Issuu

AU T U M N 2026

RETURN OF NOCTURNE

LONDON CYCLING FESTIVAL GUIDE TOP CYCLE CAFÉS SOCIAL SAFETY FOCUS CRITICAL MASS vs KIDICAL MASS NEW BIKE LIGHTS SHOWCASED

MAGAZINE OF

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contents

Photo: Tom Bogdanowicz

News | Features | London | Travel | Ride Guide

Return of Nocturne: the festival of fun street racing hit the City’s streets again this summer, including Guinness world record attempts on the tallest-ever penny farthing. LC was there to witness it (page 46).

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AUTUMN 2026

FEATURES 16 London Cycling Festival Don’t miss the fun events and rides coming to your area this September 22 Cycling Cafés Six of our favourite places across London to stop for coffee and cake 30 Interview With the active travel campaigner behind community enterprise CarryMe Bikes 35 Social Safety Audits How LCC’s women’s network is helping shape choices for potential cycleways 40 Critical Mass v Kidical Mass We look at the background and outlook for the best-known mass rides in town

REGULARS 08 News Healthy Streets scorecard; AGM and board elections; Cycle Islington’s 50th 11 Opinion LCC’s ‘flyering day’; stealing the Dutch cycling playbook; climate crisis solutions 66 Iconic Bikes The built-for-battle, folding BSA Airborne used by Commando forces in WWII

RIDE GUIDE 54 Ride Our fourth Boundary Ride visits creeks and sea marshes from Erith to Rainham 58 Bikes Does Reise & Müller’s latest cargobike bring car-free living a step closer? 60 Products Backpack/pannier, gloves, mini bar bag, Lego road bike, plus books and map

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EDITORIAL | Autumn 2026

Cover photo: Chris Keller-Jackson Location: City of London EDITORIAL

The reluctant data processor

T I

’VE NEVER REALLY been one for performance apps, even though I’ve been a temporary or early adopter of most while wearing tester/reviewer/consultant hats. I’ve just not been particularly interested in how far, how fast, where my heart rate’s at or how many calories I’ve been burning. My only semi-dalliance of that ilk is posting and searching up new (mostly off-road) route ideas with one mapping-led outfit. As the tagline of one of my old magazines suggests, I prefer to ‘just get out and ride’. But with the popularity of e-bikes still booming, all of which come with integrated computers, the data haze has become hard to ignore — it’s often sat right there happily winking away on the handlebars. And that’s how, earlier this summer, I happened to glance down just as the odometer of my latest loaned bike passed 500km. Sure, that’s no great shakes for a keen roadie or cross-city commuter, however I’d only had this ride a month and the longest individual journey had been 28km. Plus it was a 40kg cargobike. And that’s what I thought was significant. This total was accrued purely on short day-today trips close to home, the mundane stuff, and it had piled up effortlessly. A brief penny drop pause provided by basic metrics, who’da thunk it? Heatstroke may or may not have been involved... Hopefully we’ll see you at the London Cycling Festival on 20 September! John Kitchiner Editor

LCC MEMBERS’ LEGAL HELPLINE Osbornes Law is the official legal partner of LCC, providing members with exclusive access to a legal helpline. If you’re involved in a collision or have a cycling-related legal issue, phone the cycling team at Osbornes for advice on 020 7681 8672.

LONDON CYCLIST Unit 206, The Record Hall, 16-16A Baldwin’s Gardens, London EC1N 7RJ n 020 7234 9310 n lcc.org.uk

EDITORIAL Editor: John Kitchiner (london.cyclist@lcc.org.uk) Design: Anita Razak Contributors: Simon Munk, Tom Bogdanowicz, Sam Stephenson, Clare Hinchcliffe, Tom Fyans, Rob Eves, Charlie Codrington, Carlton Reid

ADVERTISING Sean Igoe (sean.igoe@lcc.org.uk)

SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @london_cycling FACEBOOK: @LondonCyclingCampaign INSTAGRAM: @london_cycling_campaign Editorial, copyright, membership LCC is not aligned with any political party. All views expressed in London Cyclist are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the editor, nor do they necessarily reflect LCC policy. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the editor. Editorial content is independent of advertising. All LCC membership offers and discounts are presented entirely at the discretion of the provider. London Cyclist is published by LCC. MORE INFO: lcc.org.uk MEMBERSHIP: lcc.org.uk/membership TO DONATE: lcc.org.uk/donate LCC is a charitable limited company, reg no 1766411; charity no 1115789 London Cyclist is printed by Buxton Press on FSC certified carbon-balanced paper from responsible sources.

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Autumn 2026

HEALTHY STREETS SCORECARD 2026: TFL DOES ZERO CYCLE TRACKS Mixed picture for TfL and boroughs on cycling schemes progress 20mph has been rolled out to nearly half of all red routes now (up 3% on last year). The scorecard has produced scores for boroughs from 2019 onwards. City of London and Islington topped the overall charts once more, with Waltham Forest gaining most places (now 8th highest and the top outer London borough, outperforming half of all inner London boroughs). In addition, Richmond and Lewisham both rose two places, while Westminster dropped five (largely due to improvements in other boroughs’ scores); Ealing, Merton and Croydon dropped two places each. The biggest deliverer of cycle tracks in the 2026 scorecard was Newham, having completed the Royal Docks corridor and begun work on its Romford Road scheme too (pictured above) – where the first protected ‘Waltham Forest-style’ junction outside that borough was recently opened.

Photo: LCC

HE 2026 UPDATE to the Healthy Streets scorecard, which LCC is part of producing each year, for the first time ever measured not just borough progress on key active travel schemes and indicators, but also TfL activity on its ‘red route’ roads too. And found that in the last year, TfL completed no cycle tracks on the TLRN at all. TfL’s main red route roads account for just 5% of London’s overall road network by length, but do carry nearly a third of all motor traffic. Not only did TfL fail to complete any new cycle tracks on its roads (a few schemes, like Lambeth Bridge, were finished after the cut-off date), but activity on other metrics was also notably weak. ‘Bus priority’ measures rose by only 0.7%, pedestrian signals delivered where missing at junctions saw no real change, and overall traffic levels remained flat – while fatal and serious collisions on red routes rose (as they did overall). The only good news was that 8

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NEWS

MONTH

SAVE THE DATE: 2026 AGM & NEW TRUSTEE ELECTIONS

NUMBERS

1934 LCC AND OSBORNES London’s first separated cycle lane introduced, between Hanger Lane and Greenford.

431

Kilometres of tracks in London’s strategic cycle network, as of late 2025. [Source: TfL]

LAW TEAM UP FOR PECHA KUCHA EVENT

ON THURSDAY 22 October, in partnership with our longstanding legal partner Osbornes Law, LCC is inviting leading lights from across Europe to present on the newest, freshest and most innovative developments in urban cycling from the continent. This is a rapid-fire ‘Pecha Kucha’-style event, meaning each speaker gets just over six minutes to share 20 slides for 20 seconds each. And this exciting format means up to ten speakers can deliver fast-paced presentations in just one evening. More details will be shared with LCC members soon, but for now you can head over to the LCC website and register your interest to be among the first to hear when tickets are on sale. n lcc.org.uk/events

CYCLE ISLINGTON CELEBRATES 50 YEARS BACK IN THE last record-breaking summer of 1976 a group of cyclists met at the Registry Office on Liverpool Road to campaign for better cycling conditions. Fifty years on, dozens of supporters – including Jeremy Corbyn MP, Caroline Russell AM and several local councillors – crowded into Islington Museum for an exhibition (open until mid-Autumn) chronicling the work of ICAG (Islington Cyclists Action Group), now Cycle Islington. They also watched an inspiring video recording the 50 years of campaigns work, featuring a wide range of activists and celebrities. The first campaigning victory was cycle access to a path across Highbury Fields, once dense with motor traffic. This year’s celebrations also included a family bike ride, a cleverlybranded cake, a ceilidh in the forgotten north of Islington, and the now customary merch.

LCC IS LOOKING for new trustees to fill three vacancies in this year’s election to the LCC board. Those elected will serve for three years (until the 2029 AGM). The board is responsible for governing the organisation, overseeing the CEO and staff team, making sure we work towards our strategy and campaigning goals, meet our legal responsibilities and manage our finances well. If you’re passionate about cycling in London, then we’d love to hear from you. Please complete and return a nomination form online at lcc.org.uk/board. LCC is committed to becoming a more inclusive organisation and we’re keen to receive nominations from people from backgrounds currently underrepresented in cycling and on our board – including London’s diverse communities. No previous board or trustee experience is required, just your commitment and perspective. Candidates are asked to provide a supporting statement (up to 500 words); examples from previous candidates are available on the website. You do not need to be an LCC member – you will be made a member on appointment if you are successful. And if you’d like to chat before applying, contact us at agm@lcc.org.uk and one of our current trustees will be in touch. Completed nomination forms must be submitted to the LCC office by 9am on Monday 12 October 2026. Full details of how to do so are on the form. DIARY DATE: 2026 AGM This year’s AGM will take place on Monday 30 November at 6.30pm, at The Lumen URC Church and Community Centre, 88 Tavistock Place, WC1H 9RS. LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 9

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OPINION

Behind the numbers A day spent talking to London’s cyclists is a rewarding and illuminating experience, says Tom Fyans

HEN I WAS growing up, I often heard the words ‘you are such a doubting Thomas!’, usually from my mum. It’s true I do like to see things for myself (don’t we all?), so when it came to the much celebrated 1.5 million daily cycle journeys apparently now taking place in London, old habits die hard. So what better opportunity to see what an average day cycling in London looks like than taking part in LCC’s now annual ‘flyering day’, which took place on 14 July. I joined our amazing volunteers from at least 12 local groups, along with LCC staff, who were promoting LCC by giving out our ‘Safe Cycling for London Now!’ flyers during the morning and afternoon rush hours. It was quite an eye-opening experience, not least because of the two cycle-on-cycle collisions that I witnessed. The sheer volume of cyclists on the Embankment at peak cycling hours was extraordinary, with the queue for the lights backing up to more than 30 cyclists. This may be old news to many people, but staying in the same place for a prolonged period of time really brought home the vibrancy and diversity of those cycling, but also the chaotic nature

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of the journey in some parts of this incredible city. Thanks to everyone who helped out. It’s so important that we continue to grow our support and reach out to new people as we do our vital work to improve cycling for everybody. For me it also served as a giant focus group, listening to people’s concerns. Top issues raised included the number of dockless hire bike riders (expressed both positively and negatively!), red light jumping and rider behaviour, and the need for more protected (and bigger) cycle lanes. But the overwhelming response was just how great it was that so many people were now cycling and how much things have changed for the better. And even more positive was the response to LCC when people realised what we do and why, or that they were already a member.

Trustee elections The night before flyering day we held our summer board meeting, where LCC’s trustees approved our

“It’s so important that we continue to grow our support and reach out to new people”

Tom Fyans Chief Executive of the London Cycling Campaign

audited financial accounts and a trustee report detailing our impact over the last 12 months. Our trustees are responsible for LCC’s overall strategy and performance and come with a huge range of experience and skills. With some trustees stepping down at the end of their terms this autumn, there will be three vacancies from November, so please let us know if you are interested (see page 9 for more details). I’d like to finish with a special mention to our trustee and treasurer, Simon Clark, who after an incredible nine years of service will reach the end of his permitted term of office at this year’s AGM. Simon is an LCC member, keen cyclist and activist with our Westminster local group. He has simply been an essential part of LCC’s success during the last decade, providing his professional accounting skills and experience at a crucial time and has helped lead LCC to the strong, sustainable financial position we enjoy today. Simon’s also been great to work with and always provided a perfect balance of challenge and support in a collaborative spirit. If you’d like to know more about the role of treasurer, please do get in touch — there is always a person behind every number!

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OPINION

The golden combo? While it’s true that London dwarfs Dutch cities in size, Eka Hintaran believes their blueprint is worth stealing

THOROUGHLY ENJOYED the ‘Megacities & Cycling’ feature in the last edition of London Cyclist. As someone who grew up in the Netherlands, I can safely confirm: yes, Dutch cities are and feel tiny compared to London. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t model our future on Dutch examples. It all starts with perception: the Dutch don’t see cycling as a sport, a hobby, or a lifestyle choice. They don’t see themselves as ‘cyclists’. Because everyone uses a bike for everyday trips in everyday clothes, the bicycle is simply an extension of walking and a practical way to get around. The environmental and health perks? Well they’re just a happy bonus. But when you ask an average Londoner about cycling, they would probably think about road bikes, Lycra, helmets and sporty people, and may feel that cycling isn’t for them. I actually bought my first helmet when I moved to London, and only started cycling as a ‘hobby’ when I joined the wonderful folks at Penge CC. Yet, just because Dutch cities are tiny doesn’t mean London can’t steal their playbook for everyday cycling. If you look at how Londoners actually move, it reveals that most of our trips are

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short in distance. The Travel in London report 2025 shows that: 34% of trips are 1km or less; 16% of trips are between 1-2km; 15% of trips are 10km or over and only 5% are 20km or over; and overall, 71% of all trips are 5km or less. This is not wildly different from the Netherlands. It proves that even in this megacity, our daily lives are mostly lived locally. The potential to swap four wheels for two is already there.

The first and last mile But there is one specific type of short trip ripe for a revolution, especially in outer London: the first and last mile. The Dutch mastered this by making the transition between bike and train as seamless as possible. To achieve this, they invested hundreds of millions of euros into high-quality cycle parking at stations, like the world’s largest bike parking facility at Utrecht Centraal (with space for 12,500 bikes). What makes this

“Nearly half of all train journeys in the Netherlands start on a bicycle”

Eka Hintaran is a newer LCC trustee, with a background in the transport industry

combination of bike and train a success? The facilities are usually located in the same building as the station itself, or just outside, with clear wayfinding to the platform. It’s free (at least for the first 24 hours). It’s usually secured and sheltered from the weather. It’s effortless, using public transport cards or contactless to enter and exit. And it’s inclusive, usually featuring dedicated spaces for nonstandard bikes. The result? Nearly half of all train journeys in the Netherlands start on a bicycle. By pairing the rapid, long-distance speed of the train with the door-to-door flexibility of the bike, you get that ‘golden combination’ — powerful enough to lure diehard car people out of their vehicles. Research from the University of Amsterdam backs this up: 60% of people who combine train travel with a bike trip actually have a car sitting at home. They just choose not to use it because the bike-train alternative is better. So, is it finally time to dismantle those sprawling, Tarmac car parks at our stations and convert them into world class bike hubs for private and shared (e-)bikes of every variety? If we want a cleaner, healthier London, the blueprint already exists. We just need to build it.

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OPINION

The heat is on As the planet warms to unprecedented levels, the humble bike becomes ever more important, argues Carlton Reid

OU DON’T NEED me to tell you that the summer of ’26 was roasting. Grass turned yellow and — like living somewhere in southern Europe where it’s normal to experience day after day of molten heat — it was often wise to avoid cycling during the middle of the day. To an extent, cycling creates its own breeze, but riding in direct sunlight at noon can be brutal. And I know brutal; I’ve cycled in Death Valley, California, and in plenty of other deserts across the world (when I was a pup journalist and many years ago, mind). I coped by dressing in long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, always making sure to keep the debilitating sun off my skin. I’m bald as a coot now, but back then I had a full head of hair and still made sure always to wear a sun hat. I’d cover my water bottles with old white socks and keep them consistently wet to cool my drinking water by evaporation, and try to keep my shirt and hat moist-ish, too. That, on the hottest of heatwave days, I now use desert-riding tactics when riding long distances through the middle of the day in the UK is utterly bonkers. You don’t have to be as ancient as me, or to have a forest fire in your neighbourhood, to understand that

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climate change is real, and that the economic and social damage long predicted by climate scientists isn’t somewhere way off in the future but here with us right now. Did you notice during the Tour de France how the pro riders were having to be handed ice-packs from their team cars during the stages in an attempt to stay cool? Plus there’s even talk of moving future races to earlier or later in the calendar as ‘mitigation’.

A clear solution Crazy to think that it’s sometimes too hot to cycle on hot asphalt without prospect of shade — sadly not every journey can be made through one of London’s leafy parks. Nevertheless, for wellunderstood reasons that cycle advocates have been banging on about forever, cycling is part of the solution to climate change. More cycling, less driving, metaphorically keeps oil in the ground. The burning of fossil fuels has to end sooner rather

“More cycling and less driving isn’t just good for us personally; it’s good for everybody”

Carlton Reid is a book author and leading transport journalist

than later, and for all the eco credentials of electric vehicles, more cycling and less driving isn’t just good for us personally, it’s also good for everybody. Given that this is a cycling magazine, I’m assuming you’d be in agreement with me on that last point — although maybe not on stretching manky old socks over your waterbottles — and, even the most wilfully blind, net-zero-isfor-nutters newspapers and TV channels appear to be cottoning on to the fact that heatwaves aren’t all about ice creams and bikinis but are perhaps, maybe, harbingers of worse to come. Of course, human nature is nothing if not forgetful, and any focus on dealing with climate change can disappear as soon as the weather returns to ‘normal’. Until the next of the supposedly once-in-a-century rainstorms that are now semi-annual — but, again, moments after the now seemingly regular flash floods recede, we too often quickly forget. And repeat. Cycling keeps us grounded. We’re out there in the elements — rain or shine — and not ignoring what’s all around us by travelling in an air-conditioned bubble. We need more people to join us. Good for them, good for everybody. ‘One Less Car’ is a climate hack.

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After a successful first year, London Cycling Festival returns bigger and better than before. Mike McSherry explains how you can join in the fun and what’s happening where...

HE LONDON CYCLING Festival, from London Cycling Campaign and London’s boroughs — with support from Lime, Voi, and the Zero Emissions Network — returns on 20 September, with more inclusive and family-friendly cycling events across London. The 2025 festival saw 14 boroughs participating with themed events, car-free spaces, entertainment, and over 30 familyfriendly rides organised by LCC. And this year we’re pleased to say those numbers have significantly increased — there will now be rides in 24 boroughs, organised by

LCC and other community cycling groups, plus 19 councils will be hosting additional events in their local communities. The festival this year will feature four exciting activity hubs — in Westminster, the City of London, Tower Hamlets and Richmond — each offering rides, music, stalls, games and more. In addition, the Tour de Waltham Forest, now in its 10th year, will also be taking place across the day. In total, the 2026 festival will include more than 30 familyfriendly and inclusive cycle rides, all suitable for children and those who want to build confidence on the roads. London Cycling Festival means that wherever you are in

London, your family and friends will be able to get out and enjoy the freedom cycling brings.

How London Cycling Festival came about Most Londoners will be aware that Ride London and the associated FreeCycle events were massively

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popular until they were halted in 2024, with 25,000 starters for the 100-mile sportive and more than 50,000 taking to the closed roads of central London for FreeCycle. And many readers will also know that Ride London/FreeCycle had existed in a number of earlier iterations, firstly as London Freewheel, then as the Mayor of London’s Skyride. What’s not so widely known is the role played by an LCC member and trustee, David Love, who travelled the world in search of the best city-based cycling events, before pitching and lobbying the powers that be with a proposal and model. They even brought over the organisers of the Cape Town equivalent to tell TfL how to do

it. But that story of how massparticpation rides and UCI proracing came together on our streets is a whole other article. With RideLondon and FreeCycle on ‘indefinite pause’, LCC members once again took the lead, plotting the shape and destiny of future massed cycling events in London — and the interest and support from all corners has been fantastic.

that is distance from home. It also means that we are encouraging local communities in their own local environment, which is key to getting more people cycling. Sure, it’s great to spend a day taking in the sights and sounds of central London, but real change is cycling to the amenities, parks, cinemas and friends’ homes on our own neighbourhood streets.

At all compass points

The money side

Members and volunteers have been clear that they see events in the local boroughs as the future — and we agree. By having a day of rides all across London it removes one of the main barriers for participation that a central-only event has,

Previously, as Ride London and FreeCycle, there were massive corporate sponsors (not always the positive kind), plus financial and institutional support from the city administration (TfL and the Mayor). Now things are different, LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 17

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there’s much less sponsorship money available and, for the time being, there’s no support from TfL, plus local authorities are illequipped to step in and fill the gap. (The exception is the Zero Emission Network, a key delivery partner of the festival, which is funded by GLA grant). So we have to be canny and we have to be resourceful, as well as realistic and sustainable. For this reason, London Cycling Festival has moved to September to approximately coincide with World Car Free Day, a time when most London boroughs already have existing budgets and small-scale activities planned. The model for London Cycling Festival means that any London council can join in. As a minimum, all they have to do is collaborate on a local ride, and at the other end of the scale they can go as big as they desire. However, as London Cycling Festival grows, it will be growing from the ground up, through collaboration and imagination and local ambition.

Massive ambition The reason LCC and the Zero Emission Network are so keen to collaborate together on the festival is because we share one massive ambition: to build ciclovia here. These are days/weekends where streets are closed to motor traffic, as pioneered in Bogotá. Although our resources, at the moment, are small, we believe we’re establishing a model for considerable future growth. In its first year we had roughly 3,500 to 4,000 participants and attendees. For 2026 we’re aiming to double that to 8,000 to 10,000. And by the

end of the decade we’re hoping to attract over 20,000 participants. Eventually we want to see London Cycling Festival rivalling the best ciclovias in the world, with dozens of miles of closed roads, pop-up street festivals galore, and many tens of thousands of happy riders and supporters. So, to our headline sponsors Lime and Voi, without whom we wouldn’t be able to do any of this, to our partners in the Zero Emission Network, to the councils hosting hubs and those collaborating on rides, to the shops and cycling clubs joining in, to the instructors sharing their skills and knowledge, and most of all to the many LCC volunteers leading, assisting, designing, hosting and promoting rides across the city — a massive thank you! And to everyone that takes part this year, whether you are on a ride with 150 people in Kingston, or with half-a-dozen navigating the River Roding in Dagenham, remember, we’re building something special here. This is just the beginning.

Looking ahead In Brent, the new cycling programmes officer sits in the public health team and they might just have created the model for best practice for council officers wishing to join in next year. n STEP 1: do an audit of all the community cycling groups, bike buses, enthusiasts and cycling activity providers in the borough. Including all the professionals and amateurs and all the educational, cultural and religious settings and the cycling influencers. n STEP 2: invite them into a room together, you could call it the ‘cycle activation network’. n STEP 3: ask them what they’d like to do for the festival — then do it.

THE ACTIVITIES There will be try-a-bike activities of different kinds across the city, with closed roads and parks to give them a spin. Here are just a few to whet the appetite:

CARGOBIKES — FOR FAMILIES AND BUSINESS You’ll be able to take a variety

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FESTIVAL

of different types and sizes of cargobike for a spin at Richmond Cargobike Fair, on a closed circuit. All showcased by local independent retailers and suppliers. WHERE: Richmond Cargobike Fair.

