The Mayor of London has unveiled the detail and the route map for this year’s London Freewheel bike event on September 21, sponsored by Sky Sports.
The entirely free, family-friendly celebration of cycling will give tens of thousands of riders a unique opportunity to cycle past the capital’s most iconic London landmarks at their leisure on roads closed to non-cycle traffic.
Building on last year’s event, which saw over 40,000 people take part, riders of all ages and all abilities will enjoy views of the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace among other sights along the 12km route.
Four ‘hubs’ for riders to congregate and get ready for the cycle to the central London route will be open from 8am at four locations across the capital: The Emirates Stadium, North London; Clapham Common, South London; Victoria Park, East London; and Ravenscourt Park, West London.
As the day is designed to encourage all cyclists, including those with less experience, a series of rides, led by members of the London Cycling Campaign, will give less confident riders the opportunity to be accompanied to the hubs from each of London’s boroughs. From the hubs, organised rides will then lead participants to the central London car-free route, with marshals ­– experienced cyclist volunteers – present at key junctions to point people in the right direction.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Cycling is a fantastic way to get around the city and, to show people just how enjoyable it can be, on 21 September, cyclists of all ages and abilities can enjoy some of London’s most famous sights by bike on a special car-free route."
Registered riders are invited to complete the central London route at any time between 9.30am and 4.30pm. There are several entry points and riders can circulate as many times as they like.
The Sky Sports London Freewheel is part of the Mayor’s Summer of Cycling, which aims to encourage Londoners to dust off their bikes and experience London on two wheels. It is estimated that some 1.1 million Londoners have access to bikes but don’t use them regularly.
Due to a hugely successful event last year, those wishing to attend are encouraged to register in advance.