CTC's New Forest Cycling Week 2013 - another great success

By Julie Rand
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Riders enjoying the freedom and peace of the New Forest
This year, there were 220 attendees at the CTC’s New Forest Rally, now in its 39th year. As usual there was a wide mix of people, including families with children, couples on their own and individuals, some of whom cycle camped.

As is the case every year, CTC East Sussex and Chippenham Wheelers both brought big contingents. Others came from a little further away, including Wales, Scotland, Denmark and even Malaysia!

The New Forest Cycling Week 2013, based at Avon Tyrrell Outdoor Activity Centre near Burley,  proved to be yet another success. Not only is it a good location for access to the tracks and quiet lanes of the New Forest but it also provides for many onsite activities. The children’s MTB tracks, time trial competition and bicycle gymkhana were all big hits, as was the swimming pool. Further afield, at trip to the Calshot Velodrome for track cycling was enjoyed by many under the expert supervision of Andy Cook and his brilliant team.

The rally had a wide range of guided rides each day. As usual, they were organised on an ad-hoc informal basis with people putting up suggested rides on the camp notice board. Some of the rides went as far afield as the Isle of Wight.

The weather was generally good throughout the week and the rally enjoyed its famous barbecue and bonfire on the last night with everyone, including children, singing under the stars.

The ethos of the rally is to be informal, relaxed and encourage people to cycle, especially children who are the future of cycling. Hopefully Peter Knottley, the founder member, would agree the rally did all this and more, in some style!

The dates for next year's rally will be posted on the New Forest Cycling Week and also on CTC's rally page for 2014.

New Forest Family cycling Cycling UK in England