Don’t miss the chance to be part of the largest gathering of ordinary cyclists on the streets of Winchester
Everyone is welcome to join our family-friendly ride. Our aim is to get more people cycling, more often. It’s a celebration of cycling, a joyful procession of people who cycle, young and old! The more diverse our riders, bikes, ages and outfits the better! The ride will help create a vision of a better Winchester, where a critical mass of cyclists makes cycling safer and more enjoyable.
All you need is a working bike that you can competently steer, brake and pedal the length of of your chosen route at a slow-medium pace.
The ride will take place on open roads, but there will be experienced cyclists marshalling the group for safety. We are pleased to say we’ve gained agreement from the authorities to hold back cars very briefly at key junctions in the city centre, so that the mass of cycles can pass as one ‘sausage’. This won’t be a full road closure – we will still coexist with cars – but we’ll all be part of a bigger protective peloton.
Where can I join the ride?
Join the ride in your neighbourhood and cycle into town! The official meeting times and places are listed below, and indicated on the tube map by a white circle. But feel free to join en route as the ride passes. The main city routes are between 1½ and 2¾ miles in length and proceed at a very leisurely pace, but in addition this year we are offering a new route, which welcomes younger, less confident or slower riders…
NEW! Low traffic route via The Barton Line
If you have concerns about keeping up, or if your child is on a balance bike, then you should consider joining our newest route, serving the new community at Kings Barton and nearby areas of the city. The route celebrates Cycle Winchester’s emerging concept of The Barton Line, a mostly traffic-free, cycle-friendly route from Kings Barton to the city centre. This route will have a lower average speed and there will be flexibility around rests and regroups. There is one short, steep hill near the start but otherwise it’s flat or downhill.
- 09:30 Kings Barton, grass triangle near the junction of Winchester Avenue and Andover Road
- 10:00 Abbots Barton, Dyson Drive
Kings Worthy & Abbots Barton route
- 10:00 Kings Worthy, Tesco Express on Springvale Road
- 10:15 Headbourne Worthy, Grass area at the top of Bedfield Lane
- 10:20 Abbots Barton, Dyson Drive
Harestock & Weeke route
- 10:00 Harestock, Tesco Express on Prior’s Dean Road
- 10:15 Weeke, Grass area at corner of Stoney Lane and Stockbridge Road
Oliver’s Battery, Badger Farm & Stanmore route
- 9:40 Oliver’s Battery Primary School entrance
- 10:00 Badger Farm, Ridgeway / Meadow Way junction
- 10:15 Stanmore recreation ground / Kings Ave
Highcliffe route
- 10:00 All Saint’s church car park
- 10:15 Everyman Cinema, Southgate Street
Colden Common & Twyford route
The final route is a slightly different undertaking as it starts in the more distant community of Colden Common. This is the only ride which requires a reasonable degree of fitness, because it is longer – roughly 5 miles – and the first half, along the B3335, will be ridden at a comfortable but steady pace
- 08:30 Colden Common recreation ground (09:00 depart)
- 08:30 Twyford Bugle Inn (9:15 depart)
- 10:00 Hockley junction
The mass procession
All routes converge on the city centre for a processional lap around the one-way system. If you would like to join in just for the city centre lap, you are welcome to join at Park Avenue:
- 10:30 Park Avenue, north end, nearest River Park
Mini cyclefest in Abbey Gardens
The ride will arrive at Abbey Gardens from around 11:00, where there will be a mini cyclefest featuring kids activities, refreshments and stalls from local bike shops and others. We hope you will stay and enjoy the post-ride buzz! The event will finish at 13:00.