The annual Edinburgh Festival of Cycling is returning to the capital for its 7th year. With a packed schedule of diverse activities running from the 6-16th June, there is something for you – whether you an ardent cyclist or never even sat on a saddle. Continue reading Festival of Cycling returns to Edinburgh
Edinburgh Festival of Cycling
Thursday 7th – Sunday 24th June
The Edinburgh Festival of Cycling (EdFoC) is back for its sixth year and will be the biggest yet, not only extended to 18 days, but also going on tour, taking events to Glasgow and Dundee. The simple act of cycling can change lives and transform places, and urbanism and health are among this year’s themes. Continue reading Edinburgh Festival of Cycling back for sixth year
Edinburgh is getting ready for Scotland’s greatest celebration of bicycle culture. The city will host the fifth edition of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling from 8–18 June 2017.
As you may be aware there is an important event happening on the 8th of June 2017, Yes the start of the fifth annual Edinburgh Festival of Cycling! Continue reading Gearing up for Festival of Cycling
Shannon Galpin will talk about her experiences cycling in Afghanistan while Festival puts focus on women in cycling
National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and women’s rights activist Shannon Galpin (above), the first woman to mountain bike in Afghanistan, will be sharing her story in the talk ‘Pedaling a Revolution’ at the third Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, held across various venues from 11 – 21 June.
An avid mountain biker, who has spent seven years working on various projects to empower women and girls, most recently supporting the first generation of women riding bikes as part of the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team, Galpin will be leading a strong bill of events for women as part of the Festival. She will be speaking at the Royal College of Physicians on 17 June at 7pm.
It is not just in Afghanistan that women are changing the narrative, and not just in cycling. After last year’s successful launch, the Women’s Cycle Forum is back for an evening of discussion, inspiration and networking open to all. This year we’ll be hearing from women from successful campaigns about how they ‘changed the record’ and make a difference to their worlds – and then consider together how we can build a better one of our own. Whether you ride a bike for transport, fun or sport, or work in cycling in any way, come ready to learn and to talk about what we can all do to make a difference across the cycling world. Come away inspired, informed – and challenged – to ‘build a better world‘. The Women’s Cycle Forum will be held at Teviot Row House on 13th June at 7pm.
Another woman trying to bring a new perspective to the cycling safety debate is Tamara von Werthern, writer the of the new powerful new drama ‘The White Bike’. The White Bike addresses the issue of road safety by looking at the personal cost of road death and is inspired by the case of Eilidh Cairns who was killed by a lorry as she cycled to work. It uses witness statements, personal recollections of family members and years of cycling experience on the streets of London to create a deeply personal portrait of a life cut short too soon. A dramatic reading of the play will be given at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar on 11 June at 6.30pm.
Other inspiring woman appearing at the Festival include Juliana Buhring and Emily Chappell. World record holder Juliana Buhring was the fastest women to cycle around the world in 2012 and female winner of the Trans-Am Race 2014. Juliana will be giving a Q&A after the Scottish première of the film ‘Inspired to Ride’ about first TransAmerica race.
‘Inspired to Ride’ gives the audience an incredibly immersive experience of 45 cyclists from around the world who set out to cover 4,233 miles in one enormous stage race, traversing through ten US states in a transcontinental adventure of epic proportions. ‘Inspired to Ride’ will be screened at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar on 12 June 7pm.
Emily Chappell will be sharing her stories about cycling through some of the world’s most remote and inhospitable regions in a talk on 11 June at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar at 8pm. A bike messenger by trade, she has recently cycled from Anchorage to Seattle on a fatbike, through the snow and ice of the Alaska Highway.
The Edinburgh Festival also has a wide range of participatory events which are likely to appeal to women, these include: the original Edinburgh Night Ride (starts 19 June) which over the last two years has had over 40% participation. This ride give cyclists the chance to experience of cycling through the night on quiet roads in East Lothian.
A ride which is specifically aimed at female riders is the 15:15 ride led by the Edinburgh Belles on Bikes women’s cycling group. The route for this ride forms a figure of eight which allows riders ride for the whole 30 miles, or decide to stop after the first 15 miles.
There is also the ‘Women, Read and Ride on Tour’ a literary tour of Edinburgh by bike, celebrating cycling writing by women. This ride will include readings by Kate Rawles from her book The Carbon Cycle – Crossing the Great Divide (21 June).
