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Introduction
Road cycling happens on the public highway, providing opportunities for travel, touring, commuting to work, or just nipping to the shops. Cyclists are subject to the highway code, in the same way as all other road users. Bicycles must be roadworthy and have front and rear lights on during darkness. Riders must always obey traffic signals.
Leisure and Recreation
Riding around your familiar, local area, visiting friends and going shopping, gives you the opportunity to get used to the roads and the traffic. Very soon, you’ll be riding distances up to ten miles or so and your fitness will improve. Later on, you’ll be going much further, looking to use quieter roads, enjoying the fresh air.
Visit country parks, pretty villages and explore the environment and wider countryside. Stop at cafés for snacks. Meander around in the sunshine, just for fun.
It takes a little time to develop an assertive, confident riding style. Ride about one metre out from the kerb line and maintain as straight a line of travel as possible. When turning, use clear hand signals and make eye contact with nearby vehicle drivers.
Sport
Cycling is a vigorous, physical sport, played at impressive speeds. Join in by contacting your local club. Most clubs compete in organised time trials, where riders cover a set distance (usually 10 or 25 miles) as quickly as possible. Testing yourself ‘against the clock’ is a great motivation to many sports’ cyclists.
All cyclists strive to achieve la souplesse. This French noun refers to the smoothness and fluidity of a cyclist’s pedalling action. Learn from the elite racing cyclists and try and spin the pedals, rather than push them, as this helps to prevent fatigue in your legs.
Club cyclists ride in groups and often go out on ‘club runs’ for several hours at a time, covering 70 to 100 miles. Group riding on the road is a good discipline for a keen cyclist to learn.
Publications such as ‘Cycling Weekly’ contain lots of information about the elite racing scene.
The Bicycle
Cycling’s popularity means that there is a wide choice of bicycles available. Make friends with the people at your local bike shop and try out different bikes. Flat handlebars produce a more upright riding position, whilst the traditional sports or ‘drop’ handlebars mean that you ride in a lower position. Both styles allow you to see well in traffic – and to be seen by drivers. Tricycles and recumbent bikes are available for people who may struggle to balance a ‘two-wheeler’.
Talk to the shop people about the gears you will need to ride around the hilly parts of Rotherham and beyond.
A clean and well-maintained bicycle is a pleasure to ride. Oil the chain regularly. Learn how to take the wheels off, change a punctured inner-tube and put the wheels back on. It’s best to have your tyres pumped up very hard when riding on the road, to reduce rolling resistance. Road tyres are much narrower than those on mountain bikes and they don’t like potholes and off-road dirt tracks. If you prefer to ride a mountain bike, get narrower, smoother tyres for road riding.
Invest in a good lock, to keep the bike secure when you have to leave it unattended.
Touring
Go on holiday, sight-seeing, exploring new and interesting places. Travel by bicycle. The bike must be set up for touring, with a carrier-rack and pannier bags to carry your belongings. Many adventurous people visit all parts of the globe on cycle-touring trips.
Commuting
Using a bike for travelling to work will save you money and reduce congestion. Find the safest route between home and work. Keep a change of clothes at work. The health benefits, to the cyclist, are beyond calculation.
Clothing
Cyclists’ clothing does not have to be colourful and outrageous. It does have to be comfortable. On longer rides, you’ll appreciate the benefits of the specialist padded shorts. Wear ordinary clothes on top. Remember the rain jacket. Cycle.Rotherham strongly recommends that cyclists wear helmets. Winter clothing should include a good base layer, covers for your ears and warm gloves. During darkness, it’s best to use light-reflectors, attached to you and the bike.
Where to Ride
Rotherham is surrounded with beautiful countryside, which is wonderful to explore by bicycle. The Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield local authorities all produce (free of charge) excellent, colourful and detailed cycling maps which highlight the best roads for cycling. There is a network of national cycling routes (NCN) using mostly quiet roads throughout the area. The Trans-Pennine Trail is an off-road route, also suitable for road bikes.
There are many excellent cycling roads in the south-east of the Rotherham Borough, near to Maltby, Thurcroft, Dinnington and Woodsetts. The majority of roads are fairly flat. Visit the Rother Valley Country Park, too. Further afield, have a go at tackling the steep hills of the Peak District, at places like Castleton, Hathersage and Strines Moor.
It’s always great to start and end your bike ride at your front door. You can also try longer rides, by taking your bike on the train, or in a car. Visit some of the places which are highlights of the 2014 Tour de France cycle race:
:: Holmfirth and Holme Moss
:: Cragg Road, Mytholmroyd, near Hebden Bridge – the ‘longest continuous incline in England’
:: the wonderfully-named ‘Buttertubs Pass’ high in the Yorkshire Dales, not far from the Aysgarth Falls
:: the imposingly steep ‘Jawbone Hill’ between Oughtibridge and Grenoside, Sheffield.
All of these climbs will test your heart; the downhill speeds will test your nerve.
The Weather
Don’t fret about rain. Wear a good waterproof jacket. Fit full-length mudguards onto the bike. Clean the bike and oil the chain after the ride. Your fitness will benefit immensely from those tough rides into the teeth of a strong headwind.
Cycling Clubs - contacts
Here are the contact details for some of the cycling clubs in and around Rotherham:
Dinnington CC
Kiveton Park CC
Rotherham Wheelers CC www.rotherhamwheelerscc.co.uk
Thurcroft CC
Have a Go
Cycle.Rotherham is trying to encourage more people to cycle. You’ll benefit from the camaraderie of riding in a group. Solo riding is great, as you choose your own time to ride. Be careful when using shared footpaths, alongside pedestrians. Carry an inner tube, tyre levers and a pump, to get you going after a puncture. Take a drink and some food for longer rides – diluted fruit juice and fruit cake are good to begin with. Keep fit, explore the interesting sights and Enjoy.
Get into road cycling - British Cycling
Road League 2013 - sycaa.co.uk
British Cycling Yorkshire | Yorkshire Cycling
Yorkshire Regional Road Race Championships / Events
Sport in Rotherham - Cycling - Rotherham - The Unofficial Website
Coming Soon
1. Raising the profile of the importance
of cycling for health and the environment.
2. Campaigning for the improvement
of existing routes and infrastructures and
the provision of new routes and opportunities
to develop cycling.
3. Educating and informing Rotherham
residents about the benefits of cycling.
4. Supporting existing cycling
programmes to develop.
Watch the video for tips on riding safely