HomeRide Descriptions & Guidelines

Sorella Ride Descriptions & Guidelines

Our rides are meant to build skill, fitness, confidence and camaraderie! No matter which rides you join, be prepared to ride, chat, have fun and hopefully join in after ride gatherings. Feel free to ask questions as well to share your expertise with us! We are meant to empower each other!

All of our rides, clinics and events are posted on our calendar. Some are held monthly or seasonally, and some one time rides are held in special locations. Check the Sorella Calendar frequently to see what's new!

Who leads the rides: Rides are led solely by Sorella members. We encourage all our avid riders to join our ride leader team! Take a ride you ride often, or want to ride but want company, and reach out to our Ride Director Linda Rathje (lrathje@bellsouth.net) to discuss becoming a leader!!! We are a club of volunteers who share the same passions and the more members who become involved, the stronger we will be. It truly does take a village!

Rider Requirements/rules: Riders are expected to have the riding skill and fitness applicable to the ride they participate in; a bicycle that is properly maintained and suited for the conditions and terrain of the course; to have/wear appropriate safety gear (helmet, eye protection, rear red blinking light and a white front light for any ride scheduled to end ½ hour before dusk), and to carry emergency repair supplies (tubes/air/plugs or patches/multi use too, cell phone).

Who can ride: Rides are posted as Members Only, Women Only* (non-members invited), or **Sorella Fella’s invited.
*Non-members joining a ride will be asked to register and sign a waiver prior to the ride.
**Sorella Fella’s are a spouse/partner/friend who is invited to join a ride by a Sorella Member. Each Sorella is responsible for the conduct of their Fella, and each Fella is expected to ride at the Ride Leaders pace, preferable in a sweeper role.

Ride Categories: These are to help you determine which ride is best suited to you. While we will do our best to match rides within these guidelines it’s not as easy as you’d think! The two biggest factors are the anticipated speed of the ride and the type of terrain (elevation). Most rides will have ride routes available (Ride w/GPS or Strava), so if you have the ability see the ride in advance. Sorella has many different rides catering to different levels and ride styles. The below descriptions will help you get a sense of what a ride will entail.

Name	Description	Road/Gravel	MTB
Mild	For new riders or those coming back into riding. Flat or easy rolling terrain. No Drop with a sweeper.	Distance up to 15 miles. Ave. speed Road up to 10 mph Gravel up to 8 mph	Distance up to 8 miles Green trails Time: 1 hour-1hr 30
Medium	Those comfortable on their bike and can ride in small groups, in light traffic or on smooth gravel terrain. MTB trails with moderate climbs, descents and some obstacles. No drop with a sweeper.	Distance up to 25 miles. Elevation gain up to 40 feet per mile (max total 1,000) Ave. speed Road up to 12 mph Gravel up to 10 mph	Distance up to 10 miles on green trails Time: 1:30-2 hours
Hot	More experienced riders, comfortable in a pace line or larger groups, climbing and descending on the road, or on chunky gravel climbs and descents, single track and water crossings. MTB includes technical trails, steep climbs, fast descents, and various obstacles.Typically regroups at junctions and climbs but may have a sweeper.	Distance up to 45 miles Elevation up to 80 feet per mile Ave. speed Road up to 14 mph Gravel up to 12 mph	Distance up to 15 miles Green and Blue trails Time: 2-2.5 hours
Spicy	Experienced riders with expert riding skills, comfortable in mass starts, pace lines, hill climbs, descending and long distances. Skilled on rutted gravel, single tract, gravel climbing, descending and water crossings. MTB technical trails with technical climbs, challenging descents and complex obstacles. Occasional regrouping.	Distance up to 62 miles Elevation up to 100 feet per mile Ave. speed Road up to 16 mph Gravel up to 14 mph	MTB Distance up 20 3+ hours Prefer blue/ black trails- technical is your thing
Inferno	Anything more challenging than Spicy, or a fast no drop ride at any distance.	Anything more challenging than Spicy!	Anything more challenging than Spicy!