It’s the first one ever
Edinburgh doesn’t seem to have reached festival saturation point yet, so how about one for cycling? The original proposed mission statement suggested that, ‘it wouldn’t be about the cyclist, it would be about people who use or who would like to use a bicycle for whatever reason’.

It’s got broad appeal
There will be short films on the big screen at Festival Square and four photography exhibitions across the city, with talks from broadcaster Mark Beaumont, record-breaker Juliana Buhring and Copenhagen’s cycling ambassador Mikael Colville-Andersen.

But it’s also about the cyclists
Including races, rides, tours of the Lothians, family events, a night ride and a climb up Arthur’s Seat, as well as workshops, unicycling and a day of bike polo.

They’ve used their imagination
Your attention is drawn to the ‘build your own bamboo bike frame’ course, the ‘Heels on Wheels’ all-day ladies cycling event in the Meadows and a bike-based poetry slam in association with Inky Fingers at the Forest Café. Plus we wanted to flag up their commendable pun in referring to the latter as a ‘SPOKEn word’ event.

It’s the right time for it
The organisers cite Edinburgh’s ambition to be a centre for cycling, and point out that it was the first British city to sign the Charter of Brussels, which aims ‘to invest in bicycle policy as an integrated part of urban mobility’. The Edinburgh Festival of Cycling can only be an important part of that process.

Various venues, Edinburgh, Sat 15-Sun 23 Jun.