On Sunday 28th April people young, old and in between will meet up at Silver Street Station for a bike ride exploring Enfield's cycle routes and parks, setting out to have some fun but with a serious message for the next mayor of London.
Sunday's fully marshalled ride will set off from Silver Street Station at 11am and will go through parks and quiet routes to the recently reopened cafe in Oakwood Park. It is organised jointly by Enfield Cycling Campaign, Londra Bisiklet Kulübü and Better Streets for Enfield. Click here to register for the ride.
The ride from Pymmes Park to Oakwood Park via Firs Farm and Grovelands Park is designed to be enjoyable, but also safe, thanks to the presence of experienced marshals from Enfield Cycling Campaign. The Enfield riders will not be alone - across the capital will be doing the same this weekend, enjoying the scenery, the exercise and the companionship, but, like the Enfield riders, also pedalling with a purpose.
Ahead of the elections on 2nd May, they'll be sending a message to candidates for the job of London mayor, letting them know how much "London Loves Cycling" and how important it is that the next mayor keeps up the momentum on doing more to make cycling easier and safer, delivering a happier, healthier, safer city.
In the words of Eilidh Murray, chair of London Cycling Campaign, "We want the next mayor to accelerate the amazing progress made on cycling by the last two mayors, Sadiq Khan and Boris Johnson – we want a city where anyone and everyone can experience the joy, health benefits and freedom of cycling in our capital".
The campaign's chief executive, Tom Fyans, is keen to make it clear that politicians who think that cycling is an attack on drivers or a hobby just for kids are wrong:
"Londoners make 1.26 million cycle journeys daily now, a third of the tube. This is a mainstream transport mode and more people cycling means safer streets, healthier Londoners, less pollution, climate emissions or congestion. We should be a city where children can cycle independently to school, shopping can be delivered by trike rather than van, and partners ride home chatting after work."
Click on the red square to let the next mayor know how much Enfield (and London) Loves Cycling)
Although responsibility for almost all roads in the borough lies with Enfield Council, the policies of the mayor of London will still be important, as David Hilliard from Enfield Cycling Campaign explains:
"Sunday's ride will be using some of the new cycle routes that we've benefited from in Enfield in recent years. They are enabling more people to choose this environmentally friendly, healthy and inexpensive way of getting around. But there are still huge gaps in Enfield's safe cycling network and the borough will only be able to plug them using funds provided by the mayor of London. Which is why it's so important to let the candidates know how much London Loves Cycling."
