Your first ride

Join our Facebook group and look for the 'pink post' which has details of all the rides planned for that day. The pink post will usually go up on the day of the ride, or a couple of days before for the weekend. Ride leaders will post their routes and speeds here - to see what the different rides involve, see club rides. You can search the group using #pinkpost to find these if there is a lot going on and the posts get buried.

In an ideal world we would have our own platform but there is currently nothing on the market that replicates the functionality that Facebook provides. Some members set up an account purely for Condor chat or even use their partner's account to login! If you feel very strongly that this is not for you, you can take a punt and turn up at Beeline for rides at the official club ride times: Tuesday 6.30pm, Thursday 6.30pm and Saturday 9.30am. We cannot always guarantee rides during the winter season but during the spring/summer you should be able to find a Social ride going out. Please bear in mind that ride cancellations due to bad weather (etc.) will be announced on Facebook.

Weekday evening rides are usually between 35-50 km (20-30 miles), which means getting back into Oxford between 8-9pm. We offer a range of slower, medium and faster rides, from 20-22 kph (12-13 mph) to 40 kph and pretty much everything in between! Weekend rides are usually longer, ranging from 60-160 km (40-100 miles), and are also offered at a range of speeds. Details of the ride distances and speeds on offer each week will always be advertised on the Facebook pink post. More information is on our Group Ride Classification page.

If you're new to group riding, please join us for a Social ride first at a speed that you are comfortable with. Even if you're a strong solo rider, group riding is quite different to riding on your own. It's important to be familiar with calls and signals, and to be comfortable riding close together.

It's worth emphasising that we are a road cycling club. You're welcome to join one of our dedicated newbies ride on a hybrid to try us out, you'll need to have a road bike (the type with drop handlebars and skinny tyres) to get the most out of riding with the club. If you want to get an idea of the kind of bike we're talking about, then pop into Beeline, our sponsors and local bike shop. They can give you advice on bikes, saddles, pedals and clip in shoes - AND offer a 15% discount to Condor members. You'll also want to ensure you get yourself some padded cycling shorts. These are pretty essential when riding a road bike for more than 30 minutes or so, and they should be worn without underwear.

Yes definitely! Please make sure those brakes work properly, the tyres are pumped up and you can change gears easily. For a more in-depth bike maintenance review, check out this article or take your steed into Beeline Bicycles or the Broken Spoke!

You will see lots of cyclists milling around on the grass chatting. During busy summer evenings there can be upwards of 70-80 people out for rides! We know this can be intimidating but don’t worry, we have all been there and will make you feel welcome. Make a note of the ride you liked on the pink post, get there early and introduce yourself to anyone wearing club kit. They will point you towards the ride leader for that ride. Note: Currently, due to Covid-19 restrictions, club rides are not leaving from Beeline at set times. Ride times and meet points are advertised on the pink post and sign up in advance is required.

• Yourself and your bike (!)
• Helmet - this is mandatory for all club rides
• Water (please make sure you have a bottle cage on your bike to hold your water bottle)
• A gel or small snack (eg banana / flapjack)
• Spare inner tube, tyre levers, tyre pump or gas canister
• If the ride is stopping at a cafe, please bring money for coffee and cake etc
• Wear comfortable cycling or sports gear. You may want to bring a waterproof if it looks like it’s going to rain
• Emergency Contact details. This can be on your phone, a specially printed card or just a scrap of paper. We hope that we’ll never need to use these but it will save time in an emergency if you carry these details on you.

We definitely recommend this whether you join the club or not. Please read our guidance here.

Absolutely not! While it's probably true that there isn't yet a cycling club in England that has 50% female membership, we're almost there with over 100 women (that’s 35% and rising!) and with a female Club President and a specific Women's Officer board position, there is a good amount of positive discrimination within the club! If you'd like any further info, just drop Women's Officer Ruth Prior a line at [email protected]. She'd love to hear from you.

Head over to our membership page to become a fully fledged Condor. Remember you can try up to 3 rides before you buy! We look forward to seeing you out on the road soon :)

We understand that some people may be early on in their cycling journey - the good news is there are lots of great options in Oxford to explore - check out this page here