Children gear up for the Tour de Tufnell Park. Picture: Dieter Perry

A campaign for a new bike route gathered pace as cyclists of all ages staged a Tour de Tufnell Park ride to raise awareness.

Families lined up in Campdale Road in Tufnell Park on Saturday before cycling the proposed three mile route that links Tufnell Park, Yerbury and Eleanor Palmer primary schools and secondaries Holloway, Acland Burghley and the Bridge.

The campaigners want to get more kids pedalling to school in Tufnell Park and they were boosted by news that Mayor of London Boris Johnshon wants to get communities designing safe routes to schools, as part of the nearly £1billion investment in cycling in the capital he announced last Thursday.

The campaign’s leader David Lincoln, 45, a father-of-two from Huddleston Road, said: “It was fantastic seeing kids of all ages tearing around the streets. It proves this route is doable and also showed where it needs work. Some of the crossings and junctions were a little scary.

“I think we’re building momentum, especially as Boris Johnson is talking about providing funding to exactly what we want to achieve.”

The tour was timed to capture the attention of candidates standing in by-elections in Junction and St George’s wards on March 21.