News & Features

Following the success of our previous bicycle maintenance workshops, we’re pleased to announce another course to be held in Alton Community Centre. These free workshops will be led by Hilary Hill of Cycle Alton. While earlier classes were for women only, these instead will be open to all. Each week a different topic will be covered. The dates, times and topics are: 4th October: puncture repairs 10th October: how to adjust your brakes 18th October: how to adjust your gears

Good news from Beech Parish Council: We applied to East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding of £12,000 towards resurfacing the Beech to Thedden bridleway, around half of the total £24,000 cost. The Council will cover the remaining half from its own Neighbourhood CIL funds and reserves. Our application has been approved by the EHDC team, and we plan to make this a much better route for walkers and riders in the Autumn. The br

Work has taken place in the Flood Meadows to upgrade some of the paths by rebuilding, widening and tarmacking. Alton Town Council say these improvements and repairs are funded from a budget set aside for their maintenance. The paths were causing safety concerns, due to root damage causing narrowing and uneven surfaces. Cycling is permitted along the paths but they're too narrow to safely cycle past pedestrians. It is suggested that a project for minimum 3m width shar

Redbrown Limited has submitted proposals to develop land in Holybourne for 160 homes. Sue and Les of Cycle Alton submitted a superb technical response stating our objections, and Les presented this to the Alton Town Council (ATC) Planning Committee. We’re pleased to note that in their response to East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) Planning Department a few days later, ATC included the points we raised: On transport, we note that there is no significant public transport

Great news! Twenty new Sheffield Stands are being installed in various locations around the town, both in the town centre and in public open spaces. These were funded by part of a grant from East Hampshire District Council for active travel projects. One of the ways to encourage more people to cycle instead of driving is to provide convenient bicycle parking. Alton now has numerous Sheffield stands all around the town, which will help us achieve our goal of increasing bicycl

Once again we're offering a FREE series of confidence-building rides, aimed at anyone who feels the need to gain more confidence to cycle in local Alton traffic. These will be held over four Saturdays during the summer and below are the dates and locations: 23rd May: by Holybourne Play Area 30th May: by football pavilion, Jubilee Playing Field 13th June: by Holybourne Play Area 1st August: by football pavilion, Jubilee Playing Field The rides will be led by experienced cycl

We held a very successful 'Celebration of Cycling' in the Market Square, on a sunny but chilly spring day. The event was held in conjunction with Walk Alton to celebrate the launch of our new joint map as well as our new website. Five groups of cyclists rode in from different locations around the town, and were joined by the Cycling UK Alton Saturday group, as well as numerous others who found their way there. On arrival in the Market Square cyclists were greeted by Alton

Cycle Alton has planned an event to launch its new website, logo and a new map designed in conjunction with Walk Alton. Join us for a short family-friendly bike ride to discover your local cycleable route to the town centre. Meet at one of five locations: Southview Rise by the shops Anstey Park by Energique Salisbury Close on the green near the junction with The Ridgeway Chawton car park opposite Jane Austen's House Buntings at the Gilbert White Way junction Follow an experi

At a recent full Alton Town Council (ATC) meeting Core Group members Chris and Angus presented key points of the Cycle Alton response to the planning application by Croudace Homes to build 99 homes on land north-west of Ackender Wood by the Pertuis Avenue-Basingstoke Road junction. Read our response. Download the full PDF The councillors were very impressed with our presentation, and unanimously agreed to our request that the ATC submission includes all our recommendations, i

It’s a myth: the Dutch are not avid cyclists because their country is flat and their weather is much better than ours. They cycle a lot because of the choices their governments and local authorities have made over the past 50+ years. In the UK we have one word for those who use a bike – “cyclists”. These are then sub-divided into three (often derided) groups: the first is “Old Gits in Lycra” (I can assure you “I speak whereof I know” to misquote philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstei