Afternoon:
10°c
Major roads closed for 50,000 to cycle in city centre
Katharine Barney and Simon Kirby18 Sep 2008
Beijing Olympics cycling heroes Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton will join the Mayor to lead London's biggest free cycling event this weekend.
The gold medal winners will be among an estimated 50,000 cyclists at the Sky Sports London Freewheel on Sunday when some of the City's most famous roads are closed to motorists.
Participants will cycle past landmarks such as the Tower of London, Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace.
"It's a brilliant event for Londoners of all ages and cycling abilities," said Hoy, who won three gold medals in Beijing. "Personally I can't wait to cycle down the Mall."
The circuit runs from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square before cutting down to Victoria Embankment and following the river to Tower Hill.
Landmarks visible along the way include the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, Nelson's Column, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre-Somerset House, Cleopatra's Needle and the Monument.
Cyclists will be entertained by jugglers, mobile sound systems, and demonstrations of old and unusual bikes.
Hoy and Pendleton will be accompanied by fellow medal winners Ed Clancy, Jamie Staff and Shanaze Reade.
Reade said: "There's no better way to see the capital than on a bike and with no traffic in the way, it is a chance for those with less confidence to enjoy themselves."
Hubs at Emirates Stadium, Clapham Common, Victoria Park and Ravenscourt Park will be open from 8.30am, providing cyclists with a place to meet up with friends before setting off for the central route, which will be open from 9.30am until 5.30pm.
In addition to traffic-free streets, there will be a series of bike-related activities. British cycling coaches will help people build cycling confidence and skills, as well as testing cyclists against the GB Cycling team in the Sky Sports Sprint Challenge.
Those who take part will also have the chance to win a signed Great Britain Cycling Team jersey.
Boris Johnson said: "Many Londoners own bikes but aren't using them regularly. I'm sure that the involvement of such fantastic cyclists from British Cycling will inspire more Londoners."
Tom Bogdanowicz, of the London Cycling Campaign, described last year's inaugural event, attended by 40,000, as a success.
He said: "It was just spectacular. There's a lovely silence with people just pedalling away. You can actually hear people talking."
Sky Sports London Freewheel is free but participants must register in advance.
Reader views (14)
I will be coming down there Sunday, there are no maps to show how to get round roads that are to be closed more so to the coach station at Victoria, Police don't help.
- Mark Bufton, sheffield, 20/09/2008 14:47
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Great idea. It's a pity though that on a day to day basis most cyclists demonstrate a very limited understanding of the traffic around them, the dangers on the road and the fact that a lot of pedestrians use their ears instead of their eyes crossing roads.
Then there's those cycling with no helmet and no lights at all, at night. I cycle 15 miles to and from work every single day and it saddens me to see such bad cycling habits on a grand scale. I understand the Gene Genies point of view.
- Cormac, London, 18/09/2008 21:51
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Nick,
I'm not against having a Cycling event I just feel that would be better to hold the two events on different weekends - then people could have two days out instead of one.
- Dave, London, 18/09/2008 19:33
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Following Gene's "collective reponsibility" edict I recommend the immediate banning of all football matches because some footballer, somewhere, broke the law. Get on a bike Gene, see a wonderful city at a pace that allows you to appreciate it, meet other like-minded, interesting cyclists, lose the hate and be happy. That's what you want, after all?
- Steve Palmer, London, 18/09/2008 17:18
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Zigster, living in Croydon doesn't mean I am banned from Central London, and I can assure you that I am considerably less dumb than the two-wheeled maggot who almost ran me down on a pedestrian crossing the other day (considerably less bruised too).
- The Gene Genie, Croydon, 18/09/2008 16:28
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Last year was incredible, I can't think of any other day in london attracting 50,000 people with no reported trouble, no arrests, no aggression or anti-social behaviour. There was a real carnival atmosphere and it was a delight to see children cycling safely away from the stupidly reckless driving one normally sees in London. This year I'm shepherding twelve kids (yikes!) and we're looking forward to a repeat of last year's trouble-free, brilliant day out. Put it this way, how often do you see London's streets filled with happy, relaxed people cheerfully pootling along causing no noise, no pollution, and no accidents? And we got free apples in Victoria Park!
- Chris Evershed, Bow, 18/09/2008 16:28
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Yeah, a nice idea and genuine reasons for it. I like to drive, despite paying through the nose, and I'm all for this event. Last year went well from what I remember, except for a number of cyclists riding 3 or 4 abreast on roads that were not closed to cars. Most of the cyclists obeyed the rules of the road and it was great to see and share the roads with cyclists and cars together. I saw one pedestrian ask a group of cyclists riding abreast to please get in line as the road is open to cars. He was met with abuse and one spitting at him. A great shame as this is one of my main memories of the day.
- Ed, Bethnal Green, 18/09/2008 15:58
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I notice Gene Genie lives in Croydon. Rest assured, that's not London so no roads will be closed near you. Perhaps you should invest in a map?
Also, "booting off" a cyclist might be a little foolhardy when (s)he has 50,000 fellow cyclists around them. Not suggesting you are actually as dumb as you sound, of course. 
- Zigster, London, 18/09/2008 15:46
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This was a wonderful event last year, 50,000 people enjoying themselves in late summer sunshine! There was a genuinely pleasant, cooperative attitude on the roads and none of the aggression and jostling one normally sees in London. the truism holds- the more cyclists there are in London the safer and more pleasant the roads become. Looking forward to seeing as many cyclists there as can come, come on, dig out that rattly old bike you've got in the shed, a quick service and away you go!
- Louside Fletcher, London, 18/09/2008 15:35
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I think the prejudiced views and threats of violence from "The Gene Genie" should be removed. You wouldn't allow them to be posted if, instead of "cyclists", he (she?) had made the same comments about women/Asians/Muslims/black people/the disabled, etc.
- Austen, London, 18/09/2008 13:14
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I pity any poor pedestrians going anywhere near this route - cyclists are smug, sanctimonious and downright dangerous to anyone on foot. If they come anywhere near me I will just boot them off.
- The Gene Genie, Croydon, 18/09/2008 12:23
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Get on your bike then, Dave.
- Sarah, London, 18/09/2008 12:08
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Dave, perhaps you would like to *cycle* about on Sunday?
That would be a perfect way of getting from one Open House to another Open House.
Blimey, some people will moan about anything.
- Nick, London, 18/09/2008 11:44
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Only the Mayor could manage to shut down the center of London to Buses on the same day as London Open House Day. Surly someone noticed that London was holding two large events on the same day.
As per usual TFL have either buried the changes to bus routes on their web site or cannot be bothered to give any advanced notice of the route changes.
- Dave, London, 18/09/2008 10:56
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