THOUSANDS of motorcyclists will roar into Woodford Green this weekend when the area hosts the first ever London Bike Festival.

Organisers for the event, at Wanstead Rugby Club's ground in Roding Lane North, predict it will be this year's largest outdoor gathering of bikers in the country, with at least 2,000 people estimated to attend.

Organiser Yaz Mirza, from Woodford Green, said he hoped the festival, on Sunday (July 19), would show that “bikers are not grisly monsters.”

He said: “We really want this to be a family event, and one for the whole community. It will be a really nice and we hope it will get across a different image across about what we're really like.

“Most bikers now are from middle and upper income groups, it's not like the old days with rough mods and all of that.”

The day will see a wide variety of stalls, mountains of food and drink, and a special children's zone for youngsters. More than 1,000 free family tickets have already been given out to nearby schools.

The festival comes during a tough time for the motorcycle industry.

Only two months ago the International Custom Show in Earl's Court had to be cancelled in the face of high rental costs for traders wanting stalls at the show.

But Mr Mirza, 39, said he hoped it would prove an affordable alternative for both businesses and the public.

He said: “We've tried to keep it as low cost as we can, such as with free entry for children. And we've done really well with the stalls, Harley Davidson are coming and we'll have lots of other big brands like Suzuki.

“We're also having a biker model competition, which is a bit different from other shows. It's not going to be biker babes or anything seedy but a glamorous contest.”

Mr Mirza, who has been working on the festival full-time for the last four months, said he would “love” to make it an annual event, and hopes to branch out to include bicycles in future.

He added: “I've been working on it seven days a week - my wife's going to kill me all the time I've spent on it but we're looking forward to seeing it all come together.”

Tickets are £4 in advance or £8 on the door.

Children aged 16 and under can get in for free if accompanied by an adult.

Visit londonbikefestival.com for more information.