Guided Rides Programme for 2025
Two Audaxes for the 2025 York Cycle Festival! We are excited to announce that there will be two Audaxes at the 2025 York Cycle Festival. As in 2024, there will be a 100km Audax, organised by Andrew Richardson as well as an epic 400km ride, organised by Dean Clementson. Last year these were very very popular, so now mi
More Ride Information & Bookings
About The Rides
How Do I Join A Ride?
How Do I Join A Ride?
The guided rides at the York Cycle Festival & Rally are organised, led and managed entirely by volunteers from the Rally, local cycling clubs and national organisations.
We always need new volunteers to lead rides, be back markers, or to help with signing-on. If you feel you could contribute to the event in this way, thank you and please
The guided rides at the York Cycle Festival & Rally are organised, led and managed entirely by volunteers from the Rally, local cycling clubs and national organisations.
We always need new volunteers to lead rides, be back markers, or to help with signing-on. If you feel you could contribute to the event in this way, thank you and please just email our rides co-ordinator.
Naturally, we hope that that weather conditions will be favourable for the guided rides, but we reserve the right to change or cancel rides, should the need occur.
We also ask that prospective riders ensure that their cycles are in good mechanical condition and are roadworthy. Generally, we cannot arrange recovery if you break down.
How Do I Join A Ride?
How Do I Join A Ride?
How Do I Join A Ride?
It’s best if you register for your chosen ride, well in advance, at the Info Hub. But if you are short of time, then you can just turn up with your cycle at the ride departure point. Departure points are located along the fencing by the main tarmac road leading into the Festival: see the site plan in the show programme. Which departure p
It’s best if you register for your chosen ride, well in advance, at the Info Hub. But if you are short of time, then you can just turn up with your cycle at the ride departure point. Departure points are located along the fencing by the main tarmac road leading into the Festival: see the site plan in the show programme. Which departure point you need will be shown on multiple posters around the departure area or at the Info Hub. That said, it would be hugely helpful to speed ride departures if you could please make every effort to go to the Info Hub at least 30 minutes before the ride is due to depart to sign up for the ride and provide the basic details we need for insurance purposes (name, address, contact number, emergency contact etc.)
FAQ
How Do I Join A Ride?
FAQ
What if I can’t keep up?
If you think this could be an issue, please ask just the ride leader or at the Info Hub. In general we do request that riders must satisfy themselves that they and their machines are capable of the pace, distance and type of the organised rides. The organisers and ride leaders can not be held responsible for rider
What if I can’t keep up?
If you think this could be an issue, please ask just the ride leader or at the Info Hub. In general we do request that riders must satisfy themselves that they and their machines are capable of the pace, distance and type of the organised rides. The organisers and ride leaders can not be held responsible for riders who fail to do so, and although we will do our best to help, we cannot normally provide any sag wagon or pickup service. It would be wise in any case to have a puncture kit, map and/or charged smartphone so that you can always get back independently if you need to. It’s recommended that you download the What 3 Words app onto your phone, in case you get separated from the group and need assistance – it lets you pass on your exact location easily.
Can children and/or vulnerable adults join the led rides?
Children under 16 years of age and vulnerable adults are welcome to participate but must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Looking For The GPX files?
You will see on the list of led rides that for each ride, a link is provided to the route map on the Mapometer website.
To download the GPX file for that ride, click that Mapometer link. Once it opens up on the Mapometer website, look for the “Actions” option on the left, and within that select the “Export” button. That will let you download the GPX files in a variety of formats.
Self Guided Rides
Self-guided rides are always an option at the event – just head out with your friends!
- iTravel York has 8 free route sheets to download…
- York CTC has a helpful list of cyclist-friendly cafes.
- For gentle, largely traffic free self-guided rides, check out the routes developed by Sustrans as part of their Slow Tour of Yorkshire. Two of them start very close to the Festival site:
- York to Naburn is just five flat miles each way, almost entirely on an old railway line and going past the scale model solar system. You can join it between Points 3 and 4 on the free PDF map direct from the Festival site. Several of the short rides listed above will also use some or all of this route.
- York to Beningbrough Hall is a little longer at nine miles each way, but again it’s largely off road and flat. Start point on the map is York train station, just a few minutes’ ride from the Festival via Sustrans Route 65.
