Kingston: London Cycling Festival

CYCLE INTO SUMMER ON OUR FAMILY-FRIENDLY RIDE

Join us on Sunday 15 June 2025 for our fun-packed confidence-boosting summer ride! Designed with all ages and cycling abilities in mind, our summer cycle will start from the fabulous Fishponds Park in Surbiton, gathering near the main pond in the centre of the park (we recommend entering from the Ewell Road entrance). And – as always – our easy-paced, short ride will take in quiet roads and traffic-free routes, with marshals on hand to keep everyone safe.

Organised by Kingston Cycling Campaign, with the support of Full Cycle Community Bike Project who will be on hand before and after the ride for basic bike TLC, invite your friends and discover a few new routes on this smile-tastic ride through the borough!

FREE BIKE HIRE: And if you don’t have a bike, you can still take part! To help us celebrate London Cycling Festival (full range of free events being run by London Cycling Campaign groups across the capital from 11 May to 13 July here) Lime, Forest and Santander are offering 20 free bike hire places for the event in Kingston. Register for your ride place and reserve your free share bike below.

All need participants to be registered here to take part, so reserve your spot now (NB: please book one space for every rider so we know how many people to expect) and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates in the run-up to the ride or to keep up to date on other Kingston activity. And see the FAQ section below for more information about the ride, and what you might need to know before the event.

“What a brilliant event! Gave me the nudge I needed to get back on the bike after many years.”

“Being in a group makes such a difference and gives us the confidence to venture a bit further as a family.”

“I never imagined my five-year old would be able to manage this type of distance. But he loved it! The regular pauses and nice, slow pace made it a fun morning, and has opened the doors for us to do even more bike outings as a family.”

GENERAL RIDE FAQS / INFORMATION:

• How easy is the ride? This will be an easy and enjoyable route, ridden at a leisurely group pace. Designed to be suitable for younger and less experienced cyclists, the 6.5-mile circular route will include a few gentle hills but generally be flat and lovely.
• Are children welcome? Accompanied children (under 18) and vulnerable adults with a carer are very welcome to join us. Whilst as much of the ride as possible is on quieter roads, it will include some roads that may have other traffic, so please keep on the right-hand side of your children.
• What ages is the ride suitable for? Note that, as the ride is not entirely on cycle lanes, it may not be suitable for very young children and we would recommend that any children under 5 riding solo (with a parent) are experienced cyclists.
• How can I build my bike skills before the ride? Kingston Council offers fully-subsidised Cycle Skills training for adults and families to help you gain confidence – more info here
• What should I wear? Please wear whatever you feel comfortable riding in, keeping an eye on the weather forecast to determine whether you should bring a waterproof jacket, sun tan lotion, etc. It is your choice whether you would like to wear a bike helmet or high-vis clothing – we do not insist on either to join the ride.
• Is my bike suitable? We test our rides with a range of bicycles, including cargo and Brompton bikes, to make it as inclusive as possible. If you’re in any doubt about the suitability or roadworthiness of your bike, there are a number of cycle repair shops across Kingston that can assist you, including Full Cycle who will be supporting the ride. Before joining the ride, see http://lcc.org.uk/advice/bike-safety-check/
• What should I bring? Some of the basic equipment you may wish to consider bringing on the ride include drinks and snacks, plus a bike lock if you plan to take advantage of the park after the ride. You might also want to bring a spare inner tube and/or a bike pump if you have one.
• How can I keep up momentum after the ride and continue building my cycle confidence? Kingston Cycling Campaign offers cycling 1:1s to help you plot local routes and feel more confident about using a bike for short journeys, whether to work, shops or school via the LCC Cycle Buddies scheme. We also have lots of cycle-related information and links on kingstoncycling.org.uk/local-information/, from bike hire to cycle parking, inclusive cycling opportunities to bike-marking session and handy tools to help you plan your next cycle route.
• Can I recreate previous family-friendly group rides? Yes! Whether you’ve been on a ride with us before and are keen to do the route again, are keen to discover new parts of the borough, or simply want to remember quite how fun cycling is, you can find all our previous family rides on kingstoncycling.org.uk/rides-2/familyfriendlyrides/.
• How do group rides work? Our rides are always planned and led by a qualified ride leader, and accompanied by experienced marshals to help keep the group together, where possible, and cross junctions safely with minimal disruption to fellow road users. Ride leaders are experienced Kingston Cycling Campaign members and include qualified mechanics, first aiders and cycling instructors. With the ride leader at the front directing the ride, we ensure there is a marshal at the back of the group, ensuring no one gets left behind.
• How does the free bike share work? As part of the London Cycling Festival, we have vouchers for 20 free bike hires. Simply book your ride place and also reserve your share bike below. You’ll then be given a QR code to scan on the day giving you a voucher for a free Lime, Forest or Santander ride.
• Will any photos be taken? This event will be photographed and the images used afterwards to promote our charitable work / future rides. If you would like to opt-out of photography for you or your children, please speak to a member of the ride team (wearing a red tabard) on the day.

INDIVIDUAL RIDERS MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR:

• Checking the information given for the ride so you can judge that you are capable of completing the ride, and carrying any refreshments or bike equipment you might need
• Listening to and following ride leader and marshal instructions, including informing the ride leader if you have any medical conditions it might be important we know about plus a marshal if you leave the ride midway (so we know not to look for you!)
• The road-worthiness of your bike. NB: See helpful advice on how to do this on lcc.org.uk/advice/bike-safety-check/
• Your own personal safety on the road, and the safety of any children or vulnerable adults with you, including complying with the Highway Code
• Any loss or damage caused (eg: scratching the paint on a parked car) NB: If you are an LCC member your membership includes third party insurance which would cover this.
• Making sure you do not turn up to this event if you are displaying any Covid-19 symptoms or think you may have it.

If you have any other questions before the event or need to cancel your booking, contact the ride leader at rogerdodge59@gmail.com