TfL launches major new initiative ahead of the summer to encourage Londoners to try cycling on Sundays

Transport for London (TfL) is launching a major new programme of leisurely cycle routes and support to encourage Londoners who are new to cycling to explore the capital by cycle on Sundays. TfL Cycle Sundays, which has been developed in collaboration with leading cycling organisations, aims to offer beginner friendly journeys for Londoners, backed up by a range of support to make it even easier to try out cycling for the first time. Leisure cycling provides people with an easy and sustainable way to maintain their mental and physical wellbeing and build up confidence.

The routes have been selected by TfL and a range of partners including British Cycling, Cycle Sisters, JoyRiders, London Cycling Campaign, Sustrans and Wheels for Wellbeing, and include park rides in Greenwich and Battersea, an accessible cycle tour of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a loop through parks in Haringey and many more spanning the capital. The routes give cyclists of all abilities a choice of leisure routes up to ten miles long on quiet roads and paths.

A full list of routes can be found on the TfL Cycle Sundays website, which also offers cycling discounts, links to cycling organisations and their events and access to our free online Cycle Skills course for new cyclists or anyone who needs a refresher to get cycling again.

TfL has partnered with Strava for another easy way to access and track leisure routes across London. There will be leisurely, easy to follow cycle routes across London for cyclists of all backgrounds and abilities, available in the TfL Cycle Sundays Club in Strava. Accessing the routes through Strava will enable riders to see the map in real time with directions, track their route length, see the route difficulty level, elevation levels and how busy the road is. Downloading Strava is free to use and joining the TfL Cycle Sundays club will enable people to connect with friends and other cyclists.

Hiring a Santander Cycle is easy and one of the most affordable ways to travel in the capital. The Day Pass allows unlimited journeys under 30 minutes all day from £3. Santander Cycles e-bikes will be available to members for an additional £1 per half hour with the new Day Pass. E-bikes are otherwise available for £3.30 per 30-minute ride for non-members and customers without a Day Pass, or a fare of £1 per 60 minutes for monthly and annual members.  Anyone can become a member by creating an account for free online or through the app. TfL is also on track to add an additional 1,400 new e-bikes to the scheme this summer, more than tripling the number available to hire and further expanding access to cycling for all.

Road danger and the fear of collisions are a major barrier to increasing cycling numbers. TfL encourages Londoners to cycle safely and London’s boroughs have made significant progress in expanding London’s network of high-quality Cycleways in recent years. London now has over 360km of strategic cycle routes across London, and during this financial year, TfL will continue to work with London's boroughs to deliver more Cycleways expanding the network to new areas. With £19.5m of investment already announced, this funding will complete Cycleways between Lea Bridge and Dalston, between Deptford and Deptford Creek and Hammersmith and Kensington Olympia. This funding will also progress design and delivery of Cycleways across Bexley, Harrow, Hounslow, Bromley and Redbridge.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I'm committed to enabling more Londoners to experience the joys of cycling in the capital. That’s why I'm delighted to support Londoners who are new to cycling, or who haven't got their bike out of the shed in a while, to give it a try on Sundays. TfL is offering a range of cycling discounts and training, as well as highlighting leisure routes people can use in their local area. Those who don’t have their own bike can hire one from the 800 Santander docking stations dotted around the capital and take advantage of the Day Pass, allowing unlimited journeys under 30 minutes from £3. I hope this exciting initiative encourages more Londoners to get out cycling, and incorporate active travel into their daily lives.”

Miranda Leedham, Head of Customer Marketing & Behaviour Change at TfL, said: “We know how important it is to encourage Londoners of all backgrounds to make the most of the benefits of cycling, which is why we are delighted to be launching this exciting new programme.

“Cycling is not only brilliant for your physical and mental health, but also is a great way of getting around and seeing London. You don’t even need your own bike to take part in Cycle Sundays. With around 800 Santander Cycles docking stations across London, you can start your Sunday by hiring a bike and exploring the city.  We hope that this new programme will enable more people from all backgrounds start cycling and exploring new parts of London.”

Mariam Draaijer, CEO of Joyriders, said: “Cycling in London has improved so much over the last few years. Cycle Sundays is the perfect scheme to discover some of the amazing routes London Cycle groups including JoyRiders created over the last few years.

“Discover them on your own or with friends and family and see for yourself how cycle friendly London actually is. If you don’t feel confident enough just yet or don’t know how to ride a bike look up joyriders or one of the other local groups who can help you.”

Sarah Javaid MBE, CEO of Cycle Sisters, said: "The Cycle Sisters team is thrilled to share our routes which explore lovely parts of London as part of the Cycle Sundays campaign. The routes were developed by Cycle Sisters' volunteer Ride Leaders and are used on our weekly group rides that help to make cycling more accessible to Muslim women.  Our beginner-friendly routes make cycling in London a fun and joyful experience to enjoy with family and friends and open up a whole world to discover by bike!"

Nick Barr, Head of Participation at British Cycling, said: “We are delighted to be involved with the TfL Cycle Sundays campaign in order to help deliver a shared vision to inspire more people in London to cycle for recreation, transport and sport. At British Cycling, we're always keen to promote cycling joy in safe and responsible environments, and the TfL Cycle Sundays campaign reflects our ethos, while also promoting some excellent cycling routes for all types of riders to enjoy.”

Brian Bell, Vice President of Global Communications and Social Impact at Strava, said: “TfL Cycle Sundays is a brilliant initiative providing opportunities for everyone to embrace and experience the benefits of exploring London through cycling. There are some beautiful routes to discover, and we are incredibly proud that our partnership with TfL through Strava Metro, the leading platform for active transportation data to make human-powered travel safe, accessible and efficient, has helped improve the capital’s cycling infrastructure to make active transportation better. At Strava, our mission is to motivate people to live their best active life. With the launch of the TfL Cycle Sundays initiative, we are excited to see the joy of cycling celebrated and felt amongst the entire London community.”

TfL's updated Cycling Action Plan 2, published last year, highlights the fundamental role cycling plays in making a greener, more progressive, modern city. The plan outlines why it is essential to broaden the appeal of cycling to a more diverse range of Londoners to ensure cycling levels continue to increase at pace and that all Londoners benefit from the health and economic benefits of cycling. TfL's research shows that people from under-represented groups are open to taking up cycling, but experience different barriers, and the plan outlines ambitious evidence-led measures to support these groups by addressing these barriers.

Londoners can take part in their first TfL Cycle Sundays ride at RideLondon’s FreeCycle on Sunday 26 May. Ford RideLondon FreeCycle is the ultimate ride for cyclists of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Set on a traffic-free route, the event is a unique opportunity to explore central London by bike, and it's completely free to take part. The event includes two Festival Zones at Aldwych and St Paul’s along with the RideLondon HUB at Trafalgar Square, where riders can stop for mechanical help, food and drink and enjoy activities such as music and games. RideLondon offer a free Led Ride to safely guide Londoners from their London Borough to the event.