London Sky Ride gets bigger, better route

This year’s London Sky Ride will take in even more iconic sights thanks to an extended 15km traffic-free route.

Boris Johnson was joined earlier today by actress Kelly Brook to launch the Mayor of London’s Sky Ride and unveil changes to a route that will allow cyclists to experience many of the capital’s most famous locations from the comfort of their saddles while cruising on blissfully traffic-free streets.Tens of thousands of cyclists are expected to take part in the free event this Sunday.

The route will be traffic-free between 9.30am and 4.30pm with riders experiencing the heart of London using a circular route running from the Tower of London to Buckingham Palace via the City of London and St Paul’s Cathedral. This year the route will also take riders through Parliament Square passing Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

People of all ages and abilities are being encouraged to get on their bikes for the event and cycle with friends and family. Last year the Mayor of London’s Sky Ride saw over 65,000 people  taking to the streets to enjoy a day of bike based entertainment.

Joining the cyclists on the day will be the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, actress and model Kelly Brook, four-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy and riders from Team Sky, Britain’s new professional road cycling team.

The return of the Mayor of London's Sky Ride is part of a series of initiatives in the capital during what the Mayor has dubbed London's 'Year of Cycling', including Transport for London's delivery of landmark cycle superhighways and cycle hire projects.

Boris Johnson, said: "Being able to cycle on traffic free streets past some of the world’s most iconic sights is sheer bliss for anyone with a love of our great city or the bicycle. It is surely the greatest cycle celebration in the country and I urge everyone, whatever your age or ability, to come down on Sunday and take part."

Kelly Brook was equally enthusiastic and said: “I love cycling and it is such a fantastic way to keep fit, the best part about these events is that it doesn't matter if you're a novice or a more experienced rider; they have something for all ages and abilities. Over 65,000 people came to last year’s Mayor of London’s Sky Ride and I hope to see even more people coming down on September 5th.”

Sky Ride ambassador Sir Chris Hoy added: “I enjoy all the Sky Ride events but it’s always something extra special experiencing one of the world’s most exciting cities in a unique, traffic-free environment. I really hope to see even more people taking part in the event this year.”