The Summertime Blues! 400km Audax at this year’s Rally

400km Audax at the York Cycle Rally :  Summertime Blues

400km cycling event starting from York Knavesmire. Controls at Thirn, Hawes, Appleby, Watson Hall, Castle Carrock, Mickleton Village Hall, Barton Truck Stop and York Knavesmire., plus 3 information controls.

A well-supported midsummer 400 with hills, but not a hilly ride. Campervan control at Thirn, and two village halls with food to see you through the darksome overnight section. Starts and finishes at York Cycle Rally.

The route takes in the cycle paths south of York and crosses the Ouse at the Bridge of Dreams, twice across the Wharfe before heading west into the Dales with a campervan stop and food at the eastern end of Wensleydale, then to Hawes and an evening ride over Mallerstang Common, into the Vale of Eden.

Lanes along the edge of the Pennines take you to a village hall at Castle Carrock where a warm welcome and hot food await.

The route then heads east of Eden and hopefully not to the Land of Nod, as it’s across to the Tyne Valley through Alston while the good folk are abed and over Yad Moss to a second village hall at Mickleton, with an optional bag drop and limited sleep space. Plenty of food, though.

Finally, it’s out of the hills to Barton Truck Stop World Heritage Site and across the Vale of Mowbray on your way back to York with a final section along the river path to get you back to the Knavesmire.

This ride will be for you if you like: being fed at the side of the road or at village halls, bridges, rivers, County Durham, Cumbria and Yorkshire. There’s a lot of Yorkshire.

This ride will not be for you if you don’t like: cycle paths, crossing the Pennines at night in midsummer with shooting stars across the sky (possibly), Barton Truck Stop World Heritage Site.

Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2024 

Distance: 400 km in 26 hours and 40 minutes

Time: 11:00 to finish by 13:40 the next day

Starting from: York Knavesmire

Fee: £30.00 

Closing Date: Enter soon as entries may close early if event is full

NON-MEMBERS are welcome but need to register first (audax.uk) This is free – we ask you to do this so we can verify your contact details. You only need to register once and can then enter multiple events or in future convert to paid membership.

Organiser: Dean Clementson

Email: dean.clementson@icloud.com

The return of the “Tour de York” Guided Ride

We are delighted that the popular “Tour de York”, led by an expert Club Cyclist, will be featuring on this year’s Rally Guided Rides Programme.

This 68 miles long route will take riders through lovely countryside as well as pretty villages whilst circumnavigating the City of York.

An added bonus is that all who complete this ride are awarded a special commemorative sticker! Don’t forget to sign up, in advance at the Rally’s Information Hub.

New for this year: a themed ride: the life and times of George Hudson, “The Railway King”.

If you enjoy an informative ride, then this one could be for you!

One of our excellent guided ride leaders has devised an interesting and entertaining ride exploring the life and times of George Hudson, who was known as “The Railway King”. Never far from controversy, George Hudson was a key figure on the development of the railways in and around York in the early C19th.

Numbers for this guided ride will be limited to 15, and you will need to sign up, in advance, in the Rally Information Hub.

York Cycle Rally & Festival 2024 – March update!

Rally and Festival are shaping up! Help us by distributing the 2024 flyers…

As we look forward to warmer weather, an update on preparations for the York Rally and York Cycle Festival 2024! 

  • We’ve printed our 2024 A5 flyers! Front artwork is above, and the reverse is below. We rely very largely on volunteers to help us distribute these to fellow cyclists and anyone else who may be interested – so if you could help promote the event by finding good homes for some, please just email publicity@yorkrally.org with your name, how many you’d like and your postal address, and we’ll send them off to you with our thanks! 

  • A good news round-up from the Rides team:
    • The Retro Ride is back – this will be suitable for all manner of older bikes, whether they are roadsters, road bikes, Moultons or even high wheelers! So polish up your pride and joy, and join us for a ride into the countryside around York!
    • Audax is back in force! There will be two rides available. The first is a 100k ride to Knaresborough and the second is a mighty 400k “Summertime Blues” ride through the Yorkshire Dales to the Vale of Eden and back to the Rally, well-supported with multiple village hall food stops. To join either ride you will need to register and enter online (using the links above), or by post, and pay the (modest) fee for each ride. 
    • Finally, good news that Aldwark Toll Bridge (free for cyclists!) has re-opened in good time ahead of the Rally. This is a very useful river crossing over the River Ure for cycle routes in the Easingwold area, and it is now full open again after repairs. 

  • A heads-up that we have had significant safety concerns raised about the level of motor vehicle movements on the site during the Rally, especially at busy times for cycle and pedestrian traffic, such as when led rides are setting off. It is very likely that we will have to restrict motor vehicle movements at times during the 2024 and future events. We are still working on the details, and will let everyone know about any new arrangements ASAP. We will do our very best to ensure that any restrictions are kept to the minimum compatible with safety.  

