Riding in a Group

The problem with group rides

Group rides are the best days out on a bike — and the ones most likely to go wrong. Someone gets dropped on the climb, someone's bored waiting at the top, the fast riders get cold, the nervous ones feel rushed, and everyone's slightly frustrated by the end.

None of that is inevitable. It's just about a bit of planning and a few unwritten rules. The Forest of Dean is actually a brilliant place for a mixed group — because the trail layout gives you natural places to split and rejoin.

Pick the right trail for the group

The single biggest decision. Match the trail to your weakest or least confident rider, not your strongest.

• Real mix of abilities, including beginners? Base yourselves around the Verderers. It's blue, flowing, forgiving, and strong riders can still have a genuinely good time on it — especially the Dragon's Tail.

• All fairly confident? Freeminers, with the option for anyone who fancies it to session the skills area while others push on.

• Split between XC and gravity riders? This is where Cannop shines — see below.
   

Use Cannop's layout to your advantage

Here's the local trick most groups miss: the trails all loop back to a central hub. That means a mixed group doesn't have to ride the same thing.

A classic solution for a group that wants different things:

• Gravity riders session the downhill tracks (push-up or uplift)

• XC riders ride the Verderers or Freeminers loop

• Everyone meets back at the café at an agreed time

You've all had the day you wanted, and you regroup for coffee and the debrief. Nobody's compromised, nobody's waited around bored.
 

Managing pace on the trail

The regroup rule: agree that the group regathers at the top of every climb and the bottom of every major descent. Simple, and it stops anyone getting genuinely lost or left behind.

"Wait at the junctions." The golden rule of any group ride: if you reach a fork or a trail split, you wait for the person behind to see which way you went. It takes ten seconds and prevents the single most common group-ride disaster — someone taking a wrong turn and the group fragmenting.
 

Put the right people front and back. A confident rider who knows the trails leads; another responsible rider sweeps at the back so nobody's ever truly alone. The back rider sets the pace, not the front.

Don't let the fast riders get cold. If your quick riders are always waiting at the top, they're getting cold and bored. Give them a job — let them do an extra lap of a section and rejoin, or session a feature while the others catch up. Everyone's happier.
 

Looking after the nervous riders

• Never rush someone at a feature. "You'll be fine, just send it" is how people get hurt and lose confidence. Let them roll it, walk it, or session it — their call.

• Ride behind them, not in front. A nervous rider chasing taillights they can't keep up with has a miserable time. Put them ahead of a patient rider who can offer a line to follow.

• Celebrate the small wins. First time down a section they walked last time is a big deal. Group rides that make people feel good bring them back.
   

The practical bits

• Agree a plan before you set off — which trails, rough timings, where you'll meet. Two minutes in the car park saves an hour of confusion.

• Swap phone numbers if the group doesn't all know each other, and agree a meeting point if anyone gets separated. Remember signal is patchy out here.

• Sort out the café timing. "Back at the café at one" gives everyone a fixed point. The Pedalabikeaway café is the natural hub.

• Book ahead for bigger groups if you're hiring bikes or want uplift — turning up mob-handed on a busy Saturday and expecting eight hire bikes won't end well.
   

Building a group in the first place

No group to ride with? The Forest of Dean scene is a friendly one, and there are a few ways in:

• Plus1 — post a ride at your pace and vibe, and let others join. Built for exactly this.

• Coaching group sessions — a good way to meet riders at a similar level.

• DTV dig days — you'll meet the friendliest, most committed people in the forest.
   

The bottom line

A good group ride comes down to three things: pick the trail for the least confident rider, wait at the junctions, and use Cannop's central hub so people can do different things and still ride together. Get those right, and it's the best day out there.