wellness
Cycling routes safe for families and beginners expand through Gothic Quarter parks
Three new paths launched this month give parents and novice riders protected lanes away from traffic.
How we reported this
The Gothic Quarter Parks Department opened three new family cycling routes on July 1 that link Cathedral Green with the Old Moat Trail.
Interest in outdoor exercise has climbed since the start of the year as residents look for low-cost ways to stay active close to home. City records show permit applications for group rides rose 28 percent between January and June compared with the same stretch in 2025.
Routes that stay off main roads
The first loop begins at the south gate of Cathedral Green and follows a 2.8-kilometre gravel path that stays inside the park boundary before returning along Lantern Street Gardens. A second option runs 4.1 kilometres from Clocktower Plaza through the shaded lanes of Shadow Walk to the riverside entrance of the Old Moat Trail. Both routes use barriers installed last spring that separate cyclists from vehicle traffic on adjacent streets. The Gothic Wellness Collective runs free Saturday clinics at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral Green kiosk where staff check helmet fit and teach basic signalling.
City data released in May counted 1,240 family memberships sold for the new routes at a cost of 12 euros per adult for the season. Rentals at the on-site stand cost 8 euros for a child bike and 15 euros for an adult model, with helmets included. The same report noted that 63 percent of users on the first weekend were first-time riders.
Getting started this week
Parents can pick up a printed map at the Parks Department office on Gargoyle Way or download the route file from the Gothic Quarter website. Riders are asked to stay on the marked lanes between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. to avoid evening delivery traffic. Local volunteers from the cycling club will be on site at Cathedral Green this Saturday to answer questions about the easiest starting points for children under ten.