Better cycling,
better health,
better living
Welcome
This site is about utility cycling in and around Colchester, Essex, UK. We are Colchester Cycling Campaign and we want to make it easier for people aged 8 to 80 to ride a bike to work, school, the shops or just to meet friends. We press our councils to provide better infrastructure and conditions for everyday cyclists, with funds coming from public expenditure and companies involved in new developments.
We love our town and the local countryside and urge you to visit too ... on two wheels, of course.
About CCC
Colchester Cycling Campaign is shaping the future for everyday cycling in Colchester. We want to see Dutch or Danish-quality infrastructure that will encourage more people to ride.
Find out what we do by:
• Reading our blog
• Coming to Bike Drinks, or
• Contacting us directly.
We really do hope you’ll join us.
CCC are a little unconventional in that we're a "democracy by participation", so if you want a say, get involved by writing letters, talking to councillors or running a stall.
We were founded in 1990 and our successes include helping to establish the Wivenhoe Trail, putting in two major trails as part of the £4.2m Colchester Cycling Town project, and securing hugely improved bike parking at Colchester railway station.
What else...
CCC doesn't organise rides — but there are plenty of clubs that do. Colchester has a great cycling culture for a town of its size, and there are fitness rides, distance rides and fun rides for you to choose from, even if you haven't cycled for years. See the Colchester cycling diary.
Our town
Colchester is the oldest recorded town in Britain, with a Norman castle built on the foundations of a Roman temple.
There's plenty to see and do on a weekend or midweek break, and northeast Essex can have less rain than Jerusalem. Find out more at Visit Colchester.
Follow these routes to ride from the port of Harwich (coming soon).
Getting around
Explore our town (and others in Britain) using the Cyclestreets map, the Cycling UK journey planner (best for long trips), the Sustrans map of the National Cycle Network or Ashley’s Google map.
Check the weather forecast, the state of the tide (for trips to the beach or Mersea Island) or the local news.
Will you need lights on your bike tonight? Find out what time the sun goes down.
Bike Drinks
There's lots going on, so take a look at our blog.
Have your say on anything we're doing at Bike Drinks at 8pm on the third Monday of each month. We’re at the Old New Inn pub in Jan, Mar, April, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct and Dec, and at the Victoria Inn in Feb, May, Aug and Nov) for “meet the politicians" events . Ring 07758 464 958 to make sure it is going ahead.
Old New Inn has a fairly safe bike parking area through the car park; at the Victoria there is a beer garden accessible via the side gate.
Buy, hire repair
Need a new bike? A new inner tube? Want someone to fit it for you? Check our list of cycle shops and repairers in Colchester.
These shops are bike shops, not just shops that sell bikes.
Before buying a new everyday cycle, read the Anatomy of an Everyday Bicycle.
Looking to hire a bike? Click here.
Potholes, theft & the law
Report a pothole or other fault
The law
Insurance
Lights
Protect your bike ... and what to do if it is stolen
Rides & clubs
Colchester Cycling UK is the local "member group" of the Cycling UK national charity. It runs Sunday rides at speeds of 10-12 mph (relatively slow) which attract people of all ages and all levels of ability.
Suffolk Cycling UK runs Thursday evening rides from Colchester, with speeds averaging 12-14mph. Call Pete Finch on 07860 263921 for information.
Cycling UK requires that you become a member "within a reasonable time" of taking part in its activities. Membership gives you £10m third-party insurance cover and costs less than £2 a week.
Sport
Cyclists who love racing, sportives, cross-country, time-trials or audax have a huge choice of clubs, from the giant Colchester Rovers to smaller groups such as VC Revolution, Amis Velo, VC Oyster (Mersea), and the friendly 53-12 shop/triathlon team. There's also Forty Plus which is active across the county.
Rides diary and routes to try
The Colchester Cycling Diary
Colchester Cycling Map
Colchester - Sudbury - Halstead loop
Marks Tey to Toppesfield loop
Colchester - Kersey - Hadleigh loop
Colchester to Stratford St Mary loop
Colchester - Hadleigh - Raydon loop
Colchester - Dedham - Ardleigh loop
Colchester to Walton seaside route
Abberton Reservoir loop
Cycle tourist routes from the port of Harwich (coming soon - please contact us for details in the meantime)
Re-cycle, Colchester’s cycling charity
Bikes to Africa charity Re-Cycle is based in Wormingford just outside Colchester. It welcomes volunteers and is also a good place to pick up a secondhand bike.