MD Rail Trail Biking Club

The purpose of this group is to give our fellow Maryland bike riders opportunities to:

• explore familiar and new bike trails mostly in MD, and occasionally in DC, VA, WVA, DE, PA, NJ and NY.
• socialize and make new friends.
• have fun while exercising.
• travel with a familiar group to participate in day trips and weekend getaways for bikers
• travel with a familiar group to participate in larger bike events such as Bike Philly, Bike DC, and CRTTs 4th of July to Ft. McHenry
• volunteer for bike events
• support bike advocate groups such as Bike Maryland and WABA.

We welcome people of all ages, racial identities, gender identities, biking skills, etc.

Most of the events are for casual bicycle riding on scenic trails. We target rail and greenway trails, which are bicycle-friendly trails that tend to parallel old train tracks, canals, and rivers. Since trains did not do well on anything over a 3% grade, these trails are mostly flat. They go through some beautiful areas and quaint towns, often where food and drink are plentiful.

Paved hiker/biker trails usually have a speed limit of 15 mph. If we're aware that there's a road segment where you can ride faster, we'll try to note that in the event description.

We avoid streets as much as possible, although some of the trails may include a bike lane or shoulder for a small portion of the ride. Only a small number of routes use roads more than 25% of the time. Any route that is mostly on roads will be titled with "ROAD RIDE " so they can be easily identified.

Although we are mainly interested in "day trips," We also like to schedule at least one overnight each year.

Most rides will have distance options such as 10, 15, 20, 25, etc., that you can choose from. And we'll range between 8 - 15 mph (some of us are slower, some are faster). This will make for a pretty laid-back ride and riders of just about any skill level should be fine. This is not about performance!

Group Fees
At this time there is $8 annual membership to offset the $320 annual Meetup fee, the $80 annual Ride with GPS fee, and the huge number of hours the organizer's use to research destinations, check for trail construction, parking, writing, answering member questions, etc. in lieu of doing their personal errands. Excess funds will be donated to World Bike Fund, Bike MD and WABA.

Volunteer organizers are needed
If you’re in the mood to ride a particular trail and would like to let others join you, let me know and I’ll gladly add your event and put you as the organizer - even if there’s already a bike trip listed the same day. The more the merrier!

What do I need to bring?
Bike details: A proper-fitting bike that has had a maintenance check. Hybrids, gravel, mountain bikes, and road bikes (as long as they don't have the ultra-thin tires); some trails tend to be a mixture of asphalt, crushed limestone, and gravel.

Helmet: Required to be worn when seated/riding a bike.

Some other gear that is almost mandatory:

• Water (water bottles or a backpack style hydration system)
• Spare tube: Even if you don't know how to change a flat, someone in the group will be able to do it for you and it's MUCH easier to change a tube than to patch one
• Bike tools (a tire repair and patch kit and spare tube is always a good idea)
• Bike lock (we do stop for food and drink and the bike is not always in view)
• A payment method
• Good attitude (we're fun people!)

Other things to consider:

• Bug spray
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Small first aid kit
• Bike bag to hold everything
• Biking shorts (padded shorts may look strange to the uninitiated, but they sure do the trick)
• In cooler seasons, wear an upper layer that can be removed when you get warmed up.
• Please read our group rules

Please Note
We place limits on the number of riders that can join any single ride. Be aware of this when you join a ride. If you find you won't be able to make the ride, please move yourself from ‘Going’ to ‘Not Going’ ASAP and no later than 24 hours before the event start time to give others the chance to join. If you wait till the day of the event then you’re not giving others the time to take your place. Please don’t RSVP to an event just to add it to your calendar; only RSVP if you truly feel you will make it.

Make sure you get to the Meetup location before start time. Give yourself enough time to get your bike off/out of the car and ready by the start time (at least 15 minutes). Especially in summer, it’s too hot to stand around waiting for late arrivals to get ready. If you’re running late, please message the group on Meetup so we know whether to leave or wait a bit.