What is the Berkshire Bicycle Quest?
The Berkshire Bicycle Quest is a competition based on Cycling UK’s British Cycle Quest and is intended to motivate people to get out cycling and find as many points of interest across Berkshire as possible. We launched this competition in February 2021 when the nation was in its 3rd Covid lockdown and people couldn’t travel too far to cycle.
Whilst we refer to this as a ‘competition’ there really isn’t any sort of competitive element to it – there are no time limits, and no set route, all you need to do is cycle down the road and locate your first checkpoint to get started. And with 51 checkpoints located around the county your nearest one won’t be far away.
To find the checkpoints, you can either visit our questions page or download the Berkshire Bicycle Quest question book here. Once you have found a checkpoint, simply answer the question, and send us the answer(s) using our submission page.
What do I get out of it?
Other than the enjoyment of visiting many interesting places all over the county you can also receive BBQ certificates. You’ll gain your Bronze certificate when you’ve visited 17 sites. Silver certificate when you’ve visited 34 sites and a Gold certificate when you’ve visited all 51 sites. There is currently no charge for these certificates if delivered by email however if you want us to print and post your certificate we do ask for £1.50 to cover printing and postage costs.
What are the rules?
You should arrive at each checkpoint by bicycle. However, if you need to drive or take public transport to get to the general area that’s fine.
To prove that you have visited a checkpoint, all you need to do is answer the question about it.
How do I get started?
Start with the questions, work out which checkpoints are nearest to your current location, plan your route and go. Of course, don’t forget to take a copy of the relevant questions with you and something to record your answers so you can submit them when you get back home.
How do I submit my answers?
Once you have found your first answer(s) then use the submission form to send them in. We will then validate your answers and update our webpage showing all current ‘competitors’. (Should you wish to opt out of the table please let us know). If you have qualified for a certificate we will either email or post it depending on your preference.
You don’t need to wait until you have visited all the checkpoints to submit your answers, just submit them as and when you visit them. In fact we would prefer to have more submissions with fewer answers on each rather than one big submission.
Some last words of advice / points to note
- At the time of launch all checkpoints are freely accessible. However coronavirus restrictions may change that at short notice. If you are unable to reach a specific checkpoint but can get close we would suggest taking a photo of yourself with your bike at somewhere identifiable close by. Please then contact us and we will arrange to verify your visit separately.
- Whilst all checkpoints are visible publicly, some may be on or very close to village halls, pubs, and peoples private residences, etc. Please respect peoples privacy when visiting, if you have a problem please take a photograph as above and contact us for verification. If you are able to supply an alternative question and answer for the general location that would be appreciated.
- Similarly some checkpoints are in the grounds of churches or at memorials. Please be respectful of your location, especially if there are services in session.
- Lastly – the ‘quest’ is not intended to be a treasure hunt. Try to resist the temptation to cram in as many checkpoints in a day or ride as you can. By visiting all the checkpoints you will visit many beautiful and interesting places around the county, kick back, enjoy them and save some checkpoints for another day.
To keep with the latest updates and announcements for The Berkshire Bicycle Quest please follow our Facebook page at facebook.com/cyclinglabs
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