News

Events, News

Sun 28 May at 9:15am: Feeder Ride from Chestnuts Park to join London FreeCycle

Date and time: Sunday, 28 May 2023 09:15 – 16:00 BST

Start point: Chestnuts Park Cafe – 300 St Ann’s Road London N15 5RP

Join our feeder ride from Chestnuts Park cafe at 09:15 for a safely 7-mile marshalled ride to join the London FreeCycle ride taking place in Central London.

We will ride via Cycleway 1 (C1, formerly CS1) to Bank (Cornhill), from where riders can enjoy an 8-mile car-free route around central London.

You are welcome to ride back with us at 3pm from Cornhill to Chestnuts, or make your own way home by bike or train.

Please note that the feeder rides from Haringey and back are suitable for more confident riders, able to ride a total distance of around 20 miles. For the feeder rides, please have at least one adult accompanying every two children.

The FreeCycle route passes some of London’s most famous landmarks, including St Paul’s Cathedral, Somerset House, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament.

This year’s event will also include two Festival Zones, located at Bank and St Paul’s, where riders can stop for mechanical help, food and drink and enjoy activities such as music, games and face painting! 

For the ride back to Chestnuts Park, we will gather at Cornhill near Bank Station at 3pm and ride back to Chestnuts Park.

Please ensure that your bikes are in good condition, with pumped-up tyres, and that you have sufficient drinks and snacks to keep energy levels up. If, after registering, you find that you are unable to come, please cancel your place so that others can come.

General Information

Below is the basic information we think you need to know before joining the cycle ride. If there’s something you’d like to know that isn’t covered here, get in touch (haringey@lcc.org.uk).

How easy is the ride?

The ride is at a leisurely pace. We will proceed at the pace of the slowest riders, who we will encourage to be near the front of the group.

Accompanied sensible children, who are able to ride 20 miles in total, are welcome – please stay with them throughout and alert a marshal immediately if you become separated. We will definitely be on roads with other traffic, so please keep on the right hand side of your children. Please note it is therefore NOT suitable for very young or unaccompanied children under 18.

What should I wear?

We’re happy for you to wear whatever you want. However we do recommend you bring a waterproof jacket, gloves and any other clothing/sunscreen suitable for the weather on the day. If you want to wear a helmet or a hi-viz jacket that’s fine too but we don’t insist on either.

Is my bike suitable?

This ride is suitable for a range of cycles. If you are in doubt about the suitability or roadworthiness of your cycle, there are a number of cycle shops in Haringey that can assist you.

What should I bring?

Basic equipment you may wish to consider bringing on the ride:

  • a spare inner tube to fit your bike
  • a bike pump and tools that fit your bike
  • lights if there is a possibility of them being needed
  • drinks and snacks
  • suncream
  • a lock

What do ride leaders do?

All our rides are led by a ride leader who will try to, where possible, keep groups together and try to ride at the pace of the slowest. Ride leaders are experienced Haringey Cycling Campaign members. They are qualified mechanics, first aiders, and cycling instructors.

Ride leaders are responsible for planning the route and directions during the ride.

Our ride leaders are supported by several marshals who help keep the group together and help the group pass through junctions. You’ll always find a marshal at the back of the group, making sure no one gets left behind.

Individual riders must take responsibility for:

  • checking the information given for the ride, so that you can judge that you are capable of completing the ride
  • informing the ride leader if they have any medical conditions that are important for the ride leader to know about
  • providing the ride leader with their phone number and details of an emergency contact
  • the road-worthiness of their bike
  • their own personal safety on the road
  • complying with the highway code
  • carrying enough refreshments
  • the safety of any children with them
  • listening to, and following, ride leader and marshal instructions.
  • informing the ride leader if they wish to leave the ride (so we don’t end up looking for you)
  • any loss or damage caused (e.g. scratching the paint on a parked car) *

* If you are an LCC member, your membership includes third party insurance which would cover this. We strongly recommend all cyclists have some sort of third party insurance cover. We’d recommend joining the London Cycling Campaign as the best organisation for leisure and utility riders in London.

