The BBC's Mission -- The Baltimore Bicycling Club (BBC) was established in 1968 and has a membership of over 1000 riders. The mission of our not-for-profit recreational organization is to promote and sponsor bicycling activities in Baltimore City and neighboring Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard counties. The BBC also promotes, defends, and protects the rights of bicyclists for a safe road riding environment in our communities through advocacy and education. Visit our Advocacy section to learn more about current issues.
BBC Membership -- The Baltimore Bicycling Club is open to any interested individual 18 years of age or older. There are two classes of dues: individual and family. Persons under 18 years old belong through a family membership and must be accompanied on all rides by a responsible adult. Go to our Membership application for Individuals or Families to join or renew your membership.
BBC Rides -- The heart of any cycling club is the rides that it provides for riders of all abilities. Non-members are invited to join any of the rides offered. The BBC offers scheduled rides with ride leaders during the week, on Saturdays, Sundays, and major holidays. These rides include cue sheets detailing the ride route. In addition, there are evening rides on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from May through October as well as our Tuesday Night Time Trials. All official BBC rides are posted on the Rides and Events Calendar and carry liability and medical coverage. Also see Group Rides for additional regular rides.
Baltimore Bicycling Club's History of Giving -- And What You Can Do To Help –
The Baltimore Bicycling Club has contributed more than $250,000 over the past ten years to various cycling related organizations and causes in the state of Maryland like Bike Maryland; along the east coast, like The East Coast Greenway Alliance; and to the national cycling advocacy organization, The League of American Bicyclists.
We have been fortunate enough to do that through the overall success of our various club events over the years. Those events have been productive because of one thing... our volunteers. Volunteers have created the ideas for the events, volunteers have staffed those events and volunteers have made them successful.
If you feel strongly about cycling as a way to enjoy the outdoors and to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and you would like to see our roads made more bicycle friendly for everyone, then you are encouraged to volunteer to help out at one or more of our club events. In that way you will help us be successful, and that will allow the BBC to continue to contribute to those who advocate for our interests.
Think about it; you CAN make a difference.
Why join the BBC -- Let's be honest. What's a bicycling club all about? Why join a bike club when you can go on free club rides, keep the cue sheets, and do rides on your own? You don't even need a cue sheet for some rides .... just follow the trail .... or maybe a good back roads map will do.
Well, as many of us already know, there are lots of reasons to belong to a bike club, especially when it's a club as good as the BBC. Some of the top reasons are:
- Meet others who enjoy cycling .... make a new friend .... find your true love.
- Learn to be a better bicyclist.
- Shed the stresses of everyday life (at least for as long as the ride lasts).
- Become fit .... lose weight .... look like the athlete you've become.
- Participate in club events and get a member discount.
- Impress your friends and family with your fun-loving lifestyle (and the fact that you have become an athlete!).
- Support the bicycling community and encourage bicycling friendly legislation. Did you know that virtually all income received by the BBC, after expenses, is donated to bicycling advocacy groups such as Bike Maryland, the League of American Bicyclists, and the East Coast Greenway? The club must support such groups to keep our rights as cyclists on our representatives' front burners. By influencing highway legislation, and the design of roads and communities, bicyclists can avoid being squeezed out by ever increasing development, AND make going-places-by-bike a genuine option for more people.
Whatever your reason for joining is, your fellow members appreciate the fact that you are one of us. You may be a Casual rider, you may be on the BBC Racing Team, or you may enjoy cycling with another group, but we're all members of the nationally respected Baltimore Bicycling Club. Next time, bring a friend along on an easy ride so they too can rediscover the joy of riding a bicycle .... this time as an adult!
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