This weekend, Lismore is holding its first major cycling festival with something for everyone: spectators, cyclists and lovers of festivals!

The Lismore Cycling Festival is an initiative between Lismore City Council and the Byron Bay Cycle Club. The inaugural two-day event will be hosted at Lismore’s Regional Sports Precinct with races, participation rides and “come and try” sessions for children and adults.

Mayor Steve Krieg is excited for this event, and would love to see everyone out and about enjoying the events, “It's an amazing opportunity for novices and those more experienced cyclists alike to get involved.

“To actually have the opportunity to ride around a regional centre with the streets blocked and and under full race conditions is pretty rare. So congratulations to the Byron Bay Cycle Club for organising all of this!”

Mat Johnson, the secretary of Byron Bay Cycle Club, explains what is being hosted, “We have a mixture of racing and participation events.

“Saturday will include racing, which will be pretty intense and fast right around the complex. It will be easily viewed by members of the public. We've currently got over 135 registrations, which we expect to go up somewhat in the last few days.

“We've also got a lot of vendors and other activities for children and adults alike inside the complex, in a perfectly safe set up for people to ride around.

“Sunday is our participation event, which is known in Italian as Fondos. So we have a long ride, which is known as the Gran Fondo (110km), a middle-sized one, Medio (70km) and then a small one called the Piccolo (28km).

“We really encourage people to come down and have a look.”

The Piccolo will be on flat lands, so people of all levels can get involved. Supporters are encouraged to watch the spectacle that already has an impressive number of participants registered.

Tony Duffy, LCC Manager of Active and Liveable Communities, says it will traverse “our stunning Lismore countryside, from the ridgelines of the Nimbin Valley to the lush Woodlawn and Numulgi valleys.”

Safety is paramount, and the event will only be called off if inclement weather affects the ability to ride safely.

Please note that some roads will be closed for the event:

Saturday, 5 October

- Parts of Magellan and Dawson Streets adjoining the Lismore Regional Sports Precinct will be closed from 1pm to 6pm. Please refer to the map below for details.

- Local residents on Magellan Street are advised to access their homes via Cathcart Street, which will be controlled throughout the duration.

- Heavy vehicles are advised to detour via Uralba and Diadem Streets.

Sunday, 6 October

- Magellan Street (eastbound), adjoining the Lismore Regional Sports Precinct, will be closed from 7am to 1.30pm.

- Local residents on Magellan Street will have westbound access to their homes.

- The community is also advised that speed limits along Dawson Street, Uralba Street, Brewster Street, Leycester Street, Orion Street, and Winteron Parade will be adjusted throughout the event.

- The cycling routes will take participants through the scenic Woodlawn, Numulgi and Nimbin Valleys, showcasing picturesque views of our region. Speed reductions will be in place through Dunoon village. If you are driving in these areas, please be mindful of cyclists on the road and proceed with caution.

When asked if last weekend's rain had damaged the course as it takes in Lismore's rural roads, Matt said it is a concern for him every time.

"But the fantastic support that I've had from the roads team at Lismore City Council jumped in and are looking after the roads all those holes for us, pending some areas where we may have to divert a little bit. But, we will have volunteers around to warn people of some upcoming problems."

The hope is to add sporting events, such as these, to enhance Lismore’s reputation as the sporting hub of the Northern Rivers. Lismore hosted a one-day cycling event last year. It was so popular that it inspired the two-day Lismore Cycling Festival.

Mayor Krieg has a soft spot for cycling and is very excited about this event. “It's a dream of mine to go and watch the Tour de France. Well, it might not be quite there yet, but this is a taster!”

For more information and to register, visit the official Lismore Cycling Festival website.