Tag: ride report

Events

Chestnuts Park to Lordship Rec Walk and Ride

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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

Bounds Green + Bowes Community Bike Ride report

Gus MacDonald

On the Tuesday after Christmas eighty plus people, young and not so young, responded to an invitation to “work off the Christmas pud” by taking part in a community bike ride around traffic calmed streets in Bounds Green and Bowes.

The quiet streets in the Bowes and Bounds Green LTNs make it safe for kids to take to their bikes.

    The festive bike ride criss-crossed the boundary between Haringey and Enfield, two boroughs that have been taking measures to encourage their residents to adopt healthier ways of getting around – walking and cycling – by preventing cars, vans and lorries from cutting through residential side streets.

    A vision of safe, healthy and people friendly streets

    The community groups that organised the ride also straddle the borough boundary: Haringey Cycling Campaign and its sister organisation Enfield Cycling Campaign were joined by the Haringey branch of Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, and by Better Streets for Enfield, whose vision is for the borough’s streets to be safe, healthy and people-friendly.

    The ride was also a great success for two local bike-friendly businesses. The Prince in Trinity Road opened early for pre-ride coffees and post-ride lunch, and Hot Milk Café, near Bounds Green station, opened specially for the half-way break – both did a roaring trade.

    Diversity

    Adrian Day, co-ordinator of the two Enfield groups, was struck by the diversity of the people who turned out for the ride:

    “There was a good mix of ages, including many young people and a couple of people in their seventies, and we had Turkish-speakers from Edmonton-based Londra Bisiklet Kulübü, members of women’s bike group JoyRiders, and a cute dachsund. We had a good reception too from people along the route, who smiled and waved as we rode past.”

    “I can see why you like cycling now!”

    Film-maker Carla Francome’s young son thoroughly enjoyed his first group ride (on a balance bike):

    “It was so nice being part of a big gang, I felt like people cared about me. And it was fun. I see why you like cycling now.”

    Community bike ride film from Carla Francome on Vimeo.

    Thanks to Basil Clarke from the Palmers Green Community webpage for the ride report.