, skilled cyclists who enjoy riding fast in a group. However, these rides are not meant to be a bicycle race. The LWA has a racing division that is designed to meet the needs of cyclists who want to race.
Terrain Descriptions
Descriptions of hilly, moderately hilly etc are by nature subjective.
For purposes of the ride ratings listed, the descriptions generally can be thought of as:
Rolling: Less than 30 feet of climbing per mile of distance.
Moderately Hilly: Between 30 and 65 feet of climbing per mile of distance.
Very Hilly: Over 65 feet of climbing per mile of distance or numerous grades of 10% or more.
Example: A ride of 35 miles with 2341 feet of climbing is considered to be the lower end of Very Hilly ( 66 feet per mile).