For World Car Free Day, why not get your neighbours together on your street!

World Car Free Day is on Thursday 22 September. It is the perfect opportunity to celebrate with your community right on your doorstep. The council can help you to close your road to traffic so you can safely host your community on your street.

Throw a Street Party to celebrate!

You can shut your road to motor traffic and create a safe space for everyone to get together, while helping us to improve air quality in Islington.

It’s easy to apply, just choose a date and time, complete the online application form and we will support you with closing the road.

There’s no cost to apply and we just need two weeks’ notice. Find out more: https://orlo.uk/CVzZs

Note: You can, of course, arrange a Play Street or street party for other dates and to mark other occasions

 

Or do you already run a regular Play Street?

Why not hold your Play Street on the weekend of 24/25 September to celebrate World Car Free Day?

Play Streets provide a safe space for children to play with their neighbours, right on their doorstep. Interested to know more about Play Streets?

With the support of your neighbours, you can apply to make your street a Play Street and regularly shut your road to traffic.

Six reasons to make your street a #PlayStreet:

1. Allow children to play safely on their doorstep
2. A great way to meet your neighbours
3. It’s great for children’s health and wellbeing
4. Reduce traffic and air pollution
5. We can provide signs and support with closing the road
6. It’s free to apply

Find out more and apply today: https://orlo.uk/WnlnO

 

Your summer of Bikeability

We have a programme of free Bikeability courses for children in the summer holidays (8-11 August and 29 August-1 September)  We have a choice of venues in N4 and N1. Book here

• Beginners (age 5-12) – for children who can’t yet ride without stabilisers
• Bikeability Level 1 (age 5-9) – learn bike control skills off road
• Bikeability Level 2 (age 9-12) – learn how to ride on quiet local streets

Teenagers get confident!

If you are aged 13-17, why not sign up for our Summerversity course Become a Confident Cyclist. Places are available to book throughout August. Over the course get the chance to pick up Bikeability Level 3 skills on the road (Mon-Thurs) and then celebrate your achievements with a led ride to Buckingham Palace on the Friday. Book your place now!

 

Learn on a HumanForest eBike

We have teamed up with cycle hire firm HumanForest to offer 2 x 2-hour adult 1-1 cycle sessions on a HumanForest eBike. Whether you’re thinking of getting an eBike, want to improve your skills on them or just curious, book a session now! And our adult and family cycle skills are still open to book if you want to learn on a non eBike, too.

 

Joy and freedom

JoyRiders help women discover the joy and freedom of riding… not for sport, just for fun.

Saturday 23 July – JoyRiders Beginner Plus bike ride from Kings Cross Square to the Isle of Dogs; sets off at 11am and returns at 1.30pm.  This is a social bike ride designed for women who are at a beginner level and who want to increase their confidence. Book here

OurBike – your community e-cargo bike

A brand new community e-cargo bike is available to hire at Exmouth Market and Caledonian Road. To book your introductory session or to find out more click here

Is a cargo bike for you?

Are you a local business or individual who would like to know if a cargo bike would be compatible with your daily routine? ZEN (Zero Emissions Network) is offering Islington businesses and individuals a free week’s trial

Outside Briki, (67 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL) and E-scooter clinic and cafe, (346 Caledonian Road, N1 1DU).  They are available for residents and businesses alike.

 

Do you need a cycle?

Islington runs a scheme called Try Before You Bike, where you can buy a child or adult cycle for a small monthly fee, and the cycle will be delivered to your door. You can also buy a cargo bike and now adapted cycles are available for those with special requirements.

Cycle to work day

Take part in the UK’s biggest cycle commuting event on Thursday 4 August 2022. Cycle to Work Day is for absolutely everyone. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t cycled in years or have never cycled at all. Give it a go!

Close your street for fun

Find out how you can shut your street to traffic for up to three hours a week so children can play safely.

