Kalamazoo Bicycle Club
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Club Rides

The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club’s 2026 Ride Season begins on Monday, March 10th, and continues through Friday, October 31st. Attendance at early and late season rides is likely to be more sparse than in mid-summer, and ride leaders may or may not be available for all rides.

Ride Guide
Definitions

You must wear a helmet to participate in a Club Ride.

Adhere to other guidelines on the Ride Safety page, particularly those highlighted here:

  • Ride as far to the right on a roadway as practicable
  • Ride no more than two abreast
  • Be visible – wear brightly colored clothing
  • Be visible – install and use lights and reflectors on your bicycle

Come prepared to fix your own mechanical issues and flat tires. Other riders may not be able to stop and help out if you break down on the road.
Carry a phone to use in emergencies. And, carrying/wearing personal identification, similar to RoadID’s, is recommended.

Ride start times, by month, for Monday and Wednesday evenings:

MarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctober
5:30PM6:00PM6:00PM6:00PM6:00PM6:00PM6:00PM5:30PM
KBC’s Ride Calendar
Monday Morning Ride meets May through September at 10 a.m. The start location alternates between Parchment and Portage.

On ODD dates meet at Kindleberger Park near the Water Tower at the east end of the park. 122
N. Riverview Dr., Parchment. There are restrooms next to the baseball fields.

On EVEN dates meet at Ramona Park, first parking lot on the left. Restrooms are located at the east end of the parking lot. 8600 S. Sprinkle Rd., Portage.
All rides are at a conversational pace, depending on who comes to the ride. Definitely no drop! The Ramona Park route is 25 miles and flat. The Kindleberger route is 28 miles and hilly.
Monday Night Ride departs from the Texas Drive Park. There can be up to eight ride groups, which should provide ride paces and terrains to suit abilities of all riders.  Ride groups will segregate into two aggregations – “East-enders” and “West-enders” – that get organized toward the east end and the west end of the parking lot.
Speeds listed for all groups are average speeds, attained by the end of the ride.  Expect to ride somewhat slower while ascending hills and faster while descending.  Speeds attained while riding on flat terrain are frequently similar to the posted average speeds.
East-ender Rides (Note: these rides will depart to the northeast on Texas Township Drive and then turn south on 10th Street)
  • 12-13 mph Schoolcraft Ride (15-20 miles; RideWithGPS maps of two alternate routes at this link OR this link).  This ride is recommended for riders who are learning how to ride in groups.  The ride is over relatively flat terrain.  This is a no-drop ride.
  • 14-15 mph Schoolcraft Ride (20 miles; RideWithGPS map of route at this link).  This ride is recommended for riders who have some experience with riding in groups and who want to ride at a slightly faster pace over relatively flat terrain.  This is a no-drop ride.
  • 15-16 mph VanKal U Ride (20 miles; RideWithGPS map of route at this link). This ride is recommended for riders who have experience with riding in groups and who want to ride on hillier terrain. This is a no-drop ride.
West-ender Rides  (Note: these rides will depart to the southwest on Texas Township Drive and then turn south on 8th Street
  • 16-17 mph Schoolcraft Ride (25-30 miles; RideWithGPS map of route at this link). This ride is recommended for riders who are accustomed to riding in groups and who want to ride over flatter terrain.  This is typically a no-drop ride.
  • 17-18 mph Lawton V Ride (28 miles; RideWithGPS map of route at this link). This ride is recommended for experienced riders who want to ride on hillier terrain. Likely no-drop.
  • 19-21 mph Lawton W Ride (30 miles; RideWithGPS map of route at this link). This ride is clearly for more experienced riders who want to ride faster and on hillier terrain.
Tuesday Night Women’s Ride meets at the Celery Flats Picnic Pavilion to enjoy 20-30 miles of quiet country roads with friendly and supportive women. The routes are mostly flat, with some rollers on the longer routes.  Three paces are supported with ride leaders: 14 mph and under, 15-16 mph and 17+ mph average. The Portage trail system is there, too, if you prefer a slower roll.  Rides start as soon as it warms up in the spring.  Check KBC’s FaceBook for updates and cancellations due to weather conditions.
Wednesday Night Ride departs from the Kal-Haven Trail Parking lot on 10th Street. No trail pass is required to park at or use the trail. When compared with the rides on Monday, these are typically faster rides through somewhat hillier terrain.
There are usually three ride groups, listed below, which should provide ride paces to suit abilities of many riders who have experience with riding in groups.
  • 16-18 mph Oak Tree Ride (28 miles; RideWithGPS map of route at this link).  This ride skirts to the north and east of Timber Ridge.  This is usually a no-drop ride.
  • 19-21 mph Kendall Ride (30 miles; RideWithGPS map of this route at this link).  This ride is recommended for more experienced riders who enjoy faster paced hills. The larger group that begins this ride frequently breaks up into smaller groups by the end of the ride.
  • 22+ mph Bloomingdale “Hammerfest” Ride (44 miles; RideWithGPS map of this route at this link) This ride, which begins at 6 pm throughout the summer, is clearly for the most experienced riders.  This group is typically large (more than 15 riders) and consists of racers and other experienced riders. The group usually fragments into smaller groups and the riders often do not finish together. This ride is difficult and is not suitable for inexperienced riders.
Pedal Shop Ride departs at 6:15 PM from Pedal North, 611 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 as soon as the weather warms up. See the Pedal Bicycle website (http://pedalbicycle.com/) for details.
Friday Morning Women’s Ride runs May thru October and starts at Texas Drive Park.   Roll out at 9:30 AM in May, Sept & Oct and at 9:00 AM in June, July and August.
Sunday LGBTQIA+ Allies Ride – will run May through September. Participants should arrive 15-20 minutes early for introductions, preparations, and safety reminders. Rollout is promptly at 10:00am, and it will be a no-drop ride. All abilities are welcome! Helmets are required, head lights and taillights are encouraged. The ride will rotate 4 locations throughout the month as follows. For any questions, email us at [email protected].
1st Sunday – Celery Flats at the Garden Lane parking lot, 7328 Garden Ln, Portage, MI 49002
2nd Sunday – Texas Drive Park, 6603 Texas Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49009
3rd Suday – Oshtemo Grange Hall, 3234 N 3rd St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009
4th Sunday– Kindleberger Park, Park Ave, Parchment, MI 49004

Ride Insurance and Sanctioned Ride Leaders

Excess medical insurance (up to $10,000 in medical expenses, arising from an accident while riding a bicycle, that are not covered by some other insurance), through KBC’s insurer, covers members and first-time guests participating in any bike ride or individual time trial that is conducted and supervised by a KBC Ride Leader, who is sanctioned by the KBC, and that has at least one rider accompanying the Ride Leader.

For more information about KBC ride insurance and for a description of Ride Leader responsibilities, please click on the following links:

KBC Ride Insurance
KBC Ride Leaders

Please direct all inquiries about KBC insurance to the KBC Insurance Coordinator [email protected]

If you have an accident while on a KBC ride and need to report the incident, please complete and submit this Incident Report Form.

Weather Policy

KBC’s inclement-weather policy may cause a ride cancellation. Read about the policy here: KBC inclement-weather policy.

Become Part of the Ride

Join the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club and connect with riders who enjoy exploring the beautiful roads and trails of Southwest Michigan. Membership includes access to group rides, club events, route resources, and a supportive cycling community.

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