Around 30 cyclists took part in Bishop’s Stortford’s “Breaking the Boundaries” bicycle ride on Saturday (July 11).
Participants enjoyed or endured scorching summer sunshine as they cycled 12 miles from the town to Henry Moore Studios and Gardens at Perry Green and back.
There they relaxed over coffee, chatted with fellow riders and took time to enjoy the surroundings before returning.
Riders rested and recharged at Henry Moore Studios and Gardens
The event, organised by the town council (BCTC) and Cycle Stortford, celebrated healthy, sustainable and enjoyable travel while highlighting BSTC’s ambition to make riding safer and more accessible for everyone.
The council’s chief executive, Huw Jones, reflected on the newly published Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and told the riders: “Some people suggest that because only 3% of journeys are made by bike there is little reason to invest in cycling. I see it differently. Councils exist to support minority groups, not ignore them.
“You are the people who help reduce congestion, improve physical and mental health, and demonstrate that there is another way to travel around our town. If we want more than 3%, we have to build for more than 3%.”
The cyclists in Parsonage Lane on the outskirts of Green Tye
The ride also highlighted the council’s Walking and Cycle Route North project, linking Stortford Fields and the town centre via Grange Paddocks, which aims to improve connections and encourage more people to choose active travel.
Cllr Stephen Skinner, chair of BSTC’s sustainable transport sub-committee, said: “It was wonderful to see around 30 people coming together to enjoy a ride in such beautiful weather.
“The conversations over coffee at Henry Moore showed that these events are about much more than cycling – they’re about bringing people together and demonstrating the benefits active travel can bring to our community.”
Graham Oxborrow, of Cycle Stortford, who designed the route and led the ride, added: “A huge thank you to the town council for organising this wonderful annual event. Even on such a hot day, the ride highlighted what an accessible and inclusive activity cycling can be.”
The cyclists at Green Tye en route to Perry Green
BSTC hopes the success of the event – made possible by help from Cycle Positive, Dave Webber, from Bishop’s Stortford & District Footpaths Association, and sustainable transport sub-committee secretary Hilary Mitchell – will encourage more residents to cycle around Stortford.
The two previous annual events were “Beating the Boundaries”, staying within the confines of the town, and both attracted almost 50 participants, young and old.