Cambridge has the highest level of cycling in the country with one in four residents cycling to work.
Being a compact and flat city, cycling and walking are quick, cheap and pollution-free methods of travel. Cycling and walking are also great ways to exercise.
Local initiatives
A number of schemes encouraging cycling and walking operate in Cambridge. Here are just a few that might interest you:
Cycle parking and pushchairs
Increasingly more and more parents find it convenient to cycle into Cambridge City centre with their young children using child seats and trailers, however without a pushchair walking around can be quite difficult.
Our pushchair loan scheme enables parents with young children to borrow a pushchair for free, helping them continue their journey once they have parked their bikes.
The free pushchair loan scheme operates at Grand Arcade and Park Street cycle parks. For further details see our cycle parking page.
Cambridge Cycle Map
Download our current cycling and walking map for recommended on- and off-road routes and the many pleasant green spaces in the city. Printed copies can be obtained from the Guildhall and the Tourist Information Centre.
Cycle Cambridge
Cambridge was awarded National Cycling Town status in 2008 which will see £7.2 million spent on cycling improvements in Cambridge and its surrounding villages until March 2011.
Cambridge City Council is a partner in the Cycle Cambridge programme. More details can be found on the county council website.
Bikeability - Child and adult cycle training
Child and adult Bikeability cycle training run by the county council provides one-to-one cycle training. It is geared to the needs of each participant, whether it be techniques for riding safely and confidently in traffic, or learning to ride a bike from scratch.
Lessons are only £5 per hour.
To book, contact the county council road safety team on 0345 045 5212 or see the county council's Adult Cycle Training web page for adult training, or its Cycling Initiatives web page for child training.
Safer Routes to School
Safer Routes to School is a county council initiative that aims to create a safe, healthy environment so that children and young people can travel to and from school by cycling and walking.
Visit Safer Routes to School for more details.
Cambridge Cycling Campaign and CycleStreets journey planner
Cambridge Cycling Campaign is a run by volunteers campaigning for the rights of cyclists and promoting cycling in and around Cambridge.
The CycleStreets website, created by members of Cambridge Cycling Campaign, provides cycling directions and a map showing the quickest walking and cycling routes around Cambridge.
Free-to-use bike trailers at Waitrose
Cycling shoppers at Waitrose in Trumpington can take advantage of free-to-use cycle trailers provided by the store in partnership with us.
Waitrose customers can place their shopping straight into the trailer as they shop. It then simply hitches onto their bikes once they have paid. The trailer then has to be returned to the store within three days.
The scheme is designed to give customers the option of shopping using their bicycle without the expense of buying their own trailer. Customers can find out details about the scheme at the Trumpington store helpdesk.
City rangers
Our city rangers help people who have had their bike locked to another bike or have lost their lock key.
If you need your bicycle released you should go to Parkside police station (CB1 1JG) or the transport police at the rail station (CB1 2JW) to get a release slip, then contact the city ranger helpdesk and give the ranger the slip. This service is free.
You should also contact city rangers if you need to report broken glass or debris on cycleways, abandoned bikes or parked bicycles causing an obstruction.
City ranger contact details are at the bottom of this page.
Cycle hire
Cycles can be hired from:
Walkit
The Walkit website provides walking directions and a map showing the quickest walking routes around Cambridge. The website also tells you the carbon emissions you will save and the number of calories you will burn on your travels.
National schemes
There are a number of national schemes of note that might interest you too:
National Bike Week
Find out about National Bike Week and see how you can get involved.
NSPCC Big Bike Ride - September
The NSPCC's Big Bike Ride, now in its fifth year, aims to get people all across the UK to organise their own bike ride. It's a fantastic and fun way to raise money to help end cruelty to children.
You can find out more at the Big Bike Ride website.
Walking for Health
The Walking for Health initiative is run by Natural England and encourages people to enjoy their local surroundings while getting healthy by walking.
Sustrans
Sustrans is the leading sustainable transport charity. They carry out practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport.
Contact
If you need further information, contact our Cycling and Walking team:
Email csc@cambridge.gov.uk or telephone 01223 457200.
Further useful contacts
- To report a bicycle theft, call Parkside Police Station on 01223 358966.
- To report overhanging vegetation or potholes telephone the county council on 0345 045 5212.
- For street lighting or traffic signal faults, contact the county council on 0800 253 529.
- For the removal of abandoned bikes, clearing of street debris and help with locked bikes call the City Rangers on 01223 457000.
- To report potholes, contact the county council on 0345 045 5212.
