Group ride message template

The best ride announcements answer every question before it's asked. Copy this template into WhatsApp, Signal or your club's chat and fill in the gaps.

The template

🚴 Saturday ride: [name of the ride]

📍 Meet: [place], [time] (rolling at [time])
⏱️ Pace: [no-drop / steady / brisk], about [speed] km/h average
📏 [distance] km, [climbing] m of climbing, back around [time]
⛰️ Main climb: [name], we regroup at the top
☕ Coffee stop: [place]
🔧 Bring: spare tube, pump, lights if it's grey

Route, timings and weather: [RideBriefing link]
Reply 👍 if you're in.

RideBriefing fills in most of the numbers for you: distance, climbing, the main climb and the return time, all from your start time and the group's speed. The link preview shows them in the chat too.

What to include, and why

Meeting time and rolling time. Two different times stop the "I thought we left at 9" conversation.
The pace, in words and numbers. "No-drop, around 24 km/h" sets expectations better than "easy".
Distance, climbing and return time. People plan their day around the return time, so include your stops.
Regroup points. Name them, typically the top of each climb, so faster riders know where to wait.
One link for everything else. The route, the weather on the road, the climbs and the surface, rather than five separate messages.

Weekly club ride version

Sunday club ride 🚴 [date]

Group A: [speed] km/h, [distance] km
Group B: [speed] km/h, [distance] km
Meet [place] at [time], rolling at [time].

Briefings, with weather on the road:
A: [link]
B: [link]

Make one briefing per group, each with its own average speed, so every group gets its own timings and forecast.

Fill in the numbers in one minute.

Brief your ride

Questions

What should a group ride announcement include?

The meeting point and time, the rolling time, the pace, the distance and climbing, the return time, the regroup points and a link to the route. A RideBriefing link adds the weather on the road and the climbs.

How far ahead should I post it?

Two or three days ahead works well: early enough for people to plan, close enough for a useful forecast. The forecast on the link updates as the ride gets closer.

How do I set the pace for a mixed group?

Use a speed the slower riders can hold, and say it's a no-drop ride. For a big spread, split into groups with a briefing each.