Here are some guidelines to answer your questions, to keep the ride safe and to make sure everyone has fun. The Saturn rides are fairly informal and a great opportunity to enjoy group riding.

Both routes are about 25 miles each. The Roanoke loop has some gently rolling hills while the Columbia City loop contains rolling hills and “13 curves”.  Each week the group will choose a route based on wind, mood and where we went last week.  

This is not a race, however the riders at the front tend to ride at a pace of 17 - 20+ mph. This group is a great recovery ride for racers after a hard Tuesday night effort.  It is also a great group to start out with and test your fitness level.  

As with all rides, safety should be our number one concern. This includes motorist, dogs, and the most dangerous thing when cycling, other riders.

The ride will leave at 6:00pm to allow us to finish the loop before dusk. This means you need to have your bike ready before you leave for work on Wednesday morning and plan on being in the parking lot ready to ride at 6:00pm. Stay in the parking lot until the ride starts.  Do not line up in the roadway as the start location is just over a small hill and you may get hit.

If you find you are running late because of traffic or some other reason proceed to the Washington School just 3 miles west at the corner of 800S and 400W and join the group as we ride by. This allows the group to start on time for safety reasons and lets you hook up with the group. Be careful while driving as you pass the group on your way to the alternate start location.

Visibility is important too at this time of evening, particularly for the first and last month of the season. Be conscious of this when you pick the jersey you plan to wear. You might also consider a blinking taillight.

Group riding etiquette and skills apply to this ride. There are a couple of highway crossings on each route that we will stop for. Do not take chances crossing these highways as the group will wait and not drop anyone who is waiting to cross safely.  We ride two wide and the rule of the pace line is smooth and predictable. This means holding your line, not braking suddenly, avoiding overlapping of wheels, smoothly navigating the entire group around road hazards.

Saturn Church has been kind enough to host this starting location for a number of years. This means we need to be courteous guests.  Do not leave any trash in the parking lot and if you see that some other cycling slob has left something please pick it up. If you need a potty break before the ride do not relieve yourself at the church, ride up the road a mile or two. Also keep in mind that we ride the same routes each week so be careful about flipping cars off and yelling at dog owners we will be seeing all summer.

The ride leader's job is to look at the wind and pick a route. Their other duty is to look at their watch and get the group rolling, otherwise we all stand around in the parking lot waiting for someone to start. Beyond that the regulars all pitch in informally to make sure that new riders are made to feel welcome, that no one gets shot out the back and that everyone has a good time.