ACCESSIBLE CYCLES In Victoria Park and St Peter’s Hill — as well as some of the smaller hubs such as Highbury and Brent — you’ll be able to try a variety of accessible cycles, including sideby-sides, hand-cranks, three and four-wheelers, low slung and high-sided. WHERE: St Peter’s Hill (City of London), Victoria Park (Tower Hamlets), Lloyd Park (Tour de Waltham Forest), more TBC. WITH: Wheels for Wellbeing, Pedal Power, BikeWorks.

STUFF FOR KIDS There’s activities for kids all over, including kids’ learn-to-ride in Highbury Fields with Islington Cycle Club, and try-a-bike at Church Street in Westminster, plus various playstreets right across the city.

WHERE: Highbury Fields (with Islington Cycle Club), Victoria Park and others. WITH: various groups.

SECONDHAND MARKETS Various locations will have super affordable secondhand bike markets. You’ll also be able to find details of community groups that do bike-gifting as part of their project work. WHERE: some hubs and local events, including Westminster, Brent. Others TBC. WITH: Pedal My Wheel secondhand bike markets and Share The Joy stalls at various hubs.

PLAYSTREETS, STALLS, GAMES & WORKSHOPS You’ll find playstreets across the city, including Westminster, Islington, Brent, and Dagenham & Redbridge, with more TBC — check your local listing for the most upto-date info. As well as playstreets there will be workshops to get stuck into, community stalls and games, including head-to-head static bike

racing in places such as Dagenham & Redbridge. WHERE: various locations including Barking & Dagenham, Brent and Lewisham — check local listings for details. WITH: local councils and community groups.

LIVE MUSIC, FOOD & DRINK Can you actually call it a festival if there’s no music? Well Westminster, Richmond Cargobike Fair and St Peter’s Hill will all have live music. But just to set some expectations, this will be low-key in nature but high quality in musical output — expect local singer-songwriters and performers under gazebos with small PAs. There will also be music at playstreets, as well as music bikes on various led rides, including of course the mighty Kidical Mass (see below). Farmer’s market style options will be available at Richmond Cargobike Fair, St Peter’s Hill, Victoria Park and Tour de Waltham Forest. While Lucky Saint are bringing their draught alcohol-free LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 19

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pop-up van to Westminster, as well as offers on the day across venues. WHERE: Richmond, Westminster, City of London, Waltham Forest, Victoria Park (no music at latter). WITH: local pop-ups, Lucky Saint, local musicians.

LED RIDES EVERYWHERE Our packed schedule of led rides has got something for everyone, to ensure no one misses out.

LOCAL LED RIDES These rides are great for exploring your neighbourhood. Often they start and finish at a local LCF event or a hub, taking in the best paths, routes and infrastructure and it’s likely you’ll discover lovely new places, parks and gardens right on your doorstep that you never knew existed. WHERE: pretty much all over. WITH: local LCC volunteers in collaboration with councils.

you always been a bit intimidated by the staff at your local bike shop? Not to worry, you can join Islington Cycling Club for a friendly introductory club ride, or Greenwich-based bike shop Six Six Velo for a family-friendly local ride and soon be feeling right at home. WHERE: Islington, Greenwich, more TBC. WITH: bike shops and cycle clubs.

CULTURAL RIDES

HUB-TO-HUB RIDES & FEEDER RIDES

Want to take it a bit slower and get a grown-up tour of local historical places of interest? This ride could be more your thing. WHERE: Hackney, more TBC. WITH: local cultural groups, including the Hackney Society.

Don’t live in a borough with a hub? No problem, we’ve got a familyfriendly ride that will take you straight (or maybe zigzaggy) to the nearest action. These rides can be feeder rides to the hubs, or they can link up different hubs, or even be rides to join another ride (see Kidical Mass below). Where: most boroughs including Islington and Haringey, WITH: LCC local volunteers.

Kidical. Mass. Is. Fun. And you’re sure to have a roaring good time on this special Safari-themed outing. With music and costumes, and finishing at a main hub. WHERE: Starting at St Peter’s Hill, City of London, and finishing at Church Street, Westminster. WITH: IBikeLondon, local LCC groups, Zero Emission Network.

CLUBS & BIKE SHOPS Have you always thought about joining a cycle club, but never been sure it was for you? Or, have

MIGHTY KIDICAL MASS

OPTIONS AT TOUR DE WALTHAM FOREST You can join led rides exploring the borough, all starting at the central

hub, and graded gold (longest), silver, or bronze (shortest). You can even follow the online routes (available to download). Rides also to TdWF from other boroughs. WHERE: Tour de Waltham Forest. WITH: Waltham Forest.

PICNIC RIDES In Harrow and Redbridge there are rides leading to a community picnic. These were really popular last year and lots of fun. You’ll need to bring your own food and drink, but there are pick-up points for the rides across both boroughs.

WALKING TOURS Several venues are including walking in the mix, with tours scheduled in Enfield and Hackney. Check out your local listings for more info. WHERE: Valentines Park, Redbridge; Canons Park, Harrow. WITH: local LCC groups, including Harrow and Redbridge.

MORE INFO To see what’s on in your area, including ticketed activities, or to book free tickets, just head to the LCC website. You can follow the link to the map and explore what’s on. It’s not too late to join a ride, bring a group, create a ride, or bring your activity/shop/brand. n lcc.org.uk/london-cycling-festival

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LONDON’S

CYCLE

CAFES

T’S BEEN A few years since we last crisscrossed the city to visit London’s favourite cycle cafés — sampling their coffees, cakes and highlighting their services — and it’s fair to say that the overall picture in the ensuing period in this niche part of the hospitality trade

Cycling and café culture share a long and storied history, so we sent Sam Stephenson and Tom Bogdanowicz on a very special coffee run to visit some newer names. It’s a tough job...

has been mixed. A combination of Covid pandemic losses and then the cost of living crisis led to the closure of many old haunts, including Look Mum No Hands near Old Street and London Velo in Deptford. Thankfully, plenty of pioneers like Machine (Tower Bridge), Cadence (Crystal Palace) and Rapha Clubhouse (Soho) not only

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THE CLUBHOUSE Borough: Wandsworth Location: 1a Putney Embankment, SW15 1LB Situated right on the Thames riverpath, just a stone’s throw from Putney Pier, The Clubhouse immediately stands out to any riders going past. With deckchairs aplenty outside, it’s hard to resist a quick stop on your way to/from another lap of Richmond Park. Indeed, the team at The Clubhouse have embraced this and made themselves a meeting point for several local cycle (and running) clubs, a few using the place three times a week. But the space caters to more than just the roadie riding community, with the venue offering a settingPEOPLE for any cyclist to pitch up and take in the views. In fact the idea for a café wasn’t actually the original plan, as head of marketing, Tara, explained. “We’re part of the Raptor Bikes family,” she said, “and the plan at first was just to find a new showroom for the range. But when we saw the location up for sale and realised the potential it had, we went for it. Runners, cyclists, rowers, everyone who’s into fitness seems to pass The Clubhouse, so we immediately knew we could make this into a space that served all of those groups. Indeed, in the past few years, the café community element has almost completely taken over, which has been great.” The venue also hosts events throughout the year. “During the Giro d’Italia we had the TNT Sports team down to host their preview show, The Breakaway (pictured below) which was just a mad experience. Whenever any sport’s on, we always make use of the big screen we’ve got, which just adds to the buzz and atmosphere of the place.” But if you’re not a Putney resident, why should you check out The Clubhouse? “It’s just a great mix of different communities,” Tara added, “plus, with the deckchairs we’ve now got, why wouldn’t you want to come and chill out by the river, with an iced coffee or two?”

Photos: The Clubhouse

endure but have expanded or even diversified into other bike-related areas. And they’ve been joined by several new players, in all corners of the capital, many in prime high street locations or amazing spots with high footfall like the Thames riverside. So here’s our latest rundown of just half-adozen ‘newer’ cycle cafés and essential pitstops that we feel would add a touch of gloss to any ride or tour.

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LONDON

CYCLE CULTURE Borough: Wandsworth Location: 64 Upper Tooting Road, SW17 7PB

said Paul. “It changed the way we look, not just at fitness, but life in general. So the next step of teaching it just felt natural.” With that in mind, for someone going to the café and thinking about taking on their first spin class, what can they expect? “First of all, you’ll get a warm welcome, as we look to find out what you’re seeking to accomplish,” said Paul. “We tell people that by starting a class, you’ve already won, because you’ve got over the first hurdle of walking in the door and trying something new. “To us it doesn’t matter if you’re a triathlete in training, or a parent looking to get away from the kids, we welcome all from your first coffee to your first class!”

Photo: Sam Stephenson

If you’re in south London and looking for a flat white and flaky pastry after your morning’s exercise, Cycle Culture in Tooting might be the perfect spot. Founded by husband-and-wife duo, Paul and Mili Saini, Cycle Culture is a little different to most cycle cafés as it boasts a seriously impressive spin studio in-house, in which sessions are held every day of the week, led by a team of eight instructors. While it’s not the largest café on this list, the space created is welcoming and the coffee particularly recommended.

“People ask what we sell here. And without sounding odd, I like to think we sell a lifestyle,” said co-founder Paul.“We believe in balance — so you can work hard and then you can enjoy a pastry. It’s all about helping people achieve a sustainable living. Beyond that, we think we offer some of the best spin classes in London. We have great trainers and a great yearly programme that the people love.” Coming over from the US, Paul’s background was more finance than fitness, so why set up Cycle Culture in the first place? “We really wanted to do something on our own when we came over to London and quickly found and fell in love with spin,”

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LONDON

, not e next

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PEDALLERS CORNER AT LONDON BIKE STUDIO Borough: Hackney Location: 129 Stoke Newington Road, N16 8BT There’s no shortage of cafés in Hackney, but no other has a capacious bike shop with sales, repairs and bikefitting all on the same premises in such a prime location (Stoke Newington Road). The two operations are separately run, but both benefit from a crossover in customers. Piers Haines and Megan Stretton, who run the café, started from scratch about two years ago.

Who are your customers? Piers/Megan: Anyone and everyone. People come and get coffees. Anyone who’s coming to get a service or looking to buy a bike, a lot of them often get a coffee. It includes cyclists that have come from like far away, just randomly. What do your customers typically ask for? Oat flat white, that’s the biggest. Or

the £1 filter coffee. We’re trying to build a community and the £1 filter coffee is what draws most people in or brings people back. It doesn’t make us much, but the most important part to us is that we get a whole mix of people who can enjoy this place since it’s not exclusive. Do you run events? We do, and we’ve recently remodelled how we’re running as a business. Because just selling coffee, it’s actually too hard to get by. We’re now closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and we open Thursday through Sunday, and we’re focusing on putting on more events. And the most successful one that we’ve got at the moment is the folk night, once a month. We also do a yoga session. We do supper clubs, film nights, storytelling, plus we are doing a Thursday lunch thing as well.

Photo: Tom Bogdanowicz

How did Pedallers Corner come about? Piers: We moved to Stoke Newington with these two beat-up bikes and I wanted to find a workshop where I could learn how to fix them, and I came in here with my bike and talked to Diego (cycle shop MD) — that’s when I noticed that in the corner there

was this café area. Sort of a coffee set up, but it didn’t look quite like it does now. And there was no one working on it. And so I asked them what they were doing. And they said, “we don’t have the energy as a business to focus on the coffee. We can do the bikes. We’re gonna rent that corner out to someone,” and I was, like, I’ll give it a go. And then I told Megan about it and she was up for it.

