Ride Categories
Wheelers on the Wednesday evening C/D mentor ride tour along the Kanawha River with the State Capitol in the background.
Road Ride Categories
The following relate to ride categories as listed on the monthly ride schedules and referred to in e-mails etc.
Class A: For strong, experienced, conditioned cyclist, expect long, steep hills, 45-100 miles, average 16 to 20+ mph.
Class B: For riders in good cycling shape, typically from routine to hard riding, challenging terrain, 25-75 miles, average 14 to 18 mph.
Class C: For average rider who rides regularly, 15-35 miles over moderate terrain, no long steep hills, average 10 to 14 mph.
Class D: For almost all riders, 5-20 miles on any type of bicycle with gentle terrain, average 6 to 10 mph.
Memory Ride: A ride without a designated leader. The route and length are up to those who show up.
Mountain Bike Categories
The club has never formalized ride categories for mountain bike rides. Mostly, it has been equating the effort and intensity of a road ride to a mountain bike ride. That isn't much help to new riders or to those that only mountain bike. The following is one attempt to establish a base for mountain bike ride categories. Please e-mail your comments to one of the officers or send them to:
Mountain State Wheelers
P.O. Box 8161
South Charleston, WV 25303
Class A: For strong, experienced, conditioned cyclist, expect technical single track, long steep hills and moderate to fast pace. Rides will usually be 25+ miles, but technical difficulty, hills and pace are principle determining factors.
Class B: For riders in good cycling shape, typically from routine to hard riding, challenging terrain. Will usually involve single track of moderate difficulty, but can include some technical single track and long climbs. Rides will usually be 15+ miles at a moderate pace.
Class C: For the rider who rides regularly, 10+ miles over moderate terrain. Single tract will seldom exceed moderate difficulty. Example: A loop in Kanawha State Forest using Davis Creek Trail and Middle Ridge Road and other park roads.
Class D: For almost all riders. 5+ miles over gentle terrain. Double track or easy single track.