How to Host a Black-Tie Group Ride
Formal attire required. Flat tyres optional.
Every club has its regular routes and its regular faces. Once in a while it's worth doing something people will still talk about next year. A black-tie group ride is easy to organise, costs almost nothing, and makes for the best ride photos of the season. Here's how to run one.
1. Pick an occasion
Any ride can be black tie, but a reason helps people commit. Good options: the last ride before New Year, a club anniversary, the end-of-season social, or a ride to a café that's opening for the first time. Give it a name. "The Black Tie Classic" sounds like it has been going for decades, even if this is the first one.
2. Keep the route easy
This is a social ride, not a training ride. Choose a short, flat loop of 30–50 km with wide roads, few hills and a good coffee stop in the middle. Set a no-drop pace so everyone arrives together, because the group photo is half the point. Put the route on your club's usual app and share it a week ahead.
3. Set the dress code
Spell out what counts so nobody feels left out:
- Full black tie: a tuxedo jersey or skinsuit with black bibs.
- Black tie optional: any black jersey plus a clip-on bow tie or a white collar.
- Smart casual: your cleanest kit and polished shoes. Yes, cycling shoes count.
Keep safety first: nothing loose that can catch in a wheel, no capes, and helmets on. Lights and a bright layer are still the right call if the days are short.
4. Plan the stop
Call the café ahead and tell them how many riders are coming. A large group arriving at once is much easier for them with a warning. If it's a celebration, a bottle of something sparkling at the finish (for after the ride, not during) makes it feel like an event.
5. Get the photo
Find a wall, a mural or a grand old building near the café and line everyone up with their bikes. Shoot a few frames from low down so the bikes look good too. Then ride past the camera in pairs for an action shot. Share the photos and tag the club, and the next edition will be twice the size.
Dressing the part
If you want to be the best-dressed rider at the start, the Corbah Tuxedo Collection has a printed tuxedo, with lapels, a pleated shirt front and a bow tie, on a proper cycling jersey. It comes as a short sleeve jersey, a long sleeve jersey with printed button cuffs, and a skinsuit for the riders who'll make it a race to the café.
Ordering for the whole club? Every piece is made to order with a 5–6 week lead time, so order early, and you can add your club name or logo at no charge. Our guide to ordering custom team kit walks through the rest.
