Riders took to their bikes in Drumnadrochit on Saturday 15 April for a fun day of free activity in the first of a series of cycling events supported through the latest round of EventScotland’s Community Cycling Fund Events Strand.
Delivered by Visit Inverness Loch Ness in partnership with Paths for All and Loch Ness Hub, ‘Pedal Power: Discover More’ gave around 300 people the chance to get on a bike and discover how wonderful active travel can be.
Activities on the day included bike tours, bike rentals, a biking treasure hunt, an accessibility bike to try, local information stalls and a pump track for kids.
A total of 24 events across 19 Local Authorities in Scotland have received a share of £160,000 from the second round of the Community Cycling Fund Events Strand.
Encompassing an exciting range of activities including; guided rides skills development, mechanic workshops, vintage cycles, and STEM through sport, the events will help showcase the power of the bike as part of a national celebration of cycling in the build-up to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
Other events to receive support through Round 2 of the fund include Hoy on Hoy which will see Sir Chris Hoy officially open the newly refurbished Scapa Flow Museum on the 29 April and lead a community ride around the former naval base at Lyness where the museum is located; the unique gravel riding festival Muck N Mac taking place at Traquair House in the Tweed Valley (5 – 7 May) featuring gravel riding and adaptive cycling across some of the most epic gravel trails and roads Scotland has to offer; and the Energy Sport and STEM Festival in Perth (29 – 30 July) for a weekend full of amazing family experiences with sporting activities, adventure challenges and encouraging STEM through sport.
Cycling Scotland also put forward £35,000 of additional funding to support seven non-competitive events focused on enabling more people to cycle, taking the overall amount of funding to £195,000.
Among those to receive funding are the Women and Families Cycle Festival, CamGlen Cycling Festivals, and Pedal in the Park at Helix Park in Falkirk.
The Community Cycling Fund is a joint initiative between the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, EventScotland, Cycling Scotland and sportscotland.
The £1 million fund has been developed to support sustainable cycling projects and free events across Scotland in the build-up to the 2023 UCI Cycling Worlds in August this year, and to create a lasting benefit from the Championships post event.
It is made up of two strands, the Development Strand administered by sportscotland, and the Events strand being delivered by EventScotland.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said:
“As we get closer to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships being held across Scotland, it’s the perfect time for people to explore cycling in their local area.
“This funding will help communities up and down the country celebrate cycling, with many of the free events designed to encourage people to get involved in cycling, no matter their ability.
“I hope people will take advantage of these opportunities and embrace all the benefits that come with cycling.”
Robbie Clyde, Head of EventScotland, said:
“Events play an important role in our communities as they give us the chance to come together and share memorable experiences.
“The 24 events being supported through the Community Cycling Fund will give people the chance to discover the joy riding a bike can bring to their everyday lives in a fun and safe environment, while also helping create a lasting benefit from our hosting of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.”
Craig Burn, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Director of Strategy and Policy Impacts, said:
“In just over 100 days’ time, the world’s greatest riders will come together in Glasgow and across Scotland for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.
“This first of its kind event will be the perfect stage to inspire more people to ride bikes whether it be for sport, leisure or transport.
“The 24 events being supported through the Community Cycling Fund will provide a fantastic opportunity for local communities to celebrate cycling in a fun and safe environment across the length and breadth of the country as we count down to the biggest cycling event ever this August.”
Christopher Johnson, Head of Education and Training, Cycling Scotland said:
“Cycling Scotland is happy to partner with EventScotland to increase the number of events supported through the Community Cycling Fund.
“Inclusive cycling events play an important role in encouraging more people to cycle more often in communities across Scotland and help to highlight local cycle routes and opportunities to travel by bike.”
Emma Harrison, Destination Development Manager, Visit Inverness Loch Ness said:
“Pedal Power was a fantastic day for all! The community led event brought in both locals and visitors to the region to discover more about the area of Drumnadrochit & Glenurquhart.
“With E-bike and mountain bike guided tours available for all, the uptake was excellent, and there were many that had never tried E-biking before.
“The funding received from EventScotland through the Community Cycling Fund made it possible for the community to rent bikes, to offer children opportunities to try a pump track and learn the skills to be able to bike around the track and surrounding areas.
“Children were also offered the chance to pedal to make their own smoothies and head off on an adventure to complete a treasure hunt via bike.
“With a glorious sunny day, plenty rides on offer to take part in, and community food available, it was a success all round!”
The latest round of funding builds on the 18 free events across 12 Local Authorities that received support from the first round of funding, including the Women on Wheels Cycling Festival in Queens Park in Glasgow, Get Active Family Cycling Challenge that took place in and around Drumchapel Cycle Hub, Fife Loves Cycling, the Auchterarder Community Sports and Recreation (ACSR) Bike Fun Day, and the Dukes Weekender who developed and delivered an adaptive cycling route as part of their event.
The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will create sporting history in August 2023 with 13 existing UCI World Championships brought together for the first time to create one mega-event.
With more than 8,000 amateur and elite cyclists competing from around 120 countries, an expected one million spectators and more than one billion viewers worldwide, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will be one of the top 10 sporting events on the planet.
