Cycling in Cambridge

[midliferider]

Hello friends, I need your help.
I have a friend from Germany visiting me over this weekend and she wants to see Cambridge by bike. I am aware that there are many organised cycle tours. I don't want to do them. I prefer to do our own in our own time.
Could you please suggest me a route or link to a route?

 

[stuee147]

there are some great rides around there but it depends a lot on what parts you want to see most there is some great routes threw the parks and down along the river. i used to like going around the outskirts of cambridge as its more of a country ride and great if you head out into the fens or along six mile bottom.

 

[alpine fenlander]

Like Stueeeeee says, it depends:
If you want to do sightseeing, colleges etc then there isn't much point going by bike because the the city centre is quite small and very busy with other tourists wandering around so walking is probably better as you'll see more and you probably want to go into some colleges. And of course go punting - the best way to see the colleges :-)

Cycling along the river is scenic, either go Midsummer Common, north/east, to Fen Ditton. There is a nice beer garden by the river! Or cross the river at Green Dragon Bridge and cycle on the northern side of the Cam to Milton Country Park (cafe by a lake) and/ or further on to Waterbeach - again a nice beer garden right by the river. It's off-road but a fairly good surface.

You could do the busway from either via Milton/Histon Rd or Girton and on to Fenstanton Lakes or St Ives.

Or take the NCN to Wicken Fen and Ely - perhaps not the most exciting route though so again like Stuee said, SMB ->Brinkley has some hills and pretty villages.

Barton->Comberton->Bourn has some 'hills' and pretty villages.

 

[alpine fenlander]

Another thought: CTC Cambridge do rides into the countryside on Sundays half day or full day, leisurly speed. Maybe go along with them? Never done any rides with them but I like their very detailed list of cafe stops in the area :-)

 

[midliferider]

Thanks guys for all your replies. I now need to plan something.
Perhaps I will still take my bike and do both walking and cycling.

 

[steveindenmark]

I visited Cambridge from Denmark recently.

I walked round the town. It was brillant. Forget the bike.

Steve

 

[Crankarm]

You don't need a bike to see central Cambridge. The outskirts are pretty uninspiring. Walk around the colleges, do some punting along The Backs past the colleges or down to Grantchester, have a pub meal at the Eagle which has a lovely courtyard and is just opposite Kings College, visit a few museums the Fitzwilliam, the Sedgewick or the Botanic Gardens are all worth seeing. Slightly further afield is Anglesey Abbey well worth a visit. For veggie restaurants/cafes there is the Rainbow Cafe directly opposite Kings and accessed through a passageway in the parade of shops opposite Kings, through a door on the left and down stairs into a basement or for those with a fear of heights there is the Roof Top Cafe which is very high with superb views of Cambridge. Jesus Green and Parker's Peace are all excellent parks. Kings College itself is worth a tour.

 

[robjh]

^ Agree with everything @Crankarm says, but there is certainly no harm in having a bike in Central Cambridge either. You would have to park it to go in the colleges, but some bits, eg the station, the Backs and Jesus Green are a bit spread out and I could see the appeal of a bike there. By UK standards Cambridge is an exceptionally bike-friendly city. If you want to rent bikes there are several outfits doing that, such as Station Cycles, located (surprisingly!) at the station.

 

[Crankarm]

^ Agree with everything @Crankarm says, but there is certainly no harm in having a bike in Central Cambridge either. You would have to park it to go in the colleges, but some bits, eg the station, the Backs and Jesus Green are a bit spread out and I could see the appeal of a bike there. By UK standards Cambridge is an exceptionally bike-friendly city. If you want to rent bikes there are several outfits doing that, such as Station Cycles, located (surprisingly!) at the station.

Station Cycles - Station branch, is I believe now closed as the site is being re-developed.

 

[Elybazza61]

Station Cycles - Station branch, is I believe now closed as the site is being re-developed.

Yep it's deffo closed;they do have plenty of other branches including a Giant only store.

If you want to get to Ely you can take the bikes on the train although there are some restrictions on certain trains but outside commuting hours it's not usually a problem;actually there are some Boris style hire bikes at Ely station now.

And if you like a nice pint can recommend this place(opening is a bit restricted though);

http://libertybelleely.co.uk/liberty-belle-the-real-ale-bar/

 

[Crankarm]

Yep it's deffo closed;they do have plenty of other branches including a Giant only store.

If you want to get to Ely you can take the bikes on the train although there are some restrictions on certain trains but outside commuting hours it's not usually a problem;actually there are some Boris style hire bikes at Ely station now.

And if you like a nice pint can recommend this place(opening is a bit restricted though);

http://libertybelleely.co.uk/liberty-belle-the-real-ale-bar/

Other stores:
Histon
Grand Arcade

You can actually ride from Cambridge to Ely, it doesn't take long.

 

[Elybazza61]

Other stores:
Histon
Grand Arcade

You can actually ride from Cambridge to Ely, it doesn't take long.

Yep do it a couple of times a week to work;don't know if the op's friend would wnat to do that though.

Station cycles also has a store on Barnwell Road;they only do the hire from the Grand Arcade shop;

http://stationcycles.co.uk/index.php/cycle-hire/