Team GB Olympian Laura Trott and London Mayor Boris Johnson took to their bikes today to launch the 2013 London cycling festival RideLondon.

RideLondon is London’s new cycling festival which includes traffic-free cycling past major London attractions for families and amateurs, as well as the opportunity to spectate while some of the world’s best athletes race through the capital’s streets.

Cycling in London is one of the best ways to travel, on a hire bike, with a cycle tour, or on your own bike. RideLondon will be an entire weekend devoted to getting out and about on your bike.

Gold medalist Laura said, “It’s great to think we may have inspired people to get on their bikes and RideLondon is a great opportunity for the public to get out and join us on the roads. Cycling has always been a huge part of my family’s life and I hope that having watched the Games lots more people will be encouraged to have a go.”

RideLondon takes place between 3 and 4 August 2013. Visit www.ridelondon.co.uk for more information.

For the Bolivian post in our World in London challenge, we’d like to share with you this fantastic video called B is for Bolivia: an A to Z of World Foods of London from Tom Kevill Davies on Vimeo.

Tom is a journalist and photographer who’s currently eating his way from A to Z around London. You can find out more about his project at London’s World of Food: A to Z.

In his own words:

“I love riding my bicycle and I love to eat. It really is that simple. As a journalist, author and photographer I enjoy writing and photography almost as much as eating and cycling, which basically means, I bicycle to wherever I can find good, well prepared, locally produced, fresh and traditional food before eating it and writing about it.”

You can keep up with Tom on his blog, The Hungry Cyclist, and if you fancy joining him, why not look into his Tandem Tours; as he says, ”It’s a pretty unique way to see the city!”

Do you know any more places where you can enjoy Bolivian culture in London? Let us know in the comments below.

London’s long-anticipated Cycle Hire Scheme launched on Friday. Have you signed up yet? Tell us about your maiden voyage!

Whether you’ve joined the Cycle Hire Scheme or not, Visit London wants to know where you enjoy riding in London. Do you like to cycle by London’s waterways, are you an urban road rider, or do you take advantage of the bike paths of London’s many parks and open spaces?

Tell us about your favourite cycle routes in London.

Londoners can now register as members for the Mayor’s flagship Barclays Cycle Hire scheme. The bikes will be available to members from next Friday, 30 July.

The Barclays Cycle Hire bikes are located at docking stations throughout London. The first 30 minutes of your ride is free but you’ll need to be a paid-up member to access the bikes in the first place.

A membership key costs £3 with membership costs at £1 for a 24 hour membership, £5 for seven days and £45 for an annual membership.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said:

“I call on Londoners to sign up and become pioneer members of this fantastic new addition to our transport system. I know that in time our scheme will become a new London icon and enable many more people to cycle in our magnificent city. I look forward to seeing cycle hire and superhighways working in tandem to make London a cyclised city.”

Sign up for a daily, weekly or annual membership today at www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire