The Swansea & Gower Cycling Festival will return for a third year in spring 2025. Hosted and run by local cycling club, CTC Swansea, [https://www.cyclinguk.org/local-groups/swansea-and-west-wales] the festival offers a comprehensive and varied programme of exciting rides over five days, from Wednesday 28th May to Sunday 1st June 2025. Featuring 15 rides over 5 days, with highlights including the classic route over the Bwlch from Port Talbot; an ascent of the Black Mountain from the south; three rides on Gower showcasing the peninsula’s stunning scenery; and our popular circuit of Swansea Bay from Mumbles to the Marina. The festival will stage three different rides each day, graded to suit cyclists of different abilities, from easy, mostly flat rides of 10-15 miles, to intermediate routes in the 25-45 mile range with a few climbs; to challenging rides over 50 miles with plenty climbs to suit the most avid riders. Each ride will be led and supported by a team of experienced volunteers who will be there to advise and assist cyclists as needed. Rides will feature a coffee or lunch stop, depending on distance, and each will have a back marker, so that no rider gets left behind. As well as our ride in Swansea and on the Gower penisula, there will be rides further afield, venturing north and west into Carmarthenshire, and east and north into Port Talbot, Neath and Powys. Camping facilities will be provided at Dunvant Rugby Club. Campervans/caravans/tent pitchs can be booked for £15 per night or £20 per night with electric hook-up. Reservations can be made by contacting the event organisers directly via [email protected] The Swansea and Gower Cycling Festival is sponsored by The Railway Inn, Upper Killay, Swansea, and The Pilot Inn & Brewery,Mumbles Book your Festival Pass on this page. It entitles you to join as many of the rides in the programme as you can manage. To book individual rides, see separate ride pages here. [https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/swanseaandgowercyclingfestival2024] Individual rides booked in advance cost £3; if there are spaces available, riders can turn up on the day and join the ride at a cost of £5 each. Swansea CTC members, and young people and children under 18 ride free. Swansea CTC members are requested to provide proof of membership of the Swansea and West Wales branch of Cycling UK. Before booking, you must read and agree to our Terms & Conditions. None of the festival rides are races. Most of the rides, unless otherwise noted in the festival programme, will take place or have sections on public roads, many of which are small country lanes, and they will be shared with other vehicles, walkers and possibly horses. Please observe the Highway Code at all times and take particular care at junctions. Young people and children between the ages of 14 and 18 are welcome on rides, but must have parental permission and a signed Parental Consent form. Children under 14 are welcome on rides graded as Leisure if accompanied by a parent or responsible adult, but a signed Parental Consent form is still needed. Please note: Photographs will be taken during the course of each of the Festival rides. You will be asked to consent or decline to free/fair use of media on the entry/registration form. Cycling UK rides are covered by the Organisers Public Liability Insurance. All Cycling UK members participating in the Swansea & Gower Cycling Festival are covered for 3rd party liability under our insurance. All others taking part in the rides programme do so at their own risk and are advised to take out their own personal insurance. Joining Cycling UK or British Cycling automatically gives you 3rd party public liability cover. The Festival does not accept responsibility for riders’ safety or personal property while taking part in any of the rides. The cost of the Festival pass or for individual rides is to cover our administrative costs, and the TicketSource booking fee. Bookings are non-refundable unless we are forced to cancel the entire festival in which case a full refund will be given to all advance registrants. Any profits made will go towards Swansea’s CTC’s development programme. Ride start points are listed for each individual ride. All rides will have the same start and end location. Please check your start location in advance of the ride. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARRIVE AT THE LOCATION AT LEAST 20 MINUTES BEFORE RIDES START TO ALLOW TIME FOR REGISTRATION. All rides will start promptly at the start time shown. You can sign up to take part in rides ‘on the day’ but will be asked to read the T&Cs and sign the disclaimer form before joining the ride. Distances, ascent and ride duration shown in the rides programme are approximate. All riders will need to supply an emergency contact phone number at the time of booking, or on the day if you haven’t pre-booked. In addition, riders are requested to ensure the roadworthiness of their bikes. Ride leaders reserve the right to refuse participation of any rider whose bike is deemed unsafe or unroadworthy. Please wear suitable clothing. Whilst cycle helmets are not compulsory, we strongly recommend that they be worn, and insist they be worn by all participants under the age of 16. We recommend you carry a drink (preferably water) and sun-protection. If you wish to leave the ride at any time, you must inform the leader. All rides are graded according to distance, amount of climbing, and pace (see grading system below) In the event of adverse weather or an unpredicted obstacle, the leader may change the route or reduce the ride length in the interests of the health and safety of the group. Disclaimer for all entrants I confirm that I understand and will abide by the terms and conditions required by The Swansea & Gower Cycling Festival organisers for safe participation in these activities, and to act responsibly and adhere to the rules of the road and countryside. I hereby maintain that I am fit and healthy enough to participate in the activity described above and my cycle is in a safe, legal and rideable condition. I also accept that the festival organisers cannot be held responsible for any personal injury, accident, loss, damage or public liability during the event. About CTC Swansea CTC Swansea is a member group of Cycling UK. We are an inclusive, friendly and welcoming cycling club, open to everyone, from people who are already cycling regularly, to new riders, or those who would simply like to spend more time on their bikes. What brings us together is our shared love of cycling. To this end, we encourage people, whatever their ability, to get the most out of their bikes through our fantastic programme of regular group rides. Central to this is an emphasis on the social side of riding, where newer riders enjoy themselves and gain confidence from riding in a group, pick up tips on safer riding, and get to familiarise themselves with our wide range of routes. Throughout the festival, as with our regular club rides, the emphasis will be on social, group riding, with none of the rides being competitive. There will be regular stops to regroup at junctions and the top of climbs, and for longer rides, a lunch stop. They will have a specified ride leader, a back marker and one other support rider. We operate a ‘no drop’ policy, meaning no rider gets left behind. For the festival, we have adopted a simplified version of our grading system. Rides will be graded as follows: Leisure Rides: Generally flat, rides of 8 to 15 miles, mostly on dedicated cycle or shared use paths, with a pace of no more than 10mph - suitable for new or relatively inexperienced cyclists, as well as for families with children. Moderate: rides of between 20 and 50 miles, including a few climbs, up to a total c. 2200 feet, generally between 10-12mph - for more experienced riders used to riding up to 4 hours on hillier routes. Challenging: Longer and hillier routes with extended and steeper climbs, between 40 - 70 miles, at a pace of 12mph + suited to experienced riders who enjoy longer routes with plenty of climbing.