More than 1,000 school children will take to the streets of east London on 6 July in an attempt to break the world record for the most riders in a ‘bike bus’.
50 schools from around the area will take part in ‘Bike around the Borough’, which is organised by Hackney Council in partnership with the Met Police as part of a wider attempt to encourage more children to cycle.
A bike bus is a cyclist’s version of a walking bus, where a group of cyclists ride together along a set route, picking up people as they go. The current world record stands at 880, achieved by Banksia Beach State School, Australia, in 2014.
871 children took part in last year’s event which was believed to be the largest ever single line bike ride of school children in the UK.
The route starts in Hackney Downs Park at 10am and stops at Clissold Park before making its way to Haggerston Park where there will be BMX stunts, bike repairs and fun bike-related activities for the participants to enjoy.
Pop-up motivation stations will be positioned along the route that can be enjoyed by anyone in Hackney on the day to help create a festival atmosphere.
Cllr Feryal Demirci, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and sustainability, said: “Bike Around the Borough is one of the highlights of our calendar, and this year it will be bigger and better as we look forward to smashing the world record and putting Hackney, London’s top cycling borough, on the global map.
“But as well as being a fun day out, the event holds important themes: getting more children cycling as part of their daily lives, and reducing the dominance of the motor vehicle on our roads.”
Bike Around the Borough is sponsored by VolkerHighways and the Berkeley Group, with organisers advising that there may be minor delays on some roads during the day.
29 June 2016