Harrogate Big Bike Bash 2015
9th June 2015
Harrogate's Big Bike Bash on Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st June 2015 will aim to revive memories of the town's golden Tour de France weekend in July 2014. There's an opportunity to ride on closed roads in Harrogate town centre, you can watch criterium races on the same circuit, and there's entertainment.
On Friday 19th June 2015, an event village opens on West Park
Stray (4 to 9pm), with exhibitor stalls and a big screen.
On Saturday 20th June, the event village opens again at 10.30am, and there'll be a circus skills workshop and bike stunt display, as well as live music and entertainment later. The town centre race route closes to traffic at 12 noon, and 'ride the route' begins at 4pm. The criterium races take place from 6 to 9.30pm, with the presentations at 9.50pm.
On Sunday 21st June, the event village opens from 10am to 4pm, and there are free, guided rides (three different distances).
The route
The start/finish line is on West Park Stray, where Stage 1 of the Tour de France finished last year. Riders set off south along West Park Stray (called Stray't up) as far as the Coach & Horses, when they turn around and come back down (Stray't down); they head down Montpellier Hill (Montpellier Madness) to the Crown Hotel roundabout, then along Montpellier Road to the tourist office and the Royal Baths (the Royal Run); finally they sprint up Parliament Street past Bettys (Cavendish Hill), and back onto West Park Stray. See a route map.
Ride the route
The event information states that you have to register in order to be allowed to ride the route. There's a family ride the route at 4pm, and a slightly faster ride the route for more experienced riders at 4.45pm. Register with Eventbrite.
Criterium races
The races will take place on the one-mile town centre route (see above), with three races, and elite cyclists taking part in the final one. The schedule is:
6pm support race: 2nd, 3rd, & 4th category riders, lasting 45 minutes
7pm women's race: 50 minutes plus 3 laps
8.30pm men's elite race: 1hour plus 5 laps
10,000 spectators are expected.
Sunday guided rides
There are free guided rides on Sunday, with three different distances. The rides are:
The Harrogate Beast: 53 miles, starts 9.30am,
The Stray Beast: 30 miles, starts 10am
The Stray Pedal: 12 miles, starts 10.30am
However, they are limited to 100 people per ride, and you have to register. At the time of writing (9th June 2015), all three rides are booked up, but for one place left on the Stray pedal. (Perhaps for future years there would be a way of making more places available?).
