Tour de Waltham Forest returned on Sunday 20th September in Walthamstow, starting and finishing in Lloyd Park. The event brought rides, activities and family fun into the park for a single day.
Tour de Waltham Forest is Waltham Forest's largest annual community cycling event. Riders could choose from 3 cycling routes: Bronze, Silver and Gold, with distances of approximately 9km, around 16km and approximately 20km.
Lloyd Park and the routes
The event split the riding into self-guided and supported options. Self-guided rides took place in the morning with clear signage and an online map to follow, while the same routes were ridden in the afternoon with support from experienced ride leaders.
That setup gave cyclists a choice over how they joined in. It also meant the park worked as both a start point and finish point, rather than a separate gathering space for riders only.
Park access in Walthamstow
No ticket was needed to come along and enjoy the event in the park. Ride tickets had to be booked in advance to take part in the guided or self-guided rides.
That split is the practical detail for anyone planning ahead: park visitors could turn up for the free activities, food stalls and free Dr Bike checks for brakes, tyres and wheels, while riders had to secure a place before the day.
How many people attended was not stated. For anyone deciding whether to go, the event was open at Lloyd Park for non-riders as well as cyclists, but the riding side depended on advance booking.
