OS Champion

Sarah Round

Meet OS Champion Sarah Round, avid cyclist and long distance wild swimmer

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you like to get outside?

For 30 years I have been adventuring by bicycle. I’ve re-built wheels in rainforests, cycled around the busiest cities, camped in deserts and recently rediscovered my love of wild swimming. I am large bodied so I understand the issues and barriers around cycling and accessing the outdoors.

I am also part of the LGBTQIA+ community. In 2019 I set up the Bicycle Adventure Club to build safe, inclusive & diverse spaces, and create change by empowering all to adventure through being visible and telling stories. Over the last five years we have ridden touring bikes over the Wrynose & Hardknott passes, pedalled Birmingham’s outer ring road, cycled the length of the Grand Union Canal, hammocked in woodlands, camped by canals; pushed, ridden and broke bones from Inverness to Glasgow, and completed the Dirty Reiver – twice.

I have filmed & edited 82 YouTube videos and published over 60 blog posts, delivered over 75 rides & workshops and I have become a qualified mountain bike ride leader. The Bicycle Adventure Club has grown into a brilliant community of cyclists, who continue to inspire & motivate me to get outside.

What’s your favourite place to go and why?

Sarah Round’s Favourite Place – Netherton Reservoir

My Favourite place is OS Landranger 139. It is my home map. Dominated by the pink hues of the West Midlands Conurbation and the thick blue lines of the UK motorway network. No mountain ranges, great rivers or swathes of green forest and yet, amongst the urban sprawl there are hills & woodlands, castles & canals, river valleys, wetlands and geological & archaeological hotspots all linked by old ways; and new. The extensive canal network is my favourite way to travel around Landranger 139. You can ride right across the map, and travel through time – without hitting a road. Thanks to the canal feeder reservoirs we also have some great swimming venues – Netherton Reservoir is my favourite: OS Grid Ref: SO 93678 87434

Netherton Reservoir

What’s your fave bit of kit available on the OS Shop?

At present my favourite bit of kit is undoubtedly the Towelling Dry Robe.

I’m currently swimming a lot, training for some big distance swims. It’s super easy to throw on and provides somewhere to take off wet kit and get warm & dry quickly after exiting the water. Plus, I’ve sewn all my swimming badges onto it and I love it even more!