New Bike Clubs in Harrow

Harrow has 3 new bike clubs which have just launched and are being booked up fast. We have a Learn to Balance and Ride session which will run regularly until March at Harrow Leisure Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information and book visit here.

We are also running 2 new bike clubs for women - one is for those new to cycling and another is an adventure club for the more ambitious. Both are women only sessions and can be booked here.

Harrow Christmas Party Brings out the Crowds

On Saturday 30 November, crowds of people came to Harrow Town Centre to share in the festive fun that was part of the Harrow Christmas Party.
Hundreds of families turned out to see the market stalls, visit local shops, cheer on entertainers and meet Bob the Builder and Peppa Pig, ending the evening with a spectacular fireworks display and the official 'switching on' of the festive lights.
A huge thank you to everyone that attended, to those who queued to have their photo taken with Bob and Peppa and to the Town Centre Team Andy Stubbs and Louise Baxter, who helped plan and put on a fantastic event in Harrow Town Centre. This event was made possible by the Mayor of London's Outer London Fund in conjunction with Harrow Council. Some photos from the event are to follow and remember to shop local this Christmas!

Harrow Christmas Party

Come along to Harrow town centre on Saturday 30 November for a fun filled day packed with entertaining things for you and your family to do. Have a look around local shops and get some Christmas shopping done, stay for a firework display and meet some well loved children's characters like Peppa Pig and Bob the Builder! There might even be some It's Up to All of Us goodies there...

October

October's here and Autumn is well and truly underway. Don't forget to take a walk and see the changes of seasons for yourself. Enjoy one of Harrow's many local parks or wander down the Belmont Trail to see some plants and foliage you won't get to see for another year. Whether you're walking or cycling around Harrow, enjoy Autumn and remember to wrap up.

Back to School

It's almost time to go back to school!

Try and plan your journey ahead and remember if you walk or cycle there then you'll be able to predict the journey time much more accurately than if you're being driven there. Walking to school is also a great way to get some exercise in on the way in, which helps boost concentration levels. So this September, make a pledge to walk to school!

Dr Bike is Back at St Alban's Church, North Harrow

After a fantastic turnout last time, we'll be back at St Alban's Church in North Harrow this Saturday from 1030 until 430pm supporting their Summer Fair with our very own Dr Bike service. So if you need your bike tuned up, MOT'd or just some minor repairs, bring it along to the St Alban's Church Summer Fair in Norwood Drive, North Harrow and we'll sort you out.

Keep cycling!

Photos from Pledge 2 Pedal 2013

We proudly supported St Luke's Hospice's Pledge 2 Pedal again this year which was a great day with lots of cycling fun for a good cause. Here are some pictures from the event.

Pledge 2 Pedal Event Charity Bike Ride this Sunday

We are proud to be supporting St Luke's Hospice's charity bike ride Pledge 2 Pedal again this year.

2013's event will take place THIS SUNDAY (Sunday May 19th) at Harrow Recreation Ground with a 9am start. We will be providing a Dr Bike on site for anyone to get their bike serviced and ready for the ride (or even if you just want to pop along and get your bike looked at).

For more information visit www.stlukes-hospice.org/p2p2013.

St Alban's Church event

A huge thank you to everyone who came out for the St Alban's Church cycle event last Saturday. Our bike doctors serviced 46 bikes and the police secure marked 51 bikes. Thank you to everyone who visited the event and of course to the church for launching their travel plan in such a green way!

Green Travel Day at Stanmore College (open to students and staff only)

The Event: Green Travel Day
The Date: April 29
The Venue: Stanmore College (open to students and staff only)
The Ride: Various interactive environmental displays and Dr Bike

This event is open to staff and students of Stanmore College only.

Join the Cycling Revolution event (only open to staff and students at Harrow College)

The Event: Join Cycling Revolution
The Date: Tuesday 23rd April 10.30-2.30pm
The Venue: Harrow College (open to staff and students only)
The Ride: Bike Simulator Challenge, Dr Bike, Sign up for Free Cycling Safety courses, Cycle King stand with discounts.

Cycle into Spring event this Saturday!

The Event: Cycle into Spring at St Alban’s
The Date: Saturday 20th April 10.00-12.00
The Ride: Free bike maintenance checks, security advice and a fun cycle ride around the area.
All ages welcome.
The Venue: St Alban's Church, The Ridgeway, North Harrow, Middlesex HA2 7PF

A huge thank you to St Alban's Church, congregation, supporters and the community of North Harrow that make events like these possible and such a success. Congratulations on your new travel plan!
IT'S UP TO ALL OF US!

This Saturday: Community Bike Day

Forthcoming Cycling Events

We are proud to support the following upcoming events with our Dr Bike services available on site.

