CamcycleQuest: A cycling treasure hunt around Cambridge

Now here’s another great analogue summer holiday pursuit ….. Camcycle, which works for better and safer cycling for all ages and abilities in and around Cambridge, has created a new clue-based treasure hunt to encourage us all to get on our bikes, explore our beautiful city and discover, or rediscover, the fun of cycling.

CamcycleQuest Cambridge
Image credit: Camcycle

Starting and finishing at Reality Checkpoint, the famous lamp post on Parker’s Piece, the treasure hunt route takes you in a loop around the city, cycling on quiet roads, through snickets and passageways and along traffic free paths.  The entire quest will take about a day to cycle but it can also be cycled in sections.

This is a great way to explore areas of Cambridge that you may not be familiar with, from Chesterton in the east to Eddington in the west.  Don’t forget to take photos and post your progress on social media using the hashtag #CamcycleQuest.

CamcycleQuest Cambridge
Image credit: Camcycle

Taking part in CamcycleQuest couldn’t be simpler.  Firstly, pick up a guide from outlets around town (see the website below for details) or from the Camcycle stall outside the John Lewis cafe on Thursday 8 August.  Gather your friends/family/colleagues and follow the route, adding up the answers to all the clues with the CamcycleQuest logo as you go, to come up with a final special CamcycleQuest number.  You can submit this number via the website or at the Camcycle Cargo Carnival on 21 September.  Correct answers will be entered into a prize draw ….. prizes include a £900 cargo bike e-conversion from Electric Bike Sales and cycling accessories.

CamcycleQuest Cambridge
Image credit: Camcycle

For further details or to order a copy of the CamcycleQuest guide online, head to http://www.cambridgefestivalofcycling.org/camcyclequest

http://www.camcycle.org.uk

Cambridge Festival of Cycling

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.

Cambridge Festival of Cycling logo

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!

Cambridge Festival of Cycling
Image credit:  Lucinda Price

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.

Cambridge Festival of Cycling
Image credit: Lucinda Price

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 Cambridge
Image credit:  Lucinda Price

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.

Camcycle Cambridge

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

http://www.camcycle.org.uk

This event takes place at multiple locations in and around the city.