Nick Barker had patrolled the picturesque Kent countryside by bicyle until senior officers realised he had not completed the force's two-day Basic Police Cycle Skills course.
PCSO Barker, who has been riding a bike since he was a boy, now has to travel between the villages he patrols by bus and then walk several miles to reach outlying homes and farms.
Halstead Parish Council recently held a crisis meeting to urge Kent police to allow their new PCSO back on his bike so he can cover the whole village.
Rob Baker, landlord of the Rose and Crown pub in the village, said: " I find it ludicrous, but what can you do these days? There are stupid rules stopping you doing just about everything."
PCSO Barker told The Daily Telegraph: "It is a bit silly, I can ride a bike, but it's not up to me."
A spokeswoman for Kent police said: "All officers must complete a bicycle training course before they can ride a bike on duty, it is about ensuring their safety and the safety of those around them.
"If you have a civilian driving licence you can't drive a police car. The same applies to a bike.
"Poodling up and down the road on your bike is very different from riding a bike on duty.
"The purpose of the course is to ensure they have the all the relevant skills and knowledge to make the best use of the bike within their roles."
Decisions on cycle training are taken locally by each of the 43 forces, but Kent police believe similar course are "widely spread across the country".
The Metropolitan police confirmed all its officers must attend a course.
A policeman who passed the test said: "It basically involved going round cones, like you do on a cycling proficiency course at school."
He also learnt "how to cycle down steps at speed and how to dismount from a bike quickly to apprehend a suspect".
Kent police's mountain bike officers are also supplied with "specifically designed under shorts, which are afforded with padding to provide additional comfort" to both male and female officers.
