For those who thought Edinburgh had enough festivals, here’s another to add to the ever-increasing list. The first ever Edinburgh Festival of Cycling – claimed to be the UK’s biggest — starts this weekend. Running from 15 to 23 June, the Festival includes a mix of events from exhibitions, films and talks, to rides and races, workshops and the world’s first cycling poetry slam, Bike Slam. There’s also Heels on Wheels, a ‘Ladies day’ of cycling, which will be held at The Meadows on Saturday 22 June from 11am to 3pm and aims to be a fun and educational event for the whole family.
Mikael Colville-Andersen
Copenhagen’s bicycle ambassador
Copenhagen’s bicycle ambassador, Mikael Colville-Andersen, will give a talk on “Bicycle Culture by Design” on Saturday 15 June in the Assembly Hall, Mound Place at 7.30pm. Tickets are £15 (£13 concessions).
In ‘The Fastest Woman to Cycle Around the World’, Juliana Buhring will give a talk about setting the first women’s world record for fastest circumnavigation of the world by bicycle, which she achieved in just 152 days, finishing in December 2012. This talk will be at 7.30pm on Saturday 22 June at George Square Lecture Theatre – tickets are £12 (£10 concessions).
Cllr Jim Orr
The City of Edinburgh Council has supported the Festival with funding of £8,000, as well as offering advice and support to its organisers. Councillor Jim Orr, the Council’s cycling spokesman and Vice Convener of Transport and Environment, described the programme as “exciting” adding that he would “encourage anyone with an interest in bikes to check it out, you never know what you’ll discover. It’s not just for cycling enthusiasts, either – there are plenty of events for families and for people who don’t already cycle but are keen to take it up.
“Having just been on an inspirational visit to Amsterdam, where cycling is such an intrinsic part of urban life (half of all journeys in the city centre are by bike), I’m very keen to build on Edinburgh’s already-established reputation as a cycling city. Events like this terrific Festival of Cycling are exactly the kind of collaborative, forward-looking initiatives which will help us do just that.”
According to Kim Harding, the Festival’s Director, “We set out with the aim of creating a real Edinburgh-style festival, something that would act as a showcase for all aspects of bicycle culture and the host city. From rides (sporty and otherwise) to family activities to a range of cultural events, we hope that the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling will truly have something for everyone. Let the fun begin!”