What we’re about
This is a very informal and friendly group that I formed in early July of 2017 shortly after my arrival in Paris from California. We are a B-Group, which means that we are fit enough to ride a 100 km weekend ride, but we aren't terribly concerned about speed. Our ride is more about the experience, seeing some beautiful countryside and making some friends.
- See our list of member-recommended bike shops in the Paris region
We offer no-drop rides, meaning no one gets left behind, namely ME. We regroup along the route as necessary at key turns and at the tops of significant climbs. We average about 22 km per hour over an entire ride of 60-100 km.
If you're looking for a weekend training ride with a faster group of cyclists who compete in races and triathlons, this is not the group for you. I recommend checking out Paris Cycling Group, which often rides at a pace between 27-30 kph. They have a new organizer and are also doing no-drop rides. There are other groups organized by several bike shops in Paris.
If you can ride faster and don't mind stopping on occasion during a ride to wait for others in the group -- like me -- who fall behind a little on climbs, then this may be the ride for you. If you do mind doing this, then it probably isn't.
I formed this group specifically for you...and me, of course. After trying unsuccessfully to ride with some of the fast groups in Paris, I wised up and formed my own group.
We have a distinctly international flavor, which is a byproduct of my poor French language skills and how I first promoted the group (Expat was in the name of the original group). Riders who have joined meetups thus far include men and women who hail from France, Great Britain, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Iceland, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Mexico, Canada, Poland, Spain, Italy, Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine and the U.S.
What we all share in common is a love of cycling and possession of passable English language skills, although many languages are spoken during each ride.
We ride most often on Sundays because the streets have less traffic than Saturdays, but in the warmer months we frequently schedule rides for both weekend days.
If this sounds enticing and about your speed, please join us for a ride. FYI, most of us have cycling computers with GPS, which we have found indispensable. I highly recommend that you get one if you don't have one. And, of course, helmets are required.
Be advised that when you click the Going box to RSVP to join a ride, you are agreeing to wear a helmet, ride safely and responsibly, accept responsibility for your own behavior and not hold the group or organizers responsible for any damages you may suffer that are no fault of the group or organizer.
Cheers,
Jeff Ballinger
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Sunday southern counter-clockwise loop - 85 km - faster peloton groupPlace de la Porte de Châtillon, Paris
Akkache Mehdi will lead the group ride today, as I am unable to attend...again. My apologies. I had another injection in my hip and I'm supposed to refrain from exercise for at least a week. I will try regardless to put in an appearance at the meetup point.
As a result, this may be a faster group than usual with Paris Cycling B-group. This ride may average 23-24 kph on this 85km route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3022987904570058576
The slower group ride -- the grupetto -- will average about 20 kph and should return next Sunday, Nov. 24.
Decisions can be made en route if and where we stop for coffee, but strong possibilities exist in Chevreuse and Saclay on the last half of the ride.
REMINDER*: PCB rides are no-drop with a focus on staying together. Our rides fill a niche and are designed for people who want to ride in a group, together, at a medium pace with others who are more interested in the experience than in riding as fast as possible. We regroup at the tops of significant climbs and key turns, so no one gets left behind. By the time we finish, our average speed will have been about 22 kph.*
If you are looking for something different, perhaps a weekend training ride with a fast group of cyclists who compete in races and triathlons, then this is not the group for you. I recommend checking out Paris Cycling Group, which typically feature rides on Saturdays at an average speed of 25-27kph. There are other groups, as well, which are organized by several bike shops in Paris.
For more information about Paris Cycling B-group, please check out our What We Are About section on our MeetUp landing page.
