Cycling for improved health and fitness

Cycling regularly will improve your fitness and can help you maintain a healthy weight. Three quarters of all personal journeys are less than five miles long - that's half an hour on a bike.

Getting on your bike regularly not only gets you where you want to go faster, it protects you against a wide range of ill health problems and also makes you feel better. Forget traffic jams and problems with parking - riding your bike provides real door to door travel. Like all exercise, cycling can de-stress you and give you more zest for life.

Benefits of cycling

Cycling is particularly good because it puts little strain on joints such as ankles and knees. It not only helps to shed those extra pounds, but also helps increase muscle tone and reduces the risk of heart attacks

Switching your short journeys from car to bicycle will benefit your health and your community. You'll be helping to reduce noise and air pollution as well as traffic congestion.

Cycling for transport

Cycling is the fastest mode of urban transport, since our towns and cities started to grind to a halt. Cycling brings train and bus stations up to two miles away within easy reach, no parking charges, and no fighting for a place.

Cycle routes

Find out about rural and urban cycle routes around the borough.

Check out the Let's Ride website for free bike rides to join and great cycle routes to explore.

Cycle parking

Find out where cycle parking is located around the town centre.

Local cycling clubs/organisations

Breeze women's cycle rides

Cycle Basingstoke

Cycle Touring Club

Hatch Warren Beggarwood Cycling Club

North Hampshire Road Club

Oakley Pedalers

Cycle safety

• Check your bicycle regularly, or have it done by a reliable dealer
• Be visible to other road users - wear light and reflective clothing
• Always wear a cycle helmet
• Follow the Highway Code
• Be courteous to other road users
• Ride positively and decisively
• Ride in single file when the road is narrow
• Keep ears as well as eyes alert

If you have not used your bike for a while and need to boost your confidence on the road contact Hampshire Cycle Training on 07963 237619 or visit Hampshire Cycle Training for individual or group tuition at a small cost.

Cycling Strategy

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council adopted a Cycling Strategy in March 2016, which is intended to:

• Ensure that cycling is fully taken into account in future planning proposals;
• Encourage participation and involvement in cycling; and
• Support other activities to promote and encourage the uptake of cycling, such as training, safety, promotion and awareness raising.

For further information please visit our 'Borough Cycling Strategy' page.