About us

In the beginning

Cycle Islington, formerly Islington Cyclists Action Group (ICAG) was formed on the 30th June 1976. ICAG became a part of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC), itself founded in 1983, many years later.

What we do

Cycle Islington is run by volunteers and works to improve facilities for cyclists and encourage more people to take up cycling. We promote cycling in the community at events during the year. Cycle Islington advocates consideration by all for all on our streets.

We meet Islington Council officers every six weeks and the Executive member for Transport 4 times a year. We review major transport schemes and lobby for cycle infrastructure, secure bike parking etc.

We published a paper newsletter which until summer 2019 was mailed out with the London Cyclist, the LCC members’ magazine Here are the back copies.  All LCC members based in Islington will get formal quarterly newsletters via email from us; we also send out informal emails, Hello from Cycle Islington, to subscribers to our email list, see below.

If you join LCC (and please do join LCC) and live in Islington you automatically become a member of Cycle Islington.

Monthly Meetings

If there is anything you’d like to raise anything about cycling in Islington do come along on the second Wednesday of the month at the Town Hall [gmap] at 7.00 – 9.00pm (see events calendar lower down). People who walk, cycle, scoot, bus and drive, LCC members or otherwise, are all welcome. We’re usually in room 3 but have a look the display inside the main entrance or ask the security guard. We rarely cancel and or change date.  We normally go to the pub afterwards.

All of CI’s activity is coordinated through these meetings. Here are minutes of previous meetings.

How we are organised

We have a constitution and publish our annual accounts. We have a committee and at our AGM held on 10 May 2023, the following officers were re-elected for 2023/24 :-

CI co-ordinator: Eilidh Murray, Secretary: John Hartley, Treasurer: Keith Macfarlane

Committee:  New members: Johanna Gewolker, Amir Shamsuddin

Re-elected members: Susanne Grieshaber, Steve Knattress, Nick Kocherhook, Chris Kenyon, Oli Lord

Thanks to Graham Parks for his work on the committee over the past several years.

Getting Involved

Got an itch to make Islington a bit better? Think it could be nicer to cycle? Worried about public health? Want to do something empowering, and actually make a difference?

Then you’ve found the group for you.

There are lots of ways of getting involved. The most precious thing to give is your time; whether that’s two minutes responding to various consultations or a bit longer developing group responses and campaigns, it all makes a difference.

We’re also always looking to collaborate with other local organisations, so if that sounds fun, let us know how we could work together.

Staying in touch

Facebook, twitter and youtube links are in the top right corner.

Subscribe by email to the general Cycle Islington list by sending a blank email to news+subscribe@CycleIslington.groups.io. There are about 10 messages a month and 80 subscribers and includes Islington Council officers.

Subscribe by email to the infrastructure focused Cycle Islington Infrastructure list by sending a blank email to infra+subscribe@CycleIslington.groups.io  There are less than 30 subscribers almost all of whom are on the general list. This is also a superset of the regular monthly meeting attendees.

We also post links to larger infrastructure schemes on Islington cyclescape pages to which you can subscribe and comment.

Do join the London Cycling Campaign.  You will add weight to our voice with council officers, councillors, TfL (Transport for London), the GLA and the Mayor.

Rides

We organise two or three special rides each year like these. For weekly rides we recommend the Islington Cycling Club. This is North London’s fastest growing cycling club and is unusual as it has a high proportion of female members – so it’s not all testosterone and lycra!

The Central London CTC website lists the rides organised by groups and clubs in and out of London.

Workshops and Dr Bike

1. Islington Council runs multiple Dr Bike sessions each month in different locations around the borough. Just turn up but double check their calendar first.
2. Cycle Islington run a monthly workshop from 1pm to 3pm on the first Sunday of each month at Sunnyside Community Centre, Sunnyside Rd, N19. Contact Adrian Williams on 07810 211902.
3. Across the Hackney border Hackney Bike Workshop hold regular workshops each month. Camden Cyclists also have a workshop at Kentish Town Health Centre on the first Monday of each month except if a bank holiday, check their events page for details.
   

   Events Calendar