Cycling UK’s top 10 tips for including e-cycles on a group ride

There are many reasons more people are riding e-bikes, whether because of ill health, injury, old age or simply because they enjoy having the extra boost of power that having a motor can provide.

However, very occasionally, this difference in power output can cause issues with fellow riders, especially on group rides.

What are the pitfalls of taking an e-cycle on a group ride, and how can you avoid them, both as a rider and a ride leader? Our guide will show you how.

1. Familiarise yourself with your e-cycle

Firstly, get to know your e-cycle well before joining a group or club ride. E-cycles may at first glance look like conventional ones but they ride very differently.

Make sure you understand your the bike’s controls, range and handling so that you don’t outrun your fellow riders. Equally, you don’t want your first ride with a group to end before it’s begun because you forgot to charge it sufficiently.

2. Tell the ride leader of any issues

If you are riding an e-cycle because of a particular health or medical issue that may affect your riding, it’s a good idea to let the ride leader or an assistant ride leader know about it, if you feel comfortable doing so.

Even though you ride an e-cycle, you may still find yourself needing to pause more often than others or unable to negotiate a particularly steep or rocky section of the route because of your dodgy knees without dismounting.

If you’ve explained this beforehand, you won’t worry about ‘holding people up’ if you do so. They may assume you’ll be faster because of the extra power but that’s not necessarily the case.

3. Check the legal status of your e-cycle

If your e-cycle has been adapted or altered, it may be illegal and, as such, not permitted on a Cycling UK group ride as it may be dangerous and you might not be insured under our third party insurance.

The guidance sheet states: “You are covered if you are cycling on a cycle (unicycle, bicycle, tricycle, tandem, triplet, quadracycle, cargo bike or adapted cycle) unless it is driven by mechanical power other than electric assistance.”

The ride leader has every right to ask you to leave their ride if they believe you or your bike poses a danger to yourself or others. For more information on this, see the guidance in our Ride leader’s toolkit. You can also refer to the advice given in Is your e-bike legal? and Electric cycles and the law: What you need to know.

4. Keep group cohesion

If you are on an e-cycle, you might be able to ride a bit faster than the others and be tempted to zoom on ahead. This is fine, as long as the ride leader is happy about it and you are confident you know the intended route.

However, for a ride leader, nothing is more annoying than somebody racing to the front and then taking a wrong turn or expecting everyone else to keep up their super-speedy pace. You also don’t want to risk getting lost.

On the other hand, you may find it harder to keep up on the flat, thanks to speed limiters of 15 mph and the extra weight of the motor.

Try and ride at a steady pace to keep as near the other riders as possible, although, particularly when riding off road, you can be forgiven if you need to keep up a certain cadence in order to tackle the technical sections. But remember to let people without motors through if necessary.

5. Allow others to take a break

On that note, be mindful that while you may be able to chat away easily on every climb, thanks to your power assistance, not everyone else will feel like it. Keep the gossip for the café stop or when regrouping at the top of a climb.

While you might still feel quite fresh, others may need a snack or a drink before setting off again.

6. It's not ‘cheating’!

If you're still on an ‘android’ cycle – a traditional bike, in other words – it’s tempting to think of people who do ride e-bikes as ‘cheating’ but this can be far from the truth. They may be struggling with illness, recovering from an operation, have a hidden disability, or a myriad of other very good reasons for using an e-cycle, whatever their age.

Try not to judge and welcome them to the ride on an equal basis with all the other riders, grateful that e-cycles are now enabling more people to enjoy the benefits of cycling for longer. Avoid patronising comments, as e-cyclists can often be trying far harder than other people on the ride.

7. It’s not a race

Many of us have a competitive streak and, even on a leisure ride, it’s sometimes hard not to pit yourself against others. If you’re on a standard cycle, don’t try and keep up with someone on an e-bike just to prove how fit you are.

Equally, if you’re the one with power assistance, you might feel you’ve got something to prove by keeping up the front with the stronger riders. Neither strategy is a good idea if you want to enjoy cycling in a group, so relax, ride at your own pace and let others do their own thing.

8. Be helpful

If you’re riding in a group of mixed e-cycles and standard bikes, and can ride at a suitable pace, you might be able to use your extra speed to benefit the group by going on ahead to open gates, for example, or take photographs. Maybe you could even consider taking a stint at the front during a headwind?

You might be tasked by the ride leader with catching up with riders who have gone on ahead or go back to retrieve those who have dropped off the back. But only do this if you are comfortable that your remaining battery power will allow it.

9. Know when to change groups

If, despite your motor power, you're still finding it hard to keep up with a particular group ride, it might be time to consider finding a group that rides at a steadier pace. If one doesn’t exist near you, you could maybe create one.

After all, if you're not enjoying club cycling any more, it’s better to adjust your cycling rather than give it up entirely. You might even take more pleasure in a slower pace where you can take in more of your surroundings and a social connection with others.

10. Remember to have fun

E-cycles are here to stay and are now outselling traditional bikes in many European countries. Even though you think you would never own one, it’s entirely possible that one day one might enable you to keep on riding and enjoying it.

It doesn’t really matter what you or other people ride: as long as the cycles are legal and safe, the fact that you do ride – and have fun – is what counts.