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Photographs of London's diverse cyclists post-lockdown by Matthew Johnson

A new journal capturing London's cyclists post-lockdown has been released by portrait and art photographer Matthew Johnson. Called Cyclists of London, the self-published book takes a closer look at those who cycle professionally, commute to work or get out on their bikes just for fun.

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Man balancing on a unicycle against a brick building with solar panels on the roof behind him

"As someone who cycles frequently around London, this project started off as a bit of a passion project," Matthew tells Creative Boom. "I soon realised a lot of people were interested in being photographed and wanted to share their cycling stories. I ended up visiting parts of London I'd never been to before and meeting lots of interesting people in the process of creating this body of work."

After connecting with over 40 cyclists through a Facebook post, Matthew cycled across London for several months meeting cyclists and capturing the portraits for his project. Keen to demonstrate the breadth of the capital's cycling community, the journal features images of people from all different walks of life and backgrounds – from politicians to activists and everybody in between.

"It was fantastic to meet so many people on their bikes, all of them cycling for many different reasons. It was especially nice to do it at a time when London was a lot quieter – but through the conversations I had with people, what became clear, is that cycling is something that brings them all joy and is a big part of their lives. I think putting them all together in a book, does a great job of showing that," Matthew adds.

Cyclists of London is available to pre-order now. To find out more about Matthew Johnson, visit his website.

Cyclist in burgundy and black team kit riding a road bike on the Thames waterfront with London's distinctive skyline behind them
Older man in yellow shirt and beige gilet stands with black bicycle on green field, stone church spire visible behind him under cloudy sky
Cyclist in a colourful floral top and cycling shorts stands with her bike against a brick wall, wearing a grey helmet and smiling at the camera
Young child in blue jacket and cap leaning over an orange bicycle, photographed against a brick building backdrop
Woman with brown hair standing with a khaki touring bike fitted with a red pannier bag outside a community bike shop
Older man in a checked shirt standing with a blue electric hybrid bike on a tree-lined path, wearing a blue cycling helmet
Two young cyclists with a red and a blue bike stand together on a grass veranda beneath tall leafy trees on an overcast day
Two cyclists pose with their bikes beneath a leafy green tree on a London street, one wearing a red Clarion Cycle Club jersey and the other in a blue and orange top
The cover of Matthew Johnson's self-published journal Cyclists of London, featuring an orange bicycle illustration on a dark green background
Open book spread showing profile of Liz, a co-founder of cycle technology start-up Peloton, standing with a bicycle against a colourful graffiti wall in London
Open book spread showing a portrait of Chris holding a bicycle in a park wearing a high-visibility vest, with text and biography on the left page
Hardback book with olive-green cover featuring orange text reading "Cyclists of London" and an orange bicycle illustration, with author name Matthew Johnson below
Open spread from Cyclists of London book showing text about Tobias alongside a photograph of a cyclist riding on the Thames path with London's skyline in the background
Dark green book cover with orange text describing the Cyclists of London journal by Matthew Johnson, shown at an angle
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