Udaya and Bonnecaze (IEEE Trans Inf Theory 45:2148–2157, 1999) presented a decoding algorithm for cyclic codes of odd length over the ring F2 + uF2. In this study, a simpler approach for decoding cyclic codes with odd length over this ring is proposed. The structure of cyclic codes of odd length over the ring R = F2 + uF2 + u2F2, where u3 = 0, is given. A Gray map which is both an isometry and a weight-preserving map from Rn to F2 4n is defined and with the use of proposed Gray map, a BCH-like bound for the Lee distance of codes over R is given. Finally, a decoding algorithm is suggested for cyclic codes over R.