What is a “Rouleur”?

Rouleur. Pronounced “Roo-ler” (or “ruler” like the thing you measure with). It’s a French word and means “having wheels” or “to roll”.  Lots of cycling words come from French and although the strict meaning is “a good all-rounder” we prefer to think of it more of an ethos, a way of cycling and an attitude on the bike.

Our definition is simply “someone who loves spending time on their bike”. A Rouleur looks to have a good time with friends rather than win medals. Fast is fun, but when cycling in a group a Rouleur is the one that looks after everyone - making sure no one gets left behind. Rouleurs Ride Together.

Rouleurs are not characterised by their size, speed, gender, race or creed. They are defined by their attitude. We may not be the fastest, fittest or the skinniest but you’ll know us by the grin on our faces and the sound of chat and laughter.

Can anyone join York Rouleurs?

Yes! Everyone is welcome!

If you’ve got a bike, a helmet and a smile - then you’re a potential Rouleur.

You can find out more about our different Rides here – there will definitely be a ride for you.  From the We Ride (a Social 20 mile on a flat route with a café stop in the middle), to super speedy Training Laps on a Tuesday, to Skills and Techniques sessions with our British Cycling accredited coaches, to long away rides taking in the best Yorkshire has to offer.  There’s bound to be a Rouleurs ride that’s right for you!

Membership is just £15 a year. An absolute bargain. You can join up to three Club Rides before joining us through British Cycling – find out how to join us here. Please note, We Rides are open to all - club members and non-members. You can join us on an unlimited amount of We Rides without needing to join the club.

Under 18s will need to complete a Parent/Guardian Consent Form. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

What bike should I bring with me?

Ideally a road bike with drop handlebars, some water bottles in cages and road tyres. It’s best to ride with clipless cycle shoes and pedals or pedals with toe clips on the bike to be as efficient as possible – but these aren’t mandatory.  Your bike must be road-worthy and you must wear a helmet on all rides with York Rouleurs. Please don’t bring bikes with tribars fitted as these are not safe for group riding. Also headphones are not permitted on any Rouleurs ride to ensure the safety of the group - and besides which, the best part of group rides is chatting as you cycle along!

What should I bring with me on a Club Ride?

Travel light but with enough to be comfortable and self-sufficient. You’ll need to bring your own spare inner tubes and tools and a pump/CO2 cylinder in case of a puncture.  Make sure to bring some food, a light snack like a banana or an energy bar – plus a little money for cake and coffee (or a bacon sandwich!) at the café stop.  Make sure to check the weather and dress appropriately.  Bring what you like but make sure it contains the essentials.

Do I have to wear Lycra?

No but most club members wear Lycra or similar close fitting clothing for the Club Rides and circuits sessions.  There’s no need for Lycra on the We Ride or the Skills and Techniques Sessions.  We totally understand that some people may wish to wear something over a pair of cycling shorts.  Whatever you are most comfortable in makes for a happy rider!  Although a pair of padded shorts (or bibs) will make ALL the difference for long rides – trust us!!

Should I wear pants?

Haha – you have no idea how often we get asked this question!

The short answer is: wear what you want.  A comfortable rider is a happy rider and we’re not going to judge you either way – in fact, we’ll probably never even know.

But under a pair of padded cycling shorts (or “bibs”) it’s probably best not to wear underwear.  The padding (chamois or “shammy pad”) is designed to give comfort on long rides and sit next to the skin.  Any additional fabric (like pants) will cause a great deal of unnecessary friction – not what you want when spending any time in the saddle. Ouch.

Will it feel weird at first? Maybe a little… but to be honest, after 5 minutes you won’t even notice.  No one else will either.  And you’ll definitely feel the benefits.

What if I need the toilet?

Another question we get asked lots!  Especially by people who don’t feel comfortable going for a discrete wee in the wide outdoors (a.k.a. normal people) or those who have multiple layers to remove for a comfort break.

If you need the loo – NO PROBLEM!  We always try and plan a comfort break/café stop at the mid-point on ALL Club Rides (both 40 and 60 Mile versions).  But don’t panic if you do need the loo at another point – just mention it to one of the experienced Club Members who’ll almost certainly know the next nearest place for a stop.  You won’t be left behind - we’ll happily wait. There’s no embarrassment – we’ve definitely all been there!

Do I need to be super fit?

Absolutely not! We have a wide of range of Club Members across a wide spectrum of fitness. All shapes and sizes are more than welcome.

From people who like getting out on two wheels powered by cake and chats to people who want to train for a major challenge we are the perfect Club for you!

We run a wide variety of Rides - just find the one that sounds like the most amount of fun and join along. When you realise how much fun it can be riding with the Rouleurs you’ll see we’re the Club for you. Plus, we’re a Club defined and shaped by our members, if there’s something we’re not doing then let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

What if I’ve never ridden in a group before?

No problem! Just let us know before your first Club Ride and we can run you through the calls and signals we use on the road. You can get a good idea of the calls we use from this British Cycling video. It may seem like a lot of info at first but you’ll be a natural after about 15 minutes.

Plus as a Club we run regular Skills and Techniques Sessions to practice the drills that mean we can communicate as a group and ride safely together. These Sessions are open to all club members and are a great opportunity to the hone the techniques that we’ll use week in and week out on the road.

Will I get left behind?

Never! Our motto is “Rouleurs Ride Together”. 

We’re not a “racing” Club - we’re more focused on fun social cycling. That doesn’t always mean slow, but we always operate a strict “no-drop” policy so each group will go at the pace of the slowest member of the group. We may ride up hills at our own pace but we’ll ALWAYS regroup at the top. 

We run a wide range of Rides.  From the We Ride (a Social 20 mile on a flat route with a café stop in the middle), to super speedy Training Laps on a Tuesday, to Skills and Techniques sessions with our British Cycling accredited coaches to away rides taking in the best Yorkshire has to offer.  Find out more here – there will definitely be a Ride for you. 

If you want to go on to push yourself with a faster group you can - secure in the knowledge that, no matter what, you’ll NEVER get left behind on a York Rouleurs Ride. 

If you’re happy in the Group you’re in, feel safe in the knowledge that we’ll never push the pace faster than the group wants.

Whatever speed you’re after, we’re the perfect Club for you.

What if I get a puncture?

Don’t worry! If you’ve never taken a tyre off before, we’ve got loads of experience within the Group - someone will be glad to help. In cycling it always feels good to pass on good karma (‘cos we’ve all been on the other side). Just make sure to bring spare inner tubes and tools with you. 

There is no need to feel bad, embarrassed or like you should ask the Group to ride on without you. Rouleurs Ride Together - no one gets left behind.

We’ve all had mechanicals in our time. Sometimes more than once on the same ride. We’ve appreciated it when there’s been someone to help - so we’re always more than happy to pass that on to the next rider.

I’m nervous…

That is totally normal! It’s easy to say “Don’t be nervous” and you shouldn’t… but meeting a group of new people can bring on the nerves. We’ve all been there. Take a deep breath and remind yourself “it’s just a ride in the countryside”. You will have fun. York Rouleurs is one of the friendliest Clubs you can find

We want to make sure you LOVE your time with us -and that you want to come back for more. Drop an e-mail to yorkrouleurs@gmail.com and we’ll make sure to let our experienced Ride Leaders know to expect you.

You’ll be welcomed with a smile!

Still have questions?

Great! We love questions almost as much as we love cake at café stops. Drop an e-mail to yorkrouleurs@gmail.com and we’ll answer anything you need to know.

The best answer to any question you may have is… JOIN US on a ride and find out for yourself. We genuinely believe we are the perfect Club for you. Let us prove it.