THOUSANDS of people turned out for the Ealing cycling event of the year on Sunday starting off from Lammas Park.

Around 13,000 people took part in the Mayor of London's Skyride, where cyclists reigned on the car-free streets of Ealing in a 12km circuit around the borough.

Unicyclists, tandems with up to four people, bikes with trailers for toddlers, children on scooters, electric bikes, a penny farthing and hand powered bikes for the disabled rolled up to the starting point and passed through the quiet streets of the borough.

The eight mile course took cyclists through the back streets of South Ealing, over Ealing Common, through Ealing Broadway on the bus lane, along West Ealing side streets and Drayton Green before hitting Bunny park for a quick pit-stop.

Then the final stretch geared towards Hanwell, the Uxbridge Road and through the quiet side streets of Northfields and into Lammas Park for the finish where everyone was encouraged to hoot their horns and ring their bells.

The British cycling professionals, Peter Kennaugh, Kjell Carlstrom, Ben Swift and Ian Stannard came to take part and spur people on as well as the Mayor of London's transport adviser, Kulveer Ranger.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: "I am so proud of these fabulous events, they are simply a wonderful way for the whole community to get together and rediscover their love of cycling. It's heart-warming to see people of every age and ability cycling along car free streets in their own neighbourhood."

For information on the next Skyride visit www.goskyride.com