Cycling
Social Rides
Social Rides
These rides are for cyclists who have some level of fitness and at least a little experience riding in a group. These rides are graded to help you choose the one that suits your riding abilities and the type of riding you like to do. This Guide sets out the distance range, average speed and a general description of each ride. You can register for any ride in the Guide by joining the ‘access group’ for that ride in Stack Team App.
You can join Pedal Power’s social rides in Stack Team App or read instructions on how to do it if you need a hand.
Pedal Power uses the Stack Team App to manage all our regular social rides (except trials). Once you have joined the ‘access group’ for your chosen ride on the Stack Team App, you will receive the details for that ride via the app whenever updated. You can then simply register in Team App to attend that ride each time you wish to ride.
Want to explore Canberra by bike and meet like-minded people? Join us on one of our social rides! Our rides vary from 10 km to over 100 km – so that everyone can find a ride they enjoy.
Finding the best ride for your skill level is easy using our SOCIAL RIDE GUIDE (view here as PDF or as flipbook below).
We have rides of varying distance, pace, hilliness, skill and terrain, including off-road, path and road rides. All our rides are led by an accredited volunteer ride leader. Rides are free and non-competitive – we ride for fun and to share the experience with others!
Most rides include a stop at a café or to enjoy a view. They start from locations all over Canberra, so there is bound to be a social ride near you.
Social rides are for Pedal Power members. If you’re not a member, we offer two trial rides so you can see if our rides are right for you. You can join Pedal Power here to get access to all our rides!
If you don’t see a ride you like, you may want to consider organising a new ride. You will need to become a ride leader to do this.
Easy Social Rides
These rides are designed for less experienced riders and those returning to cycling or anyone wanting to build confidence riding in a group. See details here.
Ride Leaders
Our social rides are run by volunteer ride leaders who are trained and accredited by Pedal Power to safely manage and lead group rides.
The ride leader is responsible for:
grading the ride (in terms of distance, pace, hilliness, terrain and skill)
developing a map or itinerary for the ride
ensuring all riders have provided their contact details and accepted our ride terms and conditions
briefing riders at the start of the ride
managing the group with consideration of varying skills and fitness of the riders
assigning experienced riders as grouping riders, tail end riders, or shepherding riders, as needed
managing any incidents or emergencies.
We simply could not run our social ride program without our passionate and committed volunteer ride leaders. Around eighty riders have been accredited by us to run our social rides. You can see our full list of accredited ride leaders here.
Want to become a ride leader?
Are you a confident rider who enjoys the social side of cycling? Why not become a social ride leader?
We are always looking for new volunteers to help us run our program of social rides. To become a ride leader you must be:
a member of Pedal Power
an experienced and confident bike rider
a good communicator
calm and patient, with a positive attitude
understanding and empathetic with riders of different ages, abilities and backgrounds
able to manage the logistical aspects of a group ride
familiar with basic first aid
trained and accredited by us
Find out how to become accredited as a Pedal Power ride leader – email: office@pedalpower.org.au