Fairbanks Cycle Club is all about riding, and, boy, do we have a lot of rides year ’round. This list shows the rides that we typically do every year; some years the creative leaders among us come up with new things to do, and sometimes we take a breather from a particular ride for a year or so. Be sure to check out the calendar to find what’s scheduled and where to meet up with the group. Everyone is welcome to any of our rides, but keep in mind that some might not be good choices for novice riders, while others are targeted at them. Check with the ride leader to find out if a ride is right for you!

To join any of our club rides you need to be an FCC member and wear a helmet.

Please scroll to bottom of page to see our FCC COVID ride guidelines.

 

Summer Rides

Tuesday Night Mountain Bike Rides (weekly) — Also known as “Doug Rides” after their namesake, Doug Burnside, the Tuesday Night Rides are attended by mostly men and not enough women. Check the ride descriptions for ride ability levels, length, projected durations, etc. Rides tend to be more difficult as the season wears on. Check out the schedule to see where to meet and where we’ll be going.

Women on Wheels (aka WOW; weekly) — A moderate to fast-paced series of road rides for women who like to test themselves. The ride schedule gives a lot of details about rides, mileages and meeting places. Pacing is usually 16-18 mph.

Ladies of Leisure (aka LOLs; weekly) — A decidedly mellower version of the WOW rides. This is a social bike group for women.  There are several mini groups within LOL to accommodate the various fitness and pace levels of the riders.  LOL is all about FUN, FITNESS, and FRIENDSHIP.

SCUM Rides (aka SOW or SCUM on Wheels; twice-weekly) — Sounds bad, but the rides are fun. A clean group of well-attired men (who self-describe as “elderly and harmless”). Women have been known to participate and are not discouraged. You’ll have to attend a SCUM ride to find out where the name “SCUM” comes from. Spoiler: It’s not as scary as it sounds.

Chena Hot Springs Bicycle Classic (once a year) — Both a ride and race, for kids, families, enthusiasts, and hard-core-go-fast types, with varying distances from Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs. Usually held in June. (May 2022 update: Unfortunately, due to COVID and other circumstances, we have determined that we cannot put together a CHS Classic for this year. We will start looking toward 2023.)

Equinox Marathon Clean Up Ride (once a year) — Help clean up after a bunch of runners! Have fun, do good work!

Guidance for Cycling During Times of Wildfire Smoke: These guidelines are aimed at FCC ride leaders, but they are useful for anyone trying to decide when to cycle (or exercise at all) when we are getting smoke from wildfires. This was last updated August 2022.

 

Winter Rides

Check out our more recent Regular Winter Rides in Fairbanks page.

Non-FCC Rides

In addition to our club rides, Fairbanks has some other rides that are free and open to the public. Some are offered year-round. Here are the ones we know about:

  • Goldstream Sports has two weekly rides. Both start at the store and are A level rides for top-level cyclists who like to push the pace. Average road speeds are 19-20 mph. The Tuesday night ride starts at 7 p.m. It is a road ride early in the season and transitions to a mountain bike ride when the trails dry out. The Saturday morning road ride starts at 8 a.m. For more information call the store at 455-6520.
  • Beaver Sports often offers weekly mountain bike rides, summer and winter, on Thursdays, usually starting at 5 p.m. (In spring during breakup, the rides are either suspended or take to roads and bike paths.) These are low-key, no-drop rides. The store also offers occasional group demo rides that are like tours.  They also offer free Friday night bike repair clinics in summer. The clinics offer guidance for people interested in learning how to repair their own bikes. Keep an eye on their Facebook Events page or give the store a call at 479-2494.
  • Black Spruce Bike Club sponsored by the Black Spruce Brewing Company. They often hold Saturday rides starting at the brew company on south Peger Road. Check out the Black Spruce Brewing Company Facebook page or Instagram page.
  • Boomers on Bikes meets on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. It’s mostly women riding at a slower pace, but everyone is welcome to join. Where they meet varies. Ride leader Stephanie sends out a weekly email on Sundays describing the ride and meet place. If people are interested in joining, send an email to smeath@alaska.net 

COVID Guidelines for FCC Rides

COVID-19 UPDATE (as of April 15, 2022): The FCC Board of Directors, after consulting with local medical experts, has given the go-ahead for ride leaders to hold group rides as long as proper precautions are taken. 

Guidelines for riders and ride leaders: (These apply to riders from different households. If a group is very small and everyone has been vaccinated, then the following rules can be relaxed. If you have not already done so, please do get vaccinated!)

  • If you are showing possible COVID symptoms or have recently been exposed to someone who has COVID, please stay home.
  • Distancing: Everyone has different levels of comfort on distancing. Please be mindful that some people prefer maintaining 6 feet of distance, especially when not moving on bikes. So, best to assume that unless you know otherwise.
  • Riders are allowed to ride in a pace line, but riders in front of others must not clear their noses or spit (see note below). Heck, that’s good advice ALL the time.
  • Any group snacks should be individually wrapped.
  • Use your common sense when facing unusual situations.

Allowing pace lines contradicts advice from early in the pandemic, but FCC consulted Alaska medical experts. The experts considered a number of factors in allowing pace lines, such as the dispersion of breath while outside and moving fast.

For more information on COVID, please see the Centers for Disease Control page.