Bike Week is an annual celebration of cycling, aiming to encourage people to cycle more often. Taking place between 5 and 11 June 2023, you can join in by hopping on your bike and taking up active travel. Here are a few things to make it easier for you to get on your bike.
Free bike repairs
Dr Bike, the council’s much-loved free offer to residents, sees mechanics carry out minor repairs on the spot and give advice on how to look after your bike. Sessions take place every month across the borough.
Storing your bike securely
As part of the council’s investment of £10million to support active travel in Ealing – that’s cycling, walking, scooting or using public transport – you can now store your bike safely and securely in 25 new bike hangars, installed in locations suggested by residents.
Ricardo, a local resident, who has benefited from one of the new bike hangars commented: “I think this is a fantastic idea especially for people like me – I live in a studio with zero room to store a bicycle. The bike hangar is very convenient, it’s near home and it’s super cheap. I could not express how grateful and happy I am.”
Watch out for the next 25 bike hangars that will be installed across the borough this summer, reaching at least 150 by 2026.
Cycling in Southall
From consultations with Southall residents, the council knows they face barriers to cycling – not having a good quality bike, the confidence to cycle, or even someone to cycle with.
That’s why the council, together with Let’s Go Southall, is giving away free bikes to Southall residents, as well as offering free training, daily cycle rides and a community to cycle with. 281 bikes have already found a new home, with over 700 left up for grabs.
As part of its commitment of being open, transparent and inclusive, Ealing Council is working with the community to improve Southall’s streets. Residents can share their ideas in an online survey, at events, workshops and focus groups or by visiting The Dominion Centre by 25 June 2023.
Cycling to school
Bike Week is also a great time for the Ealing 10 Day Active Travel Challenge. Schools can choose any 10 days in June to take part in the challenge, encouraging pupils to choose active and sustainable journeys to school. If your school wants to take part, please email STA@ealing.gov.uk.
The council is encouraging children and their parents to travel to and from school by cycling, as well as walking, scooting, and using public transport, through the TfL STARS accreditation scheme. See Bike Week activity ideas on TfL STARS website.
A school street is where the streets around a school are closed to most traffic at school opening and closing times, cutting air pollution and creating a safer and more pleasant environment around schools.
The borough already has 21 schools with a school street with a further 29 schools to take part by 2026.
Better workplaces by bike
Why not encourage your staff and colleagues to embrace active travel during this year’s Bike Week by organising a bike ride at your workplace or taking part in Bike Week 100 challenge?
Councillor Peter Mason, Leader of Ealing Council said: “Helping our residents to walk and cycle more remains a key priority for us, and I hope that lots of Ealing residents take Bike Week as an opportunity to give cycling a go.
“We will continue to work with our community to help people cycle more.”
Councillor Deirdre Costigan, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for climate action, said: “Switching from the car to a bike for those shorter journeys not only helps clean up our air, ease traffic congestion and tackle the climate crisis, it also improves our health and quality of life.
From handing out free bikes, creating new cycle lanes, running training sessions and repair workshops, and delivering the cheapest secure bike hangars in London, we’re doing everything we can to make it easier for our residents to get on their bike this summer.”
