Cathedral Cycle Champions

This page contains information primarily for Cathedral Cycle Champions.

What is a Cathedral Cycle Champion? A briefing paper for champions setting out their suggested role (to be updated; this was produced before the launch of the route in 2021).

If you need to contact the Cycle Champions at other cathedrals, please contact Anne Locke.

You can also join the CCR WhatsApp group, which is a good way of exchanging queries and ideas.

Champions’ Checklist

  • Cathedral website – does it have information for those visiting by bike? Does it have your details or someone they can contact?
  • Stamps or stickers – are these readily available to visiting cyclists from the gift shop, cafe or welcome desk? Can vergers or clergy locate them if cyclists turn up for services outside normal visiting times?
  • Pilgrim Passports – can these be easily located and purchased?
  • Awareness – are the cathedral staff, volunteers and clergy all aware of the Cathedrals Cycle Route (CCR)?
  • Champions – has your cathedral appointed a Cathedral Cycle Champion?
  • Drinking water, bike pump – can these be made available?
  • Promotion – can you help promote the CCR, e.g. by developing local circular routes using parts of it?
  • Bike racks – are bike parking facilities available? (see www.parkthatbike.info)

Cycling UK insurance: as an affiliated organisation the CCR is covered by Cycling UK’s Organisers’ Liability cover for up to £10 million.  The policy will cover cathedral staff, ride leaders, event organisers and other volunteers organising or taking part in cycle events against any claims made against them as a result of their negligence. Read more here.

Route changes: please send any comments and proposed improvements to the route to Shaun, ideally as a GPX file (but any sort of annotated map will help).

Logos: you can download the CCR logos here.

Prayers for CCR cyclists: some prayers can be found here

Cyclists may visit at any time, and Cathedral Cycle Champions are encouraged to develop activities around the cycle routes at times to suit their cathedral and community.

In 2021 and 2022 the routes were launched and tested with relay rides taking a baton around all 42 Church of England cathedrals. For 2023 cycling activities will be organised locally, some focusing on Cycling Uk’s Bike Week, Monday 5 to Sunday 11 June.

Sign-up sheet: Peterborough Cathedral has kindly supplied this example of a sign-up sheet you can adapt for the participants in cycling events you may be organising.

Cycling risk assessments: Only cathedrals organising rides themselves need to carry out risk assessments.  If your cathedral isn’t organising a ride then you don’t need to risk-assess the activities of riders using the route. If you are organising a ride and need to do a cycling-related risk assessment, this is one used by the Durham Redstarts cycling group when they visited Newcastle Cathedral, based on the British Cycling one. Cycling UK has guidance here along with a simple editable pdf you can download.

NB: these risk assessments should be adapted for the circumstances. For if a section of route hasn’t been ridden in advance as the purpose of the ride is to check it out, this itself can be listed as a risk, with the mitigation being keeping group sizes small and warning riders in advance that the route hasn’t been checked.

Example of a cycle ride disclaimer (as used on the relay rides):
Every rider registered on Eventbrite  was sent this message, which you may find useful to adapt for your own events:

Please find below a short disclaimer. Cathedrals may request you to sign and agree to this or a similar disclaimer. The Cathedral teams will try to make the event as safe as is reasonably practicable. However, cycling cannot be risk free and has some potential dangers.

Every rider must be responsible for their own safety and judge whether they and their equipment are fit to take part.

Disclaimer
I understand and agree that I participate in the Cycle Relay event entirely at my own risk, that I must rely on my own ability in dealing with all hazards and that I must ride in a manner which is safe for myself and all others. I understand that the event is held wholly or in part on public or private property or the public highway, that I participate therein at my own risk and that no liability whatsoever shall attach to the property owner or anyone devolving an interest in the property. I am aware that when riding in an event the function of the lead cyclist is only to indicate direction and that I must decide if the movement is safe. I agree that no liability whatsoever shall be attached to the promoting club (The CCR), meeting sponsor(s), AEC, associated cathedral or any official or member of the promoting club in respect of any injury, loss or damage suffered by me in or by reason of the relay event, however caused whether by negligence or otherwise.
Finally, we would just like to stress that this event is a ‘trailblazing’ event designed to explore and refine the Cathedral Cycle Route. As a result some routes may potentially encounter unexpected obstacles or hazards. The CCR relay is not a race and the teams along with individual cyclists are encouraged to travel at a leisurely and safe pace for all.

We suggest that where cathedrals are organising groups of riders they ask them to sign this or a similar disclaimer before they depart, to ensure you have a record of their agreement and to cover anyone who may not have received the Eventbrite message.

There are some useful tips on road safety on the British Cycling site here.