Gearing up for the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling

We’re delighted that Edinburgh Libraries will be at the heart of this year’s Edinburgh Festival of Cycling – Scotland’s biggest celebration of bicycle culture.

Central Library is hosting several events including visits by intrepid Swiss mountain bike-packer Gian Liesch, cycle law expert Brenda Mitchell, Papercut Artist Christine Thomson DA and Thompson Crowley, author of At home in the bushes: busking, bikes and the lure of the open road.

On top of this we’re getting quite excited about the Pedalling Past exhibition which will also be on show at Central Library – featuring prints from our own collections (including the one featured on the cover of this year’s festival programme) and one or two other surprises which we’re keeping under our hat for now… .

And if you follow @talesofonecity on twitter look out for our bike book of the day reading recommendations.

Find out what else is happening on the offical Edinburgh Festival of Cycling site.

Download free cycling magazines

Continuing on our series of posts to tie in with the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling – library members can download these cycling magazines via Zinio:

Cycling Active

One for all you road cyclists, from the occasional weekend rider to more serious ‘challenge’ or sportive riders. A balanced mix of fitness advice, route guides, ‘how to’ guides, along with inspirational features, plus expert – and highly independent – bike and product reviews.

Mountain Bike Rider

For mountain bike enthusiasts. Obviously. Published since 1997, mbr aims to inspire readers to just get out and ride! with every issue, by providing the very best expert advice about where, what and how to ride. Every edition delivers the ultimate mix of inspirational riding features, with extensive bike and product reviews, along with superb advice and reader involvement.

 

 

A pictorial history of cycling in Edinburgh

With Edinburgh’s Festival of Cycling almost upon us we thought it might be a good idea to plunder Capital Collections for bike-themed photographs – and we’ve found some real beauties.

For starters, here are the members of the Edinburgh University Cycling club making their way down George Street on their ‘penny farthings’ on the morning of Saturday 18th June 1884.

all images from http://www.capitalcollections.org.uk

No helmets or lycra for the ladies and gentleman of the Leith Licensed Victuallers Cycling Club, pictured below. This is Edinburgh Cycle Chic, 1895 style.

On the other side of town, almost a century later, this BMXer gets rad.

See more, including a tricyle cum fire engine and the fist-pumping socialist cycling club of Musselburgh on our special online exhibition.