Vintage Cycling Festival

L’ Eroica Britannia is a vintage cycling festival in Bakewell now in its second year. The first event was a huge success with over 30,000 people travelling from all over the World to make the event truly wonderful; the big question was would the follow-up event live up to the billing of the first one ...

The event was started by Giancarlo Brocci in 1997 who had a desire to preserve cycling history and the Strada Bianche (white gravel roads synonymous with the Giro stages) in his native Tuscany. Since then the event has grown beyond all expectations and the concept has travelled far and wide with Eroica Events now held in the USA, UK, Japan and Spain as well of course, the starting point Italy.

The event is a mixture of both festival, food, music, vintage dress, entertainment; including the family and cycling. To participate entrants are expected to ride a pre-1987 bicycle that conforms to the following rules:

Plus some other minor requirements … however, these rules are not enforced so the whole situation is left to the discretion of the riders and on the whole people followed the spirit of the event and rode on period bikes. The bikes are only the start though … for many the dressing up is just as much a part of the event as the bikes and there were some very fine examples of vintage dress; and facial hair.

Given the success of last year it was a tough act to follow. Word travelled quickly amongst cycling heroes and the 2015 event sold out with almost double the amount of riders registered. This year the festival goers were charged an entrance fee which obviously gave the organisers a much bigger budget to work with. This resulted in the vast improvement of the facilities in terms or toilets and showers which seemed to be the only gripe from the previous year. Unfortunately you can’t buy good weather.

The event starts for riders on the Friday afternoon as we arrived after lunch in our VW Camper and were quickly camped up in the “home fields” and made our way to rider registration. Registration was simple and the musette of goodies

was handed over, with yet again an impressive contents including: Thornbridge Eroica exclusive beer, Hendrick’s gin, Fentiman’s lemonade, Lush cosmetics, Yorkshire tea and a traditional Bakewell Pudding plus rider numbers, rider card and maps. The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying the festival stalls that were retailing and/or promoting. There was a mixture of big name corporate sponsors promoting their goods but the vast majority of the vendors were small artisan outfits that were very much in keeping with the theme of the festival. In the background there was constant entertainment on the main stage and other tents. The brass band deserve a special mention as they played outstandingly and the sound drifting across the festival grounds really did set the whole event off. There was also a fine selection of quality food outlets and of course a substantial beer tent.

The Best Bike competition started with the various contenders with a vast array of machines parading around the show ring as the judges selected a number of bikes for a “short list”. These bikes were then placed in stands in the Parade Ring where they could be admired and critiqued by the festival goers and judges alike. My Pinarello Montello made the short list with a lot of interest from fellow cyclists, but did not make the final 10 … a travesty … although this later turned out to be a blessing as the finals overran and would have interfered with our dinner arrangements! The Best Bike was won by a chap called Macca who had a very nicely restored Raleigh Panasonic Replica. There were so many nice bikes on show spanning over 100 years of bicycle production the judges didn’t have an easy job. Whilst the Best Bike category was popular and hotly-contested the other categories had been approached with equal dedication with some impressive outfits and facial hair on show. In the evening we had booked a meal with Seven Mile; a mobile event caterers. The three course dinner was very tasty with carefully selected wines per course if desired. It was nice to meet other festival goers over dinner and chat about the anticipated ride the next day.

The alarm went off at 5:30 and after a hurried breakfast I set off through

a sleepy camp ground towards the start in the centre of Bakewell. As I had entered the 100 mile ride my starting slot was between 6am and 7:15am.I did feel particularly sorry for the chap I saw fixing a puncture watched by his mates; they hadn’t even got to the start and they had problems; but it was all in hand. At the start you get your card stamped; gather up and you are set off in waves of about 10 -20 riders. You are soon out of Bakewell and after a few miles you are directed off the tarmac roads and onto the Monsal Trail. This is a wonderful trail that takes you through a number of tunnels in which it is of course compulsory to shout and whoop for the echoes … not long after that you hit the first food stop … or should that be feast stop.

The Eroica Britannia ride is not a race and it is certainly unlike a Sportive; it is a fun ride with so many fine food stops that I suspect it is the only 100 mile event where the majority of riders finish heavier than when they start. The feast stops are not stocked with sugary, sticky processed energy products but with bacon and sausage baps, rolls, scones, cakes, ice creams, beer, cider, champagne and water … it has to be seen to be believed. All this fine fare is served by wonderful willing supporters and volunteers and you really get the feeling that the people manning these stops in the various villages are enjoying the event as much as the riders.

Leaving the first food stop took us out onto the Peaks; the weather deteriorated a little and I endured a number of showers and some quite high winds although it never really got cold. The toughest climb of the route was Mam Nic Tor. Last year I tackled this alone but this year given the increased numbers there was plenty of company … much of it walking with their bikes. Vintage bikes come with vintage gears and with my smallest of 42x24 it was some effort to keep moving but, keep moving I did and made it over the whole route without walking.

The next feast stop was at a sailing club at Goyt Valley then on to get your card stamped at Hartington; the routes had

merged just before this stop with the 100 & 55 milers all riding together so there were a lot of bikes on the road now and more company. As seemed to be the pattern, a hill followed all feed stops; so cautious dining was recommended. After 60 miles the routes split again and only the 100 milers were treated to a fine visit to the Ilam country house for another feast stop, card stamp and cool towels to freshen up provided by Volvo. Then onwards again to Carsington Water where the routes once again merged to make the run into Chatsworth House a busy affair … the route has the privilege of using paths through the Chatsworth Estate to arrive at the final feast stop on the lawns of Chatsworth House where an impressive range of food and beverages were on offer … then off again for the final few miles.

The organisers had the last laugh routing the riders over one more final tough climb before we rolled into the show ground. The atmosphere in the show ground was great with the final route section being lined with hay bales and supporters cheering and applauding riders home as their names where announced over the tannoy by the event ringmaster who must have vocal chords of steel given his stamina on the microphone. After the finish it was off for a shower and change then back to applaud home the other riders. Watching the finish was well worth it to see all the incredible bikes and outfits that the participants had ridden in. It was great to see so many old bikes lovingly preserved and still ridden. It was a real mark of the spirit of the event that the final 10 riders to arrive were all held back whilst the ring master whipped the crowd up into a frenzy of applause to welcome the last 10 home at 7pm. Then it was finally time to celebrate with music, food, festival beer, wine and of course a great British downpour of rain.

It really was a heroic event. Everyone who attended got into the spirit of the festival. It was clear many had made a huge effort prior to the event with some impressive bikes, outfits and moustaches on show. Cycling World will certainly be back riding next year. Congratulations to all those who took part and contributed to the successful running of the event. Chapeau!