• Learn how to ride safely in a group?

• Learn good bike-handling skills?

• Build up both confidence and competence as a cyclist? 

• Improve your strength, speed and stamina?

• Learn how to work as a team to make any ride easier and more enjoyable?

• Get to know some great NYCC routes?

• Meet lots of friendly, enthusiastic cyclists of similar abilities, some of whom will become your best riding buddies?

• Learn the best places to go for a cold beverage after a ride?

 

 

Here’s what previous year’s B SIG participants said:

 

 

 

The B SIG is a 10 week, structured training program in group riding and cycling skills. Our goal is to create safe, competent and confident riders.  By participating in the B SIG, you’ll also improve your conditioning, get exposure to a world of cycling knowledge, explore some of the best riding routes in the tri state area and get high quality instruction in bike maintenance, bike fit, nutrition, stretching, flexibility and first aid. Best of all, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of a great group of leaders and fellow SIGgies.

 

 

The B-SIG is divided into 3 pace levels: 15/16, 17 and 18 

 

The numbers refer to the speed that each level rides at. By speed, we mean sustained cruising speed over flat terrain, not average speed over an entire ride. 

 

 

Each pace level consists of teams of +/- 9 SIGgies, a team leader and 2 co-leaders. When you register for the program, you simply sign up for the B-SIG, not for a specific pace level. The first Saturday of the program will consist of an orientation session, plus a large group timed classification ride consisting of 6 laps in Prospect Park. Based on your times for the laps, we’ll assign you to an appropriate pace level and team. 

 

These initial groupings work out quite well for about 90% of our participants, but we’ll fine tune the teams over the first few actual rides. By ride # 3, all of the teams will be pretty well "dialed in."  

 

Once you’re in the proper team, you’ll ride with that same group of SIGgies and leaders for the entire program. That way, with everyone riding at approximately the same level, you'll all progress faster. And everyone will be happier!

 

Each team will actually start riding the first few weeks at a pace a few mph below the “advertised” pace for its level. This is to give everyone time to get comfortable riding with each other and in our SIG group riding style, and also because we know that a lot of folks are just waking up from winter hibernation and may not have gotten in a lot of riding prior to the start of the SIG. 

 

 

Each week's ride emphasizes a particular skill, each of which is outlined in the B SIG Riders' Guide. (There’s a link to the Guide on the B SIG web page.) You'll be asked to read the appropriate section on that skill in the Riders' Guide prior to the ride date. On the morning of the ride itself, we’ll spend a  few minutes going over that skill before taking off. The rides are coordinated with the day's lesson, so you'll be practicing what you've learned in class. Also, the skills are designed to be cumulative, each one building on the one before. 

 

Each ride will be broken up with a brief mid-morning pit stop, a lunch stop and possibly one more mid-afternoon pit stop. At the end of the ride, there will be a brief review of the day’s ride with the leaders before you break up to go home.  

 

The rides get a little longer and a little harder each week. But don't worry -- you'll be getting stronger and more skilled as you go along. You’ll be amazed at how much stronger you’ll get!

 

 

Our first actual group ride, week 2 of the program, is approximately 43 miles with about 2,300 feet of climbing, and we build gradually from there. On week 9 we’ll do a true century -- 100 miles. (If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry. If you stick with the program, you’ll do it !) Week 10 is our gorgeous graduation ride, highlighted by a climb to the top of Bear Mountain and a late lunch in Cold Spring. Actually, one of the great things about the SIG is that it will introduce you to some fantastic routes in our tri-state area.   

 

 

If you haven’t had much experience with group rides, you should understand that group rides take longer than rides of similar distance that you do by yourself or with a small group of friends. And SIG rides usually take even longer. Rest stops and lunch stops take longer. Your group may stop for coaching from time to time along the way. And with a larger group, there’s naturally more chance for flats, mechanicals and health issues to slow things down. In the early weeks, you might get back to Manhattan as early as 3. But in the later weeks, as the rides get longer, you may not be back till 5 or even later. A good rule of thumb is to stay flexible and not make early evening plans on SIG days. 

 

 

Signing up for the B-SIG means you have made a commitment to spend 10 consecutive Saturdays cycling with us this spring. You will not be permitted to miss more than 2 of the group rides. In addition, you cannot miss more than 1 of the first 2 group rides.  However, if a Saturday ride is cancelled due to weather and you can’t make the Sunday make-up, your Sunday absence won’t be counted against you. 

 

If you do have to miss a ride, we urge you to try to make that ride up before the next one if at all possible. In addition, missing 2 rides in a row may present a challenge to you in being able to keep up with the group when you do return.  

 

 

 

Group riding carries with it the need for enhanced safety rules and skills, and these may be above and beyond what you're used to when you ride alone or with just one or two companions. The New York Cycle Club and the B-SIG are very committed to making our group rides as safe as possible. Therefore, we will emphasize safe cycling habits throughout the program, and safe riding techniques and instruction are an integral part of the curriculum. As a B SIG participant, it will be your obligation to learn these rules and adhere to them on our rides.  We take this very seriously. Any rider who, in the opinion of the leaders, is not cooperating with our safety guidelines, or is otherwise creating unsafe conditions for the group, will be asked to leave the program. 

 

 

T2The 2024 B-SIG begins on Saturday, March 2 and runs through May 4. If a Saturday ride needs to be postponed due to weather, the ride will be made up on Sunday.

 

Public Transportation: If you are uncomfortable using public transportation, it will be up to you to ride or make other arrangements to get to and from the start and finish of each ride. 

 

 

 

When you sign up for the B SIG you're making a major commitment. In addition to the commitment to be with us for the full 10 weeks, you are also committing to cooperate with and be respectful of your fellow SIGgies and leaders and to be good ambassadors of the NYCC and of cycling in general. You’ll hear a lot more about this commitment at orientation and in the B SIG materials. One of the most important parts of this commitment, however, is that you're also making a commitment to give back to the club. Towards the end of the B-SIG, the leaders will make suggestions on organizing and leading club rides. While the SIG is free, we expect that each participant will give back to the club, preferably by leading a ride or by volunteering for a club activity after the SIG.

 

For more details about the B-SIG, email [email protected].

 

 

The B SIG is a serious program. Each year, dozens of NYCC volunteers spend thousands of hours planning, organizing and leading the program. In return, we expect a serious commitment on your part as well, in terms of preparation, participation, training, effort and, after the program concludes, willingness to "give back." But if you make that commitment, we assure you that you'll be rewarded many times over with a fantastic and fun experience.

 

 

It sure will!

 

 

Absolutely!

 

 

You can count on it!

 

Hope to see you out there!