Bath to host new cycling festival
A new festival of cycling is to take place in Bath next year.
The Bike Bath 2012 event will see organised rides of up to 100 miles, fun activities and top-level racing in Royal Victoria Park over the weekend of June 22 to 24.
There will be rides of 30, 60 and 100 miles, and organisers at city events firm Breathingspace Live and leisure operator Aquaterra are hoping one of the routes will follow the Two Tunnels cycleway due to open in April, taking cyclists through two old railway tunnels.
The festival is being backed by Bath and North East Somerset Council, which says it will complement the separate Sky Ride initiative that encourages families to get on their bikes.
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Organisers say the 30-mile route might suit riders who have not been on a bike for some time, while the 100-mile option will represent a more serious sporting challenge – particularly if riders do it twice on each day of the weekend.
Aquaterra, which runs Bath Sports and Leisure Centre, will be launching a Get Fit for Bike Bath 2012 programme from January to help cyclists improve their fitness.
A series of races will be staged in the park on the Saturday evening following some successful Wednesday evening sessions held in May, as part of the build-up to the Sky Ride and promoted by local cycling clubs.
Regional recreation manager for the sport's governing body British Cycling, Brian Johnston, said: "Bath has great potential for creating an iconic cycling event, given the spectacular setting and local countryside.
"The popularity of cycling continues to grow and all eyes will be on the Olympics, Tour de France and Tour of Britain next year so this is a great way to get involved in the sport."
Richard Best, of Breathingspace Live, says the festival will work on a number of levels.
"In Europe these events are hugely popular and have a great economic benefit to their host venues and we will be looking to involve the wider community as our plans develop.
"The popularity of marked rides continues to grow and this is a fantastic opportunity for individuals and groups to come and ride some spectacular routes.
"We anticipate riders will use the opportunity to raise money for their own favourite charities and that, with our 200-mile ride in two days, we will see some of Britain's top riders involved.
"We also hope the regional business community sees this as an opportunity to enter company teams with members taking part across all the distances thereby involving all, not just the superfit."
The 30-mile event has been sponsored by city firm Cyclescheme.
For further details about Bike Bath, email info@bikebath.co.uk or ring 0844 8793750.
Comments
by Bathcycle
Tuesday, December 06 2011, 7:20PM
“All you have to do is include the word "bicycle" and out they all crawl.....”
by Greenbeetle
Tuesday, December 06 2011, 2:04PM
“There doesn't seem to be anything there about safety equipment. What is it that should be fitted to bicycles taking part in this event?
General Product Safety Regs and Pedal Bicycle Safety Regs are aimed at Bicycle manufacturers and dealers.”
by Damien152uk
Monday, December 05 2011, 10:11PM
“Greenbeetle
Due to the restricted space can I respectfully referr you to:-
Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 2010, Consumer Protection Act 1987, Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 and the Road Trafic Act 1988;
and the following standards:
BS 308:Part 3, BS 5665:Part 1, BS 6102:Part 2, BS 6102:Part 5, BS 6102:Part 6, ISO 7636, Electricity Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983, Pedal Cycles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1983, Pedal Bicycle (Safety) Regulations 2003 Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations 1984, Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 BS 6102-1, BS EN 14766:2005, BS EN 14781:2005, BS EN 14764:2005, BS EN 14764, BS EN 14766:2005 and BS EN 14781:2005.
which should hopefully explain in every historic context dependant on cycle age.”
by Greenbeetle
Monday, December 05 2011, 9:13PM
“"mandatory safety equipment"
Can you tell us about this, please?”
by Damien152uk
Monday, December 05 2011, 6:42PM
“Fantastic news - Soundls like a great event - I only hope that the Bike Bath 2012 event organisers ensure cyclists safety and set the right example by ensuring that all cycles entering have the mandatory safety equipment fitted, and they dont 'aid and abet' cyclists breaking the law on one of their events. Still I am sure the Council legal team will have looked at this aspect in detail!”
by Ruddd
Saturday, December 03 2011, 1:42PM
“@capndave: those 'Funny blue bikes' are actually pit-bikes from the potash mine at Boulby on the north east coast - for much of the year they're actually stabled down the mine and used by the miners for transport between the pit bottom and the working faces.
Since, in their working lives they never see daylight, a charity has now provided funding for an annual holiday for the bikes. They're removed from the mine, cleaned and then travel to Bath in a special train, where they are put in bike racks around the city centre.
Visitors are encouraged to hire them as this both entertains and socialises the cycles - visitors thus providing a similar service to that provided by the volunteers who walk the dogs from the dogs home on Claverton Down. As a result of this, when they return to Boulby, the miners report that the bikes are in a far better frame of mind.”
by capndave
Friday, December 02 2011, 11:52PM
“Is this what all those funny blue bikes resting in their nice neat frames are waiting for? Haven't seen one of them do half a mile, let alone a couple of hundred.
Nasty looking things with those pedals and a saddle.”
by DaveF_Walcot
Friday, December 02 2011, 9:42PM
“I'm all for events like this, but if 30 miles (the distance along the railway path to Bristol & back) is the shortest ride their organising then I think they'll be optimistic to get "riders who have not been on a bike for some time".
"the 100-mile option will represent a more serious sporting challenge – particularly if riders do it twice on each day of the weekend"
400 miles? Wow! These must be some seriously fit cyclists.
And whose so naive to think the tunnels will be open by April seeing the work on the Devonshire isn't due to start until May at the earliest?”
by Pompeybelle
Friday, December 02 2011, 12:33PM
“That's him. ;-)”
by PhilRogers
Friday, December 02 2011, 12:21PM
“Blah blah ... political dogma ... blah blah ... tiny minority ... blah blah”