Please do not turn up to this event if you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Events, News

Feeder Ride from Finsbury Park to join Earth Day Ride + The Big One

Date and time: Saturday, 22 Apr 2023 09:00 – 16:00 BST

Start point: Finsbury Park – by southernmost gate opposite Finsbury Rd. 271 Seven Sisters Road London N4 2DE

Join our feeder ride from Finsbury Park southernmost gate (near Lidl) at 09:00 for a safely marshalled ride to join the Earth Day Ride taking place in Central London. We will ride via Swiss Cottage to Marble Arch London W1H 7EJ joining other feeder rides. The ride from Finsbury Park to Marble Arch is about 7 miles. [PLEASE NOTE: Finsbury Park Run is also at 9:00 on Sat 22 April and is likely to be busy, so please take great care if cycling on the main carriageway inside the park]

Please note that the feeder rides from Haringey and back are suitable for more confident riders, able to ride a total distance of around 20 miles. For the feeder rides, please have at least one adult accompanying every two children.

If you would prefer a shorter ride, you are welcome to join us at Marble Arch at 11:15am for the central London part of the ride – taking in iconic landmarks in central London at a gentle pace. It will be led and marshalled to keep everyone safe, covering about 5 miles, so it’s suitable for kids. We will ride to Westminster to join the XR The Big One Protest. Children and vulnerable adults are welcome and will be the responsibility of their parents or carers throughout the ride.

After the main ride, we will gather at Speakers Corner near Marble Arch at 3pm and ride back to Finsbury Park. You can leave earlier and ride back on your own.

Please ensure that your bikes are in good condition, with pumped-up tyres, and that you have sufficient drinks and snacks to keep energy levels up. If, after registering, you find that you are unable to come, please cancel your place so that others can come.

General Information

Below is the basic information we think you need to know before joining the cycle ride. If there’s something you’d like to know that isn’t covered here, get in touch (haringey@lcc.org.uk).

How easy is the ride?

The ride is at a leisurely pace. We will proceed at the pace of the slowest riders, who we will encourage to be near the front of the group.

The ride distance is about 7 miles from Finsbury Park to Marble Arch, then around 5 miles in central London and 7 miles back to Finsbury Park.

Accompanied sensible children, who are able to ride 20 miles in total, are welcome – please stay with them throughout and alert a marshal immediately if you become separated. We will definitely be on roads with other traffic, so please keep on the right hand side of your children. Please note it is therefore NOT suitable for very young or unaccompanied children under 18.

What should I wear?

We’re happy for you to wear whatever you want. However we do recommend you bring a waterproof jacket, gloves and any other clothing/sunscreen suitable for the weather on the day. If you want to wear a helmet or a hi-viz jacket that’s fine too but we don’t insist on either.

Is my bike suitable?

This ride is suitable for a range of cycles. If you are in doubt about the suitability or roadworthiness of your cycle, there are a number of cycle shops in Haringey that can assist you.

What should I bring?

Basic equipment you may wish to consider bringing on the ride:

  • a spare inner tube to fit your bike
  • a bike pump and tools that fit your bike
  • lights if there is a possibility of them being needed
  • drinks and snacks
  • a lock

What do ride leaders do?

All our rides are led by a ride leader who will try to, where possible, keep groups together and try to ride at the pace of the slowest. Ride leaders are experienced Haringey Cycling Campaign members. They are qualified mechanics, first aiders, and cycling instructors.

Ride leaders are responsible for planning the route and directions during the ride.

Our ride leaders are supported by several marshals who help keep the group together and help the group pass through junctions. You’ll always find a marshal at the back of the group, making sure no one gets left behind.

Individual riders must take responsibility for:

  • checking the information given for the ride, so that you can judge that you are capable of completing the ride
  • informing the ride leader if they have any medical conditions that are important for the ride leader to know about
  • providing the ride leader with their phone number and details of an emergency contact
  • the road-worthiness of their bike
  • their own personal safety on the road
  • complying with the highway code
  • carrying enough refreshments
  • the safety of any children with them
  • listening to, and following, ride leader and marshal instructions.
  • informing the ride leader if they wish to leave the ride (so we don’t end up looking for you)
  • any loss or damage caused (e.g. scratching the paint on a parked car) *

* If you are an LCC member, your membership includes third party insurance which would cover this. We strongly recommend all cyclists have some sort of third party insurance cover. We’d recommend joining the London Cycling Campaign as the best organisation for leisure and utility riders in London.

Please do not turn up to this event if you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Events, News

Kidical Mass 12 March ride report

Haringey’s children have high rates of overweight and obesity. Almost a quarter of reception children and 38% of Year 6 children in Haringey are overweight or obese according to the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) classification. This is in line with the findings of London’s Child Obesity Task Force who found that nearly 40 per cent of all London’s children are overweight or obese. These shocking figures will foretell ill-health in the future.

Many children don’t get enough exercise as part of their daily routine. Parents perceive London’s streets as dangerous, polluted, noisy and unwelcoming; perhaps they don’t have enough knowledge of local safe routes where children can cycle safely for fun and exercise. . 

