Cambridge is a city of bicycles … it’s by far the easiest (and greenest!) way to get around and now the city’s cycling culture is being celebrated in the first Cambridge Festival of Cycling, brought to us by Camcycle, with events happening throughout September.
Launching the Festival on 1 September is a social ride from King’s Parade to Eddington. This will be leisurely so think about packing up a picnic and you’ll be able to buy ice cream and coffee from cargo bike traders. Further highlights in a packed schedule include a screening of the Dutch film “Why we cycle”, a family cycling event and the Cargo Carnival. Decorate your bike and join this parade of cyclists on a ride through the city centre, starting and finishing at Lammas Land, showing what you carry on your cargo bike!
And in a look back at the cycling attire of Victorian women, the Cambridge Ladybirds WI and Dr Kat Jungnickel, author of “Bikes and Bloomers” will host a discussion and cycle ride and, this being the WI, there will of course be tea and cake. Other partner organisations are joining in through September with many diverse events so for the full programme, check out the Festival website.
Camcycle started out life as Cambridge Cycling Campaign in 1995. Then, as now, it works for better, safer and more cycling in and around Cambridge and provides a voice for the concerns of Cambridge cyclists. Its campaigning has resulted in more cycle parking on streets and at transport hubs, early start green lights to enable cyclists to clear a crossing before cars and much, much more. Camcycle has also been heavily involved in planning for the “Chisholm Trail”, a proposed new 3.5 kilometre walking and cycling route which will closely follow the railway line and run between Cambridge Station and the new Cambridge North Station.
You can become a member of Camcycle for a modest fee. Not only will you be supporting their work, you’ll receive six newsletters a year, a quarterly magazine, discounts at a large number of bike shops and access to an online discussion forum. The monthly general meetings at the Friend’s Meeting House on Jesus Lane are open to both members and non-members.
Camcycle is a non profit organisation with a very small team at the helm so it always needs and welcomes volunteers to help with a huge variety of tasks through the year, whether it’s working on the magazine, taking photos, organising and marshalling rides or manning the Camcycle stall at events, to name just a few opportunities. For the Festival of Cycling, many volunteer roles are available so whatever your skill set, if you’re keen to offer support in this way, check out the “Volunteer” page on the Festival website.
Take a look at the website as there is so much more going on than I have space to write about here. Most events are free and you don’t need to be a Camcycle member to join in the fun, everybody is welcome.
http://www.cambridgefestivalofcycling.org
This event takes place at multiple locations in and around the city.
New in Cambridge 