Author: Suzanne Seyghal Buckingham

Suzanne Seyghal Buckingham

Kingston Mayor cheers on family-friendly ride

Who says cycling is a fair-weather activity? Not the eager participants who swapped January blues for blue skies and solid sunshine during Kingston Cycling Campaign’s first ‘park and ride’ event of the year.

Kingston’s Mayor cheered on those participating in our first family ride of the year

On Sunday 14 January the Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Diane White, mingled with nearly 100 people of all ages as they gathered in Berrylands’ Alexandra Park for our third family-friendly ride. As well as the families, couples and councillors keen to kick-start their healthy new year, it was great to see so many local cubs secure their cycle badges by coming along for the ride.

Thank you so much for arranging today’s amazing family-friendly fun ride. Fantastic to see so many cyclists! (Mayor of Kingston)

We were also impressed by the participants who did their own duathlon by joining fresh from that morning’s Surbiton Junior park run. Kudos too to the lady who even joined in the 7-mile ride with a guitar strapped to the back of her bike! A definite KCC first.

The easy-paced ride took us along quiet roads and traffic-free routes in Tolworth and Old Malden, showcasing some of the rural delights on the Kingston / Epsom and Ewell boundary line, including Tolworth Court Farm Fields and Berrylands Nature Reserve – all bathed in glorious sunshine.

Well attended, well organised, took me to parts of the borough I didn’t know, and a perfect day for a winter cycle ride!

100 residents were inspired to join in our fun winter ride (photos by Graham Buckingham)

With an emphasis on fun, the event was supported by Kingston Cycling Campaign’s smiling ride assistant volunteers to keep everyone safe as Kingston residents discovered new cycle-friendly routes across the borough. Watch this one-minute montage to see what 100 happy riders of all ages look like as they have fun discovering new cycle-friendly routes across Kingston.

Thank you Kingston Cycling Campaign for a fun ride, and especially for bringing the sunshine! (Councillor Jackie Davies)

If you’d like to build your cycling confidence this year, sign up here to join us on 28 April for our next family-friendly fun Kingston bike ride, this time starting from Victoria Recreation Ground in Surbiton at 10.45am. And don’t forget Kingston Cycling Campaign offers a year-round calendar of longer rides for more experienced cyclists.

Second ‘park and ride’ event proves fun for all the family

Blue skies and late summer sunshine provided a glorious backdrop for our second family-friendly, guided bike ride, which saw nearly 150 local residents gather in Kingston Road Recreation Ground on Sunday 10 September.

From sleeping toddlers to spritely grandparents, and cargo bikes to tandems, the smiling participants represented a fantastic cross-section of ages and experience levels, all united by a desire to build their cycling confidence.

Adding extra excitement to the proceedings, local MP Ed Davey was on hand to meet the riders and cheer the group on after a whistle start. Our easy-paced 5.5 mile ride (route here) then took in a mix of the borough’s quieter roads, bike lanes and traffic-free routes, riding along the brilliant Beeline Way to Raynes Park, crossing back into New Malden via Malden Golf Course before weaving our way back to Norbiton.

“These rides are really fantastic at getting kids out with their mates – they help build their confidence so much.”

The gentle 5.5-mile circular route showcased a mix of quieter roads, bike lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), introducing many riders to fun new routes to explore the borough on two wheels.

“I’m relatively confident but being in a group makes such a difference and gives us the confidence to venture a bit further as a family.”

As with our June event, the outing represented the first group ride for many of those who joined in the fun, with the route helping introduce new corners of the borough to even some of the more experienced participants. What’s more, with such a wide range of non-standard bikes taking part, it demonstrated the importance of ensuring routes across Kingston are safe and accessible for all.

“I want to expose my young daughter to cycling, so being part of the ride was really enjoyable and positive for her.”

Thanks again to everyone – from ride assistants to participants – who helped make our scorchio September ride such a fun, family-friendly affair. And we’re especially grateful to our friends at Full Cycle Community Bike Project, Friends of Kingston Road Recreation Ground and the Friends of Beeline Way, who helped support us in the run-up to the big day and were all on hand to cheer us on.

