Ride London: A glimpse at the history of bicycles in London over the past century

From penny farthings to now, a look back at the bikes that have graced our capital over the past century
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Oh, the humble bike. One of the best people-moving inventions ever made, bikes are a firm fixture along London streets, often battling with cars for the rights to the road.

Each year, Ride London brings the 'world's greatest festival of cycling' to town - a weekend of cycling events including an 8-mile cycle around the city and a 100-mile challenge from London to Surrey that raises money for charity.

This year the Prudential Ride London is being held on July 28 and 29 with an estimated 25,000 riders expected to participate in the 100 mile race on Sunday.

To celebrate, we're looking back at our capital's two-wheeled history - from penny farthings to the world's smallest bicycle.

The gallery above showcases 19 vintage images from the past century, with rows of bikes at Waterloo Station in 1943, a cyclist riding a penny farthing across Hammersmith Bridge and a picture of Ben Jones who won the 5,000 metre cycle race at the 1908 London Olympics among others.

Click through the gallery above to see some more iconic images of pedal power.

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