The sessions were hugely popular, with 41 attendees and a staggering 179 on the waiting list. We loved seeing the variety of wheels - from strider bikes and BMX’s to skateboards and mountain bikes - all coming together to enjoy the new local facility!

As part of the Changing Sports Cycling Programme, Access Sport has supported the build of a new bike track in Kenton Recreation Ground, Harrow

The new track opened on Friday 30^th October, following a hugely successful open day where local Harrow Bike Club volunteers, supported by Access Sport, ran three sessions throughout the day.

The sessions were hugely popular, with 41 attendees and a staggering 179 on the waiting list. In the afternoon, once the track was open to the public, we loved seeing the variety of wheels - from strider bikes and BMX’s to skateboards and mountain bikes - all coming together to enjoy the new local facility! 

The track, built by specialists Clark & Kent, offers something for everyone from novices to skilled riders – with green loop for beginners, blue loop for intermediate and improving riders and red loop for experienced riders, including a start-gate system for those wishing to practice for the Olympic sport of BMX racing. Supported by Access Sport, Harrow Council, The London Marathon Charitable Trust, and the Places to Ride programme, which is being delivered by British Cycling, Sport England & the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) the track will be open to the public and home to a brand-new community club, Harrow bike-club.

Steph Walters, Delivery Manager from Access Sport, said:

“We are delighted to welcome this new facility to Harrow and the finished track looks amazing. We hope that this new facility will inspire the local people of Harrow people to get on bikes and get active. It is a great asset for the local community and the track will be an exciting place for people to learn to ride or increase their cycling confidence.”

British Cycling Head of Business Planning and Transformation, Andy Farr, said:

“When we launched the Places to Ride fund, we said that we wanted to capture the enthusiasm of the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire by inspiring more people to ride, connecting the community and leaving a lasting impact. This new pump track ticks all those boxes, and more, and will go a long way in showing how a facility can engage successfully with a community. We are pleased to support efforts to be accessible and inclusive. As we enter the final period of allocating grants through the Places To Ride fund, we are incredibly proud to see how it has already enabled so many people from a range of backgrounds – regardless of age, gender, ability or ethnicity – to get involved with cycling.”

Joe Thompson, Facilities Grants Lead for The London Marathon Charitable Trust, said:

“The importance of providing opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to be physically active has never been greater, particularly through cycling. The opening of this excellent new track in Harrow and the planned outreach sessions will support different groups in using the facility, enabling more people to participate in cycling and inspiring activity within the local community.”  

Thanks to Access Sport, and supported by Places to Ride funding, the club will have all the equipment needed to run weekly sessions on the track as well as outreach sessions with local schools, organisations and community groups. Harrow Bike Club are looking to launch weekly club sessions in the new year and are seeking local supporters to help out. To find out more about what’s happening or how to get involved please find @HarrowBikeClub on Facebook.

To read more about the amazing progress of the Harrow Bike Track, view the document below.