Cycling facilities at Colchester Campus

Dr Bike from the charity Re-Cycle visits the Colchester Campus. The team offers free checks as well as providing servicing, repairs and affordable second-hand bikes. 

• North Towers Causeway, Colchester Campus
• Every Wednesday morning in term time
• 8.30am - 2.30pm.

To avoid disappointment please arrive before the 2pm cut off. The service is weather dependent.

You can find out more information on the Dr Bike Cycle Maintenance Price List 2024 (.doc)

Out of term the nearest bike servicing shops are Cycle King.

Any member of staff can book our e-cargo bike for FREE! The University has committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2035. We have taken another step towards this commitment with our latest acquisition, an e-cargo bike.

Christiana e-cargo has an 8-speed electric hub motor and hydraulic disc brakes, making riding easy and comfortable. Its 270L cargo box can carry up to 100kg making it ideal for transporting goods around campus in a quick, efficient and sustainable fashion.

Booking the bike

Staff can book the e-cargo bike Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm in 1 hour slots, or for a whole day.

Booking the e-cargo bike includes:

• fabric rain cover
• bungee cables
• cycle helmet
• hi-vis jacket
• front and rear lights
• lock
• simple training session from one of our expert team members (training is for initial hire only which will also include RAMS).

If you have any questions email ems-helpdesk@essex.ac.uk

The University has over 50 cycle lockers available to hire. There are larger lockers in both the male and female changing rooms which are located on level 3, in the 2001 building (accessed by Square 4 entrance next to the Extra Store), and smaller lockers (big enough to fit a cycle helmet and a pair of shoes) located next to the cycle rack under the podia adjacent to the STEM building.

To hire a large locker in the changing rooms you will need to pay £25 deposit of which £15 is refundable when you return your key; to hire a half length locker in the changing rooms you will need to pay £15 deposit of which £10 is refundable when you return your key; to hire a small locker next to STEM you will need to pay £15 deposit of which £10 is refundable when you return your key.

Please complete a cycle locker application form (.pdf) if you would like to hire a locker. If you no longer wish to hire a locker then please complete a withdrawal form. (.pdf)

Cycle park

There is a cycle park adjacent to Rayleigh Tower at the end of the cycle path between Boundary Road and the North Towers causeway. CCTV and lighting covers the park and there are places for 272 bicycles.

Colchester Secure Bike Park

The Colchester Secure Bike Park is in the Colchester city centre and provides an affordable and secure place to park your bike while you visit.  Hosted by Colchester City Council and operated by Spokesafe the Bike Park is open from 7am-10pm, with space for 23 bikes. 

Cycle racks

Cycle racks are located in the following locations:

• Boundary Road (Near Valley Road)
• EBS-Essex Business School
• Innovation Centre
• North Towers causeway
• North housing
• Copse Boundary Road
• Copse Courtyard
• University Quays
• Meadows Courtyard
• Under Podia under Square 5 (by Library and Lakeside Theatre)
• Under Podia (by Electrical Workshop)
• Under Podia (by Hexigon Ramp)
• Under Podia (by STEM)
• Parkside
• Constable Building
• SSRC-Social Sciences Research Centre
• Sports Arena
• Sport Centre
• South Courts
• South Towers
• Tennis Courts (side of Multi decked car park)
• Wivenhoe House Hotel

We have two fixing stations and pumps where cyclists can undertake minor repairs and pump up tyres. The first is located at the cycle park under podia below Square 5 (accessed via the curved path in front of the Ivor Crewe), the second is located at the cycle path alongside Rayleigh Tower.

Our Colchester Campus showers and changing rooms are open and available for use. These are located in 5N.3.4 and 5N.3.5.

We have been working alongside ParkSmart, our parking management system and have come up with a way to reward our staff members who cycle to work on a regular basis.

For many of cyclists, you ride a bike to work for a number of reasons:

• it’s a good form of exercise
• it’s cost efficient
• it’s easier and less stressful than driving through traffic
• it makes you feel good
• it’s a sustainable, environmentally friendly mode of transport which is good for the planet.

We also understand that some days, for whatever reason it may be, you would rather drive a car.

For this reason, we would like to reward cyclists a day’s free parking every month. These will expire at the end of each academic year.

Although this is a trust-based incentive program, and because this is only for cyclists, we will require evidence in the form of a photograph of you on your bike, on campus. You will also need to download the ParkSmart app, using your University login credentials to create an account.

More effort is being made to encourage and accommodate cyclists on campus with more cycling provisions being implemented in the near future.

• Colchester Sports Park -  you can hire a bicycle from Colchester Sports Park for around £10 per hour, there's a good selection of road bikes and mountain bikes.
• Colchester eCargo Bike Library (at Colchester Secure Bike Park)  - if you want an e-bike then you can hire a few different models from the Colchester eCargo Bike Library, a £50 deposit is needed but the cost is very reasonable at £10 per four hours.
• Fat LLama -  you can use the Fat Llama online rental service to rent a bike from someone local, this is a really affordable option which can be as cheap as £10 per day.
• New Town Bike Hub -  this is a new offering run by local volunteers which allows you to hire an e-bike, send a message through the contact form on the website if you're interested.
• Essex Pedal Power - this is one of the flagship programmes of the Active Essex Local Delivery Pilot (LDP). The scheme provides free bikes to residents in the county’s most disadvantaged communities, to significantly increase cycling, active travel and physical activity levels.