Play Streets promote children’s health and wellbeing by giving them the freedom to have fun and play safely ‘on their doorstep.’ They also give greater priority to pedestrians and help to raise awareness of air pollution. Find out more

 

Give your bike some TLC

We are running our the following Dr Bikes. Check out the website for more details

• Tuesday  19 July – Outside Essex Road Station – 9.30am-12.30pm
• Tuesday 16 August  – Highbury & Islington Station – 1.30pm – 4.30pm

 

Happy cycling

• Beginners (age 5-12) – for children who can’t yet ride without stabilisers
• Bikeability Level 1 (age 5-9) – learn bike control skills off road

For full details and to book, click here.

 

The doctor will see you now

We are delighted to announce that we have the following Dr Bikes events. And as a bonus, at these events you to get your cycle security marked and registered for free by the police 

• Friday 10 June – Andover Estate,  1.00pm -4.00pm
• Saturday 18 June – Bright Sparks shop, 176 Seven Sisters Rd, N7 7PX, 12.00-4.00pm* No bike marking available at this event
• Tuesday 21 June – Whitecross Street Market – Next to Waitrose 10.30am-1.30pm
• Tuesday  19 July – Outside Essex Road Station – 9.30am-12.30pm
• Tuesday 16 August – Highbury & Islington Station – 1.30pm – 4.30pm

At Dr Bike sessions, mechanics can check everything on your bike from wheels, brakes, gears and tyre pressure to lights, racks, pedals, saddles and more. By the end, your bike will feel loved and cared for. Any minor adjustments that can be made to your bike, will be done there and then. If there is something that can’t be fix on site, you’ll be told exactly what needs doing and a rough guide to what it should cost to repair at a bike shop.

All the mechanics are friendly and approachable and have a wealth of cycling knowledge, so feel free to pick their brains about our cycle skills training or other cycling activities.

For more information about Dr Bike sessions or to book a session for your organisation, contact us.

 

Become a better cyclist

The next step

Already had an adult 1:1 session? Do you want a little extra help to cycle more? Are you nervous about riding on busy roads, or do you want to plan a journey to work or to the shops? Or do you cycle already and want to help others experience the joy and freedom of getting around by bike?

Cycle Buddies is run by Cycle Islington and puts people who want help to cycle more in touch with buddies who want to help them in their local area. Buddies can then meet up and ride together – completing essential journeys safely or getting exercise outdoors. What are you waiting for?

 

You did Beat the Street!

 

Well done to all those who took part. Throughout the six week game, 136,944 taps were recorded on Beat Boxes and 58,478 miles were travelled helping Islington residents stay active, enjoy the outdoors and discover new parts of the borough. One local resident said “It encouraged me to explore my local area, discover new locations and travel further than I would have otherwise .”

 

Do you need a cycle?

Islington runs a scheme called Try Before You Bike, where you can buy a child or adult cycle for a small monthly fee, and the cycle will be delivered to your door. You can also buy a cargo bike and now adapted cycles are available for those with special requirements.

 

Amwell LTN trial to continue

The People-Friendly Streets Low Traffic Neighbourhood trial in Amwell, which has helped reduce traffic and increase cycling within the neighbourhood, will be extended following positive monitoring data and resident feedback.

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Easter holiday Bikeability

We have a programme of free Bikeability courses for children in both weeks of the Easter Holiday (4-7 April and 11-14 April)  We have a choice of venues in N4 and N1

• Beginners (age 5-12) – for children who can’t yet ride without stabilisers
• Bikeability Level 1 (age 5-9) – learn bike control skills off road
• Bikeability Level 2 (age 9-12) – learn how to ride on quiet local streets

They are taking place at venues in N4 and N1. For full details and to book, click here.

 

Adult beginners group cycle skills

Book your place on our weekend adult beginners’ sessions at Hugh Myddleton Primary School on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March 2022.

We will teach you how to ride a bike in a safe, off-road environment with a qualified instructor. Once you feel comfortable to go on road, you can book onto our 1:1 urban and advanced cycle skills course. These sessions are for adults who are unable to cycle unaided

Beat the Street

Family cycle skills

 

Try Before You Bike

Islington runs a scheme called Try Before You Bike, where you can buy a cycle for a small monthly fee, and the cycle will be delivered to your door. You can also buy a cargo bike and now adapted cycles are available for those with special requirements.

