Refreshments Summer is a-coming in.... some of the time! As the weather warms up we’ve added extra seating for you to enjoy your post-cycling cuppas. When the wind drops you can almost imagine you’re at a French Bistro (you’ll have to bring your own baguettes though). A few people have been asking how to make a donation towards the cost of refreshments if you don’t have cash on you. There are two options – a ‘sumup’ machine which can take contactless payments (ask a volunteer or session leader to wake it up for you), or alternatively we’ve created a QR code you can scan/take a pic of on your phone which will take you to a payment page. There will be a printout at the refreshments table; also here if you’d rather make a donation from home.
Upper car park closed Tues 21 May. Apparently there’s going to be a grand Lawnmower expo at the Rugby club next week! The space by the upper gate will be in use for this, so all Cyclability participants will need to park in the lower car park for this one occasion. We’ll open additional gates to give you easy access to the track. Bring any long grass you want cutting. Car park service should be back to normal by Friday 24th.
Managing numbers at sessions If you’ve attended recently you’ll be aware that we’re getting much busier – cycling at the Costa del Horspath is now so popular we’re seeing an increase in participant numbers of 65% compared to the same time last year. This means we’re needing to keep strictly to booked times for sessions, to enable everyone to take part safely and spread the activity throughout the morning. We’re aware that sometimes sessions will be full, and you may be disappointed when trying to book. By late July more spaces will be available again as the schools will be on holiday. Thank you for your patience in the meantime.
In addition, because of the increased numbers on the track we’re asking carers and accompanying folk not to use mobile phones at sessions, so that any issues arising with participants can be addressed quickly and not cause issues for other riders. Some people haven’t been aware of this new guideline – if you are organising carers/staff to come along who don’t get to see this newsletter, can you please pass the info on and explain why. Or invite them to sign up for newsletters themselves – you can enter an email at the bottom of the home page of our website.
SAVE THE DATES
Friday 21st June 2024 By popular demand we see the return of Bike Oxford and their inclusive cycling sportive based at the track. Book your session as usual, set your own challenge, and receive a medal from a special guest!
Sunday 23rd June 2024 The Bike Oxford main event will include rides of 26, 55 and 75 miles. This year there will also be a 10-mile ride around Oxford (with a few hills) and some of our participants may wish to join in.
Tuesday 23 July The annual ‘Have a go’ day will be running, with a variety of activities and sports available to try out. Non cycling events such as archery and boccia will be taking place on the adjacent rugby field, with the track kept for cycling – open to extra guests from 11am on the morning.