  • We also regret that due to non-negotiable requirements from our insurer, we will be unable to offer any electric bike battery charging facilities at Rally HQ this year. Please contact us if this will cause you serious difficulties. 

  • A shout out to the new organisers of the revived Kirkpartrick MacMillan (KM) Rally which returns for 2024 about a month before the York Rally – 24-26 May. It’s another historic cycling weekend based in southern Scotland (just north of Dumfries) and we’re sure they’d welcome bookings and support from people who enjoy the York Rally! 

  • A quick note that we’ve confirmed with Rally live music regulars The Sonics and Linda J that they’ll be back to perform at the 2024 event. We may even have some new acts, too…!

  • Finally, did you know we have a supporters’ club? You can join the Friends of York Rally from just £5/year, and this will get you a free programme and Friends badge at the next Rally! All funds from memberships go to support the event, and any generous donations towards the (substantial) costs are also most welcome. Thank you! 

We’re working hard to make this next York Rally – and Festival – the best yet! Our next organising team planning meeting is coming up on the 6th April, 10:30am at St Chad’s Church Hall, Campleshon Road, York – there’ll also be a Zoom option. As ever, all are very welcome to attend.

Finally, another reminder that discounted earlybird rates for campsite pitches are only available until the end of April – please do book your campsite pitch ASAP!

The Return of the Retro Ride!

We are delighted to tell you that there will be a Retro Ride at this year’s York Cycle Rally, which will be suitable for all manner of older bikes, whether they are roadsters, road bikes, Moultons or even high wheelers!
So polish up your pride and joy, and join us for a ride into the countryside around York!

York Rally 2024: post-Christmas update!

Audax is back, and we’re making trade stands free! Plus a reminder that the lowest super-earlybird campsite pitch prices end on the 31st December – book yours now!

Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Amid the festivities we’ve been busy on the organising team, and the 2024 York Rally is really shaping up to be exceptional. Do please book your campsite pitch ASAP to be part of it (and by year end for the lowest rates!)

As announced in our last email, the Rally is being joined by the Retrobikes Show and the National Clarion Cycling Club Summer Meeting, to create the inaugural York Cycle Festival! We’re hoping this will bring more people, more traders, more rides, more going on, and a new energy to keep the event sustainable into the future. Entry, parking, rides and just about all activities on site will remain proudly free of charge.
Grasstrack racing will be back, with many thanks to the National Clarion CC for organising! Also making a very welcome return to the Rally will be an official Audax ride – details of this 100k route are here on the Audax UK website.
The cycle industry is facing challenging trading conditions post-pandemic and in the cost of living crisis. So this year we are taking the dramatic move of making it COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE for cycle industry companies to exhibit! See here for the details and how to book.
For those who do not wish to trade all weekend, Saddlebag Sale table bookings are open now, with table prices reduced! Please book early to secure your table.

We’re working hard to make this next York Rally – and Festival – the best yet! Our next planning meeting is coming up on the 27th January, 10:30am at St Chad’s Church Hall, Campleshon Road, York – there’ll also be a Zoom option. As ever, all are very welcome to attend.

Finally, another reminder – please do book your campsite pitch by midnight on 31st December to get the cheapest rates!

York Rally 2024: three events in one, and grasstrack is back!

Exciting news for the York Cycle Rally 2024!

We’re bringing three fantastic, volunteer-organised events together on the Knavesmire in June 2024: the York Rally, the Retro Bike Show and the National Clarion Cycling Club Summer Meeting.

Together, they’ll make up a grand – and still 100% volunteer-organised – York Cycle Festival on the 21-23 June. Huge thanks to the volunteers with RetroBike and the NCCC who have helped make this possible, alongside our own York Rally team!

It’ll have all of the elements of the York Rally we know and love – but with more people, more traders, more rides, more going on, and with a new energy to keep the event sustainable into the future. Entry, parking, rides and just about all activities on site will remain proudly free of charge.

Even better: grasstrack racing returns in 2024 to the historic York Rally arena, organised by the National Clarion CC!

As previously mentioned, campsite bookings are already open, and the lowest “super-earlybird” prices are available only until the end of December. So please book your pitch now! https://yorkrally.org/visitor-information/campsite-bookings/

We’ll keep this update short – our all-volunteer team are busy working through the details of bringing the new events and attractions together in June. We’ll have more news on all aspects ASAP – and we’ll also be bringing the website up to date.

But watch this space – we’ll have even more good news shortly – including details of a new super-attractive offer for traders!

