BikeFest is coming to Barking!

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11am–9pm Saturday 21 May 2022
Abbey Green, Barking IG11 8AS

The Barking BikeFest is a fantastic free event for all the family celebrating cycling and sustainability.

There will be something for everyone with cycle races for young and old, professional and amateur, a showcase of electric travel and a range of community stalls and entertainment throughout the day.

Please note photography and filming will be taking place throughout the event.

Find out more here:

  • The Tour Series 2022 - the only London round of the televised professional race
  • Community BikeFest – register here now for you chance to race
  • The Green Village – community fun and entertainment on Abbey Green
  • Electric Avenue - showcasing green travel technology
  • Click here for the full programme or read the event day programme

Getting to BikeFest is easy!
Barking is on the tube, train and lots of bus routes. Plus we have plenty of cycle parking on Abbey Green on the day, courtesy of the Project Centre. Buses that stop at Barking station include the 62, 287, 368, 687, EL1, EL2, EL3. To plan your journey visit TfL’s website.


11am–9pm Saturday 21 May 2022
Abbey Green, Barking IG11 8AS

The Barking BikeFest is a fantastic free event for all the family celebrating cycling and sustainability.

There will be something for everyone with cycle races for young and old, professional and amateur, a showcase of electric travel and a range of community stalls and entertainment throughout the day.

Please note photography and filming will be taking place throughout the event.

Find out more here:

  • The Tour Series 2022 - the only London round of the televised professional race
  • Community BikeFest – register here now for you chance to race
  • The Green Village – community fun and entertainment on Abbey Green
  • Electric Avenue - showcasing green travel technology
  • Click here for the full programme or read the event day programme

Getting to BikeFest is easy!
Barking is on the tube, train and lots of bus routes. Plus we have plenty of cycle parking on Abbey Green on the day, courtesy of the Project Centre. Buses that stop at Barking station include the 62, 287, 368, 687, EL1, EL2, EL3. To plan your journey visit TfL’s website.


  • BikeFest is a Tour de Force!

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    Almost 10,000 people flocked to Abbey Green on Saturday (21 May) to enjoy the fun in the sun at Barking first ever BikeFest, sponsored by Amazon Key.

    As well as the professional Tour Series cycle races, which were televised on Sunday night ITV4, residents enjoyed a huge range of activities including BMX bike displays, Salsa dancing workshops, live music, electric vehicles, information stalls from local campaign groups, and children’s entertainment.

    The community races, supported by Willmott Dixon and Weston Homes, gave hundreds of local people – aged from 3 to 64 - the opportunity to compete on the professional racetrack, under the enthusiastic gaze of their friends and loved ones.

    There was also an all-abilities Cycle 4 All race – sponsored by EcoWorld – which demonstrated how inclusive cycling can be and providing an opportunity for disabled residents to cross the finish line and receive a medal.

    Councillor Ashraf said “BikeFest was a huge success and it did exactly what it was meant to do: promoting sustainable and healthy travel in fun and creative way.

    “Residents were involved on the track, on the electric vehicles and on the dance floor - it was wonderful to see.”

    Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Be First Regeneration, said: “Sustainability is central to our mission to accelerate regeneration for the people of Barking and Dagenham, and BikeFest really illustrated this.

    “It demonstrated just how exciting, varied and practical cycling can be - from professional racing and daredevil stunts to everyday commuting and electric Lime bikes. We hope it will help to start a cycling revolution, to improve air quality and reduce traffic and congestion in the borough.”

  • Buckle up for the Barking BikeFest

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    It’s just days away from what will be one of London’s biggest sporting events this weekend when professional cyclists on ITV 4’s Tour Series come to Barking on Saturday, 21 May.

    It’s been three years since the series last visited the capital and as part the day, Be First and Barking and Dagenham Council will be hosting the Barking BikeFest.

    Sponsored by Amazon Key the event will be a wider celebration of cycling and sustainability.

    And for the first time ever, the Tour Series will be giving equal billing to women’s and men’s races.

