Frequently Asked Questions

I’m travelling alone. Do many people join solo?

Yes! In 2021, over a half of our riders joined solo. The vibe is super friendly, relaxed and inclusive.

How do people generally travel to the ride start point?

Generally, half of our riders travel by train and half by car. The meeting point on every Escape The City ride is at a railway station and, except where unavoidable, generally on a direct train connection from London. For those who prefer to drive, we provide instructions ahead of the ride where to park your car over the weekend, how much it costs and how to book and pay in advance.

I don't have access to a bike. Can I hire one?

Yes! We can organise hire of a hybrid, road or electric bike for you. We'll have it waiting for you at the ride start point and take it from you as you finish the ride. You can either add on bike hire when you book or choose to add on later. We'll just need to know your height so we can choose the right sized bike. Every hired bike comes with a helmet and lock.

How fit do I have to be?

Every Escape The City ride is 'graded' based on how physically challenging the ride is. The difficulty of a cycle ride is driven by distance, the overall amount of climbing and steepness of the climbs. Take a look at our ride grading page to work out which grade (or grades) are right for you.

I'm not a strong cyclist. What if I slow people down?

You won't! There are always two pace groups on every ride so you can ride as quickly or as slowly as you like. There are plenty of breaks and the Red Fox team never leaves anyone behind. Riding with us means enjoying the experience, not getting to the end as quickly as possible.

What type of bike should I use?

All Escape The City rides are suitable for road bikes, hybrid bikes and mountain bikes. Our routes are always designed to use quiet, paved roads. Sometimes we use short stretches of canal or riverside towpath but only where sufficiently 'sealed' to be road-bike friendly. That said, on longer, hillier and more challenging rides (Heart-Raising and above), we always recommend a lightweight road or hybrid bike as it'll be much more enjoyable.

I have a Good Times card. How do I book and pay?

We take Good Times card bookings by telephone only. If you have a Good Times card please call Richard on 07525 371 579 to book. All you'll need to know when you book (other than which ride you want to join of course) is the balance on your Good Times card.

I'd like to do the ride with my son or daughter. Do you accept under 18s on your rides?

The minimum age to join most of our Escape The City rides is 18. However, we like to flexible and accommodating and will happily allow riders age 16 as long as they are a capable cyclist and accompanied by an adult age 18 or over. If you are unsure whether your son or daughter is capable of completing the distance we would be happy to discuss this with you. For families who would like to bring younger children, we currently have three 'family friendly' rides. Please visit our Family page to see which rides you can join with the kids.

Do you cater for vegans and vegetarians?

Yes! We accommodate all dietary needs. We only partner with pubs, cafes, restaurants and caterers who provide vegan and vegetarian options and our Red Fox support vans are kitted out with vegan treats and dairy-free milk for our roadside snack and brew stops.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Generally, we still run our rides even in bad conditions. We are well set up for wet weather, carrying a gazebo, large umbrellas and rain ponchos in our Red Fox support vans. That said, we perform a risk assessment before every ride and, if we determine that running a ride would be unsafe and put our riders at risk, we may choose to cancel a ride. In the event this happens we would provide a full refund.