Original Bicycle Festival launched

Mark Beaumont East Lothian ride

The Original Bicycle Festival aims to celebrate all forms of cycling in what could be considered the birthplace of the modern bicycle - Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland.

A packed programme of events will take place in Dumfires and Galloway over May 9-24, 2009, and will include organised rides, cycle film fesitvals, live music, racing and much more.

The inventor of the pedal-driven bicycle, Kirkpatrick Macmillan (1812?1878), was born Keir, Dumfries and Galloway. He is being used by the event's organisers to promote the festival alongside modern-day cycle hero Mark Beaumont. Scotsman Beaumont broke the record for cycling around the world last year, completing the gruelling journey in 195 days.

"Cycling is a fantastic activity for everyone," said Beaumont (pictured). "At the speed of a bike you can see great sights and meet wonderful people, all thanks to the vision of people like Kirkpatrick - you can even cycle around the world.

"The Original Bicycle Festival is all about the joy of getting on a bike and celebrating the legacy of Kirkpatrick in wonderful cycling country. I hope you'll join us.?

The festival incorporates the World Mountain Bike Conference, a summit of all the major players in the world of mountain biking who will be mulling over the future of off-road riding over May 12-15.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Original Bicycle Festival website

World Mountain Biking Conference website

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.