Valley Spokesmen Bicycle Touring Club

Club birthday cake, 2007

Rides For All of Us

If you want to start riding casually and make new friends who share your interests, then you should join us on our shorter rides. We offer at least two rides a month for people just like you! Check the ride calendar and see how many rides suit you!

Join the Club

For a few dollars a year you get all this:
- Monthly newsletter
- A guide to local eateries
- Tons of bicycle advice
- Discounts at your LBS
- New friends!
Mail your application form today!

Ride in style

View clothing information online. Send an e-mail to Jim Duncan if you are interested in club jerseys, shorts, socks, vests, jackets, etc. His address is hey-you at comcast dot net.

Cheers!

Coach: "How's life treating you Norm?"
Norm: "Like I just ran over its dog."

VS Race Team

Got the need for speed? Head on over to VSRT.

Ride 'n Race News

- NCNCA
- USA Cycling
- California Bicycle Racing
- American Bicycle Racing
- Velo News
- Cyclingnews

Want to lead a ride?

Find out how much fun it can be by looking through our new Ride Leader Guide! View our Ride Leader Awards program!

New Members

Get up to speed quickly! Download and browse through our New Member Handbook.

Cinderella Classic!

Cinderella 2008 is in the books! Click here to view the pictures and relive the fun!

Rules of the Road

Read over our new Rules Handbook to review all the stuff that helps keep you safe out there.

Hey! - it’s Spring!

Which are you most looking forward to?
- Sneezy, wheezy allergies
- Mowing your lawns
- Mt. Diablo’s Summit View
We thought so! You should join the Valley Spokesmen and enjoy these spring days with new cycling friends, so check our ride calendar for dates that look the most fun to you.

View Road Ride Ratings
View Mountain Ride Ratings

Road Bike Information

Ride Difficulty Rating

All rides are graded 1 to 5 for difficulty.

Generally flat with a few easy grades, suitable for beginners and casual riders
Mostly easy grades with a few rolling hills, a challenge for beginners
Moderate grades, some challenge for the average rider
Steep grades with some relief
Mostly steep grades, for strong riders

Pace

FFR - (Family Fun Ride) This is a very slow ride designed for ALL bikes and all ages.
P - A guaranteed leisurely ride for those who like to 'putz'along on their bikes - 8-10 m.p.h.
L - Leisurely, many rest stops - 8-13 m.p.h.
M - Moderate, occasional rest stops - 11-16 m.p.h.
B - Brisk, few stops - 14-19 m.p.h.
S - Steady, strenuous, rapid pace - 17+ m.p.h.
ND - No Drop - this means that the group will not lose any rider. All rides are ND by default and will announce if they are otherwise.

For example: A ride rated as 3-M, 25 miles, should have some moderate grades that may challenge the average rider, have a pace of 11-16 m.p.h., and be about 25 miles long.

No Drop

Even when not labeled so, most rides are No Drop rides - the group will stop regularly to regroup and leave no one behind - but the leader can make that decision.

Out of consideration to the other riders, if you are uncertain about your ability to complete a particular ride, please check with the ride leader to determine whether you should ride that route.