That is why London Cycling Campaign organises KidicalMass. These communal cycle rides are fully marshalled and allow families to discover London at a slow pace. Last Sunday’s ride started at one of London’s most child-friendly spaces, Granary Square.

We then cycled past the British Library, where a traffic light engineer kindly put the light on green to let 500+ people cross safely over Euston Road. Along the route there was some exciting architecture to admire, such as the One Blackfriars tower and the Young/Old Vic theatres. It wasn’t just the stunning architecture that caught the eye, with many cyclists taking the opportunity to dress up for the ride.

Having arrived at Union Street, the London Fire Brigade were delighted to find so many children outside their headquarters, and swiftly brought out their fire engine to entertain the kids. 

Please consider joining the next ride on Sunday 14th May. Our local cycle campaign will arrange a feeder ride, so you don’t have to face the traffic alone.

Don’t worry too much about your child, they’ll probably be stronger than you! Yesterday 6 year old Oli cycled from Haringey to Union Street and back, without gears. He will turn 7 this week and his father is now confident that money on a new bike is well spent. My 9 year old daughter managed the whole ride too; what appealed most to her was being able to listen to different kind of music along the route. 

These rides are fun as well as safe, with plenty of entertainment all the way. KidicalMass is a great way to give children a chance to exercise and to show parents that cycling in London can be fun! 

Written by Anke Böhme and Angela Hobsbaum, photos and videos from Ben House, Yiannis Chronakis and Anke Böhme


Haringey Big Walk Ride 26-09-2021
Events, News

Lordship Rec to Markfield Park walk+wheel+ride – 11am Sun 30 April

Join us on this short (2 mile) family-friendly community walk + wheel + cycle ride from Lordship Rec skatepark+BMX area to Markfield Park

Date and time: Sun, 30 April 2023, 11:00 – 13:00 BST

Start point: Location Lordship Rec Skateboard+BMX area by the Shell Theatre Freedom Road London N17 6HG

This is a safely marshalled group walk and wheel and cycle ride for everyone, including families with children. We will set off from Lordship Recreation ground skatepark + BMX area (by the Shell Theatre) through St Ann’s to Markfield Park N15 6UL.

We will proceed slowly and you are welcome to join on foot, scooter, balance bike, mobility scooter, wheelchair or cycle.

We’ll finish by the cafe in Markfield Park, where the Beam Engine Museum will be open. Markfield Park sits beside the River Lea where the Moselle River flows into it – a convenient point to take the towpath north or south and explore the river, after our ride.

This event is organised by Haringey Cycling Campaign, together with Haringey Living Streets, to enable people of all ages to explore enjoyable ways of getting around Haringey.

This is the third in our series of events on the last Sunday of the month. Look out for our next one on Sun 30 April!

General Information, particularly if attending by bike

Below is the basic information we think you need to know before joining the cycle ride. If there’s something you’d like to know that isn’t covered here, get in touch (haringey@lcc.org.uk).

How easy is the ride?

This is an easy 2 mile ride at a leisurely pace, which should be suitable for less experienced riders. We will proceed at the pace of the slowest riders, so we encourage families with younger riders to be near the front of the ride.

Accompanied sensible children are welcome – please stay with them throughout and alert a marshal immediately if you become separated. The cycle ride will take place on roads that may have other traffic, so please keep on the right hand side of your children. Please note it is therefore NOT suitable for very young or unaccompanied children. As much of this ride as possible takes place in parks and on newly quietened roads.

What should I wear?

We’re happy for you to wear whatever you want. However we do recommend you bring a waterproof jacket, gloves and any other clothing/sunscreen suitable for the weather on the day. If you want to wear a helmet or a hi-viz jacket that’s fine too but we don’t insist on either.

Is my bike suitable?

This ride is suitable for a range of cycles. If you are in doubt about the suitability or roadworthiness of your cycle, there are a number of cycle shops in Haringey that can assist you.

What should I bring?

Basic equipment you may wish to consider bringing on the ride:

  • a spare inner tube to fit your bike
  • a bike pump and tools that fit your bike
  • lights if there is a possibility of them being needed
  • drinks and snacks
  • a lock

What do ride leaders do?

All our rides are led by a ride leader who will try to, where possible, keep groups together and try to ride at the pace of the slowest. Ride leaders are experienced Haringey Cycling Campaign and Enfield Cycling Campaign members. They are qualified mechanics, first aiders, and cycling instructors.

Ride leaders are responsible for planning the route and directions during the ride.

