Bike an Inch: an Edinburgh Festival of Cycling Event - Edinburgh Festival of Cycling

Bike an Inch: an Edinburgh Festival of Cycling Event

Bike an Inch: an Edinburgh Festival of Cycling Event poster

Event Details


Come to Edinburgh Festival of Cycling – Sunday July 17th – it’s going to be wheely sunny…

A gathering to celebrate, learn about, and try out all sorts of cycling!

Globally and in Scotland, cycling is booming. Did you know, for instance, that there are now over 60 bike stores and cycling businesses in and around Edinburgh?

A life-saver for some during Covid, bike sales, use and interest are bigger than ever. It’s fantastic for health, cuts congestion and makes our streets safer (especially for children and the many who are put off by cars). Plus there’s the urgent need to cut emissions, for which cycling is almost a silver bullet…

Sunday 17th [ PROGRAMME HERE with ORGANISED RIDES to join at 1000 & 1130/ site MAP ] has a programme of talks and discussions (come listen to and ask questions of new Transport Committee convener Councillor Scott Arthur about his ambitions for cycling, plus campaign groups will debate how best to encourage more to get on the saddle, and there’s talks from folk who’ve cycled across Europe, the US, and evacuated pioneering women cyclists from Afghanistan). You can try many types of bikes (including cargo, folding, kids and the has-to-be-experienced magic of e-bikes), and browse stalls from Spokes, Proper Cycling Magazine, Cycle Law Scotland and others, join in group rides and meetings, and other treats.

Saturday 16th July was children and families day. [ PROGRAMME HERE / site MAP ]. There’s Cargo Bike Curious giving a chance for everyone to try out lots of different load-carrying bikes (kids love being chauffeured around). There’s stalls (including Police security marking [bring your bike for that]; the City Council’s Active Mobility team; Cycle Law Scotland; Spokes; Edinburgh-based Proper Cycling Magazine, and others), Ohana Pops handmade ice cream trike, bike repair and sales, learning to ride, pedal power your own smoothie bikes), Reinventing the Bicycle – a wandering theatre group with a performance about cycling (with a 200 year-old hobby horse!), evening music with bike-related tunes, LIVE MUSIC from harpist Chloe Matharu and singer/ pianist Megan Toni Smith, and a late-night light show in the woods projected from an off-grid bike (Forest VIDEOLAB).

Throughout, there will be safe riding in the adjoining woods and fields well away from cars, bikes and bits for sale, hot and cold refreshments and home-grown and cooked food at the community-owned Bridgend Farm cafe, and much more.

Open 1000 both days, finishing around 2200 Saturday & 1700 Sunday (talks 1200 until 1600 Sunday). Full programme will be published here Friday so check back for specifics. Bridgend is very accessible just south of Cameron Toll. PLEASE COME BY BIKE or WALK or BUS where possible – there’s very limited parking.

And if you or your business or organisation have something bike-related you’d like to organise or present (including group or club meets or rides, talks, exhibits, even music and performances), just let us know even if it’s last minute we’ll probably fit you in. Volunteers also welcome to help ensure it all goes smoothly (you can always make yourself known when you arrive).

Edinburgh Festival of Cycling