The Yorkshire Cycle Festival is an independent, 100% volunteer run organisation, not affiliated to any national or local cycling club. The organising team is made up from cyclists who love the event and want to see it continue.
We are incorporated as York Rally CIC, a Community Interest Company registered in the UK, company number 10647021.
Our inaugural meeting was held on Saturday 21st June 2014 and led to the re-launch of the York Cycle Rally in 2015, after this long-running event was cancelled by the previous organisers in 2013.
In 2026 the event moved from its previous venue on York’s Knavesmire to Driffield Showground and is now the Yorkshire Cycle Festival. We’re grateful to representatives of other Festival events – currently the Retrobike Show and the 20″ Show – who have also joined the all-volunteer organising team.
Organising team (updated October 2026)
President:
2022-present: Dave Bishop, distinguished cycling coach and decades-long Rally supporter
2015-2022: The late Brian Robinson, the first Briton to finish the Tour de France and the first to win a Tour stage – as you can read here.
Vice President:
2025-present: Paul Reid, who led the York Rally’s revival in 2014 and served as Event Co-ordinator until 2024 and on the committee until 2026
Current organising team members:
- Gerry Boswell (Chairman)
- Dave Sharpe (Event Co-ordinator)
- Dave Broadbent (Vice Chairman and Trade Co-ordinator)
- Rachel Thompson (Treasurer)
- Yvonne Ramage (Rides co-ordinator)
- Peter Eland (Publicity)
- Dave York (Safety Officer)
- Peter Huxford (Catering)
- Peter Neumann (Campsite)
- Charles Jepson (Cycle jumble and club displays)
- Dave Broadbent & Lee Porter (Retrobike team)
- Gary Knighton
- Barry Raynor
- Ellen-Ann Finnighan
Former organising team members include:
- Athena Brumhead
- Pete Dunn
- Graham Lawrence
- Dylan Thomas
- Dave Waldram
- Brian Thompson
- Peter Poppy
- Tony Stephenson
- Elisabeth Reid
- Chris Longbone
- Michael Stainer
- Steve Clarke
- Peter Burbidge
- David Lochhead
- Ian Prince
- Ian Alexander
- Charlie Hodge
- And many more!
The Yorkshire Cycle Festival is an all-volunteer-organised event, and is being run not for profit and purely for the love of cycling and to see this great event continue.
For each event we need to raise a total of £30,000+ to cover the basic costs (see the Friends page for more details) so the committee is clear that every penny counts, and no money can be spent that has not been raised. In this spirit organising team members have agreed not to claim minor expenses (travel, phones, stationary, etc.).
We also have to make it clear that there are no ‘freebies’: e.g. any clothing worn by committee and volunteers is paid for by them personally. Both committee members and volunteers using the campsite book pitches at the same prices as everyone else.
This lets us ensure that evey penny raised goes towards covering the unavoidable costs, including venue hire, insurance, showers, toilets, security, marquees, first aid, and much more.
All – especially anyone with ideas for the next event – are always welcome to attend meetings, or to contribute ideas!
Other cycling organisations who could join the Festival are most welcome to get in touch to explore the possibilities.
Yorkshire Cycle Festival planning meetings are generally held on Saturday mornings in hybrid format, online and in person at the Church Hall of St Chad’s, Campleshon Road, York. All are welcome – please just contact us via info@yorkrally.org for details of the next meeting, or for online joining info.
