Cycling Festival - Advice?

[theclaud]

The cycle campaign group to which I belong is planning to run a Gower Cycling Festival this Autumn. There's already a Walking Festival, and the local TIC has offered to help make it happen. Now, I intend to help in whatever way I can, but after attending the first meeting about it, it seems to me that there is very little consensus on what is the best way to go about such a thing, and who it might be for - I'm a bit worried about how to prevent it descending into a shambolic series of random rides, enjoyed only by those who would have done them regardless of the festival.

My thoughts are that it's probably best to target two groups: local commuters, leisure and utility cyclists (of which there are plenty) with a view to expanding their cycling horizons (getting them confidently on the road, showing them that longer distances are possible, offering a bit of maintenance tuition for self-reliance, etc); and more experienced cyclists of the CTC ilk, who might like to do what they usually do, but on Gower. I don't think we're well placed either to get large numbers of beginners involved, offer challenging rides for ambitious cyclists, or run anything competitive.

Seeking tips, pointers, warnings, dos & don'ts etc from anyone who has organised anything similar!

 

[marinyork]

My thoughts are that it's probably best to target two groups: local commuters, leisure and utility cyclists (of which there are plenty) with a view to expanding their cycling horizons (getting them confidently on the road, showing them that longer distances are possible, offering a bit of maintenance tuition for self-reliance, etc); and more experienced cyclists of the CTC ilk, who might like to do what they usually do, but on Gower. I don't think we're well placed either to get large numbers of beginners involved, offer challenging rides for ambitious cyclists, or run anything competitive.

Seeking tips, pointers, warnings, dos & don'ts etc from anyone who has organised anything similar!

If you want to do the former that's right down the street of getting the local cycling charity that does this sort of thing involved. Charities tend to be very tetchy otherwise and all the baggage that turns up with them won't bother otherwise, if you don't involve them they'll throw all their toys out of the pram anyway. You might be able to get the council's blessing/funding too.

 

[Ian H]

Importantly: get the local cycling groups on side. I know there are some good guys in Bynea CC and Swansea Wheelers, and the local CTC is quite active. You might get help and advice from the folk who run the Welsh Festival of Cycling in Mid-Wales.

 

[sheddy]

Roger will be along soon to assist
If he fails to appear try googling 'cycling festival' and selecting a smaller event ?

Re cycle parking, if you can't get barriers, try to borrow a builders tower(s) and set it out in a zig-zag

If your council does a local cycling map get hold of a few boxloads to hand out

 

[summerdays]

What ever you do, include cycle parking - those crowd control barriers can be used -metal grey things. They organised that for the Bike Breakfast, but then failed to organise anywhere for cycle parking at the next festival they organised.

You are ignoring the family group - on purpose? Is there somewhere in Swansea where you could do a couple of miles ride along either closed roads or along the front (I don't know Swansea), and then have a gathering at the end with stalls and police doing marking of bikes, and local cycling groups represented?

Each year in Bristol there is the Bristol's Biggest Bike ride (in late June IIRC), and there are various rides organised of different lengths, starting with the fastest, longest rides setting off and then the rest of the groups. Everyone starts and finishes at the same place and cover some of the same course. Don't know what is involved in running it though - a head ache I imagine.

The largest I've ever organise is at my children's school - so can't offer too many tips on scaling it up I'm afraid.

 

[theclaud]

What ever you do, include cycle parking - those crowd control barriers can be used -metal grey things. They organised that for the Bike Breakfast, but then failed to organise anywhere for cycle parking at the next festival they organised.

You are ignoring the family group - on purpose? Is there somewhere in Swansea where you could do a couple of miles ride along either closed roads or along the front (I don't know Swansea), and then have a gathering at the end with stalls and police doing marking of bikes, and local cycling groups represented?

Each year in Bristol there is the Bristol's Biggest Bike ride (in late June IIRC), and there are various rides organised of different lengths, starting with the fastest, longest rides setting off and then the rest of the groups. Everyone starts and finishes at the same place and cover some of the same course. Don't know what is involved in running it though - a head ache I imagine.

The largest I've ever organise is at my children's school - so can't offer too many tips on scaling it up I'm afraid.

