Saddle and Sole
Our festival of cycling and walking will be on Sunday 17 June, from 12noon to 6pm in Finsbury Park.
There are loads of free activities, including:
- Free Dr Bike maintenance checks
- Free giveaways for cyclists
- Fun walks, sign up on the day
- All ability cycling with Pedal Power Cycling Club
- Local shop stalls
- Family fun activities
- Delicious local food
- Free adult cycle skills taster sessions
- Refurbished bikes and bike swap – bring your “wrong size” bikes to exchange
- Free bike security marking
- Haringey, Hackney and Islington Cycling Campaigns
- Ride The Italian Job – a 100km challenge, starts 8.30am
- Family-friendly 5km cycle rides – 2pm and 4pm – sign up here or on the day
- Rollapaluza – static bike racing
- Crazy bikes
Summer is on the way (honestly, it is!), so get set for some sunny days in the saddle with a whole range of free activities from the Islington Bikeability and cycle skills team.
Half term Bikeability for children
Islington Council has a programme of free Bikeability courses for children in the May/June half term holiday. Choose from:
- Beginners (age 5-12)– for children who can’t yet ride without stabilisers
- Bikeability Level 1 (age 5-9) – teaches bike control skills off road
They are taking place at venues in N4 and N1. For full details and to book, click here.
Just the medicine for your bike
Our free monthly Dr Bikes continue into the summer in fact, we are now offering two sessions per month at different locations. Come to the Town Hall on the first Wednesday of every month, or Navigator Square in Archway on the third Tuesday of every month. All sessions run 4pm-7pm, and you can view exact dates and locations here.
Our mechanics can check everything on your bike from wheels, brakes, gears and tyre pressure to lights, racks, pedals, saddles and more. Any minor adjustments we can make to your bike, we do there and then. If there is something we can’t fix, we’ll let you know exactly what needs doing and a rough guide to what it should cost to repair at a local bike shop.
Cycle skills for adults
If you’re a beginner (or an improver) and want to practice off-road to learn to ride a bike, you can do a free basic cycle skills group course. More advanced cyclists wanting to improve their on-road riding can book some individual cycle skills sessions. You can also learn how to ride together as a family, book a family cycle skills session. Women and girls aged 14+ can book one of our This Girl Can urban cycle skills courses – a confidence-building weekend course with bikes provided.
The fast track to success
Islington Cycling Club runs weekly coaching sessions for 8-15 year olds in Finsbury Park. Sessions are every Saturday, 10am-12.00noon and are run by experienced British Cycling coaches. There is a range of activities from cyclocross, time trials to road racing in a safe and enjoyable environment. Cost is £50 per term and you can do a try out for £5. Meet at the park café. Further details here.
Best wishes
The Bikeability and cycle skills team