ride the lights event....

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

gkerr4

New Member
Location
Blackpool
Thought I'd give this a little plug on here - see if anyone was interested:

Blackpool "ride the lights" event on Tuesday the 28th August - 6 miles of traffic-free riding on the Blackpool promenade from starr gate in the south up to Bispham in the north - covering the full length of the Blackpool illuminations which will be switched on between 8pm and 10pm as a preview before the main switch-on on the friday of that week.

see more:

http://www.blackpool.gov.uk/News/RidetheLights.htm

last years was excellent - it was a bit windy and i wasn't sure if there would be anyone turning out. The director of leisure and culture of Blackpool council told me they would have been happy with about five or six hundred people turning out - they got between 2000 - 2500 on the night last year - casting the event into the calendar as an annual event!


Anyway - I'll be there on the mountain bike with my 3yr old daughter in her seat on the back - hope to see some of you there!
 

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
We all went last year and it was great, if slightly chilly. Surely it can't be as cold this year. Can it?

There was a distinct smell of 3 in 1 oil about the place, as a lot of the bikes had obviously been dug out of the shed just for the occaision. But that alone makes it worth supporting!
 
OP
OP
gkerr4

gkerr4

New Member
Location
Blackpool
we must surely be due a bit better than last year - surely we are due a little bit of good weather!!

anyway - hopefully it will be as busy as last year and then even if it is a bit chilly we won't notice too much!
 

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
Decent(ish) weather, thousands of people of all shapes and sizes on every conceivable type of bike. Lots of onlookers asking about it all in a sensible and genuinely interested way.

It was good to see lots of kids there, often leading quite wobbly Mums and Dads along. Youngest was certainly a baby in a trailer and the oldest may have been 84. We know one was this age as we took the mother in law and got her back on a bike after a 30 year gap. She found it no trouble as, she said, 'it was a bit like riding a bike'.
 
OP
OP
gkerr4

gkerr4

New Member
Location
Blackpool
ah you made it - was great wasn't it! weather even held up - a bit breezy but not the gales we got last year!

Very strong turn out - it felt as busy as last year, but more spread out as the course was longer - could have topped 3000 riders?

Yes the onlookers were interested too - My friend Jenny stopped to allow another of the group to catch up and a pedestrian said to her "whats going on tonight - does this happen all the time?" - when Jenny explained the pedestrian said "it's lovely to see so many bikes out - families too - all enjoying the illuminations and the prom" - and that about sums it up really - a great family night.

We stopped in Bispham (there was a group of about 12 of us) and shared a few bags of chips from that chippy who's owner must have thought that xmas had come early - then cycled back down to starr gate.

I had my 3yr old daughter in her child seat on the back and she just thought it was great
. a top night - really enjoyable. I am sure it has cast itself into an annual event now and I am looking forward to next year allready!

hats off to taking an 84yr old mother-in-law - and hats off to her for enjoying it after a 30yr break!!
 
Top Bottom