April 20 Cycle into Spring, St Alban’s Church, North Harrow 10-12 noon (security marking, Dr Bike and a fun led ride) - all welcome
April 23 Harrow College (Cycling Revolution event with Dr Bike) - for staff and students

April 29 Stanmore College (Green Travel Day with Dr Bike) - for staff and students

May 19  Pledge 2 Pedal (St Luke's Hospice charity bike ride with Dr Bike), Harrow Recreation Ground from 9am

We hope to see you there and will have reminders on the site a few days in advance of each event.

Make Your Own Cycle Lane

Ever cycled down a dark road and wished it was illuminated a bit more? Well now you can while protecting the very head that had this thought. 

Someone kindly sent us details of the Xfire LED head light system which is already up for order. We haven't tested this yet but watch for our review of it here once we receive one. It is also advisable to check if it's street legal in the UK.

Goodbye 2012

This post is to say a simple THANK YOU to everyone who has visited and supported this blog and events associated with Harrow's It's Up to All of Us campaign.

With the Olympics bringing some sporty excitement to London in 2012, it's been a great year. We couldn't have our annual cycling roadshow at Under One Sky due to the demands of the Olympics but we'll be there next year with details being announced in due course. Despite not having a huge roadshow we're proud to have had many mini-events and information stands as well as Dr Bikes at community events and schools. We're extremely pleased with the feedback many have given to our interactive video which launched just before the Olympics and the people we've seen on the many walks taking place in Harrow.

Now that it's the end of the year, enjoy some mince pies and be sure to walk them off or get on a bike during the Christmas break, or just after. A new year always brings the opportunity to implement a new healthy travelling plan into your lifestyle that may even save you money on a gym membership and travel costs. 

Have a fantastic break, thank you for the support in 2012 and we'll be back here in January.

And one last thing: whether you walk, cycle, recycle, car share, take a bus, train, shop local or drive an electric car - you're a big part of what makes this community one of the best in London. Thank you. It's Up to All of Us!

Guest Blog Entry: From Councillor Susan Anderson

"I've always enjoyed walking and for the last 3 years or so have been a walk leader for the Harrow health walk scheme.  Many of the walk leaders do weekly walks throughout the year.  Because of my other commitments I don’t have time to do this but I enjoy leading a monthly walk along the Belmont Trail in the summer.

Because I live close to Harrow town centre and the Civic Centre walking is the obvious way for me to get about.  This is great except when it rains (I hate sitting at work or in a meeting in damp clothes).  This month I was able to rationalise my dislike of wet weather as I had a rain related accident – hopefully a first and last.  I was walking up Station Road to work, stepped on a wet metal grating around a  tree and fell flat on my face.  Of course  I leaped up pretending nothing had happened. Which was about right, as all I had to show for it was a minute graze on my right hand.  However I have been avoiding metal grids since then and have managed to stay upright. 

I enjoyed the switch on of the Christmas lights in Harrow town centre on Saturday much more than I expected.  The Mayor did a great job counting down, ably supported by a crowd keen to see X factor hopefuls MITSOTU and Kye Sones.  The girl from MITSOTU and Kye were great, really entered into the spirit of the thing and kept everyone entertained.  Great to see this kind of event in the town centre encouraging people  to “ Shop Local”.  

On Sunday I had some newsletters to deliver locally and was looking forward to a walk in the sunshine.  But by the time I'd done some housework and answered a few e-mails  I was thinking I’d have to run round with the newsletters rather than walk.  I didn't want to wait for my husband to come home with the car, so for the first time in ages I got my bike out of the shed and pedalled round the ward. It was great, and I saved enough to time to stop off and have a chat with a pensioner friend who has not been keeping too well."

Councillor Susan Anderson is a walk leader, Harrow resident and Councillor for Greenhill ward.

London TravelWatch event in Harrow this Saturday

London TravelWatch is holding a transport users’ engagement event in Harrow on Saturday 10 November. 

The event will take place between 10am and 1pm on a New bus for London, which will be parked in front of St George’s Shopping Centre in Harrow town centre.  Representatives from London TravelWatch, local transport operators and transport user groups including Harrow Public Transport Users Association will be on hand to give transport users the opportunity to ask questions and give their views on any aspects of travelling in and around Harrow, including changes to the Metropolitan Line timetable, accessibility issues at Harrow on the Hill Station and hospital transport issues relating to the North West Middlesex and Central Middlesex hospitals.

Transport users are encouraged to come along to the engagement event to share their experiences, suggestions and comments on any aspect of travelling locally.  We will make sure those involved in making transport decisions in Harrow are made aware of everything we hear on the day and any complaints will be taken up if necessary.

A questionnaire will be handed out on the day, and every copy that is completed will be entered into a prize draw for an Oyster Card loaded with £50.

Half Term

Last week was half term and this is what peak time traffic looked like on a usually busy road, round the corner from a school at 0900.

Classic..

And as a final image, the church also had some classic cars on display.

Well done to St Alban's Church for putting on such a great event, showing us some bikes through the ages, including the exceptional wooden one, the "boneshaker" and the ones made in Harrow. Thank you to the Veteran Cycle Club for coming along and being a delight to talk to about the bikes.