Sheffield University Cycling Club

We Ride Bikes

Sheffield University Cycling Club

With nearly sixty men and ladies riding regularly, the Club encompasses all abilities: Elite/Cat.1 to absolute beginner. So whether you’d like to ‘rip our legs off,’ a relaxed social ride in the breath taking Peak District, or give cycling a try for the first time, there will always be like minded riders to join you.

Benefits of joining the Cycling Club range from organised trips as far as Scotland and the south of Spain, to local knowledge of the best routes and trails in the Peak and local Sheffield area. And of course the eclectic social side!

Riding

One aspect that makes us stand out from other sports clubs is that we ride our bikes a lot! Throughout last year we didn’t miss a single weekend or Wednesday ride, whether Road, XC or Downhill.

We ride every Wednesday afternoon at 2pm and Sunday mornings at 8 or 11am (both leave from outside the Arts Tower), and many impromptu rides organised minutes in advance for when those essays aren’t going well and your head needs clearing!

If there isn’t a ride to suit you, just let us know and we’ll be more than happy to arrange one. DH urban nightride at 2am? 100mile Peak District epic finishing at an all you can eat Pizzahut? University vs Hallam road criterium? Bring it on!

Location

Our Claim: Sheffield is the best situated university in England for cycling.
Let us explain...

CrossCountry: A gentle 3 minutes ride from the Students Union and you are in Endcliffe Park. Warm up riding 10 minutes worth of twisty wooded singletrack and you are in the Peak District. From here you can enjoy some of the BEST riding in the country. Boulder strewn descents, flowing singletrack and technical climbing provide a new challenge every ride.
30 minutes from the Union you can be at the edge of Wharncliffe Woods where the SingletrAction trail builders are creating a cross country loop to die for. Change direction faster than you can change gear, ride roots, rocks and tricky drops: Wharncliffe has it all.

DownHill: Cruise down to Wharncliffe and ride Steve Peat’s own training ground. Ever wonder why Great Britain produces so many world class downhill racers? Wharncliffe provides the answer. Serviced by forest tracks, the network of trails provides a stunning progression of difficulty, allowing riders of all abilities to improve their skills. From super fast and flowing to white knuckle technical with more off camber roots, clattering rock gardens and hammering drops in one descent than you can usually pack into a day’s riding.

Road: An exit from the city on marked cycle routes leads you into the Peak District where the many quiet back roads allow you to hammer out the miles with the bleakly beautiful landscape providing the backdrop.
The sharp climbs of the Dark Peak encourage spur-of-the-moment, lung busting, leg burning, short sharp attacks; as if getting to the top wasn’t challenge enough!
The rolling hills of the Derbyshire Dales combined with quiet winding back roads allow the peloton to snake its way through at speeds unobtainable by a solo rider. Lead out at the front to set the pace, or just tuck in and enjoy the ride and banter, this is where fitness is developed and a love of cycling formed.

BMX: Just 15 minutes away from the Union is the Bolehills BMX track, with gate practice every Thursday evening and a host of events throughout the year. And there is the Devonshire Green Skatepark only five minutes from the Union.

Trips

The club organises at least on trip per term to some of the UK's finest riding locations. These are great fun and it’s great to get all the parts of the club together for a weekend of socialising and riding.

We always keep the costs to a minimum so you can spend your pennies on shiny bike parts and beer: the last two trips were to Wales and Scotland and both cost less than £20! Have a look in the Photo Gallery to see what we got up to.

The trips are organised by our Committee. Keep up to date with our Calendar.

Racing

The Club takes part in all BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) events throughout the year. These well organised events are definitely worth attending even if it is just for the craic! Whatever your ability you’ll enjoy the BUCS (formerly BUSA), whether it’s settling old scores and rivalries on the bike, or shouting ‘encouragement’ from the sidelines with a beer in hand. Not to be missed.

Our past successes in the BUCS events can been seen here.

We often organise our own club races sometime in the New Year and don't forget that there's your chance to compete against Hallam and defend the honour of our University during Varsity.

Socials

If all that riding isn't enough then Pip is arranging a host of amazing socials throughout the year that you won't forget (or even remember!). These give you the chance to let your hair down and get to know the other club members.
Our photo gallery stores the records that some may wish to forget from previous events.

Safety

The club is committed to ensuring the safety of all its members. Our risk assessment and good practice guidelines may be found on the Safety Page

If you have any questions about the club get in touch with us. You can find all our details and contact information on our committee page.