St Mary’s Church LTN is now live!

Here is a link to find out more about the Low-Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN).

You can contribute until 14 March to the consultation on Highbury LTN

Likewise, you can share your thoughts on the latest School Streets consultation

 

Walk the Walk

14th May 2022 | Location: Clapham Common Registration opening: Entries are open!

Here comes the autumn…

Even if the nights are drawing in and it’s getting cooler and wetter Islington Council can brighten your next few months with a range of cycling courses and activities for all ages. Cycling and active travel is particularly in the news at the moment and it’s an exciting time to take to two wheels.

Half term Bikeability is back!

We have a programme of free Bikeability courses for children in the half term holidays from Monday 25 October to Thursday 28 October. We have a choice of venues in N4 and N1

• Beginners (age 5-12) – for children who can’t yet ride without stabilisers
• Bikeability Level 1 (age 5-9) – learn bike control skills off road
• Bikeability Level 2 (age 9-12) – learn how to ride on quiet local streets

They are taking place at venues in N4 and N1. For full details and to book, click here.

A group of pupils follow an instructor on the playground

Join our Big Bike Ride

Celebrate the finale of our Let’s Talk About a Greener Future Festival with our Big Bike Ride around Islington on Friday 29 October, 10.30am-12.30pm. This family-friendly ride will start and end at Highbury Crescent on Highbury Fields, working its way through Islington’s newly-designed street network. The Big Bike Ride will be marshalled by our experienced cycle trainers. Families are welcome and children should be at least 8 years old and accompanied by an adult. Places are limited and to take part you must book in advance. To book and get further details click here.

Dr Bike sessions

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.

• Friday 22 October, 1-4pm – Highbury and Islington station
• Saturday 23 October, 10-4 pm – Dover Court Estate, Balls Pond Road, London N1 3HN
• Wednesday 27 October, 2-6pm – Peregrine House Community Day, London EC1V 7PR
• Friday 29 October, 1-6pm – Caledonian Park, N7 9TP
• Wednesday 3 November, 5-7pm – Rosemary Branch Gastropub on Shepperton Road, N1 3DT

Try Before You Bike

If you are thinking of starting cycling, you can try a bike for £20 per month. The Try Before You Bike scheme allows you to try a bike for a monthly fee. Just choose your new bike and accessories using the helpful online tools, the bike gets delivered and you will be given a free Cycle Skills session to get you started.

Hire an e-bike

Lime offers the opportunity to hire an e-bike in Islington via the Lime app.

Human Forest offers the first 10 minutes of your ride free each day when you hire their e-bikes.

Cycle skills for adults, families and young people

If you want to improve your on-road riding, you can book some individual cycle skills sessions. You can also learn how to ride together as a family, by booking a family cycle skills session. And for 11-17 year olds looking to cycle to secondary school, we offer Independent cycle skills sessions.

New cycle routes in Islington

Islington has changed quite a bit over the last year. There are many new schemes in the borough that are designed to make it easier for you to walk and cycle. As part of the People-Friendly Streets programme there are several new Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, School Streets and several new cycle lanes. You can see more details on the Council website.

Here comes the summer…

Even if the weather isn’t super sunny, Islington Council can brighten your July and August with a range of cycling courses for all ages.

Summer Bikeability for children

We have a programme of free Bikeability courses for children in the summer holidays running on the weeks of 26 July and 2 August. Choose from:

• Beginners (age 5-12) – for children who can’t yet ride without stabilisers
• Bikeability Level 1 (age 5-9) – learn bike control skills off road
• Bikeability Level 2 (age 9-12) – learn how to ride on quiet local streets

They are taking place at venues in N4 and N1. For full details and to book, click here.

