Fancy a weekend-long festival of all things cycle touring and bikepacking this spring?
Well, the good news is that the UK Cycle Touring Festival returns this May after a five-year COVID-induced hiatus – this time at a new venue near the shores of Coniston Water in Cumbria.
I gave a couple of talks at the inaugural festival in 2015 and have since watched this lovely institution go from strength to strength, with round-the-world cyclists Laura & Tim Moss at the helm. Somehow both casual and inspiring at the same time, it’s rare that bicycle travellers – mostly a solitary breed – can get together like this to chat about the finer points of bicycle-mounted adventures.
The programme is still to be finalised, but expect it to be designed for veterans and newbies alike: a mix of trip planning workshops, tales from the road, and forays into outlying niches like gourmet camp cookery, cyclist-specific yoga routines, and this year a masterclass in the art of wheel-building (bring your own parts!).
Key details of the 2024 Cycle Touring Festival:
- Dates: Friday 3rd–Sunday 5th May, 2024
- Location: John Ruskin School, Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8EW
- Ticket price: £100 (accompanied under-18s free)
For more details and to buy your ticket, head over to the Cycle Touring Festival website.
And for a taste of the programme content, the CTF YouTube channel hosts recordings of many of the talks given at online editions of the festival during the COVID years.
I probably won’t be able to attend this year with my ongoing projects in the Caucasus – but I’ll be there in spirit!
Something to add?