This article was published in 2022, in Magazine 154.
On the cover of our Spring 2022 issue, the new Abbey-Chesterton bridge’s cycle lane is shown as a place of fun, where two lads could showcase their skills (at our request) and enjoy the confidence and physicality of their youth. The stunt was made possible by the bridge’s design, which separates cyclists and pedestrians from motor vehicles as well as each other. The image is also testimony to the endurance of campaigners whose work we celebrated with the opening of the Chisholm Trail’s first phase. Our theme for this issue – Staying active – is embodied by the cover boys and the people whose tireless efforts have brought this new infrastructure to Cambridge.
We’re also looking to celebrate the work people are doing to promote more active travel outside Cambridge. One of Camcycle’s resolutions for this year is to broaden our regional influence. Part of this will be increasing our support for other groups whose aims are aligned with ours. Since our last edition, we’ve hosted two guest speakers at our monthly meetings who described the importance of joining forces with a range of organisations and we’re committed to raising awareness of local groups in our magazine. St Ives Eco Action Group, Living Streets and Mill Road 4 People feature here in our regular Zero Carbon Streets spotlight on Cambridgeshire changemakers, and we share some of our learnings from London to inspire future collaborative campaigns.
For many of us, cycling is a way of moving around healthily each day – riding the school run, popping to the shops or spending time with friends. The increasing proliferation of e-bikes and adapted bikes makes this an accessible way of staying active – as Nigel Woodcock and Rosie Tween testify in this edition.
If we want to see more examples of infrastructure which makes cycling safe, convenient and enjoyable for all people, then we need to keep active in our campaigning together. If you’d like to feel more involved in our work, you could watch our online monthly meetings on our YouTube channel or sign up for our weekly email bulletin.
If you have time to be more active through the magazine, by looking at local planning applications or developing our website, then we’d love to hear from you.
Rosie Humphrey, Camcycle editor