Best cycling large town / city in the UK?

[Cornwallintherain]

Good morning everyone and happy Friday!

I've woken up with a fizzy spring in my step because we've decided to relocate.

We want to live somewhere with the best designated cycle path network in the UK. (I don't like cycling on the road. I've been hit by a car before and I don't wish to be again!) . I want to cycle safely to the shops, town / city centre and cycle along the river or country park etc.

Can anyone recommend their own towns or cities? Or suburbs?

Anywhere from John O Groats to Exeter. (I can't say Lands End as I already live in Cornwall!)

I can’t say it’s got much else to recommend it but Stevenage has a fantastic cycling network, mostly completely separate from the roads.

Cambridge prices are almost as high as London, might not be what you need.

I'm intrigued to hear about Leicester. I used to cycle thru there a lot 20 years ago, it was Not Cycle friendly infrastructure then.

I can attest to York being great, cycled thru there last summer.

Kings Lynn has a good cycle network, also mostly flat. And much more affordable than Cambridge.

Totally ridiculous post

kudos to anyone who wants to do this. I’d like to myself too. I would love to live somewhere where I could get to everywhere I want to by foot or by bike

The off-road cycle paths I agree are brilliant, but cycle paths on roads are awful. Particularly the paths on Leith walk which they have just done along with the trams. So dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.

This was meant to be quoting the Edinburgh comment.

Respectfully disagree

sure it’s improving and there are now a reasonable amount of decent routes fanning out from the city centre but travel between suburbs remains in the main difficult and dangerous. Also the quality of the cycle routes is variable and unacceptable in places. I hope that 10 years from now things will be a lot better but right now it’s woeful. DH and I are practically the the only people we know that bother. Car is king.

Stevenage! Brilliant for cycling, excellent transport links and beautiful countryside. Town centre is a bit shit and some parts are ugly but houses in the nicer parts are much affordable than say Cambridge.

@Cornwallintherain highly recommend Stony Stratford, small ancient town on edge of MK. Other areas would be Caldecotte by the lake or Old Linford. Villages such as Bow Brickill, Little Brickhill off the top of my head. There are three train stations you can access from MK. Central MK, Wolverton and Bletchley. We have some lovely roundabouts and concrete cows 🐄

Depends where you are in London and where you are going to.

London is massive.

Plus loads of pavement cycle paths shove you on the road at random points, are shared use or aren't actually cycle paths.

On the other hand when I visited MK I noticed lots of cycle paths around the city that seemed joined up.

https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-transport/travel-and-public-transport/cycling-bracknell-forest

This is a link to the council page about cycling, there's links on there to a pdf map or an interactive map showing the cycle routes in the borough

Also the best M&S in the world.

I went to uni in Cambridge (cycled everyday) and currently live in MK. I’d choose Cambridge anyday - much more picturesque, cycling routes aren’t covered in litter, and generally a much nicer place to live. A real cycling culture as well, with a few cafes even specifically catering to cyclists.

Why oh why are so many people recommending Cambridge?! Even people who live there (or have lived there)?! I've lived and cycled in Cambridge for years and I wouldn't recommend it tbh. There are not many separate, safe cycle lanes - some, but to get anywhere you still have to cycle on roads. The roads are in terrible condition, full of potholes, uneven. Whoever said that Cambridge has managed to escape the conflict between cyclists, motorists and pedestrians... really?! Did anyone see this news story? (Not Cambridge, but not far either)
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/cambridgeshire-woman-who-caused-cyclist-26370212.amp
In the recent long periods of sub-zero temperatures, the council didn't bother to grit the cycle paths (or pavements, or quiet roads) so it was extremely unsafe to cycle anywhere. We had to resort to cycling on the the bigger, busier roads (competing with cars and getting covered in slush) or just drive.

For really great cycling infrastructure you'd have to move to the Netherlands. Or maybe Leicester, based on what PPs have said?!

PS if you Google "cyclist death Cambridge" there are lots of different results

https://www.camcycle.org.uk/campaigning/issues/safe-junctions/

Cardiff has been investing heavily in segregated bike lanes recently and there are also lots of nice parks and green areas.
Otherwise I'd agree with what others have said about MK
Cambridge is bike friendly, but as expensive as London

@TinaYouFatLard Bloody amazing isn't it? 😍

Cambridge is awesome for cyclists and is known as Cycle City. Probably more cyclists there than anywhere else in the UK. People do the school run with multiple kids on one bike, tag along bikes and bike trailers everywhere. Stacks of bike repair shops. Bike crime is quite a big problem though, police sadly not very interested.

My friend's family pretty much never use their car, kids can get themselves around without having to give lifts in the car which is fantastic for their independence.

Lots of pretty off road cycle routes. It's far easier to cycle around the city than to drive. And as PP said it doesn't rain much there.

Property is expensive because people love living there so much and there is high employment.

I would have said not Edinburgh!! I think it's awful for cycling! Ok the cycle paths on the old railway lines are great but I would be reluctant to use them on my own in the dark and they only go to certain places and at the end of them you're spat back out onto main roads into the traffic. And don't get me started on those wands they installed during lockdown......or the potholes.....

I understand what the OP is after - it's so nice being able to cycle to shops, surgeries, schools etc without having to drive all the time. But I can't think of anywhere in the UK that is even one tenth of the way towards a city like Copenhagen, with good quality bike paths, well-designed bike lanes, safer rights of way, non-psychopathic drivers etc. London is arguably the closest, maybe Milton Keynes. I'm surprised at all the suggestions for Cambridge - I don't know it well but it has always seemed like a cramped and congested place to get around. My solution was to live in a small market town where I know the quieter roads to use - but that's not what the OP asked.

@CosyFanTucci ah lovely Copenhagen- we lived there - if you are into cycling it's amazing- we weren't but I could appreciate that for anyone who was it was incredibly well geared to it- Amsterdam too

I lived in the east end of Edinburgh for 20 years until last year and worked in the Old Town. Happily cycled almost everywhere, including to the Pentland hills, the coast at Portobello and over the bridge to Fife. The hills keep you fit, and the weather is rarely so bad that you can't cycle. Downsides are that too many drivers in Edinburgh are dangerously entitled and reckless with cyclists' safety, and segregated paths are not common enough.

This article (which is seven years old so somewhat out of date) sets out how Leicester has become such a cycling success story. Things have clearly moved on massively since too. Anyone who hasn't been there, you really should visit - I've been amazed in every visit at what a handsome city it is. And really, really good for cyclists.

Lessons from Leicester … the UK's unlikely new poster city for cycling | Cities | The Guardian

Rollercoaster1920 · Today 09:38
London?

Probably the worst in the country for cyclists. I live in London and far too many cyclists run red lights/cycle on pavements etc and they say it's because the road isn't safe. Certainly unsafe for pedestrians.

I don't think I'll be 100% bike based but I'm hoping I can hop on my bike most days or summer evenings and cycle somewhere - even if its just to fetch a coffee. Its so good for my MH - more effective than antidepressants!

When I was hit by a car I was using the Cycle / Bus lane. She just lost control, swerved sideways and took me out which is why I'd much rather a designated cycle path 😊

Applied for a job in Milton Keynes and already have an interview! Thanks to the PP who gave me a list of areas and villages etc to look at.

I wish Bristol or Exeter would be more cycle focused. Shame!