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FORGE1860 Borough: Richmond Location: 232 Upper Richmond Road, SW14 8AG Officially recognised by Guinness as the world’s oldest bicycle brand, one of Pearson’s newest homes is Forge1860. From its origins as a blacksmiths to this newly-modified store and café on Upper Richmond Road, the shop and the company are still run by the Pearson family, as they have been for five generations. That history is ever-present in Forge1860, which is first and foremost a bike shop, and secondly a great café. The experience of the team speaks for itself, with the speciality being bespoke bike fittings, which take place in store — with coffee on hand if needed.

“Every bike purchase starts with a fitting,” said mechanic Ben, “and every Pearson bike is built specifically for that rider. This means that when the cyclist gets their bike, it’s very rare there’s an issue, and they can just ride away and start enjoying it.” As for the café, the team were keen when they moved into the premises to cater to the needs of their local cycling community and provide another option for them to get a caffeine hit. “We do make a good cup of coffee, if I do say so myself,” said Ben, “we collaborate with Packed Coffee, a London-based coffee roaster. “Every Friday morning, we do a coffee ride with their team and ours, and get a rundown on the beans they’re providing us for the coming

week, from the man who selects it from the farmers in Colombia. I didn’t think there’d be much to say on the subject, but then he told us about the dangers of getting these beans out of the country. The fact that there’s even an element of subterfuge makes me appreciate the flavours even more!” Good coffee is also helpful when you get so many repeat customers, as Forge1860 does. “For many people, buying a bike from us is the start of their cycling journey, so it’s very common for us to see the same faces quite a lot over the coming weeks and months, as they swing by on their first rides, and reward themselves with a drink,” said Ben.“It’s a voyage of discovery and it means a lot to play a part in it for them.”

Photo: Sam Stephenson

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BIKES FOR GOOD CAUSES Borough: Haringey Location: 350 High Road, N22 8JW Straddling the line between bike shop and café, but not of the usual variety, Bikes for Good Causes is a not-forprofit social enterprise in Wood Green that’s survived the ups and down of the industry for more than a decade. It is still run by Sue Wade and Leroy McKenna.

What about the coffee, how did that come about? That was part and parcel of this set-up when it opened because we partnered with a charity called AFK (Action For Kids), and they support young people with learning disabilities. So these

youngsters come and do a work placement in the shop — once a week for an hour or so, and learn how to make coffees. They can use this as a real working business, with some real, practical, hands-on work experience, which trainees can put down on a CV. We’ve got a new trainee starting in a couple of weeks, and they’ll just do a placement for four weeks. We offer all the usual coffees — cappuccinos, Americanos, lattes, espressos, mochas — you can get whatever you want. Where do you get the bikes (sold at very affordable prices)? People very generously give us bikes. We don’t buy bikes. Very generous donations from the police, the council, members of the public, housing associations. We won’t say no to anybody. It doesn’t always mean that we can do every single bike up, because sometimes they’re so far gone, so we salvage what parts we can.

Photo: Tom Bogdanowicz

How did it all start? It was a happy coincidence, we simply knew somebody that was starting up a shop. They decided it wasn’t for them and moved on. We carried on basically, and that was more than 12 years ago. It was very tough in the early days. And then, of course, Covid hit. But the benefit was that bike shops were the exception: because obviously it was about getting people out and about, and exercising and stuff. And it was madness, absolute crazy madness.

I think every bike shop would say the same thing. So we’re still here. Probably the bulk of our business is repairs, but it’s also very seasonal. At the moment, people are quite keen to get on bikes. The other thing is there’s so many stolen bikes in London that, unfortunately, a lot of our customers are looking for a new one because they’ve had theirs stolen. All our bikes are donated, they’re not brand new, gleaming shiny things which attract thieves — our bikes can still be very much well-loved, but they often don’t attract the eye of potential criminals in the same way.

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RAPHA LONDON CLUBHOUSE Borough: Westminster Location: 85 Brewer Street, W1F 9ZN

The apparel part of the store — which has also been used for an LCC charity event — offers high-end, award-winning garments for all genders. It’s a dream hangout for roadies and bike fans of every flavour.

Photo: Tom Bogdanowicz

Out on a ride and want a coffee in the heart of London without someone pinching your bike — then pitstops don’t come better than this. Rapha’s London flagship not only serves a fine flat white, but has generous indoor cycle parking. Your Peugeot ten-speed may not match the Cervelos and Pinarellos parked next to it, but at least it will still be there when you’re refuelled. Rapha made its name selling stylish, as opposed to garish, cycle clothing (Paul Smith is among the designers), but has since branched out into other sports gear and running a global cycle club

(you guessed right, Rapha Cycling Club) that includes rides, cafés and discounts at ‘clubhouses’ such as the West End venue. For Londoners, especially those who train by riding circuits of Regents Park, the Brewer Street location, just off Piccadilly, is perfectly located. Store manager Tim O’Connor told us that they get crowds of riders on Tuesday and Friday mornings when they open at 7.30am to cater for the ‘laps’ crowd. When we were there on a Tuesday afternoon it was busy, but not overfull. The coffee cups, as you might expect, are Rapha branded and, as another incentive for customers, there is a large screen where you can watch cycling races, events and videos.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

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INTERVIEW

ALIX STREDWICK Clare Hinchcliffe speaks with the longtime active travel campaigner and co-founder of CarryMe Bikes You’ve been involved in cycling projects and advocacy in London for a long while now. How did it all begin? It was around the year 2000 and I had moved to London for my first job, which was about encouraging people to switch journeys from cars to trains. My line manager said: “You should join London Cycling Campaign.” He was really old, but wobbled to work on his bike all the way from Notting Hill to Mile End; I was so inspired by him that I joined. I went to a Tower Hamlets group meeting, where everyone was lovely and slightly odd, but we all got on and made this instant committee. I put myself forward to do media and comms work, because that was my job at the time. I was really interested in helping with the campaign for better cycling conditions, because I’d cycled all my life and I’ve never stopped. We ended up doing lots of stunts. When the congestion charge first came in, we unfurled a huge banner on Mile End Bridge saying ‘Pay £5 or cycle for free’. The BBC came and filmed us at 6am. It was both fun and exhausting!

We read that one of your earliest community projects was about cycling for women. What sort of findings did this throw up at that time? In about 2003 I worked for a charity called the Women’s Design Service. It was a one-year ‘action research’ project,

so not just interviews but enabling women to cycle and following their journey. I got the LCC groups involved in outreach. It was back in the days where you would hand out postcards and ask people to send them in. And those postcards just kept coming. The project had tapped into this huge well of need. There was one 80-something woman with tiny handwriting saying: “I’ve been cycling in London for 60 years and no one has ever asked me how I feel about it.” Overwhelmingly, they told us they felt fear of traffic. So a lot of the project was about cycle training. We did focus groups. We got a lovely bike shop involved, Bike Fix, and Stuart Dennison from there was on the board. It was interesting because one participant said: “One thing I feel scared about is finding my way around on my bike.” Then we found lots of other women felt vulnerable too: not really knowing where you’re going, feeling that you have to pull over and stop, worrying if someone is going to bother you, or whether you’re going to get harassed?

What other barriers did women tell you about? It was confidence. It was fear of traffic. It was not actually having a bicycle that was practical — not being able to carry things easily, including a child, lack of proper locks or lights. So we provided a number of women with the bikes and kit they needed. And, of course, the question then arises on where they can safely store it...

You later worked on cycling at a London council? Yes, I went on to work for Hackney Council on school travel as a senior transport planner. That was eyeopening, because the council was patting itself on the back saying, “we’re so great with cycling, look how many people in our borough cycle”. But I would go into LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 31

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And this experience then led you onto founding your community interest company, CarryMe Bikes?

schools and the staff would say: “You want to get our parents on bicycles? It’s so dangerous out there. Are you crazy?” And looking around, I could see what they meant. Even though there were pockets in Hackney where there’s a lot of cycling, to the newbie it still felt mad to consider riding a bike. I was a bit frustrated working for a local authority. You feel like you’re doing something worthwhile, but you’re a tiny cog in this enormous machine. Also being still quite young, as a woman in my early 30s, I felt powerless. We were doing all the non-engineering work that was kind of looked down on. There were some female engineers, but not many.

What difference did it make that the majority of engineers and transport planners were men? I think there’s a bigger picture about women in professions that we could talk about forever. But I was frustrated that Hackney was doing all this great stuff for cycling, but it wasn’t thinking about parents. A lot of my peers were beginning to have babies. And then I was suddenly extremely aware, from their experience and also the work I’d done in the past on women and transport, that as soon as you’ve got a baby, your world just shrinks. It shrinks to this tiny world of “where can I go safely with a baby without exhausting myself?” I’ve never had kids myself, but I don’t find it difficult to imagine what it must be like. And I watched my mum struggle with helping my grandma get around when she couldn’t walk anymore. So I find it bizarre when male transport planners can’t imagine, or have never seen, people struggle to get around in this carcentric environment. Perhaps it’s because they’re often not at the sharp end of the childcare, they’re not doing the majority of those escort journeys — which stats show are still mostly done by women.

Ready to trial: one of the CarryMe e-cargobikes

I realised you need to literally show people that there’s a way you can still get around with a tiny baby on a bike. I got really inspired about cargobikes after meeting Hugh Salt who runs Cambridge Dutch Bikes, with his Dutch bakfiets (box bikes). I thought, “wow, Hackney really needs these!” In around 2011 I applied for one of the first rounds of TfL’s community cycling fund, which LCC was managing. I supplemented it with some of my own money and together with a steering group of friends we set up CarryMe Bikes with three bakfiets. We just wanted it to be a demonstration project originally. Then in 2016 Ruth-Anna Macqueen asked us to host her ‘family cycling library’, with childseats, trailers and so on, for people to try. So we became a community interest company (CIC) and applied for a new round of funding for the library, family rides and demo events. That became the community side, where we help educate people about how they can carry children safely. Then after that, the commercial side really took off.

What changed to make cargobikes more of a commercial success? It was when electric pedal assist became more sophisticated and more reliable. It’s so draining carrying two kids around on a non-electric cargobike, unless you’re really fit, so they exclude most people. Less than 10% of the bikes we sell now are non-electric. During Covid, things went absolutely crazy. We were well positioned to help loads of families when everyone needed to get out and about. They weren’t supposed to be driving, no one wanted to go on public transport, but no one wanted to go to the same park every day. We were run off our feet.

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And the Family Cycling Library... The aim is to help parents understand how to safely carry their children by bike. It’s for people who maybe haven’t cycled for a while and want to get back on their bike, but they don’t know how to do it safely. They need advice on how to do it with their existing bike or they might have a bike that’s completely unsuitable for carrying a child and need to replace it. So people come to our events in local parks, where we have mechanics and a range of kit like childseats, trailers, tagalongs and so on. We advise them, fit something that’s suitable for their bike, and let them borrow it for a month to try it out. People can often keep the item if they make a donation. We love doing the library sessions. It’s great to be out there in the community and it reminds you what it’s like for a lot of people. It’s not just people who can afford a £5,000 e-cargobike.

Both LCC and Cycling UK (who you also worked for) have run successful campaigns to encourage more people to cycle, especially from underrepresented groups. When do you think things start to turn a corner, particularly in London?

Expert advice: for families and kids from Alix and her team

transformative in making cycling look normal and accessible, especially for young people.

What would you tell the Mayor to do to make cycling in London easier and more accessible for everyone? We shouldn’t be making things difficult to access. So the Mayor should continue to focus on a dense high-quality network of safe cycling routes, both with dedicated, protected space on bigger roads and quiet backstreet routes. But you’ve got to have a unified approach to the design of our streets. I feel like in Hackney we’re in a bubble. For my commute I cycle between Shepherd’s Bush and Hackney and the difference in travelling across the boroughs is incredible. In Hackney, because I know the routes, it’s an absolute joy, but if you go on the main roads, it’s still horrific. But beyond Westminster it’s often like the Wild West — suddenly you have to be faster and more assertive. It’s mentally exhausting.

