When: 7th – 24th June 2018
Where: Edinburgh (and beyond)
£: Ticket prices vary, depending on the event. Many events are free
What is it?
Edinburgh Festival of Cycling (EdFoC) is back for its sixth year and promises be the biggest yet, with 18 days of events and extra events in Glasgow and Dundee. The simple act of cycling can change lives and transform places, and urbanism and health are among this year’s themes.
This year’s quirky highlights will include a magical mystery tour with the Original Edinburgh Night Ride, a parade of dressed up bikes at the Leith Festival Pageant, and the chance to try a cycling challenge whilst enjoying beer with Roller Racing at Six Degrees North.
Other highlights will include Peter Walker talking about his book Bike Nation: How Cycling Can Save the World; and Morten Kabell, the former transport mayor of Copenhagen, on how we can Copenhagenize Scotland. There will also be a screening of the Dutch documentary film Why We Cycle, think you know why the Dutch cycle so much? Think again.
The festival will feature inspiring tales of physical and mental recovery through cycling as well as adventures. The Adventure Syndicate’s Divided, documents the attempt by Lee Craigie (Commonwealth Games mountain biker) and Rickie Cotter (24 hr champion) to ride the Tour Divide Race from Banff (Canada) to the Mexican border, along the spine of the Rocky Mountains. Another Adventure Syndicate member, Kate Rawles, will talk about her amazing biodiversity ride along the spine of South America on a bamboo bike she built herself. And Andrew Sykes will be talking about cycling Europe and Michelle Brideau will reveal the three things you need to know for riding across a continent.
See Edinburgh differently on the Night Ride
Lorena Jones discusses recovery from breaking her pelvis and spine, to riding the Trafalgar Way from Falmouth to London (500km with 6,795m of climbing) in under 24 hours. Gabriella Gratrix talks about how cycling is helping her recovery from Breast Cancer and her plans to cycle around the world. Richard Lord’s workshop will explore how cycling can help treat depression, and a screening of the award-winning film Riding through the Darkness will look at a mental health project in the Scottish Highlands.
There will be lots of opportunities to ‘get on yer bike’, with a range of guided rides, including the ever-popular Original Edinburgh Night Ride, a magical mystery tour of East Lothian, and the Ride to the Sun which sees riders set off in the evening from Carlisle with aim of arriving at Cramond for the sunrise. For families, there will be ‘bike curious’ family events in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow. There will also be the chance to ride on closed roads in Edinburgh city centre with the HSBC/British Cycling Let’s Ride event.
This year’s festival will also feature a range of other events, from stand up comedy to photographic exhibitions, offering something for everyone.
More info: edfoc.org.uk