Our ride leaders are supported by several marshals who help keep the group together and help the group pass through junctions. You’ll always find a marshal at the back of the group, making sure no one gets left behind.

Individual riders must take responsibility for:

  • checking the information given for the ride, so that you can judge that you are capable of completing the ride
  • informing the ride leader if they have any medical conditions that are important for the ride leader to know about
  • providing the ride leader with their phone number and details of an emergency contact
  • the road-worthiness of their bike
  • their own personal safety on the road
  • complying with the highway code
  • carrying enough refreshments
  • the safety of any children with them
  • listening to, and following, ride leader and marshal instructions.
  • informing the ride leader if they wish to leave the ride (so we don’t end up looking for you)
  • any loss or damage caused (e.g. scratching the paint on a parked car) *

* If you are an LCC member, your membership includes third party insurance which would cover this. We strongly recommend all cyclists have some sort of third party insurance cover. We’d recommend joining the London Cycling Campaign as the best organisation for leisure and utility riders in London.

Please do not turn up to this event if you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Book free cycle training for adults and children here.

Photo credit for banner photo: Asimina Giagoudaki

Events, News

Sun 12 March: Join Haringey feeder to Kidical Mass

We are planning a marshalled feeder ride from Haringey Sun 12 March at 9:30am from Finsbury Park cafe (by the lake) and then ride to join the main Kidical Mass at 11am at Granary Square.

We will also arrange a meeting point for those who would like to join a marshalled ride back to Haringey from Blackfriars after the mass ride.

Please note that the feeder rides from Haringey and back are suitable for more confident riders, able to ride a total distance of around 15 miles.  Register here to join the feeder ride.

For families with younger children, there is the option of joining the main Kidical Mass ride at Granary Square by taking the train to Kings Cross and afterwards from Blackfriars.

Events, News

Walk + wheel + cycle ride 26 February report

In our mass-motorised world, cyclists are typically marginalized, both physically and culturally. In the popular mind, we are a tribe, sharing characters and outlooks and bearing a grudge against motorists. Our ride on 26 February, the third of our family rides, challenged that view – not with hostility but with happiness.

It wasn’t difficult to get into the happy spirit: blue skies and sunbeams always lift the biker’s heart. With babies in carriers, walkers guiding tots on balance bikes and big kids bowling along, all adjusting to a communal pace, there was a compelling atmosphere of cooperation that contrasted with the competition we feel on most urban roads.

But notable too was the accommodating behaviour of the motorists. Perhaps it was the sight of oldies alongside infants, novices with veterans, serious cyclists with fair-weather ones. Maybe it was the confidence motorists drew from those pedalling being so visible, for we were many and multi-coloured, a conspicuous caravan of travellers, with no risk of collision.

So it was mutually liberating: motorists didn’t feel apprehensive, cyclists didn’t feel threatened. Parents had brought kids, kids had brought friends, friends had brought fluffy toys and together we were a formidable but friendly presence. 

Non-cyclists often need to change their perception of cycling: it’s not a sport, typically it’s a means of transport as indispensable as any form of travel. But on days like 26 February it’s just for leisure – a pleasure to be treasured in such clement weather among such good company.

As we pedalled out of Lordship Rec and through Tottenham, there was no question of motorists overlooking us or, as they often do, consigning us to the gutter. Add to that the conspicuous safety of the parks, cycle lanes and LTNs we used on the carefully curated route and it meant those pedalling and those driving were altogether free of fear of conflict.

Wheelspin by wheelspin a statement was being made; the physical revolutions of those wheels were a tangible illustration of the active travel revolution we are all aiming for.

To quote the book title of veteran cycle campaigner Carlton Reid, ‘The roads were not built for cars’. Rides like this by ordinary people on an ordinary day will demonstrate that to everyone. Then, with stresses reduced and pollutants diluted, we can all breathe a little easier. Phew.

Events, News

Sun 5 Mar: Join Haringey feeder to the Women’s Freedom Ride

Meeting points Haringey:

Turnpike Lane Station: gather at 9:15, to set off at 9:30am
exact meeting point: Corner of Carlingford Rd and Green Lanes: https://what3words.com/jukebox.submit.market

Finsbury Park: gather at 9:30, to set off at 9:45am
exact meeting point: just inside the southernmost gate, near Lidl, opposite Finsbury Park Rd: https://what3words.com/starts.logic.normal.

You will also find feeder rides from other parts of London if you want to invite friends and family to join from other parts of London.

Who’s coming to the LCC Women’s Freedom Ride on Sunday 5 March? It’s a ride to celebrate #InternationalWomensDay and call for a London where all women feel safe to cycle!

