The Pedalways network

Norwich has a network of cycle-friendly routes known as “Pedalways”. The stated aim of the Pedalways project was to encourage novice riders to take to bikes by providing a less threatening riding environment. The intention is good, but in truth they are best considered to be a work in progress.

This page looks at the state of the Pedalways network, is it safe to use? Would you be happy with your child riding it alone?

The Pedalways mostly follow low-traffic roads, or if the traffic is busy, traffic calming is used. This usually takes the form of humps and speed tables, with a 20mph (30kmph) speed limit although there are exceptions to this where very much higher traffic speeds are allowed and some that are downright dangerous.

There are also off-road cycle tracks, although the vast majority are shared-use pavements which makes cycling difficult and slow, pedestrians and cyclists dislike them and understandably many riders refuse to use them. There are a few sections of really good totally off-road sections along abandoned railways or roads closed to traffic and a few sections of properly segregated cycle tracks.

In summary, there are some really good sections, but most of the Pedalways are OK-ish but some sections are barely usable, with a few being little more than cycle routes on paper following roads with high levels of traffic and no provision for cycles at all.

The biggest overall problem is the lack of signage or even any proper “branding” for the key cycle routes. It’s a fair bet that most people in Norwich don’t even know they exist.

The Pedalways

There are five radial routes into the city known by different colours:

In addition there are two circular routes around the city:

The Blue Pedalway

Report a problem with any of the Pedalways (potholes, obstructions etc.) to Norfolk County Council here.

The Longwater area is west of New Costessey on Dereham Road. It’s where the A47 southern bypass crosses the Dereham Road built in 1992. Next to this is a large out of town shopping centre built in 1996 and since enlarged. This whole area was built for motor transport, with partial cycle infrastructure, dangerous roads, terrible crossings and vast windswept car parks. All this is surrounded by ever growing suburbs and despite the bad provision, a lot of people cycle to the shops and through the junction.

So why is it so bad and what can be done to improve it? It’s a big story.

Longwater contents

Crossing the Longwater junction
Longwater – the history, a tale of unplanned development
What the junction is like now
The 2014 plans
Cycling through Longwater

News coverage on our blog

20th June 2022: Plans for the junction are announced.
Dangerous plans for Longwater that ignore cycling
3rd October 2022: The safety audit reveals the dangers of the proposed crossing.
Longwater junction update
6th February 2023: We release our proposals for the junction.
Our proposals for the Longwater junction
4th March 2023: Longwater – What’s wrong with what’s being proposed
Longwater – What’s wrong with what’s being proposed – Norwich Cycling Campaign

Bowthorpe to Ringland Lane via Longwater

The Green Padalway south runs from the city to the Bowthorpe Centre, but it actually goes a bit further and there’s an (almost) continuous off road cycle route all the way to the Longwater shopping centre and beyond that, through Queens Hills, to Ringland Lane and the beautiful Wensum valley.

Cycling lowlights of Norwich

Grapes Hill roundabout

The busy Grapes Hill roundabout has been through months of disruptive roadworks in order to remove two sets of traffic lights from the roundabout. Because this has removed some cycling infrastructure which enabled cyclists to ride across the roundabout, new shared use pavements have been created.

There are two routes – one from Unthank Road and the other from Earlham Road to the greatly improved cycle crossing on Chapelfield Road.

The Unthank Road route is something that’s been a missing link for the past 50 years, since the roundabout was built. As such it is likely to become very well used.

The problem is they are all shared use pavements, the Unthank route in particular is already well used by pedestrians.

The aim of the scheme was to increase the traffic flow through the roundabout and all other means of travel – cycling and walking – have been fitted into the available space. The whole project falls well below the national standards laid out in the guidelines known as LTN 1/20,

Grapes Hill roundabout critique – includes a video ride-through. November 2021

The Pink Pedalway extension along Salhouse Road

At present the Pink Pedalway ends just beyond the Heartsease estate on the Salhouse Road on what was until recently the north eastern edge of the city at Harrison’s Wood. Over the past two or three years large new housing estates have started to appear beyond the woodland.

Atlantic Way is pretty much complete and has a good quality, albeit shared use path, running all the way to the Wroxham Road.

Plans are being drawn up to extend the Pink Pedalway all the way out to Wroxham, following the Salhouse Road across the NDR.

In the meantime, a new housing estate is rising from the fields along the Salhouse road beyond Atlantic Way and a new section of shared use cycle path is being constructed as a part of that development and will presumably form a part of the route to Wroxham eventually.

This video is a preview of the new route and a look at the section between the end of the Pink Pedalway and Atlantic way, followed by the missing link through Harrison’s Wood.

The new section of cycle route contains a huge problem in the form of a nail house, a problem which is yet to be resolved. Plans exist for the route through the woodland, but there is no date for construction yet.

This was recorded in July 2021, when Salhouse Road was still unusually quiet following the covid-19 lockdowns. Usually this section of road is swamped by heavy, fast traffic.

Cycling into the city from the east

Tourists doing a cycling holiday around the beautiful countryside east of Norwich may be tempted to ride into the city. If they do, there are basically three options: Either the Green Pedalway, which involves a steep hill, the Thorpe Road, a very busy main road or over the valley and through the lovely Whitlingham Country Park, complete with its broad, that seems the nicest route.

Unfortunately it involves possibly the worst cycle track in the country. Built as a part of the A47 Norwich southern bypass this route is narrow and downright scary. But a surprising number of people do use it, including from time to time family groups with children. It is also used by a number of commuters, people working in County Hall or the Broadland Business Park. There is also the large Dusindale housing estate for which this A47 viaduct provides an important way across the river.

This route has existed for 30 years, it really is time it was upgraded and made safe. The A47 is a trunk road, so the responsibility of central government.

Thorpe Station to Thorpe St Andrew

Green and Orange Pedalways

This is an unavoidable hill if you want to get from the station to Thorpe St Andrew and it’s not an inconsiderable climb.

April 2021