Steep hills and heavy traffic are two of the obstacles an expert-led cycling group is hoping to overcome.

And Holmfirth Transition Town (HoTT) plans to make cycling to work easier and more enjoyable for Holme Valley commuters.

Despite the popularity of recreational cycling in the Holme Valley South ward, the area has approximately 80 cycle commuters among its population of 18,000.

Following a £300 Kirklees Council grant, HoTT’s transport group aims to find out what is discouraging non-recreational cycling in the valley.

The group is led by transport consultant Nigel Peters, town planner Anne Baldwin and retired town planner Martin Smith.

The volunteers will be carrying a detailed study into what would encourage commuters to cycle between Holme Valley and Huddersfield.

The group will be investigating towns and cities where cycling schemes have succeeded.

After the initial fact-finding phase, the group will spend May and June talking to individual cyclists and those who might want to promote the benefits of cycling.

Following the public consultation the group intends to publish a completed strategy in spring 2015.

It will cover opportunities for developing and promoting local cycle routes as well as looking at the need for improved support for a wide range of cycling activity.

Suggestions to encourage commuters to swap their cars for bikes include electric cycles to overcome the valley’s hills with cycle charging points.

But currently steep gradients and high volumes of cars will continue to dissuade cyclists, Mr Peters said.

He said: “We believe that cycling is the transport of the future. It’s cheap, good for our health and safe for the environment. We don’t cycle as much as we could do in the Holme Valley and need to do more.

“We want to look at why people choose to cycle instead of drive and put together ideas about how some of the barriers to better cycling can be removed.

“This is partly about enabling more people to cycle to work, but also about making sure there are family-friendly cycling opportunities locally as well as encouraging cycle-related tourism.”

HoTT is looking for volunteers to help with the project.

For more information email, anne@hott.org.uk