Whether the event inspired you to join London Cycling Campaign (of which we’re the local group), come along on one of Kingston Cycling Campaign’s year-round calendar of longer rides for more experienced cyclists, or helped build your confidence to use two wheels for local journeys, we hope you enjoyed the ride.

Keep Sunday 14 January 2024 free to join our next family-friendly outing, starting from Alexandra Park in Berrylands. Sign up for your free place here.

Happy cycling!

On your bike! Join our next family-friendly ride this September

Following the success of Kingston Cycling Campaign’s first family-friendly ride in June (ride report here), sign up on tiny.cc/KingstonFunRide2 for our next wheelie fun adventure on Sunday 10 September as we celebrate the end of the summer holidays!

Designed for all ages and abilities, our second family-friendly group ride will set off from Kingston Road Recreation Ground on the Norbiton / New Malden boundary. Gathering at 10.45am by the newly-opened park café pavilion so we can set off promptly at 11am, the 5.5-mile easy-paced route is designed for all ages and abilities.

The hill-free route will take in a mix of the borough’s quieter roads, bike lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), to help build confidence and showcase some of Kingston’s cycle routes. This fun group ride will also showcase the fantastic traffic-free Beeline Way, taking us briefly into Raynes Park before crossing back into Norbiton again via New Malden. And, for a truly fun day out, the ride will also start and finish by Kingston Road Recreation Ground’s new café and recently-upgraded children’s playground, helping families make the most of this fabulous park afterwards.

I loved the family ride! I love cycling on the road like my dad does but my parents don’t like it because of the cars so this was great – and I made new friends too! [Elliot, aged 8]

Organised by Kingston Cycling Campaign (part of the London Cycling Campaign), with the support of our local event partners Full Cycle Bike Community Project, Friends of Kingston Road Recreation Ground, Friends of Beeline Way and GoodGym Kingston, we hope the event will encourage Kingston residents of all ages to explore enjoyable ways to get around the area on two wheels. So invite your friends, neighbours and family – young and old – and reserve your free spot here for this easy ride through the borough!

If you’ve got the cycle bug this summer and are keen to keep on pedalling, be sure to follow us on Eventbrite, Facebook or Twitter. And if you’re keen to join one of our longer outings, you can find more info on the different style of free rides Kingston Cycling Campaign organises every week, all year round, on kingstoncycling.org.uk/rides.

Book your free place on Kingston Cycling Campaign’s next family-friendly ride (Sunday 10 September) and find out more on tiny.cc/KingstonFunRide2

Highlights of the June family ride below:

Kingston families cycle into summer on fun bike ride

In a bid to encourage residents of all ages to safely enjoy Kingston’s roads and LTNs on two wheels, Kingston Cycling Campaign organised our first ever family-friendly bike ride on Sunday 4 June, to coincide with World Bicycle Day (3 June) and the start of Bike Week. 

With the weather Gods on our side, over 200 participants of all ages – accompanied by nearly 30 ride assistants who generously volunteered their time – set off from Fairfield Park on our first ride designed with all ages and abilities in mind.

What a brilliant event this was! Gave me the nudge I needed to get back on the bike after many years. (Councillor Susan Skipwith)

We counted a wide range of bikes taking part, from at least three cargo bikes and a few e-bikes to Dutch-style bikes and Bromptons, plus several local councillors, one MP (Sarah Olney), a few kids on stabilisers, and even one dog amongst the group.

Having made our way towards the river, up through Surbiton, down via Berrylands, and back to Fairfield on a sunshine-filled 4.5-mile loop, it was great to see so many riders inspired to keep up on pedalling for the final 3-mile circuit. Those intrepid riders went on to explore the Albert Road and Lower Ham Road LTNs as they headed to Latchmere Recreation Ground, and back via the new Kingston Station bridge as we returned to Fairfield. You can see the full route on https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2186208.

I loved being able to ride with my friends – it was so much fun!

The 7.5-mile route even took us past the premises of our two local partners – Full Cycle Community Bike Project and Kingston Hive – who supported our gentle ride through the borough!

