Free cycle maintenance courses

The Council's cycle maintenance classes are up and running again.

The next advanced courses are from 10am to 4pm on Saturdays 24 and 31 January, while the next basic course is on Saturday 7 February with two sessions - 10am to 12noon and 1pm to 3pm.

The free classes at myplace, in Dagnam Park Drive, Harold Hill, have a basic course, which includes how to fix a puncture, while the advanced course will cover removal and installation of cycle parts. 

Get details of maintenance courses here.

Cycle Training

Havering Council offers free training for families and adults to help improve cyclists awareness of possible dangers on the road and improve safety.

Many pupils also benefit from free bike ability training at school. 

Get details of free cycle training courses here.

Urban Driver Training

Transport for London (TfL) has developed an Accredited Driver CPC course for goods vehicle drivers, which promotes the safety and sharing of roads with vulnerable road users in London with a particular focus on cyclists.

Courses planned for Romford include one on  Monday 26 January as well as courses later in 2015.

More information is here.

Lee Valley Velopark competition winner

In the launch issue Cycling News teamed up with Lee Valley Velopark, where the London 2012 cycling events took place, to offer a lucky reader and a friend the chance to experience one of the four cycling disciplines for free.

The winner of the competition is Jeanette Martin, of RM11, who won two pairs of tickets for a taster session, worth up to £60. Lee Valley will be contacting her to arrange their visit.

Lee Valley Velopark is the world class cycling centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Abercrombie Road, London, E20 3AB. The venue brings together four Olympic cycling disciplines of track, BMX, road and mountain biking.

Cycle hire charges change

From Friday 2 January, Barclays Cycle Hire charge structure will be simplified to £2 per 30 minutes after the initial free period.

Details of charges are available here.

Public pumps

Havering Council has installed a pump for cyclists at Upminster Station (pictured) and is planning to install more pumps during 2015.

If you have a suggestion of where such a pump could be installed, so it would be used by a lot of cyclists, please send details to Daniel Douglas.

Delivered by bike

Financial support is available to help businesses wishing to use cargo bikes for deliveries.

Cargo bikes are now being used in several cities across the UK to deliver quite large loads for the ‘last mile’.

Cyclelogistics Ahead will run until April 2017 and aims to create 100 new start-ups as it works with the transport sector, councils and others to reduce urban-logstics emissions to near zero by 2030.

Schemes are partly funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme of the European Union.

[Photo courtesy of Box Bike Delivery]

Keep on the right side of the law

The Highway Code (Rule 69) says cyclists MUST obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals.

This means cyclists should not ride on pavements to avoid red traffic lights.

Check out the Highway Code for cyclists here.

Fit to cycle

Havering Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Robert Benham, said: "The start of a new year is a time when many people decide to do more exercise and cycling is an excellent way to enjoy the green spaces of Havering while getting fit.

"This edition of Cycle News highlights the Ingrebourne Way, one of our cycle routes which goes from Harold Hill to Rainham, as well as ways to explore London by bike.

"There are also several cycling groups in Havering so you can join their rides and get tips to help make cycling a pleasure.

"Havering Council offers a range of training courses to help people cycle safely as well as maintenance classes so you can keep your bike in top condition.

"Making sure your cycle is on the Bike Register is easy too with regular cycle coding sessions held in Romford Market.

"So if you’re cycling in 2015, please do so safely and enjoy the parks and green belt which makes Havering such a pleasant place."

The Right Route:

The Ingrebourne Way

Havering Council, in partnership with the sustainable transport charity Sustrans, is encouraging people to use the Ingrebourne Way, a 13 mile traffic-free/light traffic route from Harold Hill in the north of the Borough to Rainham and the river Thames in the south.

The route, which is fully signposted so you won't lose your way, is primarily on well-kept tarmac paths and pavement, and passes through a number of the Borough's green spaces to form a single, continuous public route suitable for all.

More information is available here.

Mark it in the Market

Have your bike security coded, by the Safer Transport team, free of charge on the first Saturday of each month.

The next session will be on Saturday 24 January, between 11.00am and 2.00pm at the South Street end of the market place between Lloyds Bank and the Cooperative Bank.

All residents have to do is turn up so their bike can be security marked and stickers will be attached to warn would be thieves that they should leave this cycle alone. Details are added to the Bike Register.

These free sessions in Romford Market, usually on the first Saturday of each month, are one of the ways that the council and police work together to keep crime levels low in our community.

Find out more about cycle security.

Local cycling groups

These are several cycling groups that operate in Havering. 

All welcome new members and give you the opportunity to ride with fellow cyclists.

More information here.