Thanks all for advice. No we're not ignoring the family groups. We'll probably do a couple of family rides into Mumbles. Swansea bay has a very obvious long flat promenade cycle path that is well used by families. But it doesn't really need a special event to get it used in that way, and there's nowhere to go from there, if you see what I mean, because once you get off the seafront it's all roads and hills. The police marking of bikes thing is a good idea. We run classes for adult beginners, and have tried short "explorer rides" aimed at beginners and people with children, but the latter weren't well-attended and I thought we were pitching them in the middle of two desires - real beginners were intimidated by them, but they weren't adventurous enough for existing cyclists.

 

[Aperitif]

Would you like Mouseketeer attendance? Then promote a ride into the unknown, prefaced by a book signing by arallsopp of this parish (hello andy ) and subsequently a delve into the partnership of mouse? As long as we are headed toward England and the natives can do an about turn (or continue and get the train back (Now. I wonder who has done that before..?)
Might be an idea.

 

[theclaud]

Would you like Mouseketeer attendance? Then promote a ride into the unknown, prefaced by a book signing by arallsopp of this parish (hello andy ) and subsequently a delve into the partnership of mouse? As long as we are headed toward England and the natives can do an about turn (or continue and get the train back (Now. I wonder who has done that before..?)
Might be an idea.

Mouseketeers (and other CCers) would certainly be welcomed. Feted, even. There won't be much in the actual festival to challenge a Mouseketeer (Gower being only a 20-mile long peninsula, and the rides not being aimed at the speedy), but I'm sure we could lay on the hospitality for intrepid travelling confreres (meaty or otherwise). Will let you know more details as they are available, but dates to pencil in are 18-25 September. Which I notice is just after The Speedy FNRttC. Turn round at Walton, and keep heading west...

 

[summerdays]

Get kids involved by running some kind of competition - (I'm just using the local one again), when kids register - they give their school name in too - and the school with the most number of children gets some sort of prize which I can't remember what it was exactly, but I think it was a Bike Breakfast event supported by the council.

 

[Aperitif]

I promise.
I will arrange a peloton of resilience and endurance.
Should any of the Welsh woofters wish to accompany the hardcore back to London, so be it.



<Delia calls "C'mon, let's be 'avin' you, Dai" >

 

[arallsopp]

Autumn you say? Hmmmm... New baby due in June/July. Potential LEJOG in Sept. Might make a nice training ride

 

[Arch]

Festival Ideas:

Have you got any money, or can your local authority stump anything up? If you can get some kind of tryout show, that is always fun and can be informative too - all sorts of bikes people don't know exist. If you can get funding consult or [url=http://www.getcycling.org.uk/index.php[/url], both of whom have representatives posting on here.... (and blow me, I'm on that Get Cycling front page!) There may well be a more local set up that can also do something similar.

Other things we had at the York festival of cycling last year included some Bike Doctor (well, more like a nurse really, it was me! and meant to be aimed at ladies, although I didn't turn anyone away), a pedal powered skalextric, a stunt team doing displays, including Danny Wotsit, tryout areas for adults and kids, guided rides, and displays by local bikeshops and our recycling service (we use Maximus trikes, hence the cycle theme). I think the local cycling club were there too, and the council had a stand with maps and details of local maintenance classes. Add in a couple of good catering wagons and you have a nice day or half day out.[/url]

 

[TheDoctor]

I've always fancied having a go up the Gower.
That sounds a lot smuttier than I meant it to.

 

[theclaud]

Thanks again for all suggestions. The working group meets again soon, so I'll bring them all up then and we'll try and be a bit more specific as to what we're trying to achieve. I'll post updates as it's coming along. It would be good to see some CCers there.

 

[mickle]

A Southampton gig we did last year was a great model for a festival. It was a simple out and back course along the sea-front bike-path and dotted along the route were Doctor Bike stands, Try-Out Roadshows (us), ice cream vans, catering etc. A more common set up is to have all the stands and service providers in one location which also serves as ride departure point. The rides set off at intervals (and are circular) so riders are trickling back in throughout the day.

Get Cycling sometimes arrange to have bikes for loan as part of the package, kiddy trailers, trailer bikes and tandems for example as it can be difficult for people to experience such machines.

Think of participants who will come for free, a big chunk of the site can be populated without you spending any money;
Catering vans,
Ice cream vans,
Local cycling clubs, road clubs, mountain bike clubs, CTC,
Nearby mountain bike centres perhaps,
Local bike shops (usually happy to run a free doctor bike),
Police, they'll always play,
Local council road safety team, cycling officer, healthy travel team, recycling team etc.
Local health food shop,