Group Rides
This article is from the special edition mini zine on group rides. Enjoy!
In June of 2024 I was invited by a friend to my first group bike ride. It was 105° that day and cooled down to about 90° when the ride started. I had been wanting to join a group ride for a long time, but road cyclists were a bit intimidating to me at that time and the group mountain bike rides were way too early in the morning for me.
Enter social bike rides. I genuinely had no idea these were a thing due to all the solo riding I had done the past two decades. I only knew about group rides through Meetup and park rangers before - never did I think to look on Instagram. As it turns out, Instagram is the place to find out about the group bike rides in the Phoenix area. I’ll share the instagram handles for each of the rides mentioned.
This massive train in Pioneer Park is where CPR meets every Wednesday.
The ride in June was with C.P.R. (@cpr_mesa_ride), led by one of the most awesome humans I’d gotten to know so far in the biking community. There were about a dozen of us joining on what was one of the first C.P.R. rides. I was hooked.
Shortly after, I found out about the Bike to Wherever (@btwphx) Instagram account that posts dozens of rides, workshops, and events in the Phoenix area every week. Literally every week’s rides are posted to this account. Then the fun began (or rather, the addiction). I started joining more and more group rides to get a taste of what they’re all like.
Critical Mass Phoenix (@critical_mass_phoenix) was next, followed by T.I.P. (@tempe.tip.ride), and a few more after, including one-off rides with people in the community. This special edition issue contains my top rides, and a list of other cool rides I plan to check out at some point.
Keep in mind, all times/dates of when these groups meet up could change. Be sure to follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Strava - wherever they are posting the latest schedules.
C.P.R.
(Cool People Ride)
Type: Social | All Bikes
Insta: @cpr_mesa_ride
Meetup: (summer hours) Wednesday’s at 7:45pm | Rollout at 8:15pm | Pioneer Park in Downtown Mesa by the big train
My gateway into group bike rides! A group in Downtown Mesa that has a great pace for social riding and some really cool people, really good vibes. With downtown Mesa going through a sort of revival, you definitely want to check this out if you’re in the East Valley. This is also a group ride that always goes back to the starting point - so you’ll have a group with you to get back to your car or the light rail afterwards.
Phoenix Downtempo
Type: Social | All Bikes
Insta: @phxdowntemporide
Meetup: Monday’s at 7:30pm | Rollout at 8pm | Civic Space Park Downtown
Just celebrating its 10 year anniversary, this ride is led by some amazing ladies who have created one of the bigger weekly rides here in the Valley. Downtempo has a great mix of bikes and wonderful people. Since downtown Phoenix is now a hotspot of great bars, night life, and food - every stop at the end of this ride is phenomenal. I genuinely look forward to Mondays because of this ride.
T.I.P.
(Tempe Inclusive Pedaling)
Type: Social | All Bikes
Insta: @tempe.tip.ride
(more active on Facebook. If you’re like me and got rid of your Facebook - they are also on Discord)
Meetup: Thursday’s at 7:00pm | Rollout at 7:30pm | Jaycee Park in Downtown Tempe/ASU
This wonderful ride meets near ASU and rides all around Tempe. A group that shows up religiously and was super welcoming to a newcomer like me in my early days of group bike rides. Pace is nice and quicker than some other rides, but because it’s no-drop, you won’t get left behind. Rides always end at a bar, usually with some good food as well.
Critical Mass Phoenix
Type: Social | All Bikes
Insta: @critical_mass_phoenix
Meetup: Last Friday of the month at 7:30pm | Rollout at 8pm | Margaret T. Hance Park
The mother of all rides here in Phoenix. Expect about 200+ people to show up as we take over the streets in Downtown Phoenix to show that we ARE traffic, and bikes belong on the roads as a viable form of transportation. This is a monthly experience I highly recommend where people from all over the Valley, and all different group rides, come together. Slower paced because of the sheer number of riders, but an incredible experience that every Phoenix cyclist should have at least once.
Hashknife
Type: Social | ATB/MTB/Gravel
Insta: @hashkn1fe
A very cool group with a focus on mountain bike, gravel, and vintage ATB’s tearing around the dusty desert trails. I’ve joined a handful of rides & events so far - every time the vibes have been great. This is one group I’m planning on joining more and more with my Surly and Mongoose bikes. Rides can also vary from local Valley rides, to overnight bikepacking adventures. Additionally they’ll host non-riding events at Rage Cycles (@ragecycles) from time to time.
Also, be sure the visit Rage Cycles, it’s my personal favorite local bike shop.
PHX Fold
Type: Social | Folding & All Bikes
Insta: @phxfold
This group is involved in several cool things happening in the cycling community and do some really fun one-off group rides. Partnering with other groups like Phoenix Spokes People (@phxspokespeople) & Bike to Wherever Phoenix (@btwphx) - this foldy collective has been at the center of the Indigenous People’s Day ride, a downtown farmers market ride, coffee in Papago Park, and even a bunch of Phoenix Brompton baddies going to New York for the massive 5 Boros Ride. Keep your eye out for some good stuff from Phoenix Fold, especially if you’re a Brompton rider. Though folding bikes are their thing, all bikes are welcome to join when they host group rides.
C.R.A.P.
(Car Resistance Action Party)
Type: A & B-Pace + G | Road
Insta: @crap.ride
The first racing paced group ride I’d ever done. I got dropped about ¾ of the way through, but the group is so nice, supportive, and if you’re looking to really get into some speedy road biking, these are the kind of people you want to surround yourself with.
Additional Group Rides
Some of these I’ve attended and love, others I haven’t joined yet but plan to at some point.
Average Joes
Type: Social | All Bikes
Insta: @averagejoesbikeshop
Dirty Mike & The Boys (DMB)
Type: Social | BMX & All Bikes
Insta: @dmb_phx
Bike Mesa
Type: Monthly Social | All Bikes
Insta: @bikemesaaz
Foos Gone Fixed
Type: Social | Fixie & All Bikes
Insta: @foosgonefixed
Phoenix Fixed Gear Bike Culture
Type: B-Pace | Fixie
Insta: @phxfxd
Saturday Morning Service (S.M.S.)
Type: B-Pace + | Road
Insta: @saturday.morning.service
Heavy Pedal (Phoenix)
Type: Social / Mixed Pace | Road
Insta: @heavypedal_phx
Bike to Wherever - Phoenix Metro Area
Type: Hub of all things group rides in the Valley
Insta: @btwphx