During Covid, things went absolutely crazy. We were well positioned to help loads of families What’s the best advice you can give to to get out and about people, particularly women and families,

Boris Johnson’s blue-painted Cycle Superhighways were pivotal, legitimising cycling, carving out space. Then LCC’s 2012 Love London Go Dutch campaign was a turning point, resulting in physically protected cycle tracks. I also think groups like Cycle Sisters and Bike Works have done amazing work reaching out to Muslim women, women of colour and disabled people. And while I’ve got a lot of criticisms about Lime bikes, they have been

looking to start cycling for the first time? Find knowledgeable people to be your team of advisors, whether that’s a good bike shop or friends who cycle. And if you can access free cycle training, take it up, especially one-on-one; make sure your kids get it at school if they can. It will give you confidence to cycle in the gaps on your routes where the cycle infrastructure isn’t there yet. LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 33

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Freedom to Ride After Dark Kate Bartlett and Eilidh Murray, members of the LCC women’s network steering group, describe how the lessons learned from its After Dark report have led to a new safety assessment tool being used in Westminster

URRENTLY LESS than a third of trips cycled in London are made by women. In Amsterdam that figure is 55%, in Copenhagen it’s 50% and in Berlin 49%. Women make up 51% of London’s population which isn’t reflected in trips taken. The LCC women’s network was formed with the objective of ensuring cycling is an inclusive mode of transport that men and women use equally, across London, by 2030. Our report, What Stops Women Cycling

Safe cycle routes for all, 24/7: at the core of new audit work

in London?, published in 2024, showed, in addition to the lack of physically safe infrastructure stopping women cycling, that the lack of social safety was a barrier to cycling. 55% of women surveyed had had to choose between a route on busy roads without safe space for cycling or a route through quiet and/ or dark places where they felt at risk. A second subsequent report, Women’s Freedom After Dark, published in 2025, showed that women found 24% (by length) of TfL’s strategic cycle network unsafe to cycle LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 35

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on after dark. LCC is now in conversation with Transport for London and councils asking them to improve the cycle network to make it safe for everyone, 24/7, and to avoid wasting time and money on dangerous, isolated and socially unsafe cycle infrastructure that won’t be used by women, children, the elderly and so on. However, rather than waiting for them to agree on criteria and a process for ensuring social safety, the LCC women’s network decided to take action now by developing its own process for assessing social safety.

After Dark: the audit team ready for the off last winter

“TWO MEN TRIED TO PUSH ME OFF MY BIKE ON AN ISOLATED AND POORLY-LIT ROUTE. I DIDN’T CYCLE FOR MONTHS AFTER BECAUSE I WAS TOO SCARED TO. I NOW CYCLE ON THE ROAD ALONGSIDE CARS. I DON’T FEEL SAFE THERE BUT IT’S NOT AS TRAUMATIC” How to assess social safety

LTN1/20, but does not define a critical level for these factors which a scheme must reach to be approved and funded. So our LCC team extracted the relevant factors and measures from the ATE tool and created a unique social safety and directness audit tool, with a method of combining results for each factor to determine whether a scheme overall meets the requirement for social safety and directness such that the cycle network is safe for everyone, 24/7. It deemed surveillance and activity, forward visibility and escape routes, and visibility of others all to be critical factors. The team also realised that while it would be great to have measures which were 100% objective, we were ultimately trying to measure a feeling of safety and that gathering opinions from an active review by a group of women cyclists riding the route was the best way to complete the process.

The tool in action In November 2025, we were excited to see that a Westminster Council consultation for

We examined TfL’s ‘cycle route quality criteria’. It’s fairly good for determining whether a route needs to be protected, based on measurable criteria such as peak vehicle flow and traffic speed, but includes nothing about social safety. The Department for Transport’s local transport note on cycle infrastructure design (LTN 1/20) does consider factors such as personal security, maintenance, directness and attractiveness, which can all contribute to social safety. Active Travel England provides an ATE route check tool for assessing the factors in 36

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CAMPAIGN

the route section from Maida Vale to Regent’s Park explicitly mentioned social safety and that their aim was to get feedback on the two alternative routes to the existing socially unsafe canal towpath. Before the audit ride, the facilitator cycled the routes to identify suitable stopping points, and documented the presence of features on the routes which are often associated with lack of social safety and directness (see table below). Then, on a dark and wet night in early January 2026, 12 members of the LCC women’s network assembled by Regent’s Park to conduct the audit itself. All participants had received documentation of the audit tool in advance. The facilitator gave a short briefing on proposed routes — participants were asked to imagine they were cycling the routes alone rather than in the comfort of a group, and then we set off. We made four stops at pre-agreed locations

Tale of two routes: the options assessed by the audit team

Canal

Option 1 St John’s Wood Road

Option 2 Lodge Road

Park

Other ‘green’ space

Y - Prince Albert Rd

Other traffic free area

Y - Estate

Industrial area

Y- National Grid on Lodge Road

Beside canal/river

Beside railway line

Overpass/underpass/ bridge

Feature Y/N

“I HAVE GIVEN UP CYCLING ALONG THE MAIN PART OF THE GREENWAY AFTER DARK, UNLESS IT’S REALLY EARLY WHEN THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER CYCLISTS AROUND. I TAKE A CONVOLUTED LONGER PATH INSTEAD WHICH ADDS 15 MINUTES TO MY JOURNEY, BUT HAVING HEARD ABOUT BIKE-JACKINGS I FEEL SAFER DOING THIS” and, rather than review the factors explicitly at each stop, the facilitator encouraged discussion of how we felt about the proposals for each route and noted conclusions. After thorough discussion, we agreed on the preferred route based on its social safety and directness. Routes were assessed using a colorcoded system, where ‘red’ indicates significant concerns and ‘amber’ suggests moderate issues (see tables overleaf). An interesting point which emerged through cycling the route was that although all routings were of similar length, the canal route and ‘Option 2’ were rated amber for directness because of the extra turns and their complexity, plus some narrow sections slowing down cyclists. Not surprisingly the canal route was red on several factors such as surveillance and activity, and forward visibility and escape routes. ‘Option 2’ also scored amber on surveillance and activity due to part of the route being adjacent to a large National Grid building with limited entrances on one side with high walls at the back of several mansion blocks on the other side. While our focus was social safety, several significant points relating to physical safety were noted and included in the consultation response. The facilitator completed the audit tool, got final comments from participants, and submitted the tool results alongside the online form on Westminster’s consultation website. LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 37

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CAMPAIGN

EXCERPT OF DETAILED AUDIT RESULTS

be addressed with careful facilitation. We acknowledged that we were all experienced cyclists and that ideally we should seek to involve some less experienced and unconfident cyclists in the future. Our work, in particular the assessment tool, has struck a chord with other campaigners in Stevenage and Norwich too, who want to discuss our campaign and how to conduct a safety audit. And Cycling UK was inspired by our After Dark protest ride to organise its own night rides nationally. This is very encouraging as it validates our work and demonstrates that we are going in the right direction. We are continuing to push TfL to include social safety and directness in its route assessment criteria. And we’re looking forward to trying out the tool on more consultations across London to see if we can refine it and will support LCC local groups to apply the approach themselves. The output from these audits will then be used to demonstrate to TfL the feasibility and value of considering social safety and directness, and the benefits of women and others riding the routes. Please contact the LCC women’s network if you want to get involved in ensuring we get more socially safe and direct routes, and in breaking down the barriers to freedom to ride. n lcc.org.uk/womens-network

SUMMARY AUDIT RESULTS

What next? Feedback from the audit participants was positive. One said: “Even as an experienced cyclist, I usually avoided cycling in the dark, particularly on unfamiliar routes, and I could never articulate exactly why. It seemed more of a feeling than based on facts. And so when I took part in the assessment, it was quite cathartic to be objective and categorise the things which contributed to the feeling of being unsafe. I realised that my instincts were based on previously unregistered facts; and that these were real barriers to many people, not just women, wanting to ride after dark.” We concluded the audit was a useful exercise. The social safety and directness factors supported the identification of significant issues which would deter many potential users of the routes. The ride of the route and discussion with other participants really brought the proposals to life. This method proved significantly more valuable than a desk-based review. One challenge was the ability to assess the route based on design features which were planned but not yet implemented, which can

Freedom to Ride: find more info on the campaign on the LCC website

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Want to know more about the city’s best-loved mass rides and how to get involved? John Kitchiner finds the people to ask

CRITICAL MASS CM’s history won’t be familiar to all readers, so how did the movement start and why? Spokesperson 1 — In 1992, Chris Carlsson codified ‘Critical Mass’ and the first ride under this name took place that September in San Francisco. But group bicycle rides, whose explicit intention was to fully occupy car-dominated spaces and roads, as a protest against car culture and ‘motornormativity’, have existed since the 1970s in Europe and Latin America. S2 — CM London came out of the anti-war, Reclaim the Streets and climate protest movements, at the time a culture of taking the streets was growing. Originally called ‘magic roundabout’, the idea was that you wouldn’t be obstructing a highway if you kept moving on

your bike, so cyclists intended to continuously cycle around a roundabout. When police moved the cyclists off of the roundabout it turned into a directionless cycle ride, making decisions about where to go turn by turn with no central authority. From here the concept was born. CM London has always been inherently leaderless.

When was the first ride in London? S3 — 15 April 1994 and it lasted about half an hour. It then moved to the last Friday of the month, mirroring other rides globally. Bristol may have been the first UK city to have a CM. Originally in London it was called the CHARM ride (Cyclists Have A Right to Move) and although information is hazy, there might have been about

100 people on it. Its primary goal at the time was to reduce the speed of the traffic at the ‘bullring’ (now IMAX) roundabout at the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. I think CHARM might have called it the ‘magic roundabout’ ride.

As there’s no formal structure, how does CM manage marshalling? S4 — More experienced riders will take on roles such as blocking cars at junctions (‘corking’) while the mass rides through. They try to de-escalate anger from drivers by explaining why we do this and that we move on fast, so please be patient. S5 — Flyers are handed out at the start of each ride, asking people to participate in activities like ‘corking’, asking them not to

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CAMPAIGN

KIDICAL MASS

What is KM and when did it start in the UK?

Kidical Mass is a family-friendly cycling movement that brings children, parents and communities together to ride through towns and cities and call for safer streets for children. The rides are designed to be fun, colourful and inclusive, while also making the point that children should be able to travel around their neighbourhoods and places that they want to explore safely by bike, scooter or on foot. KM started in Oregon in 2008 and has since spread across many countries. In the UK, local groups have been organising rides for several years and the movement has grown steadily as more families have become interested in active travel and safer streets. I [Frances] became involved in

helping organise KM London rides about five years ago when my sons were 6 and 4.

What’s the difference between Kidical Mass and near-namesake Critical Mass? The biggest difference is that KM is centred around children and families. The rides are designed to be accessible for younger riders, often with shorter routes, plenty of marshals and a focus on visibility, safety and fun. They remind participants and onlookers (hopefully including decisionmakers) that children can use the road network and should be able to do so safely, especially in the face of the climate crisis and widespread societal health issues. CM has traditionally been a ride

organised by and for adult cyclists to celebrate cycling and highlight issues affecting people travelling by bike. The two rides share some of the same values around safer streets and active travel, but our focus is very much on children’s freedom, independence, health and wellbeing, so there is a slightly more structured approach.

