Cycling Clubs and Group Rides in Cyprus: How to Join

Riding with a group is the quickest way to learn the best roads in Cyprus, make friends and stay safe in traffic. There are social groups in every district, a lively amateur racing scene and several English-speaking groups, so you do not need Greek to get started. This guide explains how to find a group, what a first ride is like and how to move on to racing if you want to.

Where do you start?

The Cyprus Cycling Federation (Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδηλασίας), founded in 1978 and a member of the UCI and the European cycling union, runs the sport on the island from its office at Olympic House in Nicosia. Besides national teams and races, it has a "Social Cycling" section for leisure riders.

Its social cycling groups page lists groups in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and the Paphos area, with a phone number, email or social media page for each. The federation's advice is simple: contact the group directly. Many of these groups organise their rides on Facebook or Strava, so ask where the weekly ride is posted.

Which groups welcome English speakers?

Cycling Paphos

Cycling Paphos is an English-language group with regular rides from Paphos. Its Tuesday "shop ride" starts at 07:00 from May to October and 07:30 from November to April, rotates between hilly, rolling and fast routes and ends with coffee at Paphos harbour. In October 2026, for example, one fast shop ride covered 55 km at an average of about 36 km/h from the Ride Easy shop. There is also a midweek social ride, at an easy pace, with averages of about 28–32 km/h and nobody dropped. The group posts each week's plan on its website: in October 2026 rides paused for two weeks and were due to restart on a winter schedule in the week of 2 November.

INEX Club, Limassol

INEX Club, at River Plaza on Georgiou A' in Limassol, combines group rides with coaching, bike fitting, the WAY Bikes shop and a café. Riders with some experience can join the group rides, while beginners can start with a personal training plan. The club also organises events: about 120 riders took part in its Charity Ride on 10 May 2026, over 50, 100 or 200 km, raising money for youth cycling. Membership details are on its website.

What is a first group ride like?

Most groups publish a start time, a meeting point, the distance and an average speed. Pick a ride that matches your fitness: a "social" or "no-drop" ride waits for everyone, while a "fast" ride may not. Before your first ride:

• Wear a helmet; it is compulsory for all cyclists in Cyprus.
• Bring two water bottles, a spare tube, tyre levers, a pump and some cash or a card for the coffee stop.
• Arrive a few minutes early and introduce yourself to the ride leader.
• Ride steadily, signal hazards and follow the group's lead at junctions and roundabouts.

The federation's own beginner advice matches this: ride in a group that goes at the pace of the slowest rider, carry tools and a spare tube, and drink about every 20 minutes. In summer, rides start early to beat the heat; Cycling Paphos, for example, moves its shop ride to 07:00 from May to October.

How do you start racing in Cyprus?

Racing licences

The key rules are:

1. Annual licence: you register as an athlete with a special form that a member club completes, signs and stamps, so in practice you join a club first.
2. Licence from abroad: if you hold an annual licence from another UCI-recognised federation, you can enter Cup races with it.
3. Cycling for All (CFA): for the amateur CFA categories, you can buy a one-day licence for a single race or take out an annual CFA licence.

For Cup races you need a health card (δελτίο υγείας) and personal accident insurance. For CFA races you need a certificate signed by a doctor stating that you are fit to race.

Race entry fees

Fees are set race by race. As examples from 2026:

CFA age bands at road races run in decades, for example Masters 1 for 30–40, Masters 2 for 40–50 and Masters 3 for 50–60.

The race calendar

The federation publishes its calendar as a PDF; the 2027 calendar was released in September 2026. The 2026 season ran from January to October and mixed road races, time trials, hill climbs and mountain bike races, from a Stavrovouni time trial in February to an uphill race at Akrounta near Limassol in September and an eliminator MTB race in Nicosia in October. The national time trial and road race championships were held at the end of June. The federation can change or cancel events, so always check the latest calendar.

Which big events can amateurs enter?

Watch the organisers' websites for the next dates and registration openings. For more ideas, our cycling routes in Cyprus page covers the best areas to ride.

What to do next

• Contact a group from the federation's social cycling list, or join a Cycling Paphos or INEX Club ride.
• Stay visible on the road and keep to the left; our outdoor sports guide has more ideas for staying active.
• Prefer to explore on foot some weekends? See our hiking routes.