Cycling is a great activity that can be made as intense as you want it to be. Find Your Active wants to showcase just how versatile cycling is, how inclusive it can be and how much fun can be had by everyone!
Whether you’re a young child or an older adult, an individual looking for low impact exercise or an active way to travel or someone who wishes to complete challenges, such as the upcoming RideLondon – Essex race, cycling can be for everyone. Hopping on a bike is a great reason to get outside and explore your local area. With lots on offer throughout Essex, you can enjoy the sport as part of a local club, or even as a family with many opportunities to do this safely across the county. It’s a great way to improve both physical and mental health, which benefits your overall lifestyle. Simply download your local route map here to see where you can get cycling.
Cycling has become a real legacy in our county, both from the London 2012 BMX Olympic Games event, hosted at Hadleigh Park, as well as a stage of the 2014 Tour De France taking place in Essex.
Since then, there has been a real drive to ensure cycling is an inclusive activity and one that can be accessed by everyone. From tricycles to hand cycles, this is something we’re passionate about supporting, and work is currently being undertaken to continue to drive this forward, adopting innovative initiatives throughout the county. Fantastic clubs such as Wheels for All in Colchester and Just Ride Southend offer inclusive opportunities for individuals who are living with a disability or impairment to enjoy the benefits of cycling too. Hear from Jo, Wheels for All.
Ahead of the RideLondon – Essex celebrations, we wanted to highlight some of the amazing groups and initiatives taking place throughout the county to help inspire as many residents as possible to get on a bike, whether that be for commuting, exercise, leisure or even socialising!
Take Braintree Easy Riders, for example, they offer led rides around the county, depending on participants level of experience. Or Essex Pedal Power, aiming to make cycling accessible for everyone, with a pilot allowing eligible residents to apply for a new FREE quality bicycle; an initiative currently being piloted in Tendring, with hopes to expand across other areas of the county.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in cycling, depending on why you want to get on a bike! Love to Ride Essex offer cycling support, resources, and guidance on good routes across the county, whilst Bikeability is a great initiative being supported by many schools in Essex to ensure our children and young people ride safely. A personal favourite of ours is Cake Escape! Cake Escape is encouraging people to grab their bikes and cycle through some of the most beautiful places in Essex, whilst enjoying stopovers for a wonderful cake along the way!
We think Essex has a wonderful array of cycling clubs, initiatives, and support on offer across the county. Take a look at Essex County Council’s Safer Greener Healthier campaign for guidance and ideas. Whilst Find Your Active showcases many local clubs and groups on their Active activity finder, which you can access here.
With RideLondon-Essex just round the corner, we hope it will give you the itchy feet to get on a bike yourself. Explore some of the options below!
Community Cycling Scheme in Colchester
Community Re-Cycle scheme in Colchester, next date TBC
Colchester E-Cargo Bike Library
Cycling for Health, Epping Forest
