Newsletter June 2026

Join us for a friendly, marshaled feeder ride from Camden to the LCC Women’s Network Freedom Ride 2026 — a celebration of women on bikes taking to the streets of London together.

At 10:30 am, this marshaled ride for women and their allies starts at Camden, and collects people along the way, arriving at the National Theatre for the main event. Afterwards, we'll head for the picnic on the Strand before the group ride home at 3:30 pm.

Camden continues to attract praise as it forges ahead with its Cycling Transport Strategy (illustrated in the posts and video links below)…

• @willnorman: as cycle numbers soar in London, we're expanding our network of safe cycleways. Fabulous to see the new cycle lanes and crossings on Clerkenwell Road. Well done @CamdenCouncil @TfL
• @francesca_kms: Cycled on the new segregated cycle lane on Clerkenwell Road today. It’s lovely. Everyone who can safely and conveniently make a short journey without a car helps everyone else move around more easily.
• @BobFromAccounts: POV new separated cycle lane, westbound uphill Clerkenwell Road. @CamdenCouncil is really setting the benchmark in London.
• @BobFromAccounts also: Construction is beginning on Shaftesbury Avenue for new separated cycle lanes, a parallel crossing, speed tables & ‘Copenhagen-style’ blended crossings. Well done @CamdenCouncil @willnorman

Gordon Street and the western side of Gordon Square, between Byng Place and Endsleigh Gardens is undergoing a trial transformation.

What was once a road has been transformed into a place for people, with access for loading and blue badge parking.

Huge planters filled with beautiful new plants and trees are now in place alongside bug hotels, tables and seating!

Camden Cyclists’ Suzanne, leader of both the Kentish Town & Kilburn Pedals Rides, received good coverage in the CNJ’s recent special edition, giving an account of how the benefits of cycling are now so clear, that the rides she leads are prescribed by GPs as a means of treating loneliness and many chronic health conditions.

Suzanne explained that she wanted to give something back after her experience on rides with Camden Cyclists where her children were given increased confidence to cycle on the capital’s roads.

• Though these short monthly Pedals rides are prescribed by GPs, they are still open to anyone who wants to keep active, build cycling confidence and explore the area on a 5-6 mile ride – guided by friendly and experienced CC group leaders, and stopping at good local cafes on the way.

Other Camden rides coming up are:

• July 19th  – South London Parks, 11 am from Camden Town Hall
• August 2nd – Lea Valley, 10.30 from Highgate Road (other meeting points available)
• September 20th – feeder ride to LCC's London Cycling Festival (details TBC). If you can help marshal please email john@camdencyclists.org.uk

We hope to see you on one or more of these!

To mark this year's International Women's Day, TfL asked Santander hire bike users to nominate those women who they felt had done the most to inspire and help others to access cycling.

After more than 150 nominations were received, eight women currently cycling in London were chosen to have a Santander bike named after them.

Jean is of course well known in LCC circles for her dedication for over 20 years to help bring about a borough wide cycling network for Camden.

Cargo bikes are an increasingly popular way for families to make the school run sustainable, active, and great fun!

Come and try out a two or three-wheeler; many have e-assist to help with hills or distances.

Green School Runs has joined Solve the School Run's Cargo Collective to help promote the many excellent cargo bike benefits

• 4 July Fortune Green Jester Festival 12-2pm Fortune Green Road, London, NW6 1DS

Camden residents and businesses can explore a range of free and low cost travel options available across the borough.

You can:

• borrow a bike before buying one
• try a cargo bike for business or personal use
• take up free cycle training
• get rewards like shopping vouchers for green activities like recycling & using sustainable transport options

In a CNJ letter, CC’s Ema made a plea for less hostile streets to enable more people to enjoy the freedom and benefits that cycling offers.

Another article featured Green School Runs co-founder, Francesca Agostini, highlighting how 'school run' motor traffic deters families & children from cycling, and is worse in the rush-hour peak – accounting for 27% of London's peak rush-hour traffic.

But will these concerns be addressed, following the Ministerial Announcement for 60% of pupils in England to be ‘actively’ travelling to school by 2035?

This first significant policy change since the Boris Johnson era, also aims for 55% of shorter urban trips to include some active means, with a five year active travel budget of £4.5bn.

Also featured in the recent CNJ cycling feature, was CC's John who talked about the recent growth in numbers of people cycling in Camden, referring as well to TfL data showing daily London cycling trips up 43% from 2019.

John stated, “we know that overall, Camden cycling is up 40/50% over the last five years, and if you look at some of the protected lanes such as Grays Inn Road, the rise is about 300%.”

“On the protected lanes the increase is massive it was about 1000 a day five years ago, now it's 6000! It is phenomenal!”

John noted too, the cycling peaks on tube strike days showing that new riders were giving cycling to work a go for the first time…

“..Protected lanes are attracting people who perhaps haven't ridden before … we should be designing infrastructure for people who are timid cyclists .. they will then go on and find their own ways.”

“In CC we ride in normal clothes .. we're not sports cyclists .. we cycle as a method of transport.”

At the particularly atrocious Finsbury Park/Seven Sisters Road junction, Camden Cyclists supported Haringey and Hackney CC groups along with Cycle Islington, to draw attention to much needed road danger reduction measures here (noting also the dreadful Manor House/Green Lanes crossroads).

We followed a white bike, transported by trailer on the perilous journey along Seven Sisters Road, creating footage to press TfL and the relevant local boroughs into taking action.

Camden Cyclists were among LCC representatives joining other campaign groups like Action Vision Zero for a five day study tour of Dutch cycling infrastructure – meeting key officials in Delft, Utrecht and Groningen.

“On 11 & 12 May 2026, the Dutch Cycling Embassy welcomed a group of UK changemakers […] exploring how Dutch cities transformed themselves into cycle-friendly environments over the past decades.

On the first day of the visit, participants explored the city of Delft during a cycling tour guided by our own, local inhabitant, Chris Bruntlett. Cycling through the city together highlighted how Delft’s cycling infrastructure connects neighbourhoods, public spaces, and daily destinations in a safe and intuitive way.”

Shelley Bontje & Wiel Wijnen continued the programme in Utrecht, after a presentation from Utrecht Municipality Senior Policy Advisor, Herbert Tiemens, on Utrecht’s transformation from a 1970s/80s car-oriented city to one of today's world’s leading cycling cities.

At the DCE offices, Strategic Policy Advisor, Eva Groeneveld talked about the work of the Fietsersbond (Dutch Cycling Union), followed by a group discussion on “the historical success of the Dutch cycling movement, current mobility challenges in both countries, and the importance of international exchange and collaboration. The conversations showed that while contexts may differ, many of the challenges and ambitions are shared.“

Camden Cyclists is the local group of the London Cycling Campaign. Our members enable the work we do and receive a whole host of great benefits.

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