On Yer Bike! How To Get Started Cycling In Lancashire

Perhaps lockdown inspired you to resurrect an old bike kept at the back of the shed or maybe you bought one new. Certainly you are not alone – some local bike shops have reported selling bikes as fast as they can get hold of them.

Whilst social distancing remains critical, cycling solo offers a perfect way to exercise, broaden your horizons and of course, bring mental and physical benefits to your wellbeing. However, it is also a highly sociable activity, as Steve Kilner, a member of the cycling groups Freckleton Chain Gang and Cleveleys Road Club explained to me. He also manages the Facebook group Lancashire Cycle Link (LCL), which, with over 5000 members, offers a very warm welcome to newcomers.

There are over thirty clubs associated with the LCL. Steve set it up about seven years ago to create a cycling “hub” whereby members from across Lancashire could share stories, ask advice and get instant feedback from other members – all for free. With group members as dispersed as Australia and Goma – this is certainly a place to go should you want to plan a cycling-orientated holiday at home or abroad.

That said, Lancashire itself has plenty to offer. The Fylde Coast, Ribble Valley and the Forest of Bowland are especially popular and I am assured that as well as many “killer climbs with outstanding scenery” there are also plenty of flat areas for the reluctant hillclimber such as myself! Almost every village, in normal times, can offer a friendly café stop for cyclists. Among members of LCL, Roots café, just north of Preston was voted a firm favourite, with Twin Lakes Velo Café in Croston coming a close second.

The village of Scorton, meaning “farmstead near a ditch or ravine” is located about 8 miles south of Lancaster and is exceptionally popular for walkers and cyclists alike. Steve describes it as a “Mecca for cyclists” with plenty of cafés providing refreshment and is a doorstep to the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Cycling does not have to be competitive. Local clubs usually offer regular group rides and weekends away and the LCL has organised many inter-club ride outs. Steve’s message to newcomers is that within clubs, you’ll find good friends, but not firm cliques. Newcomers are more than welcome, and members come from all walks of life, sharing a love for cycling. Often clubs provide rides specifically for new members and beginners – Steve says if you are unsure, members of the LCL can certainly point you in the right direction.

So, whether you are a tentative beginner, or returning to a neglected pastime, cycling can be a hugely rewarding activity. There is nothing quite like the rush you can feel whizzing through our beautiful open space, perhaps lost in the moment as adrenaline propels you forward and knowing the physical and mental satisfaction you will experience as you return home for the well-deserved cup of tea.

For more information:

Facebook.com – search “Lancashire Cycle Link”
https://www.forestofbowland.com/cycle-routes
https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/cycling/cycle-routes/
https://www.visitlancashire.com/things-to-do/cycling-lancashire/cycling-routes