Ways to travel
Cycling in South Yorkshire
Cycle loan and hire
Finding a bike
We understand that cycling is not as simple as just ‘getting on your bike’, so let us help point you in the right direction.
Loan and hire schemes
The following services are available to help you make the move to two wheels. Visit the links below for the very latest on bike availability from these local schemes.
Choosing the right bike for you
If you’re new to the world of cycling, we understand that choosing a bike can be overwhelming. For an overview of each style of bike and their benefits, check out this useful guide from Evans Cycles.
Top tip: If you're looking for a new bike with a lower budget, a second hand bike could be the way for you! Visit Cycling UK for some handy tips on how to buy a pre-loved bike.
Maintain and fix your bike
Whether you’re digging out your bike from your shed and it's in need of a full bike service or you're a seasoned cycle commuter looking for a regular health check, we can point you in the right direction.
Bike servicing
Here are a couple of our favourite local providers who can help keep you on two wheels.
Barnsley Active Travel Hub
The Barnsley Active Travel Hub, located at Barnsley Interchange, is your one-stop shop for fixing and maintaining your bike. Pop down to the Hub where a qualified mechanic can carry out a free check of your bike, to identify what work needs carrying out.
For full details on the service and to book an appointment, visit the Barnsley Active Travel Hub website.
Journey Matters (Rotherham)
The Journey Matters mobile cycling hub is another one-stop shop for all your cycling needs. They even offer access to free bike checks. Visit the Journey Matters website for more information.
Fix it yourself
For safe and confident cycling, it’s important to trust that your bike is reliable and ready to go out on the roads. Being confident that you can fix minor issues (eg a puncture) in the event of it happening is a great way to get started.
Cycling UK have produced five simple guides to bike maintenance, which cover the topics listed below. These can be viewed on the Cycling UK website.
- Before you set off (M check)
- Essential tools
- Repairing a puncture
- Adjusting your gears and brakes
- Repairing a broken chain
Free public cycle pumps
Sheffield City Council provide access to free bike pumps around the city to help keep you moving. Take a look at the pump locations on the Sheffield council website and you never know, you may find one on your route!
Where can I cycle in South Yorkshire?
Looking for information about cycling in South Yorkshire? The local Councils are a great source of information to head to if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration on where to cycle. Or alternatively, there are lots of well-established cycling groups across the county who will be able to offer advice on the best routes to take.
Journey planning websites
- Cycle Streets can be useful when planning your route, allowing you to input your exact start and finish point, giving you the option to select the fastest route or a slower, but less busy one. It also provides you with journey time, distance, calories burned and even the route’s elevation profile.
- Open Cycle Network
- Cycle.travel
- National Cycle Network is a series of traffic-free paths and quiet roads that connect to every major town and city. You can also purchase hard copies of regional route maps on the Sustrans website.
The Trans Pennine Trail is a national multi-user route running 370 miles between Southport and Hornsea and we’re lucky enough to be a part of it here in South Yorkshire. Take a look at the online map to see how you can make the most of the route in Barnsley, Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster.
Journey planning apps
- Komoot is a popular mapping app for cycling, allowing you to plan routes. The app can help you find the perfect route for you and can be filtered by distance, difficulty and even proximity to public transport links.
- MapMyRide is another alternative to mapping your upcoming trip.
- Strava is very popular amongst cyclists cycling for leisure and sport however, can be also be useful for commuters. Strava heat maps take logged user trips to show the most popular cycling routes, which can be useful when planning your commute. You can also track your progress which is a great way of seeing how much time you’ve saved compared to old commuting habits.