Cycling is great for your health and a great way to reduce your transport costs. And as cycling helps you to avoid the traffic jams and parking difficulties, it's often the fastest way to reach your destination door-to-door!
There are many cycle routes across the borough, mostly using less busy residential streets. These routes are as direct as the major arterial roads and are much more pleasant and safe.
Islington Council offers free cycle training to everyone who lives, works or studies in the borough. Please click on the "Cycle Training" link on the left for further information.
Any community group or organisation can apply for funding from the Community Cycling Fund for London, which can be spent on bicycles, training and other necessities to promote cycling in your neighbourhood.
The grants are administered by LCC, and funded by Transport for London and the Big Lottery Fund.
Applications for the first round can be submitted from 18 January until 5 February 2010, with a second round from 8-26 March 2010.
If you want to apply, click on the link London Cycling Campaign under Useful Websites and download the application form. You are advised to read the terms and conditions before filling in the form and use the Community cycling toolkit for more information about cycle training, bike maintenance and other frequently asked questions.
The grant scheme has been administered by LCC since 2007 to support projects for people under-represented as cyclists, especially women, children and young people, ethnic groups, and people with disabilities.
The funding has enabled over 3000 people a year to experience the benefits of cycling. In addition to the transport outcomes, people taking part in projects have also cited increased self-esteem, health benefits, greater social integration and improved wellbeing.
On 18 November 2008, the Mayor of London announced that a London cycle hire scheme is to be introduced to the city by May 2010. The scheme will be similar to the successful systems in Amsterdam and Paris. Bikes will be available to registered users from on-street docking stations, and can be used then returned to any empty docking station within the cycle hire zone.
The leader of the council, Councillor James Kempton, fully supports the scheme and council officers are helping to identify suitable sites within the borough.
The first phase of the scheme is due to be launched in May 2010 and will provide facilities in an area approximately equivalent to the Zone 1 travel area.
For updates and to find out more about the scheme, click the Transport for London (TfL) links under Useful Websites, on the right-hand side of this page.
The London Cycling Campaign and Transport for London have produced a set of 19 London Cycle Guides showing the best cycle routes throughout Greater London.
Map 5 covers the northern half of Islington, and Map 10 covers the southern half up to Highbury Corner. These cycle guides are available at some underground stations, or from the Transport for London (TfL) website.
For more information, click on the Transport for London - Cycling link on the right, under Useful Websites.
You can get your bike serviced and also brush up on your cycle maintenance skills at the Islington Cyclists Action Group's (ICAG) monthly cycle workshop. ICAG run their workshops on the fourth Wednesday of each month (except August and December) from 7pm to 9.30pm, at Sunnyside Ecology Gardens, corner of Sunnyside Road and Hazellville Road, N19.
For more details contact Adrian Williams on 07810 211902. They ask £1 per session (50p unwaged) towards costs.
One way Islington Council promotes cycling is through travel awareness events such as Bike Week and Car Free Day.
For more information, click on the Travel Awareness Events link on the right, under Related Information.
For information about the council's programme for improving cycle routes and cycle parking in the borough, visit our Cycle Schemes section by clicking the link on the left side of this page.
To find out how to travel 'green' to our main council offices, click on the Green Travel link on the right, under Related Information.
For more information about cycling in London and the UK, click on the London Cycling Campaign and Cyclists' Touring Club links on the right, under Useful Websites.
Page Last Updated: 25 January 2010