BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
While it’s unlikely that Mick, Keith or any of the rest of the Rolling Stones will be arriving on two wheels, music fans are being encouraged to take to their bikes to avoid the queues and, in some cases, gain festival privileges.
And as the music festival season hots up, charity Sustrans is encouraging festival goers to plan their journey using the National Cycle Network. Some of the more forward thinking festivals, including the most famous one in the world, are actively encouraging punters to arrive by bike.
Glastonbury has teamed up with PoWWoW Pedal Power for guided rides from Bristol to the festival site, while Team Tor 2000 is offering a luggage collection service with support and guidance to groups and solo cyclists travelling in. There’s a comprehensive guide here.
Public transport users and cyclists arriving at Glastonbury will be handed a Green Traveller pass/lanyard, providing them with discounts at food stalls and a chance to win prizes – including a chance to watch a set from the side of the Pyramid Stage. Glastonbury has reduced the number of public cars on site from 60,000 in 2000 to 36,000 in 2007.
Other festivals keen to see attendees arrive by bike include the Secret Garden Festival, which has linked up with Bike2basics to organise tours from London this summer.
Sustrans has provided a brief cycling guide to some of the summer’s festivals.
- Glastonbury – the site is just a few miles south of Route 3 of the National Cycle Network, which runs between Glastonbury and Wells.
- Secret Garden Party – both Route 12 and Route 51 of the National Cycle Network pass close to Abbots Ripton where the festival takes place.
- Green Man Festival – the beautiful Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal cycle path passes within a few miles of the festival site. The canal links with Route 8 which connects Cardiff and Brecon and then country lanes through Mid Wales, following the course of the River Wye.
- Latitude Festival – Regional Route 42 runs a few miles from the festival and is connected to National Route 1 – a long distance cycle route connecting Dover to the Shetland Islands via the east coast of England and Scotland.
If you’re a bike shop or hire business working with a festival this summer, let us know at BikeBiz@intentmedia.co.uk or in the comments below.
PIC: http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/
