How to meet bike friends?

A major life change means I’ve found myself with a lot more time on my hands, in a place that isn’t home, a long way from family and friends.

Can anyone suggest a good place/way to meet other people to bike with?

Not a million miles away from FoD, and within relatively easy distance of South Wales if that helps.

(Not a sympathy-seeking post!)

Had to be done.

There was a thread on here very recently aimed precisely at people like you looking for local riding buddies. I’ll see if I can dig it out.

We have a local Whatsapp group that stemmed from a post by the Generalist a year or so back, but we’re on the Manchester edge of the Peak and mostly, it seems right now, in hibernation as a response to the unremitting rain 🙂

Edit: this thread – really, for it to work properly though, it’d need to be stickied or bumped regularly.

The find a riding buddy thread

Depends on your riding style/outlook/age but there is plenty going on around the FoD. People arrange meetups on facebook groups, there are various riding groups. You could always come along to a dig with DTV. As with most things in life the more you put in the more you get out.

I say this in all seriousness because I’ve met loads of people through it but…Instagram.

Just search for local biking types and start chatting to them.

LBSs and if you are up for it, dig groups would be my suggestion.

Lots of good trails in the FoD, tell us if you see any wild boar. I’ve only holidayed their, love the woods but still not seen any boar.

There is a Thursday night ride from pedalabikeaway at fod, it seems well attended and they do food and beer afterwards so might be a good place to start.

Why not just put a post up on here, and arrange a ride and see if anyone is interested.

I usually just get chatting to people on the hill, ride together for an hour or so and maybe swap contact deets if we get on.

OK it’s fairly slow and hit-and-miss, but just thought I’d share.

Sometimes I arrange a ride with people off here or Insta as well though.

A decent amount of my riding buddies are leaders at my daughters bike club.

If you have some spare time you could always ask the local clubs if they need any volunteers.

Look at local Strava activity and start stalking interacting with others?

Isn’t the point of cycling to get away from people?

Put yourself in the places you like being as often as you can, be that bimbling around the local or at the bottom of the dig pit, and inevitably you will find your tribe.

I think the best way would be to get and ride and chat with other riders.  You will most likely find that other riders will have some sort of group chat set up.  My LBS has a ride evening and they usually have (when weather permits) have beers and pizza from their shop so that’s a great way to meet others.

I set up a small WhatsApp group sometime ago and we have about 25 in the group mostly local to Midlands.    Most in the group will ride at least once a week, albeit not all together.  Some stay local, i.e. Wyre Forest, Worcs, some a little further to FOD/Cannock, and others will go at the drop of a hat to anywhere!  The guys in the group are mixed abilities and ages.

This Sunday a couple of us are riding a 26 miler in Shropshire, last weekend was the Gap in Brecon and Climax a few weeks before that.  Others keep it more local.  Although 5 of us head to Scotland for 6 days later in the year.

In short, get out and ride, meet and mingle and be open for a beer.

LBS ride groups (if they still exist).
Social media, look for groups, join them and suggest meet ups (often bike owners clubs).
Places like Pedalabikeaway at FOD do Thursday evening (I think group rides), stuff like that.
Personally I just go riding at local trail centres and start start chatting to people (asking about or complimenting their bikes usually works).

WEEKSY to the rescue, just don’t let him buy your bike.

Local bike club?

Will probably have a WA group to arrange rides etc.

Ours is pretty active, lots of sub groups doing their own regular rides.

Thanks all, some good advice.

I have the same issue, so I’ve set up a Meetup group for mountain bikers in Birmingham. Though I don’t have many members so far!
It’s called the Birmingham Fairweather Mountain Biking group. You’re welcome to join as I am planning to do stuff in FoD.

My technique has always been to stand in a corner and hope that someone talks to me.

Even when I rode with a cycling club, I tended to do my job in the chain gang as well as I could before getting dropped, then just continue riding on my own.

I’m a real social animal.

Just declare Brexit was the best thing to happen to Britain and most of the forumnate will be up for your rehabilitation.

If you are anywhere in hailing distance of Stroud, I would be happy to show some local trails.

Bring your climbing legs!!

If you see someone on a MTB and get chatting then ask if they want to go for a ride they will say YES.

100%

You cannot have too many riding friends.

Also a thread on here about making riding friends.

Thank you to all who’ve replied. I’ll be at FoD tomorrow so if you see someone riding solo on a very purple Marin Alpine trail feel free to show me the off piste.