70,000 cyclists of all ages are expected to gather to ride through a traffic-free London on Sunday 1 August as part of the Prudential Ride London Free Cycle.
The event, which is part of the Mayor of London’s annual festival of cycling, will showcase new areas of the capital. The new, more northerly route now takes in the Strand and Lincoln’s Inn Fields while work on the new East-West Cycle Superhighway along the Embankment continues. When completed, the East-West Cycle Superhighway will provide a safe direct cycle route through central London for cyclists of all abilities.
The eight-mile circuit passes iconic London landmarks including Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral and, for the first time, goes south of the river with a loop over Waterloo Bridge. There are a further two miles of Explore Routes through the City of London, allowing riders to meander through the historic streets of the capital. View the route map here.
Six Festival Zones will offer riders a chance to stop and enjoy a huge range of free bike-based entertainment and to try out many different bike-based activities. Each Festival Zone will have secure cycle parking so participants can leave their bicycles safely to enjoy the fun. The six Festival Zones are:
- Green Park
- St Paul’s Churchyard
- Guildhall Yard
- Leadenhall Market
- Aldwych (new for 2015)
- Lincoln’s Inn Fields (new for 2015)
The Festival Zones will feature stunt cyclists, the VeloPark Challenge with a virtual try out of the Olympic Velodrome, a mountain bike course, bike polo, Penny Farthing polo, stunt unicyclists, a pedal-powered juice bar, BMX tryout, a pedal-powered quiz, Cycle Scalextrics, the London Bike Market, a jump box ramp show, drumming cyclists, a picnic area and much more (full details available here).
There will be music and entertainment all along the route too with bands, music bikes, stilt bicycles and Penny Farthings to entertain the riders. Bike doctors will be on hand in case of any technical problems.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “This year’s Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle is gearing up to be an amazing day out, packed full of bike-based entertainment for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy. There can be no better way to see the sights of our great city than by taking a trip on two wheels at your own pace and in the company of family and friends. So, whether you’re a budding Sir Bradley or it’s been a while since you wheeled out your bike from the back of the garage, don’t miss out on the chance to take part in this fantastic festival of cycling.”
“In only its third year, Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle has already established itself as one of London’s great free days out for all the family,” said Hugh Brasher, Event Director. “It’s an amazing experience to ride through our great city on traffic-free roads and the Festival Zones offer wonderful entertainment for everyone. There’s so much to see and do and later in the day, there’s the chance to watch the excitement of criterium racing as the world’s top women, Britain’s best juniors and the Brompton World Championship Final are staged on a circuit in St James’s Park in the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix.”
Free registration for Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle is now open at www.PrudentialRideLondon.co.uk/FreeCycle.