Summerversity 

This is new… we now have cycling courses this summer for 13-17 year olds. You can book Become a Confident Cyclist on the Summerversity website for a week of cycling that includes four days of training a a group ride around London on the last day to round things off nicely.

E-bike cycle skills

We’ve teamed up with e-bike hire firm Lime to bring you a weekend of Cycle Skills sessions. You can use your own bike or borrow a Lime e-bike free of charge

• • • • Venue: Meet outside the Highbury Leisure Centre, Highbury Crescent, NDates: 31 July and 1 August 2021
      • Times slots: 9am-11am, 11.30am-1.30pm,  2pm-4pm
      • Each session lasts up to two hours.
      • Book here

 

More cycle skills for adults, families and young people

If you want to improve your on-road riding, you can book some individual cycle skills sessions. You can also learn how to ride together as a family, by booking a family cycle skills session. And for 11-17 year olds looking to cycle to secondary school, we offer Independent cycle skills sessions.

Plus there is our Try Before You Bike scheme.

Dr Bike
29 August, 2-6pm, Caledonian Park

New cycle routes in Islington

Islington has changed quite a bit over the last year. There are many new schemes in the borough that are designed to make it easier for you to walk and cycle. As part of the People-Friendly Streets programme there are several new Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, School Streets and several new cycle lanes. You can see more details on the Council website.

We’ve teamed up with e-bike hire firm Lime to bring you a weekend of Cycle Skills sessions. You can use your own bike or borrow a Lime e-bike free of charge.

Venue: Meet outside the Highbury Leisure Centre, Highbury Crescent, N5

Dates: 21 and 22 November 2020

Times slots: 9am-11am, 11.30am-1.30pm,  2pm-4pm

Each session lasts up to two hours.

Urban and advanced cycle skills

Urban cycle skills: Improve your cycling skills and confidence. You’ll start in a safe, off-road environment to refresh your cycling technique and develop new skills before moving on to practise on quiet roads. Your qualified instructor will support you throughout to help you cycle more confidently.

Advanced cycle skills: Perfect your cycling techniques with a qualified trainer. After a quick, off-road skills check, you’ll work to improve your performance when dealing with complex junctions, heavy traffic or cycling at night and receive assurance that you’re cycling efficiently and effectively.

During your cycle skills sessions, your instructor will assess your abilities and progressively build on them. Once competent, we can help plan the best routes to work, to friends’ houses or wherever you want to go. And we can incorporate these routes into your sessions. By working through the National Standards our instructors will help you cycle safely and with confidence on the roads.

Anyone who lives, works or studies in Islington is entitled to two free cycle skills sessions.

We do not offer these 1:1 sessions for children and young people aged under 16. Please visit our family cycle skills or independent cycle skills pages to find out more about our training for under 16s. If your children are new to cycling, please book a holiday course on our child holiday Bikeability page.

Venue	Dates	Times	Book
Meet outside Highbury Leisure Centre, Highbury Cres N5 1RR	21 November	9.00-11.00	Fully booked
Meet outside Highbury Leisure Centre, Highbury Cres N5 1RR	26-29 October	9.00-11.00	Book here
Tollington Place, N4 (age 9-13)	26-29 October	10.00-12.00	Book here
Tollington Place, N4 (age 9-13)	26-29 October	13.00-15.00	Book here

 

Nearly every Islington school offers free Level 2 courses for its year 5 or 6 pupils – please speak to your child’s teachers or contact us to find out about your school’s next course.

There’s never been a better time to learn to cycle. There are so many benefits to learning to be a safer and more effective cyclist, but at this time being able to travel in a socially distanced way also minimises your risk of infection when you’re getting about London. We’ve got a range of cycling courses available for you and some news about other cycles schemes around the borough.

Bikeability is back
Islington Council has a programme of free Bikeability Level 2 courses for children in the October half term holiday. We’re running these courses in line with the latest Government Covid-19 guidance, so we are currently unable to lend helmets to participants.

