The last week of September is Cycle to School Week. As it says on the Bikeability website:
Getting to school just got awesome!
And it’s true, there are very few ways to get around Camden that are as much fun as by bike. It’s perfect for keeping healthy, stress-free and protecting the environment. No need to sit in traffic jams or sweat over finding a parking space. You can arrive at your destination feeling invigorated and ready for the day ahead.
Camden’s very own Bike Bus is a brilliant example. Every week, families meet at Chalk Farm bridge to cycle to school together. It’s a cycling party with music, whistles and bright colours. The children love it and are full of energy when they arrive at school. The route passes several schools and drops children off on the way. As well as being a fun social event, being in a large group keeps everyone safe with adults cycling on the outside to protect the group.
To mark Cycle to School Week, we organised a special ride aimed at families who would like to try cycling to school or other weekly activities. We picked a route that would pass near several schools in the borough to give everyone a taster of what it’s like to use the cycling infrastructure around Camden with children.
We based ourselves at Talacre Gardens in Kentish Town, and cycled two loops. One in the morning via Gospel Oak, Hampstead Heath and Tufnell Park. A break back at Talacre for lunch, then an afternoon lap via Chalk Farm, Regent’s Park, Fitzrovia, King’s Cross, Somers Town and Camden. Families could choose the loop they preferred, or come for the full 16km ride.
The morning loop was a 8km warm-up, two teenagers joined with their parents and whizzed quickly around the route. Along the way, they were tasked with a quiz to spot landmarks, place names and details about the local area. Some confusion/disagreement arose when it came to counting trees along the path in Tufnell Park Playing Fields, but the questions were mostly answered with ease. John added a few more hard ones to keep us on our toes!
For the afternoon loop we were joined by six families bringing 7 children aged between 6 and 11. Some extra joyfulness was added in the form of stickers, music and whistles which got everyone in a celebratory mood, including passers by and the ride marshals.
Our first stop was Regent’s Park where the children enjoyed the brilliant Gloucester Gate playground and zip wire. So much fun was had that it was hard to get going again.
We made our way to Chester Road and the Inner Circle where we peaked in at the roses. The children were cycling brilliantly and full of energy. Next we crossed over the Marylebone Rd, around Park Crescent and Portland Place, before turning left along Devonshire Street and following the C27 through Fitzrovia, then past UCL and King’s Cross.
By now, we were all getting tired and hungry and stopped for a break and some snacks to boost our energy at Goldington Crescent Gardens. James ran an impromptu Bike Maintenance Workshop and after a few tips one of the children pumped up their tyres like an expert mechanic.
Finally, we were ready for the last stretch up Royal College Street and back to Talacre. On the way, we played a game of who can spot the bus stop letters as we made it up the hill. We crossed Kentish Town Road onto Castle Street, then made our way to the cycle path on Prince of Wales road, before using the parallel zebra crossing to get us back to Talacre.
We made it all the way around while the weather was bright and not too cold. The children certainly showed us their cycling talents and were superstars for completing the long ride.
Thank you to all the families who joined us and made it a lovely day out!
Huge thanks to the marshals and everyone who helped to organise and promote the ride behind the scenes.
Some useful links for families cycling in Camden:
If you would like to find out about future rides, you can sign up for our newsletter, or keep an eye on our website.
Bike Bus Camden runs from Chalk Farm to Belsize Park every Thursday of term. It’s a fun and healthy way to get to school together by bike. If it doesn’t run in your part of Camden, get in touch and we can help you set one up (info@camdencyclists.org.uk).
We run a monthly bike maintenance workshop at Kentish Town Health Centre (second Monday evening of each month) where we check your bike and show you how to make repairs. You can sign up for its mailing list here.
LCC runs a Cycle Buddies Scheme where you can connect with experienced cyclists in your area who can help you plan routes and try out rides with you.
Camden Council runs free cycle skills training, a qualified cycle instructor will spend a couple of hours with you and your family to learn and practice riding on the roads together. They are very helpful and always give you something new to practice.
