The sun shone and cyclists came out in their thousands for the Castle Combe Cycling Festival and PEDALSAFE Severn Bridge Sportive at Castle Combe Circuit on Sunday.
The event, organised by Castle Combe Circuit in conjunction with Andy Cook Cycling was the first major cycling event that the Circuit had undertaken but only 24 hours on, thoughts are already turning to 2013 and how to make it even bigger and better.
The ethos of the event was to offer cycling for all ages and for all abilities whether 2 or 102 years old and, from the comments that we have received from visitors, exhibitors and traders alike, we seemed to pretty much hit the nail on the head confirmed Marketing and Events Manager, Jo Sparrow.
There is huge public awareness of cycling at the moment following Team GBs success in the Olympics and of course Bradley Wiggins triumphing in the Tour de France and we wanted to build on this to provide a truly interactive event for all.
We offered a number of have-a-go experiences from ToddlebikeTryouts, the Strider Adventure Challenge through to Go Ride, Cyclo Cross and a Stunt Skills Participation Area. Add in Cycling Projects who encompass the Wheels for All initiative, a nationally recognised programme embracing children and adults with disabilities through the use of specially adapted bikes, Wacky Cycles who brought their somewhat unusual if not challenging comedy bikes and the Vintage Bike display who were letting people try out their bikes both on the circuit and around the paddock and you really had an event for all ages and abilities. To top it all we also had the UKs leading freestyle mountain bike display team, Savage Skills, performing throughout the day enthralling crowds as they leapt from great height and across great distances on their bikes.
The piece de resistance however had to be the Circuit Challenge when visitors were allowed out onto the historic 1.85 mile international race circuit to see how many laps they could undertake.
I dont think any of us can still quite believe the number of people who got out on the circuit in the afternoon. We had some of the guys riding the Vintage Bikes, we had a grandfather taking his grandson out on one of the Cycling Projects bikes and we even saw a kid attempting the circuit on a Strider balance bike. With no pedals, it must have seemed a very long way round! Jo added.
The day started early with the first cyclists arriving at 7.00am for the PEDALSAFE Severn Bridge Sportive. Over 400 cyclists took on the 100km or 100 mile routes and many have already confirmed their interest in attending the 2013 event.
Andy Cook of Andy Cook Cycling who co-ordinated the Sportive confirmed We had a great turnout for the Sportive and are delighted with how it ran. We were keen that it should start and finish at the circuit and in fact the last 1.85 miles was a lap of the circuit itself so that riders could join friends and family in a lap before exiting through the finishing point. Without a doubt we were blessed with the weather but comments that we have received from ridersand staff alike congratulating us on the warmth and friendliness of the event has really made all the hard work over the last six months or so worthwhile and were just looking forward to next year.
Full details on the Castle Combe Cycling Festival and PEDALSAFE Severn Bridge Sportive including the Sportive results, event photographs etc., can be found at www.castlecombecyclingfestival.co.uk built by Racecar
Meanwhile pencil Sunday 2nd June 2013 in your diary as the event date for next year is confirmed.
