Sydney is to show its support for all forms of cycling with the Sydney Rides Festival, which takes place from 11 to 27 October.
The centre of the festival is the Sydney Spring Cycle, a mass-participation cycling event with a choice of 15, 55 or 100km distances. This event will be held on Sunday, 19 October and gives thousands of people an opportunity to ride on the road across the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
The 55 and 100km rides will end at Homebush Park, where entrants will be given free access to the 2014 Fitness Show. Additional events, such as the Brompton Australian Championships (yep, a race for folding bikes), will be taking place too.
The cycling festival has grown far larger than this one event, and there’s something for everyone, including the most passionate or competitive cyclists.
The Sydney Rides Film Festival kicks off on 21 October with a return of the Whimsy night. Dirt and Road focused film nights will follow on the 23 and 27 October respectively.
The-Spokes-People, those behind the film nghts will be holding a hill climb sprint race up Observatory Hill in the afternoon of 19 October. The short-sprint racing doesn’t stop there, there's gold sprints roller racing and bowling happening on the night of 24 Octover.
Already with 50,000 Australian-wide registrations, the national Ride2Work day is on 15 October. If you’ve ever thought about riding to work (or already do), then next Wednesday is the day to do it – you’ll help show how popular cycling is in this country.
While that covers the big stuff, there are plenty of maintenance, dress-up and culture events on too. For a complete list of events, head on over to SydneyCycleWays.
Sydney Rapha Super Cross returns
Lastly, technically not part of the Sydney Rides Festival, on Saturday 1 November, will see Sydney Park once again play host to the only Australian-leg of the global Rapha Super Cross cyclocross series. Get your cow bell ready, it proved to be an exciting event last year.