Who organises KM London and how do you decide on routes? It’s primarily organised by a group of volunteer parents and supporters. Everything is very collaborative and communityled. Parents contribute ideas, help with planning and promotion, and volunteer as marshals on the day. We also work with other organisations and partners who LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 41

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CRITICAL MASS CONT’D ‘filter’ through stopped traffic (riding between cars and buses), and asking them to stop occasionally at large junctions to let the ride regather. But there are no marshals. Everyone on the ride ideally is there to play an active part of keeping it together and safe.

CM has often protested high-profile events, what’s the goal been? S6 — Silvertown Tunnel and Westway are two of the big ones recently. Cyclists are excluded from those roads, but they provide fast and easy travel for motorists. Where is the equivalent of ‘Crossrail for bikes’ across London? S7 — Two I can think of include the mass before the 2012 Olympics, protesting the VIP express lanes that were installed from central London to Stratford. And a more recent one was the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel; the mass rode through the northbound tunnel in April 2025 to protest at the complete disregard in the design for pedestrians and cyclists. How does CM ask its cyclists to respond to angry motorists? S8 — Collectively it is understood that a calm and steady approach is most effective. S9 — Recently we have been handing out business cards to drivers which explain what we are doing and that the mass will pass in just a few minutes. They also state the lawful nature of CM

no current indication of any other legal challenges to it coming down the line. S12 — There have been many failed attempts to make CM a formal event so it could be stopped. It isn’t, so it can’t.

What other problems has CM faced more recently? and that driving inside the mass is extremely dangerous. S10 — Calmly and in a civilised manner. Thankfully with modern tech everyone has a video camera, and I think this does a lot to prevent any really dangerous situations from arising.

CM’s legality was tested in the UK courts in 2008, eventually reaching the House of Lords — and it was decided that rides should fall within an ‘exemption’. Have there been other legal challenges since? S11 — Not to my knowledge. CM London is a customary procession as defined under law. From a legislation and political perspective, the police have left us alone since 2008 or so. There’s

S13 — CM has unfortunately had issues in the past with phone thieves using the mass as cover to commit phone theft on pedestrians. S14 — In the early 2010s, Bikestormz rides faced very heavy policing, documented in the BBC4 Storyville film If The Streets Were On Fire. The Met effectively shut them down. Those teenagers began to come to CM as they needed an outlet to ride somewhere. This began to change the nature of the rides — they became faster, more fragmented, male-dominated, and had a different vibe. Unfortunately, at the same time, phone theft gangs used this changing demographic as cover for a number of crimes. These gangs were without doubt the biggest existential threat CM has ever faced in its history. How have the issues above been turned

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Photo: TXxxxxx

KIDICAL MASS CONT’D share our commitment to safer streets for children and these organisations sometimes offer inkind support in whatever way they want to. iBike London has recently contributed a huge amount to making the rides feel really secure and enjoyable, they are extremely experienced and knowledgeable in terms of route planning, music planning and sharing ride info. Other organisations involved in recent years include: LCC and its women’s network, Zero Emisson Network, Solve the School Run, London Car-Free Day, some local councils (eg Hackney and Southwark), Breathe London Communities, Camden Bike Bus, Clean Cities Campaign, Pedal Me, and Wheels for Wellbeing.

What makes the perfect route in terms of length and safety? For us, the perfect route is one that a child can comfortably complete while still feeling like they’ve achieved something special. It’s less about the distance and more about making sure everyone can take part and enjoy themselves. If barriers are removed (such as the danger from motor vehicles) children can often cycle for a really long time, and music from iBike London’s cargobikes always helps keep the energy up. But safety is the priority. We want routes that are easy to marshal, suitable for a wide range of ages and confidence levels, and where families can ride together

comfortably. We also want them to be interesting and memorable — it can unlock the city for kids in future if they know that places can be accessed by bike.

How many families do you get turning out and has that number changed much since the Covid pandemic? Numbers vary depending on the ride and location, but our March 2026 ride brought together around 500 participants, including children, parents, volunteers and supporters. We have had rides this big a couple of times. Most rides are 300 to 500 participants. I think that the pandemic changed things because traffic restrictions — both in terms of new infrastructure such as the LTNs, and because of lower levels of driving in lockdown — meant roads and routes were suddenly opened up for cycling. Also it was an activity people could do with their children that benefited them in terms of being able to exercise together, be outdoors and travel safely. A mode shift for families to cycling seems to have taken place due to this, and also due to concerns about the environment.

Is there a typical Kidical Mass family? Not at all. Some families cycle every day, while others are trying a family ride for the very first time. You’ll see children on balance bikes, scooters, cargobikes, adapted cycles and everything in between.

KM has supported various campaigns, such as calls for safer streets and better infrastructure. Is this an important part of KM? Yes, absolutely, and we like to approach it in a positive and family-focused way. The rides are fun, but they also make an important point. When hundreds of children can safely cycle together it helps people imagine what our streets could be LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 43

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CAMPAIGN

CRITICAL MASS CONT’D around over the last two to three years? S15 — The turning point began in late 2022 or early 2023 when participants in the CM Telegram group began to seriously discuss the problem and explore potential solutions. When you have a non-hierarchical ethos, with no central organisers, leaders or single channel of communication, it becomes very difficult to make progress in real life — many different suggestions were batted back and forth. But it’s been turned around by getting the ride back more to its original ethos and motivations from the 1990s, and not just a ‘free for all’ ride around the city. These recent changes include erecting ‘white bikes’ for killed cyclists all across the city, visting grassroots cycling workshops like UpCycle and Broadbikez, and doing more protest-style rides such as the trespasses on car-exclusive roadways like the Westway and new Silvertown Tunnel. It also crucially involved awareness raising of what was happening through the humble photocopied flyer. The flyers let people know what was going on and how to ride together for safety and security. ‘Xerox-cracy’ was another aspect of early CM rides that had been somewhat forgotten, as the Facebook group began to be used as the primary communication method, but there’s sometimes too much noise and not enough light. The flyers, in person, give only physical attendees the information, and

they can decide if they want to adhere to the requests on it or not. The changes also required building more of a bridge with the ‘wheelie riders’, and talking with them about why the ride was going to a white bike location, for example. There was also a joint ride between CM and Bikestormz recently, and another riding group The Fixed Pirates Crew, with a strong message against knife crime. Now more people have come to understand that CM is not just a ‘rideout’ and that it has its own style, politics, values and history; and that they are welcome to be a part of that too.

CM London happens on the last Friday of every month, meeting on the Southbank under Waterloo Bridge. How many riders will join this summer? S16 — Given the positive change and outcomes over the past few years, I can only see CM getting bigger again in 2026. Expect 1,000 riders or more. S17 — Summer CM rides have a great vibe to them, they feel much more chilled out, good rides for young families to join.

like if children’s needs were considered more often in transport planning. Supporting safer cycling infrastructure, the quest for cleaner air, more exercise and community, and better public spaces is a natural part of that conversation. We want decision-makers to hear children’s voices and understand the everyday barriers families face. We are sick of the propaganda car companies spread that to be a successful parent you need to provide your family with a car. In some London boroughs 70% of us don’t have access to a car, but our children can still enjoy exploring their environment.

When and where can people join the next Kidical Mass ride? The next Kidical Mass will be Sunday 20 September at 11am, from the City of London to Marylebone, with the route to be confirmed shortly on social media (kidicalmass_london). We’d encourage anyone who’s curious to come along, even if they haven’t joined a group ride before — they really are fun! n Thanks to Frances Cherry and Kylie ap Garth for their help with this article.

n This article was compiled from responses from dozens of anonymous contributors, via CM’s Telegram group.

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Return of the

PHOTOS: Chris Keller-Jackson / Tom Bogdanowicz

NOCTURNE 46

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F Top-class professional road racing returned to the capital’s streets, alongside fun family events, as part of the new London Nocturne. So we sent Tom Bogdanowicz along to report on the action and a few world record attempts

ULL-ON SERIOUS, and not so serious, bike racing in the heart of London that costs nothing to watch — what’s not to like? Unsurprising then that the return of multi-event criterium racing to the capital, after an eight-year gap, proved such a hit again. The circuit has moved from the vibrant and well-loved Smithfield meat market zone — which is being redeveloped to house the London Museum — to a grander location around, and right past, the monumental Bank junction in the very centre of the City of London. When it first started in 2007, the Smithfield Nocturne was an instant success acquiring almost mythical status as crowds hemmed in riders on the narrow streets, and the surrounding cafes and bars capitalised on vast numbers of customers. LCC was a regular back then with a stall, valiant race entries from staff members (a tradition continued by CEO Tom Fyans this year) and even a sponsored obstacle race. The demise of the original event in 2018 was a particular blow for the cycle racing community given that it was the most watched criterium (short urban circuit) race in the UK with its prestigious course. The return of the Nocturne, renamed the London Nocturne, is in part a reflection of the City of London’s desire to make itself more than just a Monday to Friday work destination for some 670,000 people. A reduction in motor traffic in recent years, LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 47

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plus a huge surge in cycling and many more pedestrianised areas, are making the Square Mile more attractive to all. The target for the City’s policy chairman Chris Hayward is that the Nocturne helps make the Square Mile a destination where people choose to “live, work, learn and explore”. Judging from the banners at this Nocturne, a large and varied number of sponsors are prepared to back the revived event. Preceding the main Saturday races was a charity-focused event on the Friday at which 20 corporate teams each rode alongside a professional in a team-relay format, raising money for the new Children’s Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Then, on the Saturday, the entertainment kicked off with a one-hour free-for-all on the official race loop for non-professionals and their families (who may be missing the wonderful FreeCycle that’s now on hiatus), followed by amateur races, a one-mile run competition, and the Voi e-bike challenge. It was in the latter that LCC’s CEO competed against more serious rivals in bizarre costumes. Tobias Dalhaus, wearing what looked like an Anne Boleyn outfit (see page 47), was the winner.

Record breakers The day’s highlight, for kids especially, were the successful Guinness Book of Records attempts on the longest distance cycled on the tallest-ever penny farthing (top image above) — if you look carefully you can see that the rider was using stilts to reach the pedals — and the shortest Penny Farthing (ridden by two enthusiastic children), followed by an amazing display of juggling on a highwheeler and an equally impressive show of blindfolded unicycling. A range of stalls kept the crowds busy during breaks, including an LCC one with a very popular ‘spin to win’ contest, plus a vehicle packed with free bananas from London framebuilder Rob Quirk (see feature in London Cyclist Winter 2025). The serious action began with a mixed penny farthing race that pitted a handful of veteran ordinaries against modern replicas. The winner, France’s Alexandre Voisine, was clearly perched on a sleek, white modern replica and lapped most of his rivals. Melissa Eisdell came tenth in a predominantly male field of

three dozen. That penny race was followed by cycles at the farther end of wheel size: neatly-folding Bromptons (whose wheels measure 18in in diameter, compared to the 48-50in of ordinaries). A Le Mans start saw riders first having to unfold and assemble their bikes. Winner Shaun Pirie, who is part of the Brompton design team, will likely have had the advantage of thousands of practised folds. As the light waned, the professional part of the evening commenced with the elite women’s criterium, attracting almost 50 participants. Nina Lavenu of France was led out by her AG Insurance Soudal Devo teammate, Leonie Bentveld, in the sprint finish to win against British rivals in second and third. The men’s elite race pitted national champions against cyclocross stars, with Manxman Matt Bostock of Rapha CC taking the honours, again after a tight closing sprint. The organisers assure LCC that, unlike the much-missed FreeCycle and Ride London, the Nocturne will be back next year. We’re already looking forward to it.

