Last month I wrote about leaving the cycle-mecca of Oxford, our home of 20 years.

I rode with a tear in my eye along magical, centuries-old Queen’s Lane; up Barracks Lane for a breath of air in Shotover; and on the towpath loop via Iffley and Osney, up to Port Meadow and back across the glorious cycle track linking University Parks with Marston.

When we decided to leave, I was keen to remain within bicycle-striking distance. Not for commuting – we are self-employed – but for social forays.

In the end we realised that Charlbury was perfect for us. Not readily cycleable to Oxford but a short drive and an even shorter train ride.

Charlbury isn’t crazy about cycling, at least not yet. I have spotted one shiny, new Sheffield rack by the crossroads in the town centre.

Yes, Charlbury has a town charter, don’t you know.

When first considering Charlbury, this little bike rack impressed me. On a grey weekday afternoon it was filled with bikes that were obviously not abandoned.

A village – small town, sorry! – where people with old-school tourers and battered Bromptons cycle to the pub felt immediately welcoming.

To be honest, that little bike rack swayed my opinion rather heavily, though I’d never confess this to my wife.

The town feels great to ride around. Though it’s hilly and windy – was it ever that windy in Oxford? – it’s quiet, safe, friendly.

There’s little traffic, no congestion, and the air feels clean.

Although country folk are less attenuated to two-wheelers, they are jolly accommodating when they overtake. The only downside is the absence of fellow journeymen.

Total downtown Charlbury cycle-spend is a few hundred quid on that bike rack, but although there isn’t a centimetre of cycling provision in town, it’s a million times pleasanter here than dear old Cowley Road.

The acid test? I can ride everywhere here on-road with my toddler.

This much-vaunted cycle rack sends the message “cycling is acceptable here”, in a normative not a moral sense.

Just a few cheap tweaks to the existing town layout would remove unnecessary barriers and send more of a positive message.

There’s an off-putting detour for riders heading into town from the train station: the No Entry into Browns Lane.

There’s plenty of space for careful cyclists to head north against light traffic on a 50-metre stretch, using a simple “No Entry – except cycles” sign. Browns Lane is wider than Little Clarendon Street after all.

Cheap measures like this – £500 for a traffic order plus a sign – combined with incomers (like me) from cycle-savvy cities, will change habits.

Not that there’s a problem, except the town-centre car parking, but the more cyclists the merrier, obviously.