Illuminating a Path to More City Cycling

An illuminated harbour night ride, daring BMX bike stunts, and pop-up breakfast stalls are just some of the features of the 2014 Sydney Rides Festival this October.

The City of Sydney's fourth annual Sydney Rides Festival includes more than 20 events, from film screenings to an outdoor lounge with live music and gourmet food trucks by the harbour.

And this year, a brand new event – Sydney Rides the Night, on 25 October – will take people on a loop ride past underlit trees, light shows and stunning views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore invited people of all ages to get involved and enjoy the bike-friendly festivities from 11–25 October.

“With bigger and better events planned this year, Sydney Rides continues to grow into one of Sydney's best annual festivals. There's something for everyone, from beginners to regular riders,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Spring Cycle entrants can wind down after their ride and join the Family Fun Bike Day in Pirrama Park in Pyrmont on Sunday 19 October, while the new night ride will light up a route around the Royal Botanic Gardens and bring the festival to a spectacular end.

“Sydney Rides is a great opportunity to explore our beautiful city by bike while keeping fit. Our network of separated cycleways and shared paths are giving people a safe and convenient way to cycle and we're seeing the number of people choosing to ride grow every year,” the Lord Mayor said.

Recent independent counts show that over the last four years the number of people riding has risen 132 per cent – with more than 60,000 daily trips in the City of Sydney area alone, and new cycleways on Kent Street attracting more than 2,000 riders during peak hours.

As part of Sydney Rides, residents and visitors are invited to get on their bikes and grab a free breakfast at the pop-up stalls for Ride2Work Day on Wednesday 15 October, travel across the Harbour Bridge for the Spring Cycle, explore the Sydney Rides Gallery and see the sights of the city lit up by ambient night lights at Sydney Rides the Night.

The festival also features talks and workshops, including a seminar on what makes a city great for cycling, in partnership with the Consulate-General of the Netherlands.

Sydney Rides highlights:

Sydney Rides to Work - Wednesday 15 October

Grab a free breakfast at one of our pop-up stalls while your bike is tuned by our mechanics, and pick up a Sydney Cycleways map and route planning advice from our experts on National Ride2Work Day.

Sydney Rides the City - Sunday 19 October 2014

The Spring Cycle, proudly supported by Transport NSW, is Sydney's largest recreational cycling event. The 15-kilometre City Ride segment takes in stunning Sydney attractions, including the Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens, historic Macquarie Street and The Rocks before finishing in festival style at the Pirrama Park Family Fun Bike Day in Pyrmont. A perfect day out for the whole family with live music, stalls, interactive arts and craft tents, a jumping castle, triple bungee run and free bike mechanics.

Sydney Rides the Night – 6pm–midnight, Saturday 25 October

New and never done before in Sydney, Sydney Rides the Night gives participants the opportunity to ride a route lit with creative lighting installations around The Domain. The event also features an outdoor lounge at Mrs Macquarie's point featuring music, food and stalls with Sydney's stunning cityscape as the backdrop.

For more information, visit sydneyridesfestival.net