Cycle Lane

Bedfordshire has a number of quiet roads and an abundance of attractive countryside which offers plenty of opportunity for cycling. It is a quiet county with lots of pretty villages. Such as Old Warden and Barton le Clay, as well as specially designed trails, Bedfordshire really is a fine place to explore by bike.

The county’s three major railways give easy access to most of its 60-odd towns, and there are plenty of museums, parks, gardens and woods, plus Woburn Abbey and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, all of which are accessible via cycle routes. Though you’re close to London, you’ll feel a world away when immersed in the greenery and surrounding countryside.

Many of the towns in the county have worked to become traffic free in recent years, leading to an increase in people getting around by bike. Visitors will find that there are organisations that offer bike hire in various places around the county, giving you ample opportunity to act like a local.

If you’re looking to travel around the county’s road network by bike, the Jubilee Cycle Ride takes you from Greensand Ridge through to Shefford, Meppershall, Gravenhurst, Shillington and Barton. This route takes in many of the roads and main routes around the county.

Circular road based cycle rides include the Old Warden to Cople route which is a 25km route along part of the Greensand Ridge, through Cardington and past the Swiss Garden.
The Ampthill to Bedford Loop is another popular cycle route that gives you chance to explore the attractive Georgian market town of Ampthill and through Bedford before returning to the starting point.

For quieter rides, the Shannon Trail is based along quiet lanes and roads towards the east of the county and the Thatcher’s Way is all quiet roads and cycle paths, giving you plenty of time to think and relax.

For the seasoned cyclist, there are several cycling routes around the county, these will eventually form a triangle round the county, and there are countless circular leisure rides from a few miles up to a full day out. Many start in Bedford and loop into the surrounding villages, such as the 23-mile Greenwood Trail. The Greensand Cycle Ride is a recent addition, it is 59km and follows mostly quiet country lanes with several more challenging, off road sections that you can choose to follow. The route runs between Leighton Buzzard and Sandy and can be picked up anywhere along the route.
Both towns are serviced by the rail network, with regular trains running across the county and onwards.

For those looking for a family cycling route, The Forest Centre and Millennium Country Park at Marston Moretaine has an 8km surfaces path and bikes are available for hire. Sustrans also has several cycling routes suitable for families throughout the region, including National Route 6, which runs from Harpenden through Luton and Dunstable towards Leighton Buzzard and National Route 51, which runs off road from Sandy through Bedford. You can find out more about these routes and others from Sustrans.

Another popular cycle route is the Woburn Wander, a circular 30km cycle ride in the countryside around Woburn.

If all that cycling gives you an appetite, your cafe stop might include a ‘clanger’ – the local speciality, a dumpling containing meat or jam, or both, you can find the Bedfordshire Clanger at various points around the county including Bedford, Biggleswade and Sandy.

Cycling groups and clubs in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire CTC (Bedford)
http://www.cyclinguk.org/local-groups/bedfordshire
http://ctc-bedfordshire.co.uk/

(Luton) Icknield Road Club 

Leighton Buzzcycles (Leighton Buzzard)
http://www.cyclinguk.org/local-groups/leighton-buzzcycles
http://buzzcycles.btck.co.uk/

Chicksands Bike Park (Shefford)
http://www.cyclinguk.org/local-groups/chicksands-bike-park

WeeCycle Bedford Park Rotary Club (Bedford)

For more information about cycle routes, click here.