This is a leisurely journey around the edges of Newham taking in the banks of three rivers (the Roding , the Thames and the Lea) and including a number of parks, opens spaces and sites of historic interest. It is mostly off road on paths or on quiet roads and is suitable for those who have started or are returning to cycling and wish to regain confidence. There are options to explore areas such as the Beckton Creekside and Bow nature reserves.
This ride is being put on by Newham Cyclists which is part of the London Cycling Campaign
Please do not turn up to this event if you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19. The safety of our volunteers and participants is key to us.
We may contact you after the ride to ask you about your experiences and will let you know more ways to sign up to information from the London Cycling Campaign
A relaxed and socially distanced 17km/10 mile circular ride exploring the Poplar area of Tower Hamlets where the Call the Midwife stories originate from. We will stop for coffee at The Ledger Building/Museum of Docklands then continue to Pepper Street/Cross Harbour where we will have a lunch stop. Lunch can be bought from one of the cafes there, the Tesco Supermarket or Asda Isle of Dogs, there is also seating available for those who bring their own food.
The ride is mainly on quiet streets, cycle and pedestrian only paths and
cycle lanes. There is a small section along a major road which is a cycle
route and small sections of canal side cycling. There are also a number of speed reduction gates, some sharp turns, kerb steps and short sections where we need to dismount and walk.
This is always the biggest family ride of the year with many people coming from outside London
to take advantage of the freecycle cycling carnival in Central London, with no traffic. It was our
task to ensure that the participants were guided safely through the streets leading to the
Freecycle and bring them back after the event
This year we changed the route to include the Olympic Park, Victoria Park, a short section of the
regents canal and quiet way 13, from Broadway Market to Shoreditch and on to Moorgate and
Bank. Families gathered, their bikes were checked, tyres pumped, emergency contact forms filled
and everyone was made to feel welcome. As usual we saw some interesting vehicles, including a
scooter, a child trailer and a rider with a large sound system on his back. There were a number of
children on their first or longest road ride, who were asked to ride at the front to set the pace, the
youngest was just four years old.
The weather was fine and the ride passed very smoothly, apart from coming across a seemingly continuous running race in Victoria Park. Our excellent team of marshals worked hard to ensure that the riders were safe, had fun and arrived at the Bank to join the thousands of people on bikes enjoying a traffic free London, perhaps this is how London will look in future.
More photos here – thanks as always to Robin Stephenson.
Arnold will lead a ride to this cycle fun day, organised by Bexley Cyclists, using a mostly off road route (including the Emirates Cable Car – so please bring Oyster or contactless).
