Every Journey Matters - CYCLING in NORTHAMPTON
(Please Note: THIS PAGE IS STILL BEING DEVELOPED, and currently only has limited information)
"The vast majority of journeys over a mile are made in a car or van — even for distances of 1–2 miles over 60% of journeys were made by motor vehicle" - this is from a UK parliamentary publication from 2019.
(ref: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmtrans/1487/148705.htm)
In Northampton these are examples of approximately 2 mile distances:
- Abington Park to the Grosvenor Centre
- Asda Supermarket, Kingsthorpe to the Grosvenor Centre
- Sixfields Stadium to the Grosvenor Centre
- Tesco Supermarket, Mereway to the Grosvenor Centre
If you'd like to try cycling this sort of length of journey, then do think about which way you're going to go.
If you usually go by car on the route you'd like to try cycling, then you're advised to not simply head off on your bike using that same car route. The odds are that the car route has some sections that are either tricky by bike or just not very pleasant on a bike.
MAKE your ride more fun, interesting and safe - by finding quiet roads, cycle paths, green spaces to cycle through or next to.
FINDING A ROUTE - Options
1. Why not check out the digital pdf version of the Northampton cycle map on West Northants Council's Smart Move webpage. And there are cycle maps of other towns in Northamptonshire on the main Smart Move Cycling page
Paper copies of all the maps on the Cycle Northants website and more are available by emailing Cycle Northants at cyclenorthants@kierwsp.co.uk. Or, you can often pick one up from your local library. Click here to locate your local library.
2. Have a look at Norbital which is a circular cycle route around Northampton, and is mainly on dedicated cycle paths which are separated from traffic, with some sections on quiet residential streets. The route connects a number of residential areas with areas of employment and education around the outskirts of the town whilst also crossing other on and off-road cycle routes that you can use to get into town - the Norbital MAP is here.
3. Or try Cycle Streets at https://www.cyclestreets.net/. On this you can get options for the Fastest or Quietest routes, the former where time is of the essence, and the other which tries to avoid busy roads. Cyclestreets also has a 3rd option that may suit you 'Balanced routes' - which is a mix of fairly speedy and quieter sections.
Cycle streets also can show you 'elevation profiles' - how hilly or flat the suggested routes are likely to be. Good if you're not keen on hills. (BUT, as you do more cycling, it's interesting to realise that what was once a hill you tried to avoid, becomes either unnoticed, or a challenge you look forward to. Yes, this can happen with practice as your muscles get stronger).
Gaining Confidence to Cycle on Urban Roads
Many people do ride a bike when they are children, but then just stop. Having a car for many people seems to mean they stop thinking that cycling might be an option for them. If you can ride a bike, but have not done so for some time, then why not try...
1. Just ride round a few quiet streets near where you live for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help you check out the basics - getting on and off, balancing as you go round corners, and so on. And also making sure you know how your bike's controls works - gears, brakes, bell.
2. A ride with a group of cyclists might help you gain confidence. Have a look at this website https://letsride.co.uk/community. This usually has a fair amount of organised rides locally, some for women only (NB see https://www.letsride.co.uk/breeze), some for families. These rides tend not to be on routes in the town, but much more traffic free routes.
PLEASE NOTE: More Content is being planned for this page on topics such as:
- safety and the risks when cycling in our Town
- route finding - more details
- examples of routes that avoid main and busy roads
- finding group cycle rides you can join
- bike maintenance and repairs
(DO VISIT this page again to see what's new)