Cargo Bikes of Stroud organises occasional mass rides, often with the support of Access Bike and/or The Bike Drop.

The idea is to get together with other local cyclists and build the sense of community, celebrate cycling, push for better cycling infrastructure around the district… and have fun!

Upcoming rides

Saturday 8th March – International Womens’ Day Mass Bike Ride

On Saturday 8th March, we’ll be celebrating the role bike played in the women’s liberation movement, highlighting the additional barriers women face when cycling, and enjoying riding and getting together to chat about how to improve conditions for all cyclists.

Join us either in Stroud or Brimscombe

Meet from 10.15am at Access Bike @ 10 John St, leaving at 10.30am sharp, or

Meet from 11am at Brimscombe Mills – home of The Bike Drop and other Grace Network enterprises like The Long Table

We’ll leave for a the main Mass Bike Ride at 11.30am sharp, riding as a group along the A419.

We’ll have a few experienced riders acting as stewards.

There’ll be a soundsystem playing music by women artists, and we encourage people to dress up, including with suffragette style sashes if they like, and generally bring colour – lights, bells, whistles and horns all encouraged.

Let’s make some noise to celebrate and promote cycling!

The ride is 2.8 miles and would normally take about 15 minutes, but we’ll take our time as a mass group – riding at a speed that’s comfortable for everyone riding, it usually takes us more like 30 minutes. Children who can ride pedal bikes are welcome join us – and we’ll do our best to protect them in the group.

At the end of the ride we’ll arrive around 12noon at Creative Sustainability’s shopfront at 10 John St – where the Access Bike project sells refurbished bikes and new parts and accessories. There’ll be some relevant films screened and a chance to chat.

‘Market Ride’ bike rides

We often hold ‘Market Rides’ from Brimscombe Mills (home of the Long Table and other Grace Network enterprises) to Stroud Town Centre on Saturday mornings. As well as the Halloween Ride we’ll certainly do one in December as a Christmas ride! Usually, riders can enjoy a free drink, courtesy of the Bike Drop – who want to encourage social rides in the area. When we do a ‘Market Ride’, we head as a group along the A419 in a group into town, protecting younger and less confident riders and riding at the speed of the slowest rider (taking opportunities to pull off the road to let cars pass when possible). We finish in Stroud around 30 minutes after setting off. After the ride, riders are often welcome to stay and chat at Access at 10 John St (the old Electric Bike Shop), which is open until 2pm.

You are welcome to buy lunch in the market/Stroud and bring it into the space for some time socialising and chatting about Stroud’s cycling community. Some months, there is also an option to ride as a group from Stroud to Brimscombe – meeting at 10 John Street.

What are the Market Rides like?

“It’s a great way to get to the Farmers Market and not have to worry about parking at the other end. People are coming along who haven’t got the confidence to ride alone regularly, because they’re scared of the roads. But when we’re a group together, people feel safer and can really experience the joys of riding a bike”, said Cllr Beki Aldam, an organiser of the ride and co-founder of the Cargo Bikes of Stroud group.

Nick Adams, who rides a cargo bike and designed the posters for the ride, said, “The monthly ride attracts riders of all ages. It’s fantastic to see families with cargo bikes, older people on electric bikes, and even a dog snuggled into the pannier of one rider. Santa being there [at the December ride] made it extra special for my son this time round.”

Thanks to the Stroud News and Journal for covering the Christmas ride.

Other events

We have also hosted a screening of the documentary MOTHERLOAD, and a suffrage-themed ride and women in cycling discussion to mark International Women’s Day, have held social rides around Stroud town, and plan to hold events where people can take bikes on test rides in the future.

We’ve also held rides as part of “Big Ride for Palestine” events, in solidarity with – and to raise money for – the “Gaza Sunbirds” paracycling team.