London’s iconic Trafalgar Square will host the inaugural Ford RideLondon HUB as part of the world’s greatest festival of cycling between Friday 26 and Sunday 28 May.

Designed as a stunning focal point of this year’s Ford RideLondon cycling weekend, the Ford RideLondon HUB at Trafalgar Square will provide a range of free entertainment and exciting bike-based activities for people to stop by and try out.

Created by Ford RideLondon in partnership with Greater London Authority (GLA) and Westminster City Council (WCC), the HUB aims to inspire more people to enjoy cycling and promote active travel in London. It will also include bike skills demonstrations, food and drink stalls and a giant screen showing live every stage of the Ford RideLondon Classique, the three-day UCI Women’s WorldTour race that is part of the Ford RideLondon weekend.

Its position in Trafalgar Square ensures the HUB will also be at the heart of the mass participation events that are part of Ford RideLondon on Sunday 28 May including Ford RideLondon FreeCycle, the biggest, free inspirational bike ride in the UK. FreeCycle is held on eight miles of traffic-free roads in central London between 10:00 and 15:00 and includes Trafalgar Square where the HUB will have bike racks to ensure participants can safely store bicycles before exploring the venue.

The Ford RideLondon HUB in Trafalgar Square’s focus on active travel and showcasing how bicycles can be a healthy and sustainable mode of transport will include Ford’s Park the Car initiative, which encourages people to walk or cycle rather than drive short journeys wherever possible.

In association with the Metropolitan Police, BikeRegister will also be in Trafalgar Square to give visitors the opportunity to mark their bikes with a unique registration number and register them online. The bike marking kits, which ensure any recovered stolen bike is returned to its owner, is available at a 10 per cent discount across the three days. For more information visit: www.bikeregister.com

For more information on the Ford RideLondon HUB at Trafalgar Square, click here.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of Ford RideLondon, said: “The Ford RideLondon HUB in Trafalgar Square is an exciting new element to the world’s greatest festival of cycling. Taking place in one of the most iconic squares in the world, it will be a true celebration of all that is wonderful about cycling with activities to inspire people of all ages to get on a bike.”

London Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: “It’s never been more important to switch our shorter car trips to using more sustainable ways to get around. We’re pleased that the Ford RideLondon HUB will be in Trafalgar Square as part of this year’s event. Come on down and try out some of the free cycling-related activities on offer, take part in the FreeCycle or join us to watch the professional Classique race as it makes its way through London’s streets”

Cllr Max Sullivan, Westminster City Council's Cycling Champion, said: “We’re very excited to welcome the Ford RideLondon HUB to the City of Westminster this year.

“As a council we are investing in active travel and sustainable transport to support our work on the climate emergency and deliver greener neighbourhoods, cleaner air and healthier lives”

“In Westminster, cycling is very often the faster, cheaper alternative to driving a car or van. We hope that this spectacular weekend of cycling events and activities – alongside Westminster City Council’s significant investments in safer cycling infrastructure – will inspire people to start or return to cycling.”

Lisa Brankin, Managing Director of Ford of Britain and Ireland, said: “Our first Ford RideLondon HUB brings cycling and electric cars to life for a wide range of people. Cyclists, walkers and other active travel enthusiasts are already sensible about their car use, and we want to bring those choices to even more people. Currently, 25 per cent of car journeys made are under a mile, and Ford’s Park the Car initiative, featured at the RideLondon HUB, is determined to change that. By making it easier for greater numbers to make the switch to electric vehicles, we avoid driven emissions and support Ford’s European goal of carbon-neutral vehicles and operations by 2035.”

Ford RideLondon is the world’s greatest festival of cycling and includes a series of events. It begins with the UCI Women’s WorldTour race Ford RideLondon Classique, featuring the world’s best female riders, which starts with two stages in Essex on Friday 26 May and Saturday 27 May before a finale in central London on Sunday 28 May.

The Ford RideLondon Hub at Trafalgar Square will show all three stages of the Ford RideLondon Classique live on its big screens, starting at the following times:

• 13:00: Stage One, Friday 26 May
• 13:15: Stage Two, Saturday 27 May
• 15:00: Stage Three, Sunday 28 May

There are four mass participation events taking place on Sunday 28 May: the Ford RideLondon-Essex 100, 60 and 30-mile rides and Ford RideLondon FreeCycle, an opportunity for riders of all ages and abilities to explore some of London’s most famous landmarks on traffic-free roads.