Currently less than a third of London’s cycle trips are by women and we think that should change. The ride is open to all who identify as women or non-binary and their allies. You can dress up (or not), there will be music, and it will be amazing! Starts in Central London at 11.30am, Sunday 5 March. Find out more & register below

Celebrating our ride last year

Stats on women in cycling:
According to the most recent UK travel data, men currently cycle more often and further than women in all age brackets.
• Men make more than 3x the number of trips by bike each year than women and cycle on average 4x further.
• The biggest gender disparity is for women aged70+, and girls between 17-20 years old. For these groups men of the same ages cycle over 8x more.
• Less than half of women surveyed felt confident when riding a bicycle compared to almost three quarters of men.
• Contrast this with women in the Netherlands.They have excellent cycling infrastructure, and women cycle more than men do.
• The Near Miss Project found women in the UK experience a higher rate of ‘near misses’ while cycling than men, reporting around 50% more close passes per mile

Events, News

Walk + ride Sun 26 Feb 11am Lordship Rec

Everyone is welcome on our next free walk + wheel + ride!
✅ walk + wheel+ ride
When: Sunday 26th Feb @ 11am
Where: Lordship Rec skateboard/BMX area by the Shell Theatre
To: Alexandra Palace Farmers Market
⬇️ register

⬇️ register

This is a marshalled group walk and wheel and cycle ride for everyone, including families with children. We will set off from Lordship Recreation ground skatepark + BMX area (by the Shell Theatre) and going through parts of Wood Green to to Alexandra Palace Farmers Market.

We will proceed slowly and you are welcome to join in on foot, wheelchair, bike or balance bike.

We will show you a less well-known, quieter route under the railway line, that avoids using Turnpike Lane and Hornsey High Street.

Poster for walk + ride
Events

Chestnuts Park to Lordship Rec Walk and Ride

More than one hundred and twenty people rode, walked, scooted, skated or ran (with and without a pushchair) from Chestnuts Park to Lordship Recreation Ground on the last Sunday in January 2023.  It was cold, but the drizzle held off and we covered nearly 4km, bells ringing, wheels spinning, with big smiles on our faces.

The expedition was organised by Haringey Cycling Campaign and Living Streets, led by @rustytrike, and with support from Friends of Chestnuts Park, who keep the grounds so beautiful. We wheeled through a menagerie of wall art created by James Straffon (co-founder and lead artist of the Turnpike Art Group) and ATM, passing mouflon and zebra, heron and fox, hedgehog and kingfisher. The kids were excited to show off their knowledge by shouting out the names of each as we rode past, but the mouflon (a wild sheep native to Cyprus – I had to wiki it when I got home) flummoxed most of us.

In case of puncture or other mechanical mishap, Matt from Dr Bike was on hand to check over bikes, pump up tyres and offer advice before and after the ride, and it was comforting to know that if anyone got a puncture on the way, he was there to help out. 

We finished the ride at the Hub in Lordship Rec. The intrepid amongst us – mostly, but not exclusively, people under age 10 – tried out the BMX track loop. The Rec is home to the UK’s first model traffic area, built in the 1930s, but thanks to the ride leader, the marshalls and the kind motorists who stopped to let a trail of 100+ riders, scooters, skaters and walkers go by, we didn’t need a model. We had the real thing. It is lovely to see kids owning their own streets in this way. Roll on quieter streets, healthier air and more kids able to cycle on safe roads. 

Look out for the next walk and ride at 11am on Sun 26 Feb which will run from Lordship Rec skatepark to Alexandra Palace

Thanks to Diane Beddoes for the ride report and photos and Jeff Hum for the videos

Events

Walk + ride 29 Jan 11am Chestnuts Park

Everyone is welcome on our free walk + wheel + ride!

✅ walk + wheel+ ride
When: Sunday 29th Jan @ 11am

Where: Chestnuts Park cafe N15 5RP
⬇️ register

This is a marshalled group walk and wheel and cycle ride for everyone, including families with children. We will set off from Chestnuts Park cafe, going around St Ann’s and West Green, finishing by The Hub cafe in Lordship Rec.

We’ll be passing wonderful street art by local artists James Straffon & ATMStreetart

We will proceed slowly and you are welcome to join in on foot, wheelchair, bike or balance bike.

This event is organised by Haringey Cycling Campaign, together with Haringey Living Streets, to enable people of all ages to explore St Ann’s and West Green and some of the quieter roads.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/475527695137

Poster for local walk + ride