Check out the excellent information resources on the central LCC's guidance page.

If you cycle in Hackney, or you want to start, some of this might be handy...

Why cycle? | Bike shops and repair services | Cycle circuit | Maintenance workshop | Bike recycling | Canal cycling | Potholes | Statistics | Crime and security | Bikes on trains and tubes | Harwich to London

Why cycle?
These sites have a lot of answers

Bike for all - 'The essential resource for everyone who cycles ... or who is thinking about it'. Supported by Cycling England

Why cycle? - 'Impartial advice for potential and new cyclists in the UK'

Bike shops and repair services
See also the central LCC and TfL shop listings
(though our list is usually the most complete and accurate!).

Pat, the proprietor, is a supporter of Hackney LCC and especially of our promotion of Shoreditch Carnival Car Free Day.

Mon - Fri 0800-1800, Sat 1000-1800
Moved to a spacious new shop in June 2005.10% discount on parts for LCC members. Fully equipped workshop with booking system - phone to book. LCC member Brenda reports: "They also do some drop-of-the-hat work for an hour or so every morning, starting at 8 am and repairs can be picked up the same evening, if not done there and then. Queues start well before 8 am outside the shop!"

Two Wheels Good
165 Stoke Newington Church Street
London N16 0UL
Tel: 020 7249 2200
Email: ourshop@twowheelsgood.co.uk

Repair services that come to you

Outside the borough boundary but worth visiting:

Self-help maintenance workshop

We run a twice-monthly self-help cycle maintenance workshop.

Our neighbours in Tower Hamlets Wheelers also run a monthly workshop.

Bike recycling

A bicycle recycling project for Hackney is currently in development. It will involve refurbishing donated bikes and supplying them to Hackney residents on a donation basis, primarily for people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford to cycle as a form of transportation.

The project will also offer bike hire, training in cycle mechanics, and liaison with cycle training organizations in the borough and with international bike recycling schemes. The organisation will be based on the co-operative model with links to other organisations - Hackney LCC, local green organisations, local bike shops, etc.

The project needs your help! Would you like to get your hands dirty, learn how bikes work, meet friendly people who like bikes too? If you'd like to learn more about this project, please contact: Therese Kilpatrick on 07766713176 or email therese@thebikeproject.org.uk. 

Over the River Lee in Waltham Forest there is already a popular bike recycling scheme which operates from Low Hall Transport Depot in South Access Road E17. This award-winning project refurbishes bikes and sells them to residents of Waltham Forest and people who work in the borough, and also has open-access sessions along the lines of a self-help maintenance workshop. See the project's page for details.

Canal cycling

The Regents Canal runs east-west across the borough of Hackney, with a connection to the Lee Navigation on the east side of the borough. Towpaths provide a pleasant route for leisurely cycling, though deference should always be shown to other users.

Unfortunately, the canal does see its share of trouble, with harrassment and even attacks not unheard of. You may wish to find an alternative route after dark if you are travelling on your own. Busy main streets are the safest bet for personal security.

For those who do use the canal after dark, we're pleased to say that with effect from 1st December 2003 the Islington section of the canal is no longer gated after dusk, as is already the case in Camden and Hackney. This will allow cyclists to use it for their afternoon commute all year round, and will reduce the fear of being trapped and unable to leave the canal.

Please follow the British Waterways code of conduct, in particular to give way to pedestrians. The canal is not a route for fast commuting.

Regents canal overview map | Inland Waterways Association London Region | BW walking through London page (includes zoomable map)

Street defects reporting

There's a single point of contact for reporting road surface problems you come across anywhere in London, including within Hackney, via Transport for London's Streetfaults form or by calling 0845 305 1234. The service allows you to track the progress of your reported fault.

Hackney Council continues to offer an alternative point of contact for reporting faults on Hackney borough streets. You can fill in the appropriate form or dial 020 8356 2897.

Statistics about the borough

Want to know about where you're living? The Hackney GIS and Statistics team is responsible for location-based knowledge and the analysis of information relating to the London Borough of Hackney.

Crime and security

If your bike is stolen, do report the theft at a police station. The online crime reporting service is no longer available. Crime figures are an important measure for the police and can influence how they distribute their resources. Make a note of your CAD (Computer Aided Despatch) or CRIS (Crime Reference Information System) number, which will help you to trace the progress of your case.

Travelling by bike is a good choice for personal security as compared to going by foot and public transport. Unfortunately, though, attacks against cyclists do occur in inner-London boroughs such as Hackney, and these are usually carried out by teenagers in limited hotspots (often back streets near housing estates). At peak times for this crime, typically summer evenings, it is probably wise to travel in groups or to stick to busier streets.

If you are mugged for your bicycle or belongings, police recommend that you hand these over, to avoid the risk of injury. Victims should call 999 immediately, especially if there is a possibility of catching the culprits. Police have advised LCC members not to be concerned about calling 999 with a non-life threatening incident - they have internal prioritising procedures. Obviously if you are calling after the event then 999 is no longer appropriate and you should contact your local police station, either by phone or in person. The phone number for Stoke Newington police station (covers the whole borough of Hackney) is 020 7739 1212.

Key links:

• Metropolitan Police: reporting crime

• Hackney police

The central LCC website has more advice on cycle security, on what to do if your bike is stolen, and how to reduce your risks in a robbery.

Bikes on trains and tubes

A to B magazine maintains the definitive guide to taking your bike on trains, the underground, ferries, coaches and rail-link buses. Always up to date.

Also consult Transport for London's page about cycles on public transport.

The LCC publishes a useful booklet (paper & digital) called Travelling by bike.

The North London Line is a very useful resource for cyclists living in our borough. Running through Hackney east-west, and it's a good way to break the back of journeys over to west London (although this previously unrestricted service has recently introduced a peak-hours bike ban - folding bikes exempted, of course).

Harwich to London (or vice versa)
Patrick Field offers route tips on cycling between Harwich and London.

Lea Valley Cycle Circuit - AKA 'Eastway'

Eastway was a cycle sport centre of national importance right on our doorstep, with a superb mile-long road racing track and an offroad BMX/mountain bike circuit.

We are sad to say that the Eastway circuit was closed in November 2006 and has now been demolished to make way for the Olympic Park. A temporary replacement circuit is to be constructed at Hog Hill, after an initial proposal to site it at far-off Rammey Marsh was rejected by the public. Following the Olympics the promise is that the 1500-seat velodrome and BMX track being built in the Olympic Park will be augmented by the reinstatement of a cycle circuit and mountain bike and cyclo-cross tracks. Roll on 2013..

If you notice that any of the information on this page is wrong or out of date, please be so kind as to email the editor.