    To celebrate this Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council will be presenting the winner of the women’s race with the Mary Wollstonecraft Cup – honouring the pioneering feminist who once lived in the borough.

    Cllr Darren Rodwell said: “It’s great such a top sporting event is coming to Barking and hopefully visitors and local people will be able to enjoy a fabulous festival of fun and entertainment in the stunning, historic setting of Abbey Green. I am especially proud to be presenting the Mary Wollstonecraft Cup – it’s apt as this borough has always led from the front in fighting for justice and fairness from the suffragettes to the Ford women strikers.”

    Mick Bennett, Tour Series race director, said: “The countdown to the Barking BikeFest is now well and truly on! This family-friendly, free-to-attend festival is going to unforgettable, topped off with the sight of seeing Britain’s fastest men and women battling it out to take Tour Series glory. Don’t miss it!”

    Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Be First, said: “The Barking BikeFest will be a unique event which will celebrate cycling and sustainability. I am sure it will be a great day out for Londoners in what will hopefully be a glorious late spring day.”
    The Barking BikeFest will run from 11am to 9pm around the historic Abbey Green on Saturday 21 May and will also include:   
    • Community racing for all ages and abilities – there is still time to sign up. Anyone interested should go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bikefest-community-races-registration-314421783017. The races are sponsored by Willmott Dixon and Weston Homes
    • Marvellous music from Kasai Masai, whose lead singer has played at Glastonbury, Roberto Pla, who has performed with the likes of Kate Bush, and Redonizm
    • Kid’s Zone, there will be plenty for them to do, with entertainment from Kid’s People, arts and crafts
    • Electric Avenue – showcasing green technology including e-bikes, electric cars and Bin Bot – a giant green robot!
    • BMX and mountain bike display team from the daredevils of Fusion Extreme who will be wowing the crowd with their stunts
    • Inflatable goal for penalty takers laid on by the community team from Dagenham and Redbridge FC

  • Amazon Key to sponsor unique East London cycling event

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    Amazon Key has today been announced as the headline sponsor of the Barking BikeFest next month which will feature the only London leg of the Tour Series cycling race which is televised on ITV4.

    Amazon Key provides safe, secure and convenient deliveries to customers enhancing the Amazon delivery experience for staff and residents of apartment buildings.

    It is a further commitment to the borough by Amazon which opened a new delivery station in Barking in November last year, serving customers based in the Barking area. The delivery station has created more than 50 permanent jobs, in addition to hundreds of driver opportunities for Amazon Logistics’ delivery service partners and Amazon Flex delivery partners.

    Amazon Key will join Weston Homes, Countryside and L&Q, Willmott Dixon, and the Project Centre as sponsors of the event.  

    Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Be First, Barking and Dagenham Council’s regeneration arm, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic that Amazon Key has decided to sponsor the Barking BikeFest and shows their commitment to Barking and Dagenham.   

    “The Barking BikeFest will be a unique event which will celebrate cycling and sustainability and will for the first time give prominence to women’s cycling with the presentation of Mary Wollstonecraft Cup to the winner in honour of the pioneering feminist who once lived in the borough. I am sure it will be a great day out for east Londoners in what will hopefully be a glorious Spring day.”

    Mick Bennett, Tour Series race director, said: “We’re super excited that Barking and Dagenham will be hosting the London leg of the Tour Series. The historic Barking Abbey will provide an amazing backdrop to the Tour Series for the thousands of visitors and cycling fans that we expect on the day.  We commend the commitment of Be First, the council and their sponsors to create a whole celebration of cycling, healthy living and green travel to complement the Tour Series – it’s bold, ambitious and far sighted.”

    Winners of the women’s race will receive the Mary Wollstonecraft Cup after the pioneering feminist who once lived in the borough.   

    The Barking BikeFest will run from 11am to 9pm around the historic Abbey Green on Saturday 21 May
    and will also include:   

    • Community BikeFest –participation events on the race-course for local people  
    • The Green Village – community fun and entertainment on Abbey Green  
    • Electric Avenue – showcasing green travel technology 

  • Your chance to cycle with the professionals

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    Be First has issued a clarion call to cyclists of all ages and abilities to grab a chance to race around Abbey Green as part of the Barking BikeFest next month.

