Marlow Riders is the home of social road cycling in the Chilterns. We are an inclusive club, with something for most levels of cyclist (subject to a minimum level of fitness – see information in our Speed Groups guidance) and about a quarter of our members are female.
Our ethos is Cycling for All. No-one gets left behind on our rides, and there’s usually a coffee and cake stop, or a beer at the end!
Being a road cycling cub, members will require a road bike (AKA racing bike) to ride with us. Road bikes have smooth, skinny tyres and drop (curved) handlebars. We currently do not permit e-bikes.
When We Ride
Our main club rides are on Saturday mornings, starting from Marlow Sport Club (Pound Lane, Marlow, SL7 2AE, https://w3w.co/tungsten.riding.towns). Cheetahs and fast Leopards depart at 8:00; most other groups depart at 08:30.
In the summer, we organise all-club coffee stops at a different pub, charity, cricket club or other venue each week, giving members from different groups the opportunity to meet and socialise. Ride leaders each organise their own routes to the coffee stop and all aim to arrive between 10:45 and 11:15. Venues are generally within 15 miles of Marlow (often much closer) so it’s never too far to get home after coffee. Return time to Marlow will depend on group speed, where the coffee stop is, how long the group stays at coffee, and any punctures or other incidents along the way. In the winter season, coffee is at Marlow Sports Club.
In the summer, some members gather for social rides on Tuesday and Thursday evenings departing MSC at 18:30 and riding for about 1.5 hours.
Safety and Community
The safety of our members and other road users is extremely important to us. We never have more than 10 riders in a group and we do not permit the use of e-bikes or tri-bars on club rides.
All members are briefed to ride in accordance with road conditions (either single file or 2 abreast), and to conform at all times with the Highway Code, including giving ample warning to horse riders, and passing wide and slow.
We aim to be good neighbours and get involved with our local communities. Each year we run the annual Red Kite Ride sportive, which has enabled us to distribute over £100,000 to local charities since the event began in 2012. Check it out at www.redkiteride.co.uk.
Interested in joining us?
We currently manage our memberships through RiderHQ, so you’ll need to head over there to apply. For full information on the joining process, please see How to Join Marlow Riders.
Before applying, please familiarise with our Speed Groups and Golden Rules.
We look forward to welcoming you to the club soon.