Frequently Asked Questions
 

What kind of bikes do you ride?
Can I ride my mountain bike on the road?
My bike is only cheap.
You all look a bit professional dressed in the lycra. I don’t want to wear lycra.
I’m pretty interested, but want to get some advice on kit. Could you guys help?
Do you shave your legs?
I don’t like riding near cars or on busy roads.
How fit do I need to be to be able to come riding with you?
Do I need to be in the club to come on a club run or do a time trial?
I see that you all seem to ride close together in a group. If I did that, I’d be afraid of knocking someone off.
But why ride so close together?
Is everyone else fast? What if I can't keep up?
I’m not good enough to come out with you yet.
Do I have to race?
You haven’t mentioned off-roading for a while.
Do you guys do anything else other than ride?
How much does it cost to join the Doncaster Wheelers Cycling Club?

What kind of bikes do you ride?
That depends what type of riding you want to do. Most of us prefer to ride on the roads, so generally we have chosen to ride race bikes (otherwise known as racers or lightweights), but in effect, any roadworthy bike can be used to ride on the road. Mountain bikes (also known as MTBs or ATBs) are they choice for people who want to ride off-road, and there are a few people in the club who do that too. [Back]

 
Can I ride my mountain bike on the road?
Yes, no problem. You will find the ride improved, by putting slick tyres on your mountain bike however. Another area that would benefit you is to buy some pedals that you clip in to. Our sponsor Martin at Don Valley Cycles can offer advice here if need be . [Back]

My bike is only cheap.
More expensive bikes benefit from being lighter, which means they are easier to ride uphill, but ultimately it doesn’t matter how expensive a bike is, as long as it’s well maintained. A well maintained bike will run smoother, have fewer mechanical problems, and will be more fun to ride. [Back]

You all look a bit professional dressed in the lycra. I don’t want to wear lycra.
Lycra can be a bit ‘revealing’, but we dress like that for reasons of comfort. The shorts have a synthetic chamois pad which helps keep your bum comfortable. The materials used in all the clothing tend to breathe well, reducing discomfort from sweating, and they don’t flap around in the wind. Some people are more comfortable riding in jogging bottoms. Basic rules for a beginner are ride in whatever you’re comfortable, and remember to keep warm, especially in the winter months. It is better to be too warm than too cold. [Back]

I’m pretty interested, but want to get some advice on kit. Could you guys help?
Yes, simply ask. Most of us have experiences of various bikes and equipment as would be only too happy to advise you what to buy, and what to avoid. We’ve made the mistakes, no need for you to copy our errors! [Back]

Do you shave your legs?
Some of us do, some of us don’t, no rules. Generally it’s people who race who shave their legs, and the main reasons are not for wind resistance. Shaven legs are easy to massage, and can look nice! [Back]

I don’t like riding near cars or on busy roads.
Neither do we. Generally, all our rides are on quiet back roads and lanes, away from cars as much as possible. We get out to these lanes as soon as we can. Some of the time trials are on main roads, but the junctions are marshalled to increase visibility and driver awareness. Of course, we also have mountain bike runs in the winter, and these are almost exclusively away from traffic. [Back]

 
How fit do I need to be to be able to come riding with you?
You’ll need a reasonable level of fitness to be able to do a ‘clubrun’ (club run being a social Sunday ride, usually with a café stop). By reasonable level of fitness, we’d suggest that you should be able to ride at about 15mph on the flat for a distance of about 30 miles. If you wanted to ride a club time trial (an event where you ride a set distance against the clock), then you are testing yourself, so there is no minimum speed. [Back]

Do I need to be in the club to come on a club run or do a time trial?
Not at first, we’d want you to be sure that you wanted to join. You’d be more than welcome as a ‘visitor’ on the club runs until you had decided. For the club time trials, there is a necessity for insurance as legally we are racing on the roads. Therefore it would normally be expected that you are a club member (meaning that you are being covered under the club insurance), or otherwise need to pay a levy for insurance on the night. The other benefit for our Club time trials is that you would be eligible for points in our season long competition. You never know you may be the next Eddy Merckx! [Back]

I see that you all seem to ride close together in a group. If I did that, I’d be afraid of knocking someone off.
Don’t be. At first it might seem very daunting, but if you’d never ridden in a group, we’d start by placing you at the back of the group where you’d not have to worry about people around you. From there we could teach you the basics and soon get you riding within the group as your confidence increased. [Back]

But why ride so close together?
You’ll see! Riding ‘on someone’s wheel’ as it’s called gives you the benefit of slipstream. Riding close enough to the person in front of you can save you as much as 15-40% of your energy, depending on the speed and size of the group. [Back]

 
Is everyone else fast? What if I can't keep up?
Try riding as far as you can on a flat road at 15 mph. That is what we do and it is always easier when you are in a group. If you start to struggle, don’t worry, we’ve all been there, and someone will ride with you to ensure you are ok. We won’t leave you behind in the middle of nowhere. [Back]

I’m not good enough to come out with you yet.
If you believe that you’re not fit enough yet to come out with us, then hopefully the Doncaster Wheelers can still offer you something. As we’ve said, we all started somewhere. Don’t forget the weekly time trials throughout the summer too, where you simply ride as quickly as you can against the clock over a predetermined distance. [Back]

 
Do I have to race?
Not at all. You do as much or as little as you like. You may find that racing is infectious, especially time trials which are done entirely at your own speed. In a time trial you are racing against your previous personal best times always trying to better them. [Back]

You haven’t mentioned off-roading for a while.
Yes, sorry, not forgotten you! There are quite a few riders in our club who ride off-road. However, generally speaking we are a road based club. We have members who ride off road and arrange occasional off road trips through the winter months.  [Back]

Do you guys do anything else other than ride?
Yes, we also have trips to the Manchester Velodrome, and Youth Hostelling weekends. Other trips and events are arranged as the need arises, so you need to keep an eye on the Forum for all the latest news. For examples of some of ou past social events [click here]. [Back]

 
How much does it cost to join the Doncaster Wheelers Cycling Club?
Click [here] to find out. [Back]


Many thanks to the Welland Valley CC for use of their own FAQ to compile our own