Get Into Road Cycling - Just for Fun
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Riding our bikes on the road, ‘just for the hell of it' is perhaps what most road riders do, most of the time. With a plethora of events to get involved with throughout the year, from charity challenge rides through sportives to the nip and tuck of racing, it's easy to forget the simple, deeply satisfying experience of just going out on your road bike. Whether it's a quick blast through the city, a cheeky hour in the local lanes, or an all day epic, just heading out of the door on your road bike is meat and drink to most road aficionados.
Training Rides
Some of the best rides start and finish at your own front door, and these oft-maligned everyday rides can form the basis of your fitness, giving you the ability to conquer more serious rides. A great idea is to create a 1 hour training loop starting and finishing at home, taking in as many local hills as you can find. It's also good to incorporate psychologically motivating ‘destination'. Even though you're just out for fitness, it can be boring just circling the local park for an hour. It's much better to pick somewhere inspiring to head to. For me, my training loop takes in my hometown's waterfront, and I'll always make a point of stopping for a few minutes at the waterfront and watching the boats, before remounting and hitting the hills on the way home.
Sunday Rides
There's no better way of spending a Sunday morning than meeting up with your mates and whiling away a few hours in the local country lanes. Sunday rides are the staple diet of most road riders, and often the only time most of us get out on the bikes for a bit of quality riding. Always try and incorporate a nice café stop along the way, where you can refuel, warm up if the weather's inclement, check out each other's shiny new kit and put the world to rights.
Weekend Getaways
Aboard a road bike is one of the best ways to explore our isle's many scenic spots. Riding a bike in grand scenery like the Lakes, the Welsh Mountains or the Pennines gives you a greater appreciation of the area than any other form of transport. You're travelling fast enough to be exhilarated but slowly enough to take in the scenery - you're also able to stop and admire the view whenever the fancy takes you - try that in a car. Riding a bike also puts you in direct contact with the gradient and the weather conditions. You feel every up and down, every headwind and every tailwind.
Where to Ride
Check out our ever expanding Where to Ride resource, where you'll find ready made road riding ideas in some of the UK's most breathtaking scenery.
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