Our Bikeability Level 2 are for children age 9-13 and they will learn how to ride safely and effectively using quiet local streets. We have a choice of venues in N4 and N1:

Rosemary Gardens (age 9-13)	26-29 October	10.00-12.00	Book here
Rosemary Gardens (age 9-13)	26-29 October	13.00-15.00	Book here
Tollington Place (age 9-13)	26-29 October	10.00-12.00	Book here
Tollington Place (age 9-13)	26-29 October	13.00-15.00	Book here

For further details, click here.

Adult 1:1 and Family Cycle Skills sessions

You can now book Family Cycle Skills and Adult 1:1 Cycle Skills sessions, which are run with a Covid-safe protocol.

Try Before You Bike
If you are thinking of starting cycling, you can try a bike for £20 per month. The Try Before You Bike scheme allows you to try a bike for a monthly fee. Just choose your new bike and accessories using the helpful online tools, the bike gets delivered and you will be given a free Cycle Skills session to get you started.

Hire an e-bike
Lime offers the opportunity to hire an e-bike in Islington via the Lime app.

Cycle Buddies
Cycle Islington, our local London Cycling Campaign group, are running a scheme to support inexperienced cyclists.

Cycle Buddies puts new riders in touch with experienced riders in their local area. Cycle Buddies can meet up and ride together – to work, to the shops or just to the park for some practice. And if you are a confident cyclist, you can sign up too, to help others experience the joy and freedom of getting about by bike.

To find out more and sign up, go to Islington Cycle Buddies.

People-Friendly Streets
You many have noticed some changes to your local area. As part of our pandemic response, Islington Council has accelerated the roll out of Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods, School Streets and cycle routes, such as Cycleway 38 that runs along Liverpool Road. You can read more about these schemes here.

Islington Cycling Club youth programme
There are weekly cycle coaching sessions for 8-15 year olds in Finsbury Park on Saturdays from 10am-12pm. The sessions are run by experienced British Cycling coaches, who offer a range of activities (from cyclocross and time trialling to road racing) in a safe and enjoyable environment. The emphasis of our coaching is on enjoying our sport. Whatever ambitions a young rider has, whether that’s competing at events or simply to have fun cycling, our coaches will accommodate them and work towards their goals. Details here.

New cycle routes in Islington

In the past month, two new signed cycle routes have opened in Islington.  Cycle Superhighway 6 runs from Elephant and Castle to Kings Cross, passing through Islington, and features segregated lanes away from other traffic, along with redesigned junctions which have improved priority for cyclists.  Quietway 2 runs from Bloomsbury to Walthamstow on a network of quieter residential streets and cycle tracks, intersecting with both CS6 and CS1.

 

If you’d like an introduction to these routes (or if you haven’t yet come across their new features, like “two-stage turns” for cyclists) then why not book a free cycle skills session where one of our qualified instructors can show them to you?

Maps of Cycle Superhighway 6 and Quietway 2.

 

 

Half term Bikeability for children

Islington Council has a programme of free Bikeability courses for children in the October half term holiday (22-25 October). Choose from:

Beginners (age 5-12) – for children who can’t yet ride without stabilisers

Bikeability Level 1 (age 5-9) – learn bike control skills off road

Bikeability Level 2 (age 9-12) – learn how to ride on quiet local streets

 

They are taking place at venues in N4 and N1. For full details and to book, click here.

 

 

 

Free bike checks in N1 and N19
With colder and wetter weather around the corner, it’s more important than ever that your bike is properly set up to keep you riding comfortably and safely.  Our free Dr Bikes continue through autumn in two different locations each month. 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 and families
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, by booking a family cycle skills session.

 

Saddle and Sole Festival is up for an award

For the past six years, the Islington cycling team have run a summer festival in Finsbury Park (alongside our colleagues from Hackney and Haringey).  This year’s festival of Cycling and Walking (called ‘Saddle and Sole’) was the best–attended yet, and has also been shortlisted for a National Sustainable Travel Award.  More news in our next newsletter. If you would like a stall or would like to run an activity at next year’s festival, email david.shannon@islington.gov.uk.

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

 

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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