By Cybèle de Jong
Although I have lived in Suffolk for almost 20 years, it’s only been in the last eight years that I have got to know Norfolk. My partner lives on a farm in a small village just north of Diss, and one day he found an abandoned bike in a ditch of one of their fields. When it wasn’t claimed he did it up for me and that’s when I realised that Norfolk is perfect for exploring by bike: quiet country lanes, pretty little villages and most important of all: it is flat! (although I have found some reasonably steep hills over the years…)
I started off doing short bike rides, around five or six miles, around South Norfolk, but quickly built up my fitness levels. I now regularly enjoy longer bike rides at the weekend of 30 to 35 miles, varying between countryside, following a river (the Yare, Wensum and Waveney) or even Norwich itself.
There are many bike routes available on the internet if you need inspiration. One of my favourite sites is the Bike It! website run by the South Norfolk district council. The bike rides are always interesting, well described and of a good length for a day ride. Also Norwich has recently set out a cycle network in and around the city to encourage more people to leave their car at home and take to their bike for their commute, but the network is equally suitable for cycling for pleasure.
I personally have fallen very much in love with the quiet charm of Norfolk, thanks to my bike!
You can read more by Cybèle de Jong on her blog One stitch at a time
