| Q: |
A: |
| What is the NBC? |
We are a community cycling club devoted to social and recreational riding. Our membership is open to anyone interested in the sport of bicycling. |
| What do you do? |
We ride bikes. We also like to get together for social gatherings, particularly when food is involved. Our unofficial motto is "Ride to Eat - Eat to Ride!" |
| Where and when does the club meet? |
We meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month, March through October.
See Club Meetings for more information. |
| What does it cost to join? |
$18.00/year, + $2.00 per additional household member. |
How do I become a member or
renew my membership? |
Click here to download our membership application. |
When must I pay for or renew
my membership? |
Your membership becomes active any time upon receipt of dues. Our membership year begins on March 31. If you join or renew between March 31 and November 1, your membership is paid up until March 31 of the next calendar year. Renewals for the membership year must be paid by March 31. If you join or renew between November 1 and March 31, your membershipcarries over until March 31 of the following membership year. In other words, if you join on November 1, you get the benefits of club membership for 17 full months! Such a deal! |
| How do I get on the NBC email list? |
Once you're a member, all you need to do is: Just send a blank email to nbc-request@lists.prairienet.org. Enter the word "subscribe" in the "Subject:" field. |
Do I have to raise money or contribute
to anything else? |
No. We'd like you to ride with us, but joining the club doesn't obligate you to anything. |
| Must I live in Naperville? |
No, we have members from all over the place, even other states. |
| How often do you have rides? |
Almost every day during the warmer months. |
| What type of riding does the club do? |
Road riding mostly. Its a rather diverse group. Since there are about 10 rides per week in-season, there's usually one or more that will fit your speed and distance preferences. |
| How far and how fast does the club ride? |
That really depends on the ride.
Easy rides: 11-13mph, and no farther than about 20 miles in length.
Moderate rides: 14-16mph and 15-25+ miles.
Fast rides: 17-19mph, up to 50 miles or more.
Blur rides are just plain nuts. Average mph can and will be 20++.
There are also much longer rides as well, during normal riding season. |
| What type of bike will I need? |
It all depends on the type of ride. For a long and/or fast road ride a road bike (racing style) bike is probably best. For the Moderate or Easy rides, a cross or mountain bike should also work out. Some of our rides are on the Prairie Path. You'll need a bike that can handle the crushed limestone surface. |
I'm just a beginner. Should I ride
with a group yet? |
Our Monday rides are slower-paced. |
I do road racing. Are there training
rides for that? |
We don't have a race training program, but some weekly rides are plenty fast! |
What about true off-road dirt riding?
Do you guys do that? |
A little, although not currently on our weekly ride schedule, some of our membership will organize rides of this type from time to time. |
| What about BMX and freestyle riding? |
Sorry. |
| Where do the rides start? |
We have many ride start locations. Please refer to our Ride Calendar for locations and times. |
| Is there a destination for these rides? |
Each ride leader has their own favorites. From Naperville, most leaders aim their group southwest, and then back. The ride destinations are as diverse as the creativity of our ride leaders - that keeps it more interesting. Quite often, when a ride finishes, we'll end up at a restaurant or a bar for the socializing, in case we don't get enough of that on the ride. |
| Do you ride all year? |
Absolutely! We try to have rides year 'round. Currently we are starting winter rides at members houses, often followed by a toe-warming social gathering. You can look for these rides on the calendar. |
| Can I try a ride or two without joining? |
Sure! Ride, chat, go out to dinner with us afterwards, and then decide. Of course, we'd hope you join sometime soon there after. |
| Do I have to wear a helmet? |
Yes. You must wear an ANSI or Snell approved helmet on all club rides. |
Do you ever have multiple day
trips away from the area? |
We have several per year. Tucson, New Glarus, WI, Ride to the Border (WI), Door County, WI to name a few. These often include camping. |
| What is the Melon? |
The Melon is our annual fund-raising invitational (rally) ride. That means that we work it, and other interested riders pay an entry fee and ride it. It is a 15/32/62/100 mile ride and is usually held in Plano or Sandwich, IL in July or August. Most all good clubs have their own invitational ride. |
| How many members are in the club? |
About 175. |
| What is the age range? |
Young 20's to 60's. The average is probably about 38. |
| Are there many single members? |
Yes. Bike clubs seem to attract single people. We are proud to say there have been at least 4 successful marriages thus far, and 2 more couples are engaged. |
| Is this a social group, or is it just bike riding? |
We're a social group with a bike riding problem. We eat a lot too, which forces us to ride off the pounds. |
| How often does the club have meetings? |
Every third Tuesday from March to October. |
| Does each member of my family have to join separately? |
Not unless they want to. All members of a family at one address can enjoy the benefits of the club with one family membership. |
| Is there a minimum age? |
Yes, 18. Those under 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. |
Why should I join the Naperville Bicycle Club
and not another? |
Actually, many of our members also have affiliations with other clubs and biking organizations. They enjoy their Naperville memberships due to the friendships, social activities, as well as geographic convenience. |
| What is the history of the club? |
In 1984 three friends decided that Naperville should have a bike club. One of them worked for the Park District, our original affiliation and namesake. In 2002 we had a separation from said Park District, and re-formed as a not-for-profit corporation. |
