By jwilder
Have you just bought the perfect bicycle and are excited to start riding it? You might be able to increase your enjoyment of cycling by joining a biking group in your area!
Bicycle clubs for seniors aren’t always easy to find, but they’re a wonderful way to enjoy your new hobby with others! Read on to learn more about how a bicycle club for seniors can be part of your routine.
What is a Bicycle Club for Seniors?
Cycling clubs for seniors can be very simple or very involved; the one thing they have in common is that they exist to bring seniors together to enjoy bike riding together. Most of the time, this involves meeting together- weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly- for group rides on bike paths, trails, or roads. Cycling clubs may also enter races together in the senior division for a bit of friendly competition.
What are the Pros and Cons of Bicycle Clubs for Seniors?
Pros
Cons
Most Popular Types of Bicycle Clubs for Seniors
Road Cycling Clubs
This might be the most popular type of cycling club for seniors. These groups will meet together (likely in the morning before it gets too hot to ride) on a regularly scheduled day and ride together. Sometimes, it’s just 10-15 miles of casual riding.
Other times, you may be riding up to 50 miles as part of a long weekend cruise. Many of these cruises end at breweries and pubs where everyone can relax, eat, and drink together once the ride is over!
Mountain Biking Clubs
If you’ve got a taste for adventure (as well as some life left in your knees and shoulders), you can join a mountain biking club. With your group, you’ll embark on new and exciting trails, challenging yourself to complete parts of the trail that are a challenge for both the mind and the body.
Figuring out the best way to get over a downed tree, a steep drop, or a section of large rocks is a large part of the fun of mountain biking. When you join a mountain biking club, you’ll get to do that together!
Indoor Cycling Clubs
Exercise bikes are perfect for seniors who want to experience the fitness benefits of cycling without risking a nasty accident on the road. Joining a spin class or indoor cycling class for seniors is a casual and natural way to stay in shape, meet new friends, and never have to pick yourself up after falling off your bike!
How to Find a Bicycle Club for Seniors Near Me
Finding Clubs Using the Internet
Finding Clubs In Person
If you cannot find a club in your area by checking online, you aren’t out of options just yet. Continue your search by checking bulletin boards at your local senior center, retirement home, gym, or bike shop. If there is a bicycle group for seniors in your area, you’ll find a flyer for it on the bulletin board at one of these places!
If the bulletin board leaves you dry, you can call these establishments and ask if the staff knows of any groups in your area. If all else fails, they should be able to direct you!
Alternative: Start Your Own Club
What do you do if you go through all your available search options and can’t find one? You get to work starting your own! If there isn’t a bicycle club in your area, it’s likely you aren’t alone in your desire to be part of one. Post a flyer, create a Facebook group, and let your local senior centers, bike shops, and gyms know about the group.
Once you do that, it might take a while for people to find and join the club, but they will eventually come around. Managing the club doesn’t have to be complex: set a time and place to meet, get to know each other a bit, and go for a ride. That’s all there is to it!
Wrapping Up
Joining a bicycle club for seniors is a great way to stay in shape, make new friends, and keep from feeling like you’re trapped in the house. Joining a club in your area might take some searching, and you may even have to start your own group if none exists. However, it is well worth the effort to enjoy all the health and social benefits of being part of a biking group for seniors!