    Barking and Dagenham Council’s regeneration arm is urging budding bikers to sign up to the community cycle races for various age groups ranging from under 8s to adult novices.

    The Barking BikeFest, which takes place on 21 May at Abbey Green, will host the only London leg of the televised and professional cycling Tour Series, together with a range of displays and activities on the theme of cycling and sustainability.

    Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Be First, said: “At Be First we’re committed to inclusiveness, which is why the Barking BikeFest will not only include elite racing but also community races for all ages and abilities.

    “By making sure BikeFest is open to all we hope to instil a love of cycling and a lasting legacy of healthy living in Barking and Dagenham."

    The community races are supported by local developer Weston Homes and construction company Willmott Dixon, with the assistance of the Barking and Dagenham Cycle Club and the inclusive cycling team at Trailnet.

    Bob Weston, Chairman of Weston Homes, said: “This a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local people to race on the same circuit as many of the UK’s top cyclists and to have a great day out, so we’re delighted to be involved.”

    Chris Tredget, Managing Director at Willmott Dixon said: “We’re heavily involved with the local community though our work building new homes in the Gascoigne neighbourhood of Barking, so we’re really excited to be providing a chance for local children to get involved in this exciting event.”

    Anyone interested in taking part in the community races can register here.

  • Latest news

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    Youngsters from Barking and Dagenham Cycling Club met professional cyclists from the AWOL O’Shea and Brother UK – LDN cycling teams today, together with Councillor Syed Ghani, of Barking and Dagenham Council, to announce a festival of cycling and sustainability in May, incorporating the UK’s leading gender equal cycling races.

    The races will form the only London round of the televised Tour Series event and will form part of a wider Barking BikeFest, which will take place around the historic Abbey Green on 21 May.

    Barking will host the series in the year that the event will start alternating between staging the men’s and women’s races first and second on the schedule. Additionally, both events will take place over the same one hour and five lap distance, with the series continuing to offer equal prize pots for the winners. Winners of the women’s race will receive the Mary Wollstonecraft Cup after the pioneering feminist who once lived in the borough.

    Cllr Ghani, Barking and Dagenham Council’s Cabinet member for Public Realm, said: “BikeFest is going to be a fantastic free event for all the family. Not only will it be a wonderful celebration of cycling and sustainability but also of equality.

    “It’s fitting Barking is to host a gender equal cycling event as I believe our borough is the birthplace of feminism in the UK. From Mary Wollstonecraft, who lived here, to the Dagenham Ford women strikers, this borough has always fought hard for fairness and equality.”

    Mick Bennett, Tour Series race director, said: “I know cycling fans have been clamouring for the Tour Series to return to London, so I hope they start making plans to come to Barking on Saturday 21 May! We’re excited to be a part of the first-ever BikeFest, which promises to be a fantastic community event, and I can only thank everybody involved behind-the-scenes for all of their efforts so far. You won’t want to miss this – it’s going to be great!”

    Russell Coe, Secretary of Barking and Dagenham Cycling Club, said: “It’s brilliant that Barking is hosting the London round of the Tour Series in 2022 and opening up and promoting cycling in the community by hosting BikeFest – it’s a bold and visionary move from the council and Be First.”

    Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Be First, Barking and Dagenham’s regeneration arm, which is helping to organise BikeFest, said: “We’re really looking forward to the BikeFest which will have top class racing and will be a wonderful community event to celebrate and promote cycling, healthy living and green sustainable travel.”

    The Barking BikeFest will run from 11am to 9pm and will also include:

    • Community BikeFest – mass participation events on the race-course for local people
    • The Green Village – community fun and entertainment on Abbey Green
    • Electric Avenue- showcasing green travel technology

    Further information on timings of the day’s events will follow.


Page last updated: 24 May 2022, 04:58 PM