York Rally 2016 - 18th-19th June

[bikepete]

Cyclechatters are warmly invited to the 2016 York Rally, taking place on the Knavesmire, York, on the weekend of 18th-19th June. It's a great event encompassing all sorts of cycling, is run entirely by volunteers and is about cycling, not making money (beyond that needed to run it!).

Entry is free, parking is free, rides are free (except one Audax ride) and just about everything on site is free too! There's also free kids' skills training and mini races from Go-Ride, National Series grasstrack racing and Cyclo-cross to watch, cycle jumble and auction, live music and bar, and more...

See here for what Cyclechatters thought about it last year:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/york-rally-2015-20-21st-june.170774/page-2

e.g.

• "Just back from the Rally and I thought it was brilliant. Loads of interesting things to look at and to do...Thanks to the organisers for breathing new life into this event. I hope it goes down as a success and look forward to next year."
• "Good event, nice atmosphere and lots going on at the time we turned up...Well done, one and all..."
• "Organisation of the rally appeared excellent, with things happening on time and in the right place... Putting on such a well-run event from scratch must be seen as something of a triumph..."
• "Great Rally. I was very pleased to see how many people turned up. I want to thank the hardworking team who made this happen and wish them every success for Rally 2016."
• "it felt more like a cycling enthusiasts event than the last few years of the old event,which had a more commercial feel to it, well done everybody for returning this to York."

and more social media reactions can be read here.

Visit http://www.yorkrally.org for all the details, including campsite bookings. See masses of pictures from 2015 here and see our latest poster below. We hope we'll see you there in June!

 

[bikepete]

With under two weeks to go until the 2016 Rally, this may be the last proper update before the event! We had our final on-site committee meeting on Saturday (4th June) - everything's on course, and the Knavesmire was looking in good condition too.

As you will (I hope) see in the picture above, we've completed the show programme and it will be off to print on Monday (6th June). Huge thanks to all of the traders whose advertising in the programme helps offset the print cost. And it's looking good...

Just about everything is now coming together. We have:

• A full rides list!
• A packed trade show.
• Auction (Saturday) and Saddlebag Sale (cycle jumble, Sunday)
• Masses of racing and sport, especially for under 16s! If you have kids into racing we will able to keep them busy: we have Go-Ride coaches on site giving free skills training to U16s (all day Sat, plus Sunday PM), plus youth categories in Grasstrack (Saturday) and Cyclo-cross (Sunday).
• A talks programme (still being finalised, but will we hope include touring talks, specialist club talks, and Q&A sessions on electric bikes and recumbent trikes)
• Performers are ready to go! As well as the Foresters folk bank playing live on Saturday evening, The Pretend Stage will be back with their eclectic act! And Bo Clown will be entertaining with his bicycle-borne Punch and Judy, too.
• We have a bar selling craft beer from Cwrw Ial Community Brewing Company in Wales - under cover in a large seating area so we hope it'll be popular.
• We've been working on many improvements after last year. So expect more and better signs, a bigger Rally HQ area with much less cramped displays, new bunting for the Arena, and much more!
• Plus we have a new Volunteer Co-ordinator - do drop by HQ to offer just an hour or so of your time if you can, or sign up online.

And in other news:

As you will hopefully see illustrated in the picture above, we are delighted to confirm that the lovely team at the Methodist Chapel in Riccall will once again be offering a wonderful array of food on Saturday morning - many of our rides head that way, and any passing cyclist is also welcome! 2015 photo by Dave Dodwell.

And as mentioned in our last newsletter, we will have beer from Cwrw Ial Community Brewing Company in Wales for the bar! They were Rate Beer's "Best New Brewer Wales 2015". Not exactly sure exactly which of their range they will have with them but I am told that the prices will be much more reasonable than last year - £3 a pint has been mentioned. Please do give them your support!

Meet the new York Rally fire engine! With space for fire extinguishers in the basket each side of the fire bucket, it's our new rapid response vehicle, here being modelled expertly by Paul at our final planning meeting.

We are also delighted that The Pretend Stage will be back to rock the 2016 Rally with their set-up all transported by bicycle trailers! Photo from 2015 by John Jackson.

On the subject of pictures, all of the images sent in after the 2015 Rally for the Photo Competition have been enormously helpful - for the website, for the show programme and for promoting the Rally in general. So we're running it again in 2016 - if you take pictures at the Rally, please do feel free to just send us the lot! Details will be in the show programme, page 23. Many thanks in advance.

Finally for now, there's still time to book a pitch, if you haven't already. Advance campsite bookings close 11th June! It's cheaper than on the day, quicker to get in, and you can be sited with friends or club-mates.

Many thanks again for your interest in the York Rally. We hope to see you on the Knavesmire in June!

With our best wishes for happy cycling,

The York Rally Committee

 

[bikepete]

Last call for campsite advance bookings! There's under a week to go now until the Rally and we have to close campsite advance booking at midnight on Sunday - so get yourselves booked up this weekend to save some money, to be located with friends or club-mates, and to be fast-tracked when you arrive!

http://yorkrally.org/visitor-information/campsite-bookings/

 

[Pixie.1]

Looking forward tor the weekend, lets hope the weather holds!!

 

[Jamieyorky]

Such a shame it's my weekend to work, would have loved to have gone

Everyone who goes enjoy your weekend and let's see pics!!!

 

[TrishE]

First time at the rally. I bought a tiny folding bike can't wait til next year will cycle there, not on the tiny folder tho!

 

[john59]

A couple of shots from the Sunday.

 

[Pixie.1]

A great weekend of events, many thanks