Off-road/rural cycling but no car transport?

[Cantabile]

DCs and I want to get out on our bikes, away from the roads and cycle in a rural setting. Can't transport bikes on car (long story/saga with bike rack, tiny car etc etc).

Anyone familiar with using public transport (trains/buses) to areas where it's easy to get out into countryside, off-road and cycle? Or does anyone know where we could go from Cambridge directly, that would take us out onto rural areas with minimum road cycling?

Never taken a bike on a bus of train before so completely unfamiliar with what's possible.

Only area that I've heard of so far is Thetford Forest but not sure how to get there with bikes via public transport? Also interested in other areas that might be less crowded?

Appreciate any ideas.

Hello cantabile,
Google bike us explore cambridge. It's a bus service that leaves from central cambridge, which has a trailer attached and drops you and your bike off at popular locations such as wimpole farm. You can then go on a fab bike ride in the countryside. Enjoy :-))

www.scambs.gov.uk/bikebus-explorer

I think it should be 'BikeBus' - see the link above. Looks great!

hi you can cycle up to waterbeach along the river - you could get the train back there - its fine to take bikes if not on peak hours -done it loads
there are some bike maps around with the national cycle routes -should be able to get at the tourist infomation - we cycled to wiken fen - which is mostly off road - you can go all the way to ely

there are probably some good routes south as well

Where do you live in Cambridge? You can get to Thetford forest very easily by train. The train station at Brandon is 10 mins cycle (though it is through the town, so dependent on DC age on what this would be like, whether you would want to walk, etc) from Brandon Country Park car park, a bit further from the main car park (high lodge) (where all the official trails and the big playgrounds are)

I know quite a lot of off road routes around Cambridge, but I could go on for ever, so depends on where you live in Cambridge, ages of DCs, what sort of terrain you are hoping for (proper off road that might be muddy or mostly smooth tracks), and how far you want to ride.

Obvious routes are the Shelford Genome path, the guided bus way (north and south), the roman road on the gogmagogs, rowley lane from stapleford to babraham, the route from newnham to granchester (bit busy with walkers when it's nice though)

Thanks for all this. V helpful. Have looked further at cycling near GogMagogs and there seem to be loads of 'no cycling' notices and also at a place called Bury farm (Rowley Lane you mentioned) but again notices saying no cycling?

Are all those areas near Wandlebury/Gogs just for walkers and not for bikes?

Also checked out a route along the river near Bottisham Lock to Ely but again there are notices saying only allowed to cycle if you have 'written permission'. Are there permitted cycles tracks in those areas and that Roman Road area north of Wandlebury - or is it just for walkers?

We're looking for no-traffic routes but with all terrain bikes and unfit family (teens)! Happy to do a day long cycle ride - slowly - but really were wanting off road or circular routes. Thetford sounds good - but not had time to check out trains etc and go there yet.

Nearer Cambridge, some routes seem to start off safe and off road/no traffic and then, before you know it, you suddenly have to contend with busy roads - which isn't what we want.

Think we could do about 10 miles or more.....

hi you can't cycle along the river from bottisham lock but you can cross the river there and it does say no cycling however we often do - however there are 2 stiles the way we go - you then get to a very small road then can join the national cycle way in about 0.5 miles

The Roman Road itself is a byway, and therefore cycling is allowed. Wandlebury that comes off the Roman road is no cycling. The Roman road is quite nice to cycle along.

Rowley lane is now a permissive bridleway - recently changed from footpath as I think horseriders petitioned for it to get changed. I have never noticed no cycling signs? There was an organised family ride from Stapleford not so long ago along there so I am pretty sure it is totally above board.

Here is a suggestion - go out of town along the Shelford Genome path, continue along through Stapleford, go down Rowley Lane, pop out in Babrhaham. Then take the road from Babraham up to the Roman Road - this is on road, and you do have to cross the busy main road but the road itself is very quiet. Then take the Roman Road back towards town. You can come down the path towards Fulbourn (comes out at Cheeky monkeys play barn) if you don't want to go on the road from the top of the gogs - then from Fulbourn you can go along old drift and pretty much on cycle paths back to the Mill Road area depending on where you are going.

You are going to end up taking some road bits if you are not going to somewhere like Thetford I think.