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Chapel Hill NC Group Rides

Chapel Hill and Carrboro is a great place to ride a bike. Our towns are surrounded by great roads, and have a vibrant local cycling community.

We’ve created this resource to help you find group rides. This list isn’t exhaustive and is provided as-is (see our disclaimer below), but it should help you get started.

Clubs and Mailing Lists

Carolina Tarwheels: The Carolina Tarwheels are a large local cycling club that put on a variety of rides during the week. You’ll find everything from beginner rides, up to “A” pace rides. See the rides on the Carolina Tarwheels Meetup.

Chapel Hill Cycling: The Chapel Hill Cycling mailing list is a list devoted to cycling in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro community. It’s a good place to find out about local cycling events and impromptu rides.

Weekday Rides

The following rides all begin at Wilson Park in Carrboro (101 Williams St, Carrboro NC). Wilson Park has ample parking and restrooms for getting changed. Rides marked as “Summer months only” generally operate from March-October.

  • Twin Peaks – Tuesday at 5:30PM (Summer months only) The group rides together until the base of the Lamont Norwood climb. Then it’s a race to the finish. Avg. 20mph, gets faster later in the summer. Route
  • Igniter – Tuesday at 6:15PM (Year round) A fast, friendly no-drop ride with competitive sections on Borland and Union Grove. Avg. 18-19mph. Route
  • Wednesday Throwdown – Wednesday at 10:30AM (Year round) A race-pace rotation ride designed to test and improve fitness. This is a drop ride. Avg 24-25mph. Ride and route announced weekly on Chapel Hill Cycling. [Note: As of May 2021 this ride is happening infrequently]
  • Hammer Ride – Wednesday at 5:30PM (Summer months only) This is a race training paced brutalization of your legs in a smooth rotating paceline for about an hour 15. The primary goal of the ride is to keep a smooth, fast rotation going. Avg 22-24mph. Route
  • Triangle Velo Ride – Thursday at 6PM (Summer months only) Triangle Velo hosts a Thursday ride for members of the club and friends. Please contact a club member for more information. This ride does not begin at Wilson Park.

Weekend Rides

The following rides all begin at Wilson Park in Carrboro (101 Williams St, Carrboro NC) and operate year-round.

  • The P Ride – Saturday at 9:14AM (Year-round) The P ride is known as one of the most challenging rides in the Southeast. Local racers and national pros will come out to test their fitness, attempting to make it to the finish with the lead group. Groupettos will form. Neutral rollout to Orange Grove, Avg 25-26mph. Route
  • The A Ride – Saturday 8AM (Summer) 9AM (Winter) A smooth, fast paceline ride, generally 70-80 miles. The A ride is sometimes announced on Chapel Hill Cycling, and other times it is organized at Wilson Park. Avg 21-22mph.
  • The A- Ride – Saturday 8AM (Summer) 9AM (Winter) This ride is organized via the Tarwheels Meetup and generally announced on Chapel Hill Cycling. Routes are generally in the 50-60 mile range, and pace is 20-21mph.
  • The B18-B19 Ride – Saturday 8AM (Summer) 9AM (Shoulder Season) 10AM (Winter) This ride is organized via the Tarwheels Meetup. Routes are generally in the 40-50 mile range, and pace is 18-19mph.
  • Other Saturday Rides: The Carolina Tarwheels host a variety of rides for riders looking for a more relaxed or social pace.

Tips

If you are new to the area, arrive early and introduce yourself to the ride leader. Rides leave promptly at the posted time. North Carolina gets very hot in the summer, so bring ample hydration. The race-pace rides will not stop for mechanicals or flats, so make sure you have the tools to get back to Wilson Park. The slower rides will stop for mechanicals, and may stop for dropped riders/help them get back on.

Off-Road Options

Triangle Off Road Cyclists is a very large cycling club for people looking to get off-road. We strongly suggest checking them out if you’re looking for a group ride. They list rides on their Meetup.

If you’re just looking for some trails to ride in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, we suggest the following:

  • Brumley Forest – Link – Incredible local MTB trail system. Fast and flowy.
  • Carolina North Forest – Link – Huge set of trails in the center of Chapel Hill. Varied terrain, some technical.
  • Briar Chapel – Link – Located a short drive from Chapel Hill. Technical trails, skills park.
  • Umstead Park – Link – Miles of gravel riding close to RDU airport.

Disclaimer

All riders should obey North Carolina traffic laws as they apply to cyclists and remain aware of all traffic conditions while riding. All riders take personal responsibility for their own safety.

Cycling is an inherently dangerous sport: Triangle Velo and its representatives are not responsible in any way for any perceived or actual injury before, during, or after any rides listed here. Have fun and be safe out there.