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OUR BIKE IS prepped and ready for winter, you’ve already got a strong lock, now all you need is a reliable set of lights to illuminate your way across the city. They’re simply a ‘must have’ for every cyclist. But where do you start when there’s so much choice? That’s where our guide to the best new lights comes in.

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This dinky duo offers an impressive 360 lumens up front and 200 out back, with incredible side illumination, for assured visibility and safety on every commute. With up to 40hrs of battery life, multiple modes, IP67 water resistance, and advanced features like ‘ReAKT’ braking response and ‘Peloton’ dazzle reduction, it’s a perfect pair for commuting and weekend adventures. Can also be helmet mounted. n exposurelights.com; £110

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A versatile lightset built for everyday commuting and year-round riding. The Volume 800 delivers a powerful 800-lumen beam with Bookman’s intuitive ‘Power Wheel’ for brightness adjustment on the move. The new Curve Rear provides 50 lumens and features COB LED tech, creating a bright glow with 180-degree visibility to ensure you stay seen from every angle. USB-C rechargeable and rapid to mount. n bookmanvisibility.com; £85/£39.

#2 CATEYE AMPP500S Stay visible and ride confidently across London with the 500-lumen AMPP500S. Its wide-beam ‘OptiCube’ lens and excellent side visibility help you see and be seen on busy streets. USB-C rechargeable and compact, it delivers up to 60hrs of runtime across five lighting modes. Available in a range of colours, it’s also offered as part of a front and rear set (£64.99). n cateyecycling.co.uk; £39.99

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2024

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RIDES

BIKES

BOUNDARY RIDE 54 R&M CARGOBIKE 58

PRODUCTS

GEAR

NEW BAGS & KIT 60

THULE TRAILER 63 LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 53

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BOUNDARY RIDES RIDES

ERITH TO RAINHAM Charlie Codrington leads us around creeks, crossings, marshes and an unlikely film location church

OBODY COMES TO this part of the world by accident. The A2 passes through it, the M25 passes over it, most people doing either give it no thought at all. This is the last of our Boundary Rides — it completes the circuit. And it does so through a landscape that most cyclists would cross off the list without looking at it properly. It's a ride that shouldn't work, but does. This ride is the final part of a series of ten that together circle the capital, each one a railway-to-railway adventure through the overlooked, underappreciated and frequently surprising edges of London. Taken together they form a portrait of a city most people never see — discovered at the pace of a bicycle, one Zone 6 station at a time. Each ride comes with a free GPX map file and can be found at our guide Charlie's website (hiddentrackscycling.co.uk).

Photos: Charlie Codrington

START: ERITH The Thames is wide here, brown and unhurried and the route picks up the River Cray heading east, following the flood levee as it runs alongside the creek. The path sits on top of the bank, and the contrast is immediate. On one side it's salt marsh; on the other side, behind the levee, haulage yards and the slightly scruffy infrastructure of a city that needs its goods moved. At Dumbarton Wharf, the Thames sailing barge, Decima, sits with its tanbark sails furled, green hull bright against the creek. 2 DARTFORD Then Dartford. And it is worth stopping for. This is very specifically North Kent. Not commuter belt, not Home Counties, something older and less bothered than either. St George's flags in the high street,

medieval timber frames, a pub called the Wat Tyler (named for the man who led the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, when Dartford was one of the first towns in England to rise against Richard II's poll tax). 3 DARTFORD CROSSING The Crossing comes next, and with it one of the great English institutional arrangements. Cyclists do not cross the bridge. You wait in a small bus shelter on the approach road until someone notices you. A National Highways maintenance van arrives at some point and takes you across in the cab; the workers involved do this with complete professionalism. The system that requires them to do it has clearly never been reviewed by anyone who has actually

FACTFILE DISTANCE: 31.5km (19.5 miles) ASCENT: 99m (325ft) TERRAIN: riverside path, creek and salt marsh trail, light gravel, quiet industrial roads, Thames Path. OFF-ROAD: approx. 65%. SUITABLE FOR: gravel/adventure bikes, hybrids and e-bikes. START: Erith station FINISH: Rainham station HIGHLIGHTS: salt marshes, Dartford, Wat Tyler pub, Dartford Crossing van transfer, St Clement's church, graffiti, QE2 Bridge, Gurkha War Memorial, Purfleet Magazine, Rainham Marshes.

tried it; think of it as a free mid-route Uber. It becomes one of those small adventures that stays with a ride long after the legs have recovered. Essex arrives without fanfare, with the route threading through warehouse roads, dusty and purposeful, and then, without warning, turns left at the Procter and Gamble sign. St. Clement's Church, West Thurrock; pre-conquest foundations, knapped flint, grade I listed, sitting in the middle of a soap factory like it owns the place. Procter & Gamble built its plant next door in 1940, and the church survived the century badly, until a restoration in the 1980s. It was also the church used for Gareth's funeral scene in Four Weddings and a Funeral, the one with the WH Auden poem. The Thames Path opens up beyond the factory gates and it's unexpectedly good. On the flood defence wall, someone has painted a WWI biplane bursting through a crumbling brick wall, propeller spinning, RAF roundel intact. Further along, the graffiti shifts register

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entirely — bold, abstract, full colour. It is a working gallery. Ride slowly. Some of it deserves looking at. Along the bank, pillboxes sit in the grass at the water's edge, built in 1940 when the Thames was considered a likely invasion route. Shortly the QEII Bridge appears. The southern half of the Dartford Crossing system, and from directly underneath, something else entirely. The scale of it only becomes apparent when you are beneath it. 4 PURFLEET This place has been storing things the rest of the country would rather not think about since the 18th century. The Royal Gunpowder Magazine was built here because somewhere had to take the risk.

Benjamin Franklin was brought in to advise on lightning protection for the powder stores. Turner sketched the magazine between 1805 and 1808. The drawings are in the Tate. The gatehouse clocktower is still standing. FINISH: RAINHAM At Rainham, a row of saluting soldier silhouettes stands on the levee beside the Gurkha War Memorial. It stops you. In a ride full of things that have been forgotten or overlooked, this is something that has been deliberately remembered. On the foreshore before the marshes, 16 concrete barges sit in the Thames mud at Coldharbour Point, placed here in 1953 as emergency flood defences during the Great Flood

and have not moved since. The MoD used this land as a firing range until 2000. The RSPB then bought it and it opened to the public in 2006. What it is now is the largest area of wetland on the upper Thames Estuary. Reed beds, lapwings, one of the most dense water vole populations in the country; the kind of quiet that accumulates in a place that has been left alone long enough. After the industrial miles behind you, it lands differently than it would anywhere else. Rainham station is ten minutes beyond the far edge. The ride is done.

DOWNLOAD FREE MAP Scan the QR code on your smartphone to download London Cyclist rides for free.

ERITH TO RAINHAM

START Erith

Dartford (12km)

Dartford Crossing (17km)

Purfleet (23.5km)

END Rainham

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ERITH TO RAINHAM CUT OUT AND KEEP

4 S

FREE MAP

Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant ride guide and map on a smartphone or tablet.

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BIKES

HOT TECH

NEW BIKES

Does R&M’s latest family cargobike make car-free living more achievable? REISE & MÜLLER MULTITINKER2 n FROM £5,189 n r-m.de

Review: Tom Bogdanowicz

ARRING A kitchen sink, the Multitinker2 from Reise & Müller has pretty much every feature you could wish for: seating for an adult plus two kids, the latest Bosch motor, Suntour front suspension, and top-quality components wherever you look. Featuring a longtail design (ie with cargo space at the rear), this model is clearly aimed at the upper end of the cargobike market, a fact very evident in its smooth performance and effortless comfort on long rides. Add chunky 2.4in Schwalbe tyres to the forgiving fork and seatpost and it’s as if potholes disappear. Gearing was simplicity itself, with a twistgrip Enviolo system allowing for seamless automatic

Hydraulic disc brakes: strong and reliable

Extra storage: tucked away near the motor

shifting, paired with a minimalmaintenance Gates belt-drive. It’s not a light bike, at roughly 36kg, so Magura hydraulic disc brakes aid stopping power greatly. We took it on a fuss-free ride from north London to Richmond and back, and could have done the same again on one charge of the generous 625Wh battery. The new Cargo Line motor and controller have an ‘auto’ setting which cleverly gives you a boost at the start and then settles to a more eco-efficient mode, delivering just under 1.5km per 1% of charge on level ground. As you might expect, there’s a clear-to-read screen on the bars showing every metric of your trip, controlled by convenient push

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FEATURE

Cargo Line: perfect for city hauling duties

Crystal clear: Bosch’s Purion 200 display

Gates belt-drive: with built-in ‘chainguard’ to minimise rain/dirt splashing

buttons by the left-hand grip. You even have a choice of different light settings and, needless to say, you can link the computer to your smartphone for route guides. Our test bike was fitted with a full set of accessories including a rear enclosure with rain cover for the kids, front rack, very stable kickstand, integral wheel lock with chain, and a neat, locking integrated storage box next to the motor. On one trip we ran into another Multitinker user, with three small girls, who also owned a Tern GSD (the obvious rival to R&M here), who likewise praised both the comfort and relatively low cost of accessories from the former, but said he found the latter easier for

storage (it can be stored vertically); size and weight meant our test rig never made it past the hallway. Trips with a passenger were enjoyable, though we were mindful of the theoretical 65kg weight limit on the rear — this means it can accommodate a lighter adult or several children. Handily we found the rear enclosure also ideal for a

large quantity of green waste and, had it rained, we could have deployed the cover. Fully laden, however, it does become hard to lift over steps. Needless to say, all this tech and sophistication comes at a price, but it is comparable to the Tern GSD — that may be easier to store, but lacks the Multitinker2’s bump-absorbing suspension and plusher ride.

FACTFILE

VERDICT

n Fully-adjustable handlebar and seatpost allow use by mutliple riders. n Basic weight is 36kg or 42kg with full set of accessories and locks. n Standard length 1.93m, with rear child enclosure it rises to 2m. n Optional security tracking system.

+ Bosch motor and Enviolo system are a dream combo. + Top quality spec and feel. + Exemplary ride comfort. + Ideal for owners with secure storage space at home.

