Traffic-free Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle returns

The second Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle is set to take to the streets of the City of London and Westminster this August, following a successful and award-winning inaugural event in 2013.

Taking place on August 9 from 09:00 until 16:00, the FreeCycle features eight miles of traffic-free roads in the heart of London and five Festival Zones full of bike-related interactive fun.

The FreeCycle is the first of four events that make up the two-day Prudential RideLondon festival. The weekend of cycling also includes the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix, the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic, and the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100.

There’ll be music and entertainment all along the eight-mile traffic-free route, which you can see here, and ample bike parking at each Festival Zone so participants are free to enjoy what’s on offer.

Last year’s event saw 50,000 riders flood the capital’s streets, and this year’s event, organised by the London & Surrey Cycling Partnership, is set to top that.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who also played a part in the event’s development, said that in his experience “there is no greater way to enjoy London than on two wheels, and the Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle provides the perfect time to hop on your bike.”

As well as traffic-free landmark-laden streets, the event’s Festival Zones at Green Park, St Paul’s Churchyard, Guildhall Yard, Leadenhall Market and Tower Hill, will provide entertainment, refreshment and all sorts of other bike-related interactivity for everyone to enjoy.

A full list of the day’s events and where they’re taking place can be found at the end of this article.

Registration for the event is free, and is easily done via the Prudential RideLondon website. Upon sign-up you’ll be sent an event tabard, the Prudential RideLondon magazine and a goody bag in the post.

Getting to and from the event has never been easier either. The London Cycling Campaign are set to provide guided rides to and from every single London Borough before and after the event.

What’s on and where:

Green Park
•    Big screen and stage with all-day entertainment
•    Ramp & Try Out Park with BMX and mountain-bike demos and workshops
•    Velo Park Challenge – a virtual try out of the Olympic Velodrome with spot prizes
•    200m mountain bike course for beginners and advanced riders
•    Go Ride racing with coaches from British Cycling
•    Strider challenge on balance bikes for kids aged 18 months to 5 years
•    Transport for London’s cycling hub – offering sample cycle training sessions, bike security marking and information on cycling in London
•    Superhero zone with facepainting, graffiti wall and entertainers
•    Customise-your-tabard zone with paints and glitter
•    Bling-Your-Bike zone with all sorts of accessories to customise a bike
•    Tabard signing by stars of the cycling world and other celebrities
•    Outdoor games including giant Jenga, Connect Four, table football and more
•    Cycle Food Court with healthy food options

St Paul’s Churchyard
•    Bike polo with matches and polo tryouts for spectators
•    Penny Farthing polo
•    Mini velodrome
•    Flat Land Street Cycle with pro riders demonstrating spins, balance and technical tricks
•    Kiddi Moto with balance bikes for 2 to 12 year olds
•    Pedal-powered juice bar – ride the bike and make yourself a juice!

Guildhall Yard
•    Prudential RideLondon Bike Bell Orchestra and 600 riders attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest bike bell ensemble
•    Extreme Uni Cyclists – the world’s only stunt unicycle team
•    TfL Workshop Stage – sessions on healthy living, sustainable energy, art, design and more
•    National Urban Trials competition with replica iconic London buildings as obstacles and structures
•    Access Sport BMX tryout showcasing the best of London’s BMX riders

Leadenhall Market
•    Transformed into the London Bike Market
•    Central stage and performance space featuring Shakespeare’s “A Comedy of Errors” by The Handlebards, Hoxton Radio, music and more
•    Hall of Frame – discarded unusable bike frames made into art
•    Bike Build – five British bike builders join forces to create the Prudential RideLondon bike frame
•    Makers Market showcasing the makers and craftspeople working in cycling today

Tower Hill
•    Pedal-powered Garden Party with music, lights and bubble machine
•    Puncture Kit – the drumming cyclist
•    Dance workshop
•    Pedal-powered Scalextric, smoothie making, battery charging and more
•    Penny Farthing tryout
•    Café