What the ride demonstrated most of all is that there’s a local appetite for more family-friendly rides. So, on Sunday 10 September we’ll be setting off again on our second easy-paced outing, this time meeting in Kingston Road Recreation Ground in Norbiton so we can showcase the park’s new facilities and introduce Kingston residents to even more cycle-friendly routes. We’re busy incorporating rider feedback as we finalise our next route, and will continue to add more info to http://tiny.cc/KingstonFunRide2.

Enjoyed the family friendly bike ride – discovered some quiet roads I didn’t know, and what a great turn out!

For many riders, it was the first time they’d joined a group ride. And many participants commented on how the route introduced them to new areas and quiet roads on their doorstep that they’d never explored before – exactly what we’d been hoping to achieve!

We hope the event will help inspire more local residents to join London Cycling Campaign (of which we’re the local group) and benefit from cycle insurance, bike shop discounts, legal advice and more. And, of course, if you’re keen to join one of our longer rides for more experienced cyclists, you can read more about the different style of rides Kingston Cycling Campaign offers on https://kingstoncycling.org.uk/rides-2/rides-calendar/.

Happy cycling!

Come ride with us! 2023-24 cycling calendar revealed

We believe bikes are perfect for exploring. So, on top of our cycle campaigning, we organise year-round rides for all ages and abilities that are always fun, and always free. From towpath trips to family-friendly outings, and evening explorations to adventures further afield, our new calendar of upcoming rides (Wednesdays and Sundays) is now out for the year ahead.

And on 4 June and 10 September this year we’re hosting our first family-friendly fun bike rides through the borough – shorter, easy-paced outings that take in a mix of quieter roads, bike lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), to help encourage more Kingston residents of all ages to feel confident using their bikes for local journeys.

So, whatever your experience or energy levels, you’re sure to find the perfect ride with your name on it. Simply pop the dates in your diary, book your place via our website and join our friendly group.

After all, life is like riding a bicycle – to keep your balance, you must keep moving. We look forward to seeing you on one of our rides soon!

More info and booking links over on https://kingstoncycling.org.uk/rides-2/rides-calendar/.

Sign up for our first family-friendly fun bike ride (4 June)

Cycle into summer on Sunday 4 June and join us for our first fun and family-friendly bike ride through Kingston.

Celebrating World Bicycle Day (3 June) plus the start of Bike Week (5 June), we’ll set off from central Kingston (Fairfield Park) at 11am on a circular route designed for all ages and abilities. Join us for an easy-paced outing, taking in a mix of the borough’s quieter roads, bike lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs).

Organised by Kingston Cycling Campaign with the support of local organisations Full Cycle Community Bike Project and Kingston Hive, we hope the event will encourage local residents of all ages to explore enjoyable ways to get around Kingston on two wheels.

Our hope is that this gentle ride will help build confidence as we showcase some of Kingston’s cycle routes. The scenic outing will therefore be in a figure of 8, giving you the option to stop after 4.5 miles or continue for the full 7.5-mile route, depending on how you’re feeling on the day.

We’ll set off at 11am from the pavilion in Fairfield Recreation Ground (by The Albion pub, opposite the children’s playground), proceeding slowly on bike-friendly routes along the riverside (via Portsmouth Road), through Surbiton, towards Berrylands and back to Fairfield. For those keen to keep pedalling, we’ll continue down the Albert Road LTN, towards North Kingston & Latchmere Rec and back via the Lower Ham Road LTN, using the Kingston Station bike path to return to Fairfield.

So invite your friends, neighbours and family – young and old – and join us on this fun and easy ride through the borough!

We’re already looking to arrange a follow-up ride later this summer to continue showcasing other safe cycle routes around Kingston, so follow us on Eventbrite, Facebook or Twitter to stay informed. And, if you’ve got the cycle bug, Kingston Cycling Campaign also runs longer rides for its members three times a Month, exploring further afield.

Register for your free place (to help give us an idea of how many marshals we will need) and find out more about the ride on tiny.cc/KingstonFunRide.