wellness
Islington Opens Safe Cycling Routes for Families and Beginners This Month
Marked paths in borough parks and along the Regent's Canal give novice riders and parents with children low-traffic options starting this month.
How we reported this
Islington Council completed signage and surface repairs on three family cycling loops on 1 July 2026, opening the routes for immediate public use in Clissold Park and Highbury Fields.
Interest in outdoor activity has risen this year as residents look for free or low-cost ways to stay active after months of variable weather and rising indoor fitness costs. Local GPs have noted more patients asking about gentle exercise options that do not require gym memberships or travel across the city.
Clissold Park now features a 1.8-kilometre flat loop that circles the park perimeter and avoids the main roads. The path connects directly to the entrance on Stoke Newington Church Street. Highbury Fields offers a separate 1.2-kilometre circuit that stays inside the railings and links to the quiet residential streets around Highbury Crescent. Both sites sit within the Active Islington programme, which supplies free printed route maps at the park cafés and at the Islington Council customer centre on Upper Street.
Connections to the Regent's Canal towpath
From the north end of Clissold Park a short on-road section with 20 mph limits leads riders onto the Regent's Canal towpath at New North Road. The towpath surface was resurfaced in sections during 2025 and carries a 10 mph advisory speed. Beginners can ride east toward Angel or west toward Caledonian Road without crossing busy junctions for nearly two kilometres. The canal route passes the Battlebridge Basin, where a small bike repair stand operates on weekend mornings.
Numbers and next steps
Transport for London cycle counters recorded 2,400 family-group trips on the canal towpath between Highbury and Angel during the first quarter of 2026, up 12 per cent from the same period in 2025. Islington Council charges nothing for use of the marked park loops. Standard adult bike hire at the Clissold Park café costs £8 for two hours, with child seats and tag-along trailers available for an extra £4. Helmets are supplied free with every rental.
Residents can collect paper maps from the parks or download the GPX files from the council website. First-time riders are advised to begin on weekday mornings before 10 a.m. when foot traffic is lighter. Those wanting company can join the monthly family ride organised by the Islington Cycling Club, which meets at the Clissold Park bandstand on the first Saturday of each month at 9.30 a.m.