For those who want to learn to ride or increase their confidence, there are courses for beginners (21 June) and an adult commuter course (13 June). In addition to this there are a range of family friendly events, these include the Bike Curious Family Workshop. This event, on 13 June at Sciennes Primary School, is to show families how the bike can be used as everyday family transport.
Tickets and more information on all events are available at www.edfoc.co.uk. The Festival can also be followed on Twitter at @edfoc, on Facebook at EdinburghFestivalofCycling, on Instagram at @edfoc and on Flickr at edincyclefest. The hashtag for the event is #edfoc2015
City to host third Festival of Cycling from 11 – 21 June
The third Edinburgh Festival of Cycling will be held from 11 to 21 June, and Scotland’s greatest cycling celebration promises to be a real showcase of all aspects of bicycle culture.
The jam-packed 10-day programme features not only bike rides and races, but talks, films, drama, art & photography exhibitions, family events, and workshops. Among the rides there are several new rides, including the inauguration of the Capital Trail a long distance mountain biking challenge, and two new Audax rides aimed at beginners and families. There will also be rides and events for children and families.
The festival will feature inspiring speakers such as: Shannon Galpin, National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, talking about her work in Afghanistan using the bicycle as a vehicle for social justice. Juliana Buhring (the fastest woman to cycle round the world) will be giving a Q&A after the Scottish première of ‘Inspired to Ride’ the new film about the 4,233 mile Trans America race, in which was the first woman to finish (and fifth overall). Also, new at the Festival is the powerful new drama ‘The White Bike’ by Tamara von Werthern, who was inspired to write the play by the death of Eilidh Cairns who was killed as she cycled to work.
This years Festival of Cycling will see the return of the Original Edinburgh Night Ride, for its third year: this is a supported ride which has been described as a magical mystery tour from Edinburgh to East Lothian and back through the mid-summer night – this ride sold out for the last two years.
Then there’s the Bike Curious Family workshop – showing families how bikes can be the perfect transport solution for children of all ages. Also, returning this year is Women’s Cycle forum, an evening of discussion, inspiration and networking on how to build a better world.
In addition to all this there will be plenty more to do including a literary tour, rides and tours for all-abilities, novice riders, children and the elite, workshops, exhibitions of art & photography, various workshops, including one where you can build a bicycle from scratch using bamboo to make the frame, and public meetings.
Throughout June, ‘Pedalling past: Edinburgh’s Cycling Heritage’, explores Edinburgh’s cycling heritage in a free exhibition at the Central Library, through historic photographs and other material from the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries.
The Festival also caters to the increasing amount of people commuting in Edinburgh. The Spokes’ Bike Breakfast will be free 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.
Louise Haston, Commonwealth Games double Silver medallist said: “Over the past few years cycling in Scotland has gone from strength to strength and it’s great to see events such as the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling taking place,
especially for the 3rd year running.
“Events like this are key to getting people of all ages and abilities involved in cycling whether it be for sport, leisure, to stay fit or have fun! There are some fantastic events on this year’s calendar – I can’t wait to be involved!”
Director of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling, Kim Harding, says “This year we are bringing you our strongest programme yet: more rides, including the new Capital Trail and two new Audax rides. More films, including the première of ‘Inspired to Ride’ with a Q&A with one of the stars. Great talks, such as ‘Pedalling a Revolution’ by Shannon Galpin, founder of the nonprofit organisation Mountain2Mountain, on her social justice work in Afghanistan, a country where there is a cultural taboo against women and girls riding bicycles.
“Also, Emily Chappell a cycle courier taking on the world, and Swiss mountain biker Gian Liesch. The powerful new drama ‘The White Bike’ by Tamara von Werthern, plus books, photographs, workshops, rides and more. Did I mention the rides?”
Held across different venues around Edinburgh, more information on all events of the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling and tickets are available online at www.edfoc.org.uk.
The Festival can also be followed on Twitter at @edfoc, on Facebook at EdinburghFestivalofCycling, on Instagram at @edfoc and on Flickr at edincyclefest. The hashtag for the event is #edfoc2015.
The Edinburgh Festival of Cycling is supported by Sustrans, Sestran, The City of Edinburgh Council, Spokes and the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative. Booking information and contact details for all events can be found on www.edfoc.org.uk, the online brochure can be browsed at goo.gl/TYrM6z.
