Cars will be removed from the roads for a day so cyclists can enjoy a traffic-free ride around Leicester city centre.

The Let’s Ride Leicester event takes place between midday and 4pm on Sunday along a 3.7 mile route but cars will be restricted from 6am.

The mass bike ride is open to anyone and is free to join at any time and at any point on its route.

The ride will be led off, at 12pm, from De Montfort University campus by two high-profile riders and Leicester city mascot Filbert Fox.

Para-cycling world champion Matt Rotherham from the Great Britain cycling team will join professional rider Thomas Raeymaekers from Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team, on the start line of HSBC UK Let’s Ride Leicester.

They’ll lead riders on a route that includes a lap inside the King Power Stadium, Leicester Castle, Leicester Cathedral and Jubilee Square.

Leicester City Council says there eight festival zones around the route open from 11am.

They will include interactive, free and family-friendly entertainment, including stunt shows, bike try-outs and live music.

Ride Leicester’s ‘Broken Record Swing Festival’ will take place at the Dome on Jubilee Square.

The route of Let's Ride

At The Gallery on De Montfort University’s campus, riders can pose for a portrait photograph – individually or as a group – with Leicester-based international photographer Scott Couchino.

HSBC UK Let’s Ride Leicester is organised by the city council with support from British Cycling and HSBC, which sponsors a series of HSBC UK Let’s Ride events in cities up and down the country.

Leicester’s event is one of the biggest, with thousands of cyclists expected to attend.

The event is also one of the highlights of the Ride Leicester festival, a two-week celebration of everything to do with cycling, which runs until the end of August.

Cycling in Leicester

To allow the event to take place, the following streets will be fully or partially closed to motor traffic from 6am until 7pm on Sunday

  • Peacock Lane
  • New Street
  • Friar Lane
  •  Millstone Lane
  •  Berridge Street
  •  Market Place South
  •  Market Place
  •  Cank Street
  •  St Martins
  •  Grey Friars
  •  Hotel Street
  •  Loseby Lane
  •  Guildhall Lane
  •  Applegate
  •  The Newarke
  •  The Gateway
  •  Mill Lane
  •  Eastern Boulevard
  •  Western Boulevard
  •  Upperton Road
  •  Raw Dykes Road
  •  Filbert Way
  •  Castle View

  •  Castle Yard and Castle Street.

Registering for the event is not compulsory, but riders can sign up for advance information, maps, Let’s Ride bibs and offers from local bike shops here