Frequently Asked Questions

Who Leads the Club Rides?

Wild Bettys club leaders are enthusiastic women who love to mountain bike. We have 15 IMBA ICP Level 1 instructors in our ranks. They are eager to offer the safest most fun rides they can. Our leaders have been riding in the Don trail and Halton Region for several seasons and are eager to show you the great venues we have right here in downtown Toronto and around the GTA. Wild Bettys also love to explore and will lead monthly rides to other areas in southern Ontario, such at Durham, Dufferin and Simcoe county forests to name a couple.

Our Toronto rides start at the Crother's Woods or ET Seton Park trail heads right in the city. Our Milton leaders know all the fun spots to ride in Halton Region and lead our rides on a rotating basis at multiple venues including Kelso Conservation Area, Puslinch Twin Ponds and the Agreement Forest in Cambridge.

Are Club Leaders Certified?

Wild Bettys club leaders are all first aid and CPR trained. Most of our leaders are level 1 ICP certified through the International Mountain Bike Association which makes them just right for the task.

When do the Club Rides Begin?

Our 2017 weekly group rides will start up again in early May, when the trails are dry enough and there is enough light to have a good hour or two evening ride. Our rides continue weekly till the fall. The Toronto Chapter rides will start at the Redway Loblaws parking lot at the ----Kiosk- see maps.google.com/maps. alternating with the TS Seton parking lot off Thorncliffe Dr, in Leaside. The Milton Chapter rides meet at Kelso summit, Puslinch/Twin ponds or Mohawk Raceway in Halton region, see ride page for maps, and the schedule will be on the forum as the decision where to ride is often weather dependent.

I would like to try Racing - can Wild Bettys help?

This is what we are all about…. encouraging women to take their club riding to the next level…we have racers in all categories and Bettys who enter all types of events from Ocups to endurance events, solo and team events, citizen events...we support any kind of racing. We are building our online community to share our training. We run prerides at the Ocups to help racers become familiar with the courses.

Am I insured as a member when I ride with my husband at Albion Hills?

No. The Ontario Cycling Association insurance umbrella covers you while you are at Wild Bettys club sanctioned events only. Check the OCA website for information www.ontariocycling.org

When do I get the merchandise I ordered?

The Club kits arrive in early spring!! They will be available for pick up or we can ship them to you, please contact us with your preference after your purchase. Check out ourSTORE for all our Wild Bettys merchandise.

Is coaching part of the weekly rides?

Formal instruction is not part of the weekly club rides. The purpose of the rides is to take our time and work through some of the tougher stuff together. To improve your skills a Wild Bettys clinic may be just the answer, these are short focused half days of instruction. See a full description on our training page. In addition, we have mini skills sessions throughout the season before our rides, check calendar for details.

Do I have to be in top condition to join the weekly group rides?

As long as you are reasonably fit you should be fine on our group rides, we ride at a pace that is fun for everyone and usually split into two or three groups ; one with more stopping, one a little more fast paced, and we will progress together as we go through the season. We will also be having monthly beginner rides, one Tuesday night a month, commencing in May 2017, check calendar for details.

Do I have to have a fancy bike to participate?

No, but you do need a mountain bike in good working order and a helmet to ride the trails with us. You might consider a spring tune up for you bike, at Mill Town Cycle or SportSwap, or Cycle Solutions where Wild Bettys members enjoy priority tuning, and discounts.