Local Rides
There are many local rides in the Jackson Metro area that riders of all fitness and skill levels can participate in. The best place for a beginning or active cyclist to find rides is through the Facebook community. Numerous local groups provide a tremendous array of listings and ride opportunities with a chance to correspond about place, time, pace and availability. The chief Facebook groups are:
• Madison/Ridgeland Cycling
• Germantown Cycling
• Clinton Cycling
• Rankin County Riders
• Jackson Metro Cyclists
• Soul City Cycling Mississippi
• Vicksburg Bike Recs
Detailed below is an overview of the local rides that take place during the week. To find the ride that’s right for you, we’ve tried to provide you with some general information on each ride.
If you are new to cycling or are unsure of your fitness or skill level, we recommend choosing a lower level ride.
A – Select Riders. 24+ MPH average. Fast energetic riding with excellent bike handling skills. Excellent pace line skills are required. Riders participating in these fast-paced rides are expected to be self-sufficient and able to navigate on their own if dropped.
B – Very Fast Riders. 21+ MPH average. Fast energetic riding with above average bike handling skills. Excellent pace line skills are required. Riders participating in these rides are expected to be self-sufficient and able to navigate on their own if dropped.
C – Fast Riders. 18+ MPH average. Brisk riding with good bike handling skills. Pace line skills are required. Riders participating in these rides are expected to be self-sufficient and able to navigate on their own if dropped.
D – Intermediate Riders. 15+ MPH average. Moderate riding with basic bike handling skills. Some pace line skills required. Typical rides are either “No Drop” or “Regroup”.
E – Beginner Riders. 12+ MPH average. For riders just starting out. Typical rides are either “No Drop” or “Regroup”.
Monday
Soul City Cycling (SCC) Encouragement Ride – A (Select) to E (Beginner)
The Monday Encouragement Ride begins in late March and is held every Monday night at 6:00 P.M. This is an out and back route, so feel free to ride at a pace that is safe and comfortable for you. This local ride is well attended and is a good fun ride. The route is approximately 20 miles in length with an elevation gain of 457 feet. Make sure to bring a chair to hang out afterwards!
Here is the link to the route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37765078
Contact Arree Williams at 601.942.9532 for more information or check the Soul City Cycling Facebook Group.
The Bike Crossing - Beginner Ride – E (Beginner)
If you aren’t used to road riding, been away from the road for a while or just want to start something new, this is the ride for you. It will be a no drop ride and we will determine length and route once we establish who is there to ride. This will NOT be a fast ride at all so please join us because this is why we are here. We want to ride our bikes and want you too also!! We will start at 5:30 now but when it starts getting dark later it will move to 6:00.
Contact The Bike Crossing at 601.856.0049 for more information.
Tuesday
JMC Club Ride – A (Select) to E (Beginner)
Starting after the time change in March, this local ride leaves at 6pm from the Canton Multi-Purpose Building. This is an out and back route, so feel free to ride at a pace that is safe and comfortable for you. This route doesn't have a lot of traffic, so it's a great place to learn how to ride in a group.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31512755
Make sure to bring a chair and hang out after the ride.
This local ride is well attended and is a good fun ride. The route is approximately 22 miles in length with an elevation gain of 660 feet.
Check the JMC, Madison/Ridgeland, & Germantown Cycling Facebook pages for weekly updates.
Thursday
Soulshine Ride – A (Select) to C (Fast)
Starting in late March, this local ride leaves at 6pm from behind the Soulshine Pizza Factory in Ridgeland. This 20 mile route has an elevation gain of 798 feet and has several sharp challenging hills. It should be noted that this route travels on Hwy 463 for approximately ¼ of a mile. This ride typically breaks up into multiple groups. While the slower groups may regroup, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the route beforehand. Here is a link to the route.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/19506401
Make sure to bring a chair and hang out after the ride.
Check the Madison/Ridgeland and Germantown Cycling Facebook pages for weekly updates.
Bicycle Revolution Encouragement Ride – E (Beginner)
Starting, March 17th, Bicycle Revolution will host their Encouragement Ride. This beginner ride is a 17 mile no drop ride and will have a sweeper. The ride leaves the shop at 6:00pm.
Contact Bicycle Revolution at 769.300.4721 for more information.
Saturday
Start Location Varies – B (Very Fast) to D (Intermediate)
The Saturday ride typically has two routes that are typically 30 and 45 miles. The shorter route is a modified “no rider left behind” ride where riders regroup. The average pace is 15-21 mph with stops predetermined. To keep things fresh, we vary the routes week to week, so keep an eye open for the posts on the JMC, Madison/Ridgeland Cycling, and Germantown Cycling Facebook pages for ride details.
Make sure to bring a chair and hang out after the ride.
Sunday
JMC Club Ride Lake Caroline – B (Very Fast) to E (Beginner)
The Lake Caroline ride typically starts from the Mermaid Café at 2pm. There are two 27 mile out and back routes. Each routes has several “Regroup” points along the way. While most treat this ride as a recovery ride, there are several sections of the route where people like to “open it up” in the flats. Here is the link to the routes.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37907168
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38649128
Make sure to bring a chair and hang out after the ride.
Start times vary with the seasons and the weather, so check the JMC Facebook page for weekly updates.