N_C

This is the total I will spend for the next 3 organized rides I'm doing. One is $20.00, the second is $25.00 & the third is $30.00. This does not include what it will cost to drive to the rides, the furthest one being about 4 hours away from home. But it is worth it. I always meet up with old friends & make new ones. Some non-cyclists think I'm nuts to drive 4 hours away to do a 50 mile bike ride. They just don't get it. Then again some cyclists think I'm nuts for doing so. They think if you're going to drive that far to ride then you should be riding a longer distance, not just 50 miles. I'm thinking maybe they don't get it either, when they should. All for the love of the sport.

These 3 rides will be the last organised rides I do this year.

I think most if not all here know what I'm talking about & understand the feeling you get when participating in this sport of ours.

Cyclaholic

I get it.

I drive 1,200km to do a 210km charity ride with 10,000 other like minded cyclists.

I do however ride to/from the local rides so the 90km 'Sydney to the gong' charity ride ends up being a 250km day in the saddle for me.

fsor

For my part, the organized rides are a cheap way to recon roads in a new area. The money goes to a charity and helps the local clubs and I get pretty good food and a SAG if something breaks. I keep the route sheets and note which roads I want to try again some other time. I have quite a catalog of cool roads now tha tI would never have known existed otherwise.

caligurl

$75.00 for THREE rides is CHEAP!

DataJunkie

Heck yes it's cheap.
I'm looking at roughly $250 for my first organized ride next year. Of course, it is something like a week long.

Gojohnnygo.

All I had to do is buy a custom made jersey and now the owner for the business I work for pays for all my entire fees. They have paid for 5 different rides this year and so many in the past. Most of the money for organized rides goes to a good charity(tax write off). This helps to get the business name out in the public’s eye.

Gojohnnygo.

I forgot to add. I would have been glad to pay out of my pocket for all those rides.

kf5nd

I used to spend money on "pay rides" when I was a newbie, but now I mostly do self-supported rides. Alone or with my son, or with friends. We can fix bikes and flat tires in the field, we can buy drinks and snacks on the routes, we have cell phones.

If a bike is somehow not fixable, we can call family or Yellow Cab.

When you ride alone, your odds of a crash go down. Crowded pay rides are terribly dangerous, in case you haven't noticed.

Nachoman

I don't mind paying for organized rides, especially when they go to good charities.

N_C

I'm not complaining about the cost. I gladly pay to do the rides. When I tell people about they think I'm crazy for spending that much to do a bike ride. When they state as much I ask how much did they spend on the roudn of golf they played over the weekend. Depending on what course they played it ranges from $25 to $50 for 18 holes & depending on cart rental, etc. It does not include refreshments, etc. I say ok put that into prespective. If you paid $50 for 18 holes of golf, that is as much as 2 bike ride fees for me. And the amount I pay for one bike ride also includes a post ride meal & drink & typically rest stops with free snacks during the ride.

bitingduck

Find a local recreational club-- there may be a small ($35ish) annual membership and then you can do club rides free.

I started doing AYH/TCBC rides in the twin cities, and it was $1/ride if you were a member or $2 if you weren't. They provided maps, and depending on the class of ride (A/B/C) the leader might ride at the back and help with problems on the road.

And for what it's worth, $20 is cheap if there's any kind of support at all on the ride-- the ride promotor has to cover insurance, plus any support vehicles (and insurance for them), the support gear/food, possibly some permits, schwag, t-shirts, etc.

You can also just go out and pedal-- if you're in Iowa you should be able to find rural roads to ride pretty easily. I'm in LA and can get out of civilization for a ride without getting in my car or paying a fee.

DataJunkie

I'm not a newbie and organized rides look amusing. I hope to try each organized ride at least once. Otherwise, I doubt I will attempt many of these routes.

N_C

I belong to & am the safety coordinator for the Siouxland Cyclists bike club. Annual fee of $25 a year. Even if you're not a member anyone can do club rides for free, you just have to sign a waiver.

ericgu

I guess I compare it to the kind of money that I spend on skiing, and on that basis, cycling is pretty cheap.

Dewbert

+1. I still do some other paid/organized rides each year, but our local club has several rides each week, all included in your membership fee. They also let non-members participate, but encourage membership for the good of the organization.

TomM

I don't mind paying for organized rides since most of my riding is solo. Organized rides give me a chance to see other cyclists.