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BIKE GEAR & BOOKS Reading, riding, tinkering or upgrading — here's a selection of the latest cycle products we've been reviewing over the summer months

Reviews: John Kitchiner, Tom Bogdanowicz

ZÉFAL Z ADVENTURE F1 BAR BAG We've been big fans of the mini handlebar bag since its general reinvention as part of the bikepacking boom — not as big and weighty as traditional touring bags, they sport just enough capacity (1.2 litres in this case) for a smartphone, wallet, keys, minitool and a half-baguette lunch. In other words, it removes the stuff that would otherwise be bouncing around in various clothing pockets and stashes them away safely, within easy reach. The main body fabric is water-repellent and the zip's waterproof, so essentials remain dry. But one of the things that we really appreciated about the Z Adventure F1 was that additional bungee cord on the front — we've used this on most rides to stash a lightweight windproof or beanie hat, even a soft runner's flask. An elasticated exterior end pocket will also hold gels or a travelsize bottle of sunscreen. It fits in just a few minutes, with a selection of foam pads ensuring cables aren't fouled. n £37; chickencyclekit.co.uk

FIST HANDWEAR CHAPTER 29 GLOVE While long-fingered gloves will have been at the back of most cyclists' minds during the recent heatwaves, they remain a year-round staple for gravel riders, mountain bikers and BMXers. Yet with the exception of a few moto-inspired designs, they've always tended to be a fairly plain, functional product. Which is why it's good to see Aussie brand Fist step into the fray with some fun, loud prints — choose from Spiderman, bears, biscuits and more for kids, with a selection of art-inspired themes for adults. A four-way stretch upper, Clarino palm and touchscreen thumb/finger pads add performance pizazz as a bonus. n £32.99; freewheel.co.uk

VISTELLA MIDNIGHT 2-IN-1 BACKPACK PANNIER Cycling gear that can pull double duties is very much in our wheelhouse, as it were, especially if it manages to pull this off in a stylish, understated way. So we've been pleased to find Vistella's new pannier-cum-pack not only proving a reliable partner when the going's got rough and it's been packed with camping kit and fixed to a rear rack, but also when it's been a non-bike, meetings-in-office type day. Of course we've seen the concept used before by a handful of brands — notably the excellent Ortlieb Vario range — though the Vistella is considerably cheaper. The defining characteristic is a tear-resistant, fully waterproof fabric with welded seams and sealed front zipper; the rolltop main closure works fine but we'd have preferred a bit more range with the strap. Overall capacity is about 25-litres and there's an internal laptop sleeve. You do notice rubbing from the pannier clips if wearing as a backpack, so we generally preferred to carry it over one shoulder. For the same price you could alternatively consider Vistella's Lantern model — a finalist in the most recent BikeBiz awards — with all the same features as our test sample, but offering 360-degree visibility from its fully reflective shell material. n £89.99; vistellacycling.com LEGO ICONS ROAD BIKE (11380) It's always a lovely surprise to open a parcel from friends in the trade to find toys inside — not just any old toys, but a hot-off-the-press Lego kit. If you liked building Meccano sets as a kid, then this fully-functional Icons display model will certainly appeal. With 1, 015 pieces, this is no 10-minute affair and you'll find a racing red frame and forks, deep set rims, real rubber tyres, actual moving drivetrain, even a removable waterbottle and rear light. Plus there's a stand for it to sit on. And the Builder app will help if you get stuck. n £109.99; lego.com

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PRODUCT NEWS

BADVERTISING: POLLUTING OUR MINDS AND FUELLING CLIMATE CHAOS When London Cyclist first wrote about the powerful impact of auto advertising on transport choice, more than a dozen years ago, the amount spent in the UK on auto ads was £500m per year. It is now estimated at some £3.7bn (yes, billion). That sum is almost double the entire revenue of the UK cycle industry, and it is no surprise that it determines not just transport choice but also what the media chooses to say about the various transport modes. What this outstanding, exceptionally researched (500 references) and cleverly titled book by Simms and Murray does is spell out the details of how advertising works and how pervasive and persuasive it is — whether it’s subliminal images, product placement in films or priming small children to recognise golden arches. The authors focus on two prime contributors to climate change: the ever growing (in number and size) presence of the cunningly named 'sports utility vehicles' (or SUVs) and the incessant promotion of flying and associated greenwashing. It took, as the book describes, some five decades for tobacco ads to be banned after we knew of the health risks. Amsterdam has recently chosen to ban meat and fossil fuel ads on city billboards — will Transport for London do the same? n £13.99; plutobooks.com

LONDON FLIPPED MAP For confirmed cartographic nuts like ourselves, this new sheet is a joy, reimagining our city from a new perspective: upside down. It's a true topographical map covering the whole of Greater London and its surroundings, but rotated 180 degrees, with the south at the top and north at the bottom. It disrupts conventional notions and you look at familiar things in unfamiliar ways, including the perverse bias of north-up — though it's admittedly odd seeing your home migrate across a re-shaped Thames. It's also printed with two special Pantone inks: a fluorescent orange and a metallic gold that gives a subtle sheen as the light changes. n £10; urbangood.org

OXFORD PRODUCTS TORQUE HEADSET AND BOTTOM BRACKET PRESS If the cycling industry excels at one thing, it's the proliferation of unnecessary and unwanted 'standards' for components; the dizzying array of options for both headsets and bottom brackets both being very high up on that list. And many home mechanics will be familiar with the faff associated with fitting certain types of each of these, perhaps even having cobbled together a frankentool of their own with nuts, bolts, washers and pieces of plywood (yes, we plead guilty too). Thankfully this super simple press from Oxford Products will consign future Heath Robinson exploits to the bin. Twin alloy 'drifts' allow easy fitting of 34/41/47/52/55mm headset cups, or press-fit BB cups, requiring only a 19mm spanner. It's a great value addition to any toolbox. n £19.99; oxfordproducts.com LONDON CYCLIST Autumn 2026 61

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REVIEWS

NEW GEAR

THULE TRAILER

Click and go: home assembly in minutes

Seatpost fastener: allows quick bike swaps

With bike trailers enjoying a ‘moment’, we give Thule’s city-specific model a pounding THULE REACHA CITY n From £529 n freewheel.co.uk

Review: Rob Eves

OST PEOPLE WILL know Swedish brand Thule for its best-in-class roof racks, roof boxes, and bike racks for cars. But over the past decade it’s steadily extended its offering, catering for the types of journeys people make in modern cities by bike — with kids, dogs, gear, and shopping in tow — with products like the Reacha City trailer. Out of the box the Reacha required assembly. The poles that form the frame plug together and click into place, and a few bolts needed positioning and tightening, but the process was simple and straightforward. Once assembled, the trailer attaches to your bike’s

Bump eaters: chunky Schwalbe Big Apples

seatpost — initially we questioned how secure this would be but double fastening, heavy-duty Velcro works well and held the trailer firm. This system made it super quick to detach/reattach the trailer, which we found especially useful for navigating the doors of storage rooms, where it’s less fuss to move bike and trailer separately. There’s also a helpful kickstand to keep trailer and cargo level while stationary. Swapping trailer between bikes was a cinch too. The trailer comes in a few different models — City, with a sling-style cargo bed; City Platform, with wooden platform cargo bed (as tested); Sport and Sport Beach, for carrying sports equipment, with and without fat tyres. The rigid bed of our tester had slots at the edges to attach bungees or straps, while an integrated strap meant our gear didn’t budge in transit. With the trailer loaded up, the ride felt very stable. It dealt with speed humps, and other bumps in

the road superbly, and with care you can even drop down smaller kerbs. We were pleasantly surprised that it didn’t take a huge amount of additional effort to pedal when fully laden. But we were most surprised with how the trailer performed without cargo — the ride was still very stable, both wheels remaining planted, almost silent, with minimal shaking and rattling. Towbar included, the set-up for our bike was just over 2m long and just under 80cm wide; a little bigger footprint than expected, but it still stowed neatly on its end in our bike storage room. Cheaper trailers are available, though you’ll be hard pressed to find one as versatile, well designed and easy-to-use as the Reacha.

VERDICT + Impressive all-round stability, with and without loads. + Great option for multi-bike households; swaps easily.

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About time you wrote your will?

Free will-writing service We’ve partnered with Farewill to offer LCC members the opportunity to write their will with them, free of charge.

GET STARTED

There’s no obligation to leave a gift to LCC. However, once you’ve taken care of those closest to you, a small donation could make a huge difference to London’s cycling future. Write your will online, and if you’ve any questions or problems, Farewill’s friendly team of experts will be happy to help. Write your will in 30 minutes. Get started at farewill.com/london-cycling-campaign

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LEGAL

SUPPORT IS KEY WHEN CLAIMS DENIED AND DRAWN OUT

HEN GREG SIMMONS (pictured) was seriously injured after striking a low plastic lane divider in Edmonton, the effects extended far beyond the immediate pain of the collision. The 36-year-old screenwriter was left with two broken elbows, a fractured jaw and uncertainty about whether he would ever regain full movement in his left arm. By instructing Osbornes Law, Greg gained specialist support to investigate what happened, deal with the council and ensure that the continuing effects of his injuries were properly assessed. He had been cycling along Hertford Road in February 2025 when his wheel struck the lane divider — it had no safety wand or reflectors, and was the same colour as the road surface. He was catapulted over his handlebars into the carriageway.“I looked to pull around a bus and the next minute I was flying through the air,” he recalls. “It was just a split second, but it felt like it lasted for ages. I remember thinking: ‘This isn’t going to be good’.”

The cycling team at Osbornes Law explains why proper support is just part of its process More than a year after the collision, he is still unable to fully straighten his left arm. Doctors have told him that he has suffered approximately 20% muscle loss. As Greg is left-handed, the injury has had a significant effect on his work, independence and everyday life.

Seeking specialist advice Osbornes Law’s specialist cycling injury team began gathering evidence and investigating whether the design and visibility of the divider made it unsafe. The team also helped Greg obtain an MRI scan to investigate the continuing problems with his arm. This highlights why seeking specialist legal advice after a serious cycling injury can be so important; a personal injury claim is not only about compensation.

Enfield Council told Greg that the divider was not defective and denied liability, so Osbornes is continuing to pursue the case on his behalf. Megan Lambert from Osbornes adds: “Our role is to make sure the case is properly investigated, Greg’s voice is heard and he is supported throughout the process.” For Greg, both the case and his recovery continue. Although he still faces uncertainty about the lasting effects of his injuries, specialist support means he does not have to navigate the process alone and can focus on moving forward again.

WHAT TO DO AT THE SCENE OF A COLLISION 01 Get out of danger 02 Ring 999 03 Exchange details with other party 04 Take pictures 05 F ind witnesses; get their details 06 Check for local CCTV 07 Get legal advice

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ICONIC BIKES

1940s

BSA Airborne Contrary to popular belief, folding bikes weren’t originally mass produced for city use, as John Kitchiner explains. But how much action did they see?

cycles on stealth raids and commissioned Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) to build 70,000 bikes small enough to be carried in gliders or on jumps from aircraft. This is how the elliptical frame of twin parallel tubes evolved; traditional diamond-shaped frames were considered too weak for heavy ground impacts. Oversized wingnuts and hinges on the toptube and downtube allowed the front half of the bike to swing back and meet the rear, with the peg pedals pushed in to avoid snagging. How much and how often the Airborne was used in battle has been a matter for debate, but there’s clear evidence that on D-Day (6 June 1944) each Commando unit had a bicycle platoon — though many of the bikes seem to have been discarded within a few days. Airbornes were reported to have been used on the first raids into Norway too. But the plan to make advanced troops more mobile once landed, with riding being quicker than walking, was abandoned once the Jeep and motorised vehicles became available. Ironically, it seems most of the BSAs saw out the war as recreational runabouts at base camps or for errand duty on airfields.

Illustration: David Sparshott

ISCUSS FOLDING BIKES and most folks will immediately be conjuring up images of classic Bromptons or Bickertons, while industry buffs might further recall Dahons, Terns or even the Raleigh Twenty. And while they’re all great examples of modern folders, the story of these portable two-wheelers actually began almost a century before all these brands first put pen to drawing board — and in a far more unlikely arena. William Grout is generally regarded as the inventor of the first folding bike in 1878, but within a decade military interest in such designs was gathering momentum. The French infantry and others were trialling folders for combat use, and by 1900 Mikael Pedersen had created a fold-up version of his famed bicycle for the British Army — it weighed 6.8kg, sported small 24in wheels and featured an integrated rifle rack. Grainy black and white photographs also exist of Italian Bersaglieri with folding bikes strapped to their backs on manoeuvres during WWI. Come the Second World War and the War Office decided that parachute units could usefully deploy these ‘all terrain’ 66

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Sunday 20 SeptembEr 2026 Calling all cycling clubs and community groups, bike shops and stall holders, volunteers and enthusiasts! The 2026 edition of London Cycling Festival is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever, and everyone’s invited. Register your interest today to receive information on getting involved with a festival event in your area.

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