Cyclist all over are gearing up for this year’s Wallingford Festival of Cycling
When three dads set up a cycling club for talented 16-19 year olds in Wallingford in 2014, little did they know the chain of events that would follow.
A year later, they went one further and the town’s very own cycling festival was launched attracting more than 3,000 people and gaining a starring role on TV in what else but Midsomer Murders when the race featured in Breaking the Chain.
But ‘stardom’ aside the real aim for the festival is to be a celebration of cycling, encouraging more people to get on their bikes more often.
The festival begins on Friday, 12th July with the dual track course testing riders on speed and handling skills as they go downhill, over jumps, rollers and bermed corners and is suitable for anyone aged 5 and over with a mountain bike or scooter.
New to the festival this year is the Dirt Factory air bag for bike stunt jumps – check out the video on the website to see this in action, but it’s sure to attract a few daredevils!
Saturday 13th includes these as well as wheels for all taster sessions and pump track competitions. Sunday 14th is the day for all the rides with distances ranging from 13 miles to 100 miles to choose from. If you’re new to cycling or want to ride as a family then try out the five mile festival fun ride and if it’s cycling of a different type or to be precise from a different era you want to try out then how about learning to ride a penny farthing?