Saturday Morning London Explorer
SATURDAY MORNING | STEADY PACE | 20/40 MILES | CX/GRAVEL/MTB BIKES
Discover new routes and parts of London that you never realised existed on one of our regular Saturday morning rides.
Each week we meet at a different starting point for a 3-to-4-hour off-road or gravel ride cycling at a ‘conversational’ pace with time to stop, look and discover what we find!
Ride Details
- Regular morning ride.
- Different route every week.
- Meet at 9 am.
- Finish by 1 to 2 pm.
- Steady pace - average 6 to 8 mph.
- 20 to 30 miles depending on conditions.
- Singletrack, gravel paths, hills and some technical trails.
- Some rides may require a train journey back to the start point.
Is this ride for me?
Just like ski runs all our rides are graded from easy Green rides to Black routes for expert riders.
Green Easy Rides: You need to be able to ride a bike for a couple of hours at an easy pace, these rides have few hills, cycling on a combination of quiet roads, cycle paths and non-challenging dirt trails. Suitable for almost any type of bike including e-bikes and hybrids these rides are generally between 10 and 20 miles (16-30 km) long.
Blue Steady Rides: You should have some offroad riding experience and be able to ride gentle hills. These rides are on quiet roads and non-challenging trails which can be ridden on most bikes including hybrids and e-bikes fitted with all-terrain tyres. Taken at a steady pace, these rides are generally between 20 and 30 miles (32-48km) long
Red Challenging Rides: At approx. 40-50 miles (60-75km) you need to have a degree of fitness and experience riding off the road as these rides will encounter hills and some tricky dirt trails. Ideally, you need a gravel, cyclocross bike or MTB. (off-road e-bikes welcome)
Black Expert Rides: Shameless geared towards the experienced off-road rider, these are physically challenging rides taken at pace encountering a multitude of different surfaces and trails. You need to have a gravel, cyclocross bike or MTB and be prepared to ride 80 miles (120km) in a day.
The pace of the ride will be adapted to suit the cyclists on the day and the route may change to meet the capabilities of the group as a whole, the leader will make sure that no one is left out or behind!
Is my bike OK for this ride?
All our rides are graded from Easy Green rides through to Black rides aimed at expert riders, see the section above “Is this ride for me” for more detail.
Green Easy rides: Most bikes including commuter, hybrid, gravel, cyclocross or MTB bikes as well as most e-bikes.
Blue Steady Rides: Hybrids fitted with all-terrain tyres, gravel, cyclocross or MTB bikes as well as off-road e-bikes.
Red Challenging Rides: Gravel, cyclocross MTB and off-road e-bikes
Black Expert rides: Gravel, cyclocross MTB
There will be a basic bike check before each ride to ensure riders' safety, so please make sure your bike is in good condition.
If in doubt, please get your bike checked over by a competent mechanic or bike shop before the ride. Here is a list of local bike shops we're happy to recommend.
Remember to plan ahead, many bike shops are very busy and service slots are often booked out in advance.
What do I need to bring?
- Helmet (wearing helmets is a must on our rides)
- Spare inner tube
- Snacks and Water
- Rain jacket (if required)
- Suitably warm/cool clothing for the weather
- Sunscreen (as necessary)
What's included in the price?
- Guide for the entire ride
- Coaching hints and skill tips about 'off road' cycling
- Pre-ride bike and helmet safety checks
- Fixing mechanical faults/punctures where possible