MURA Cycling Group

Usually on Tuesdays from May until October, members of the MURA Cycling Group get out our bikes and head off to explore diverse cycling routes in different parts of the island of Montreal as well as farther afield to the South Shore, the Eastern Townships and the Laurentians. The routes vary from very urban to very rural and are usually 18-40 kms of generally flat terrain.

There are usually between 10 and 20 riders on our outings, ranging in age from our 60s into our 80s; we take the ride at a leisurely pace – no racers with us! Regular and e-bikes are welcome on all rides.

Join Us!

We currently have about 40 people on our email list. If you are interested in joining us and are not already on our list, please contact Julia Scott, julia.scott [at] mcgill.ca, to have your name added. All MURA Full and Associate Members are welcome on our outings. Full members are also welcome to invite up to two guests who are not MURA members to join us.

Here’s more information

The MURA Cycling Group was created in 2016 by Joan Wolforth. It was led and run for many years by Joan Wolforth and Joan Barrett. The 2025 Planning Team consists of Simon Fulleringer, Kathryn Gill, Roy Lyster, Grace Pawelec and Julia Scott.

Registering for a Ride

• A week before the scheduled date of a ride, you will receive an invitation which gives details of the ride along with instructions on how to register
• If you intend to come on the ride, please register and include any guests who may be accompanying you. This will guarantee that you will be notified by email if the event is cancelled or postponed. It will also guarantee that, if you are late, we will wait for you at the meeting place and/or try to contact you.
• If you register but cannot attend at the last moment, please contact the Ride Leader to let him/her know not to expect you.

The Rides

• Each ride has a leader who has planned the route and who keeps track of the group. Please bring your cell phone in case you need to call the leader if you are going to be late or if you happen to get separated from others.
• We rely on members to lead trips and we hope that, over time, you may feel confident to lead a route yourself and introduce the rest of us to some of your favourite rides
• We try to offer a variety of rides: some rides are in urban areas, others in rural areas; some rides are more sightseeing oriented whereas others are more keeping on the move; some rides are circular while others go back and forth on the same route; some are longer while others are shorter.
• Most routes are quite level and, if there are going to be hills on a particular route, we will alert you ahead of time.
• Where possible, we stick to dedicated bicycle trails separated from traffic.
• We usually meet at 10:15 am for 10:30 starts, although we may meet a bit earlier in hot weather and a bit later in cold weather. We usually finish by ~2:30 pm to allow us to get back home before the afternoon traffic jams start.
• If a ride is cancelled because of inclement weather, registered riders will receive a cancellation email at the latest by 7:30 am of the day of the ride. Typically at that point you will learn what the alternative day for the ride will be during that week; however it is possible that the ride for that week will be cancelled outright.
• We arrange our own transportation to the meeting place.
• Each trip also has a “sweeper” at the back of our group, so no one is left behind
• We usually stop to eat at around the halfway point, and we bring our own lunches. You should bring your own cutlery, food and drinks and you may wish to bring something to sit on (such as a pad or small blanket).

Safety

We take your safety very seriously - and so should you. Before you ride with us, please ensure:

• You and your bike are fit and ready for our rides.
• You are familiar with the MURA Cycling Group policies and safety tips. This document also explains what to bring on each ride.
• You (and your guests) sign our form that releases MURA and the Cycling Group form any liability for participating in this activity. To obtain the form please contact grace.pawelec [at] mcgill.ca. You will need to sign and submit it BEFORE your first ride, either by email or on the morning of the ride.

• Most bike shops can prepare your bike for the new season, but if you want to do it yourself, view this link to a YouTube video that goes into detail on bike maintenance: