Paul Shackelton and Eric Bates

A great new initiative by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Bikeminded, was launched last month to encourage residents and local workers alike to get on their bikes and experience the area using pedal power! Following the Blue Plaques cycle tour that took place at the end of July (you can download the app or a PDF map from their website if you’d like to re-visit the two tours), Bikeminded has this month launched a Bike Heroes campaign in Notting Hill.

Bike Heroes will see 23 local residents, workers, business owners and celebrities trialling a bike for two months and then writing about their experiences on cycling around the borough for business and leisure on the Bikeminded website. The Bike Heroes include journalist and TV presenter Mariella Frostrup; David Higgins, owner of Ten Pilates; David Lewis, head gardener at the Kensington Roof Gardens; architect and TV presenter, George Clarke (pictured below); Kell Scott, owner of Kell Scott haircare; Jonathan Newby, Director of NMSI Enterprises at the Science Museum; and Paul Shackelton and Eric Bates from the V&A (pictured above), who will be sharing use of a bike. The Heroes will also receive free bike maintenance clases, as well as cycle training and advice on security. All of these services are also available for free to Kensington and Chelsea residents and workers – more information can be found at www.rbkc.gov.uk/cycling.

George Clarke

All the Heroes are taking part in the campaign on bikes kindly lent by the Moulton Bicycle Company, who designed their first bike with pioneering suspension back in 1962; the Electra Bicycle Company, the leading brand in lifestyle and leisure cycling sales in the Independent Bicycle Dealer Network; and Brompton Bicycle Ltd, a company founded in Kensington and Chelsea and whose bikes are still made from scratch in their West London factory today.

Reports on the Bike Heroes’ adventures will be available up on the Bikeminded blog (with some already there – go take a look!) with additional tips and snippets on their Twitter and Facebook pages.