Gearing up for a great weekend of cycling

FOR cyclists dreaming of riding in a criterium, or those who are working up the courage to ride on the road, attending the Lismore Cycling Festival this weekend is a must.

The event is being run by the Byron Bay Cycle Club in cooperation with Lismore City Council.

The club’s secretary, Mat Johnson, said they held a road race in Lismore last year but have expanded it to two days to showcase the benefits of cycling and to help people refine their skills.

He said the event aimed to encourage people to use their bikes and to demonstrate that the roadways can be a shared space.

“It’s about showing people that it can be safe. It can be enjoyable,” he said. “But there are rules about the way we ride on the road. Those rules are based upon sharing the roadway.”

Mr Johnson said there were many positive benefits to cycling, including health, financial, social and environmental.

The festival was also an opportunity to promote Lismore and give people a free event to lift their spirits after the 2022 flood, he said.

“We can do all sorts of things (to recover), but it is the activities of community, it’s the personal changes that you make, that have an impact,” he said.

Physical exercise helps with mental health, and Mr Johnson said taking life at a slower pace on a bike gives extra time to enjoy life.

“A lot of people walk around with their heads down at the moment because it’s tough,” he said.

“If we lift our heads, we can just see it’s magic.”

On Saturday, there are sessions to build bike confidence for children, and cyclists take to the CBD streets for the fast-paced criterium. Sunday’s events are all about road racing.

Mr Johnson said the criterium was an exciting sport to watch as spectators can get close to the action.

“Criterium racing is very fast. It’s very intense. It’s action-packed,” he said. “You get a visceral feel of what’s occurring – hearing and feeling the bikes go past. They’ll be doing 40 to 50 kilometres per hour on the streets here, maybe more when the sprints go.”

A portion of the entry fees will go to the Rescue Helicopter Service – Lismore. There will also be face painting, live music, food and coffee vendors, cycle industry vendors, and historic bikes.