News

It’s next weekend! We can’t wait to see everyone on the Knavesmire, and as you’ll see above, the weather is looking perfect. Fingers crossed, it should be dry all the way from Wednesday when our volunteer set-up team arrives, through Friday when gates open, until Monday when we break down and depart. Directions to the event are here on the website – whether you come by foot, cycle, train or motor vehicle! Satnav to YO23 1EX.. Please do turn up and camp, motorist or lightweight! Advance campsite bookings are now closed, but if you haven’t pre-booked you are still very…

The City of York Council is carrying out flood resilience work around the Millennium Bridge, from this week, and over the weekend of the Rally. Pease be aware that there will be barriers around, although we are assured that the bridge will remain open for walkers and cyclists and other non-motorised modes of transport.

As you might have seen, in the previous post, there have had to be a few tweaks made to a few of our Guided Rides. Two of these are due to planned road works on a short section of the Solar System Greenway, but another has arisen due to a bridge on a Public Bridleway being deemed unsafe. In order to get the most up-to-date gpx files and route maps, we ask that riders check the Rides web page or the Rides display in the Information Hub. Photo by courtesy of Lynn Bland.

We have been informed, by the City of York Council, that a short stretch of the Solar System Green way will be closed for resurfacing, over the period of the Rally. It has necessitated a diversion, using Sim Balk Lane, to avoid this. This will also impact on those of you cycling to the Rally.

We’re just under two weeks away from the York Rally and York Cycle Festival 2024!Our busy volunteer teams have been firming up all aspects of the event: We’ve finalised the talks and entertainments schedule, with some great volunteer speakers and three tremendous bands: find full details here The organised rides list is also finalised, with 19 rides across three days – many thanks to all of the volunteer ride leaders and back markers! Find the full list here. The trade show (FREE for exhibitors!) now features over 20 companies, including some major brands exhibiting for the first time! See above…

The Guided Ride to Linton Lock has been moved from the Sunday of the Rally to the Saturday. This is because of businesses offering refreshments being closed on the Sunday ,and the ride leader’s other commitments at the Rally. Our apologies for any disappointment caused.

Many of the Rally’s wonderful volunteer ride leaders are busy riding and testing their Guided Rides over the next couple of weeks. Inevitably, they are coming across potential problems in some areas, and therefore some of the routes are having to be tweaked. For this reason, if you are planning to go on any of our rides, we ask that you check at the signing-in point in the Information Hub, or on the website when uploading the route to your phone or gps.

We have discovered that Doyly’s Tearoom is closed on Sundays, and so it has been necessary to move the Retro Ride to Saturday.We hope that this will not disappoint those of you riding lovely older bikes!

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…

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.

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.

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 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!

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

FRIDAY EVENING SOCIAL RIDE: As in previous years, there will be a gathering of riders wishing to ride to Deighton for fish and chips, and maybe a pint or two in the pub! This ride will leave from Start Point 5 at 18:30. Sunset will be at 21:40 on that evening, and so LIGHTS ARE MANDATORY. SATURDAY RIDES: 09:00 Challenge Ride: The Tour de York. Join Eamon Prendergast of the York Wednesday Wheelers for this 68 mile epic ride encircling the city of York, through lovely countryside. At a medium pace, riders will enjoy riding along mainly quiet roads and…

In just three weeks from today the first volunteers will be on site on the Knavesmire in York, starting to lay out the campsite and set everything up ahead of the York Rally 2023 weekend, which starts in earnest when the campsite opens at 4pm on Friday the 23rd June. We must close advance bookings for the campsite in just two weeks, on the 16th June – so for slightly lower prices and to be sited with friends or club-mates, please do get that campsite pitch booked. Otherwise, of course you are always welcome to just turn up and book…

As welcome signs of spring weather herald happy cycling ahead, it’s less than two months go go until the next York Cycle Rally! We’re very much looking forward to seeing many of you once again on the Knavesmire in June. Book your pitch: earlybird campsite booking discounts close at end of April There’s just a week or so to go if you’d like to benefit from earlybird pricing on the York Rally campsite! So if you haven’t already, please do book your campsite pitch now – the reduced pitch prices are available only until the 30th April!Book your campsite pitch…

The York Rally 2023 is starting to take shape! We’ve a round-up of recent progress and a call for help distributing our A5 flyers…. 2023 flyers are here – please help us distribute them! We’ve printed our 2023 A5 promotional leaflets, and we’d be very grateful for any help distributing them! They’re double-sided: 2023 A5 flyer – side 1 The graphics we’re using on our A5 flyer – a general promo for the 2023 Rally. JPG is best for use on social media, PDF is best for printing (up to A3). As JPG As PDF 2023 A5 flyer – side…

Merry Christmas and our best wishes for safe and happy cycling in 2023, from all at the York Rally! We’re very much looking forward to seeing many of you once again, on the Knavesmire in June. You can book your camspite pitch now – the very lowest pitch prices are available until the 31st December! Meanwhile, a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! From the all-volunteer York Rally organising team