We can’t wait to see everyone in June, for what may just be the best Rally yet!

The all-volunteer York Rally Committee

2024 campsite bookings are open!

We’re delighted to announce that campsite bookings are now open for the 2024 York Cycle Rally, 21-23 June!

The current super-earlybird prices are the lowest possible, and are available until the end of December only. Please do book your pitch ASAP – it really helps our planning! Our campsite team volunteers will be happy to help if you have any problems or questions about your booking – just drop them an email on campsite@yorkrally.org.

As mentioned in the last newsletter we have exciting plans for the next York Rally – we’re developing plans to co-host a bikepacking, off-road and retro MTB event which will we hope see the campsite buzzing with new Rally-goers.

And that’s not all! We’re just awaiting final confirmation of some further, super-positive news about the 2024 event – we’ll announce ASAP!

Meanwhile, please do click below to book your pitch!

Many thanks to John Davies for sending the great photo of the campsite in 2023 under Saturday evening’s spectacular mackerel sky.

York Cycle Rally 2024 – save the date: 21-23 June

Belatedly, many thanks to all who contributed to the 2023 York Cycle Rally, be that as volunteers, visitors, campers, speakers, exhibitors, caterers, contractors or organisers!

As well as wrapping up this year’s event we’re now looking forward to 2024, with the Rally dates now confirmed as the weekend of 21-23 June. We’ll open campsite bookings ASAP, so please watch out for further emails, or check the York Rally website, and meanwhile please do save those dates in your calendar.

2023 lost property

We still have a number of unclaimed items found while clearing the site after this year’s Rally. Please email if you would like to claim any item:

  • keyring with about half a dozen keys and a distinctive tag, found along the enclosure fence.
  • an item of jewellery, found on the Racecourse perimeter track
  • A glasses case, found near the main toilets
  • A single key, likely from a bike lock, found outside the Saddlebag Sale
  • A cycle helmet
  • An insulated travel mug
  • A pair of glasses (probably reading glasses)

Video and photos please…

Did you take photos or video footage of the 2023 York Rally which you wouldn’t mind us archiving and using in puiblicity? We’d be very happy to add yours to the collection of 2023 images and videos on the York Rally website – please use the link on that page to contribute. Many thanks to all whose images are already featured!

Badges on sale now!

For anyone who didn’t already pick one up at the Rally, we now have stocks of the 2023 York Rally badge available on the York Rally website, where you can order securely online for postal delivery:

Planning for the 2024 Rally – and a call for volunteers to join the organising team!

All are welcome at the next York Rally planning meeting, which will be at 10am on Saturday 30th September at St Chads’ Church Hall in York. There will be a Zoom option – please contact us for joining details.

As we do every year, we’ll be discussing how the Rally can move forwards and stay fresh, while retaining its ethos and atmosphere and paying its way despite ever rising costs. Among the ideas we’ll be looking at for 2024 is to host an off-road cycling and retro MTB event alongside the Rally, working with the long-time Rally supporters and exhibitors from the Retrobike group whose displays of vintage MTBs have been a regular fixture at recent Rallies.

Do you have other ideas, which you could help put into practice? Or just looking for a rewarding role helping us run the Rally? Please do get in touch and join our meetings if you can. We really do urgently need new organising team volunteers, to bring new ideas and energy to the team and also simply to bring us some spare capacity to develop new things for the event. There’s no need to live in or near York.

If you could dedicate some time to helping the Rally flourish, even if you can’t make the meeting next week, it would be great if you could please make contact before our November meeting and AGM, which is at 10am on the 18th November at the same location (or on Zoom). Thank you!

Finally, again please do save 21-23 June 2024 for next year’s Rally – we’ll be in touch again soon and meanwhile, we hope everyone had a wonderful summer of cycling!

The all-volunteer York Rally Committee

Campsite bookings close on Friday, final updates!

Several quick updates as we enter the final push for the York Rally 2023!

Campsite advance bookings close on Friday…

You have until Friday this week (the 16th) to book your campsite pitch online – after that please just turn up on the day! We won’t run out of space but it’s a little cheaper to book online, and it means we can site you close to friends or club-mates…

Rides programme released!

We’re delighted that the programme of rides for the York Rally 2023 has been released!

Trade show updated!

We’ve updated the exhibitor list for this year’s York Rally Trade Show! Please support these companies who support the Rally!

Talks updated too!

You’ll find details of this year’s talks here on the updated Talks and Performances page. Offers of talks for next year always welcome!

Programme gone to print!

The show programme has been sent off to print! We’ve kept the price at just £1 despite print cost increases, so please do support the Rally by buying one! Here’s the cover:

Finally, thanks to John Jackson for the image at the top of this page, from 2018!