Edinburgh Festival of Cycling

Edinburgh and its surroundings are a playground for pedal pushers. From testing punchy climbs to gentle rolls along the prom at Portobello, the city forms a stunning and dramatic backdrop for a host of challenges and opportunities for cyclists of all flavours.

Born out of a shared passion for the pedal and cycling activism, Edinburgh’s Festival of Cycling is now in its fourth year and celebrates cycling and cycling culture in all its forms. This year’s festival runs from June 9-19 with events across the city and beyond.

A volunteer-run social enterprise, the festival has grown year-on-year with events attended by thousands of cyclists – hipsters, hill limbers, bikepackers, cycle speedway racers, night riders, Belles on Bikes, all ability cyclists, tourers, recumbent bikers, speedway kids, families…and last year one guy in a panda suit on a bamboo bike …

As well as celebrating bike culture, the festival is about getting people involved – it’s about getting people active; supporting their transport, health and green activism; holding events that inspire and celebrate all the wonderful things cycling and the city have to offer.

This year’s festival hears from inspirational women and men who have taken on incredible challenges, tests of endurance or the might of male-dominated cyclesport; sees the second running of the Capital Trail bikepacking challenge with a UK-wide field riding through the Lothians and Borders; recumbent cyclists take to the road and cycle speedway kids take to the track in come and try sessions. With events across the cultural spectrum there are workshops, talks, films, rides and family events.

Highlights this year include a talk from “Yes” champion and adventurer Dave Cornthwaite; an evening with Scotland’s very own voice of the professional cycling scene, The Velocast and screenings of great cycling films including “Pantani“.

We’ll be looking for love at Cycle Speed Dating and turning the streets red with Cycle Flaneur. The second edition of The Capital Trail (extending the festival this year into September) brings riders from across the UK and beyond to the city in a self-supported mountain bike time-trial starting and finishing on Portobello Beach. The 237 km trail is quintessentially Scottish: rough, rugged and scenic at the same time.

A highlight of the Festival since the start, the Edinburgh Night Ride will once again give cyclists the chance to experience cycling through the night on quiet roads in East Lothian. The 60-mile ride forms a highlight of the festival around the summer solstice, with groups accompanied by experienced ride leaders, including a middle of the night feast and rest stop and mechanical support.

The festival also caters to the increasing numbers of people commuting in Edinburgh. The Spokes’ Bike Breakfast will provide free food to all who arrive by bike and features a range of stalls, speeches, security marking and servicing for bikes at the Edinburgh City Chambers.

The Brompton Fold-Fest will have prizes for the quickest in town to fold a Brompton bicycle at Biketrax and at the SEStran Commuter Challenge participants will set off from Ferrytoll, Ingliston, Straiton and Newcraighall by car, bus, train, tram, bicycle, or jogging/walking and head for St Andrew Square, to see which mode is the fastest and causes the least environmental damage.

There are also rides for the whole family such as the Bike Curious Family Workshop, which gives people the chance to meet experienced cycling families to try out various solutions and get the real low down on cycling with kids.

The festival is all about the bike, cycling culture and our love of them – come and join us celebrate our passion in our wonderful city.