Nearly 100 people, including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Dr Nik Johnson, joined a cycle parade around Cambridge on Saturday to celebrate the benefits of cargo bikes and demonstrate different ways to carry things by cycle.
The event, hosted by local cycling charity Camcycle, was the flagship event of September’s Cambridge Festival of Cycling, a month-long series of events which has included social rides, exhibitions, a film screening, talks and community stalls.
Participants on the ride brought box bikes, longtails, tricycles and trailers, and carried cargo including giant teddies, plumbing supplies, library books, a crate of beer and lots of smiling children.
The procession travelled from Lammas Land across Sheep’s Green and into the city centre for a loop including King’s Parade, Market Street and Trinity Street.
Following the parade, a cargo fair of stalls and cycle try-outs began on Lammas Land.
Visitors could try a range of cargo bike options from Outspoken Cycles, The School Run Centre, Fenland eBikes, Alsobikes, Arcc and Townsend’s Light Blue Cycle Centre. Refreshments were provided by Nomadough and Jack’s Gelato, with cargo bike stalls from Veloplumb, Cambridgeshire Libraries, Visit Cambridge and Woodland Wishes Funerals.
Outspoken Cycles’ pedal-powered bubble machine and Scalextric track added to the fun and a team from Cambridge Police were there too. Together with Camcycle volunteers, they marked and registered nearly 90 cycles as part of the ongoing campaign against cycle theft.
Elspeth Wilson attended the event with her daughters Dorothy, 6, and Cordelia, 3. She said: “We’ve had our cargo bike for six years and travel all over Cambridge in it.
“We don’t have a car because we feel that you don’t really need one here: you can cycle from one end of the city to the other and journeys are more reliable as you don’t get stuck in traffic.
“It’s also nice to be out in the fresh air and know that we’re not contributing to pollution. And we have a lot of fun!”
Dorothy, proud of the bunting and painted flowers that had bedecked their cargo bike for the parade, added: “And you can decorate it! You can’t decorate cars like this on the outside.”
Mayor Dr Nik Johnson who rode a Camcycle cargo bike with a large basket, said: “It was a pleasure to be involved with the cargo carnival parade, surrounded by so many supporters of active travel.
About to try one of these beauties for the first time care of @camcycle and their cargo bike festival today- with a lot of other very happy cyclists #ActiveTravel pic.twitter.com/6vAZnbW82m
— Mayor Dr Nik Johnson (@NikJohnsonCA) September 21, 2024
“I enjoyed seeing Cambridge from a different angle and was very appreciative of all the smiles and waves that we got as we went along. I’d like to see increased levels of cycling right across the whole of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region because of all the benefits it brings for local communities including improved health and air quality.”
Roxanne De Beaux, CEO of Camcycle said: “The use of cargo bikes in Cambridge has grown hugely over the last decade and we know that they are an important part of the city’s transport future for both businesses and families.
“We chose to hold our fourth Cargo Carnival on the same weekend as World Car Free day to help celebrate all the ways cycling is already contributing to our city’s success and provide inspiration for all those looking to find out more about cargo bikes, cargo bike businesses and cycling in general.
“We’re grateful to Cambridge City Council and the People’s Postcode Lottery for their support of this event and are so pleased all our participants enjoyed their day.”
Camcycle provides lots of information about cargo bikes on its website at camcycle.org.uk/cargobikes and has a growing directory of Cambridgeshire organisations that do business by bike.
The charity loves to find new ones – if you’d like to add your name to the list or feature in their quarterly magazine, please email contact@camcycle.org.uk
FACT FILE
- Camcycle, a local charity with over 1,700 members, works for more, better and safer cycling for all ages and abilities in and around Cambridge. Find out more about the charity at org.uk
- The first Cambridge Festival of Cycling was held in 2018, and the event returned in 2019 and 2022. Find more information at org
- Camcycle works with local partners including Cambridgeshire County Council to promote the use of cargo bikes for businesses and families. Find out more at org.uk/cargobikes
- The directory of Cambridgeshire organisations that do business by bike can be found at https://www.camcycle.org.uk/resources/cargobikes/business-by-bike-directory/
