Group Rides in Louisville, Kentucky
If you’re new to Louisville and want to do a road group ride, you’re in luck. This city has a diverse road scene and often has more than one daily group ride. You just need an insider to tell you where to look.
Here is the most important list of players and their rides.
1) Louisville Bicycle Club: Founded in 1897, the LBC is by far the oldest riding club in the city. It’s the most regimented, regular, and well-organized of all the riding organizations in this list. The LBC caters to beginners and well-seasoned riders looking for social ride opportunities. If you’re looking for a fast, rowdy ride, you probably want to look elsewhere. The LBC mostly does urban and suburban rides through the Kentucky side of the river. Click the button below to visit the LBC ride calendar. 14-18 mph avg depending on group and terrain.
2) Southern Indiana Wheelmen: The second oldest group on this list, the SIW were founded by our sponsor Clarksville Schwinn in the 1970s. They’re smaller than the LBC but feature riding opportunities for all abilities; ranging from The Slow Spokes to serious racers who challenge each other on every hill. The SIW do most of their riding around hilly Floyd County and the flatter areas around Sellersburg and Charlestown. Click the button below to visit the SIW ride calendar. Slow Spokes 12-14 mph avg. Regular group 15-19 mph avg depending on terrain.
3) Crazy Ridenfaden Cyclists: A rebellious offshoot of the LBC, Crazy Ridenfaden reclaimed the Wednesday Night Wheeling ride that was cancelled due to forbidden racing, and then took on the name of the dive bar where the ride always ends, Seidenfaden’s. This group has evolved from only a fast and rowdy “Wednesday Night Worlds” to a diverse and inclusive melting pot of cyclists fast and slow. Ridenfaden always rolls on Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm year-round regardless of the darkness or the weather, hence their name, “Crazy Ridenfaden Cyclists.” Their other rotating menu of weekly rides can be found on their Facebook group. Group 1 avg 20+ mph, not swept. Group 2 avg 16+ mph avg, swept.
4) Purple Rides: Started in the 90’s as a Yahoo! email group by a local racing team who wore a purple kit, Purple Rides remains the de-facto communication board for the racing cyclists of Louisville. During the summer months between Daylight Savings Time, this group comes together for Tuesday Night Worlds. A “race” group ride, it’s held at the Kentucky Expo Center early in the year and then at the River’s Landing industrial complex until the end of summer. Other rides such as gravel and winter base rides are organized in an Ad Hoc manner. For any and all details you must join the Discord server. TNW 22-24 mph avg.
5) BikeCruiseBrews The youngest group on this list, BikeCruiseBrews started only a few years ago has filled the crucial inner-city, fixie-riding gap in our cycling community. This year-round, inclusive group meets before Noon on Sundays and joy-rides through the city on a social, critical-mass-style ride. Beginners are encouraged to come, and this group even welcomes skateboarders and rollerbladers willing to keep up with the party. This group personifies Good Vibes Only ✌️😎. Follow them on Instagram for the weekly ride details. 8-10 mph avg.
6) Furly. Got a family? Got a tight schedule? The F***ing Early —or Furly— ride starts at dawn during the Summer on Wednesdays. This group is full of parents and working professionals who are also racers, so bring your A-game to the St. Matthews Graeter’s Ice Cream at 5 am— if you’re a minute late, you’ve missed it. This group is small enough you can’t hide and surf wheels. 20-22 mph avg.