Sydney Rides Festival 2014
Finally, a safe space for cyclists where cars take a back seat.
Overview
The Sydney Rides Festival, now in its fourth year, is about so much more than cycling. From October 11-25, the city will transmogrify into a kind of two-wheeling utopia. There’ll be bike-inspired art shows, free pedal-powered smoothies, complimentary breakfast and coffee for cycle-commuters, a checkpoint challenge offering loads of prizes, public talks about cycling history in The Netherlands and much more. Whether you’re a riding addict who doesn’t leave home without your bike or a newbie who’s hesitant about taking the plunge into traffic, there’ll be something for you.
And to cap it all off, there’s the grand finale: the first ever Sydney Rides the Night event. At the end of the action-packed fortnight, thousands of cyclists are expected to gather at Mrs Macquaries Point for a nocturnal mini-festival within the festival. Between 6pm and midnight on October 25, a 2.5-kilometre course, starting at The Domain and extending along Mrs Macquaries Road, will be illuminated with installations and special effects, creating a kind of surreal adventure with the Harbour as a backdrop. Attendees will be welcome to ride the loop as many times as they like.
At the same time, Mrs Macquaries Point will be transformed into a free outdoor party. So, before, after and in-between rides, participants will be able to hang out on outdoor couches watching short films on a big screen, sample fare from a herd of gourmet food trucks, kick back to live DJs and get involved in a silent disco hosted by Today FM. For anyone who doesn’t have their own bike, there’ll be plenty available for hire, including several of the electric variety.
And, if you’re wondering how your fitness levels are travelling, you’ll have a chance to find out. “The National Institute for the Experiential Arts are also coming along,” explains City of Sydney marketing manager for cycling James Adams. “They’re setting up an installation, where there’s a stationery bike, which people can pedal. There’ll be a projection of their ride, as well as biometric data, like temperature and heart rate.”
Sydney Rides the Night is the first event of its kind for, not only Sydney, but Australia, too. “It’s not just about the bike,” Adams explains. “It’s also about the experience. It’s for people who ride all the time and for those who are new to it. On our Facebook page, we’ve had lots of people commenting that they’ll get their bikes out and fix them up. Hopefully, this will then lead to them riding more often or even commuting to work. Sydney Rides the Night and the festival are all about stimulating interest and encouraging cycling culture in Sydney.”
Information
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