For nearly 40 years, the Gower Bike Ride has been a key event in Swansea residents' summer calendar. Whilst it was cancelled in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions, it returned last year to great success and is expected to be just as popular this year.
The event sees hundreds of cyclists embark on one of two routes around Gower, passing some of the peninsula's most beautiful sights. This year, the bike ride is taking place on Sunday, July 10, and entrants will cycle their choice of either a 12 or 35 mile route, each starting and ending from a restaurant on Swansea beachfront.
Both routes are fully signposted and cycling and static marshals will be placed throughout, to further help keep people on-course. There will also be First Aiders, cycle repair teams and recovery vehicles available to help anyone who needs them. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Read more: The best pictures from the four-day Love Trails Festival in Gower
Normally held on a separate day, the Swansea Gower Sportive event will this year take place on the same date as the Gower Bike Ride. The more demanding bike ride covers a whopping 63 miles and more than 4,000 feet of climbing. In this year's new route, participants will pass through Langland, Caswell, Welsh Moor, Rhossili, Port Eynon and Oxwich.
The routes and refreshment stops
Gower Bike Ride
Both the 12 mile and 35 mile routes start and end at The Secret Beach Bar and Kitchen on Swansea Bay's seafront on Mumbles Road at 9am on Sunday, July 10. Cyclists on the 12 mile route will begin their cycle along the seafront/Mumbles Road towards Blackpill and then continue on past West Cross, Norton, Oystermouth and Mumbles, before cycling up past Langland and Newton and then around to Clyne Common. From there, they'll cycle along the Common, down through Mayals, along past Blackpill and back to their starting point.
The 35-mile route takes cyclists through many of these locations, as well as past other stunning Gower villages including Parkmill, Reynoldston and Llanrhidian. The refreshment stops for both rides are the same: Llanrhidian School and Pennard Parish Hall. You can read more stories about Swansea here.
Swansea Gower Sportive
Like the Gower Bike Ride, the Swansea Gower Sportive event will start and finish at The Secret Beach Bar and Kitchen on Swansea Bay's seafront in Mumbles Road - but will begin at 8am, an hour earlier than the Gower Bike Ride.
Registration will open at 7.30am and participants will be given a wristband when they register - they must wear this throughout the event. The exact route has already been shared directly with participants and covers a large part of West and Rural Gower. The designated refreshment stops will be located at Llanrhidian School, Port Eynon, and Pennard Parish Hall - but cyclists can also grab a last-minute coffee at The Secret before they ride!
Explaining the refreshment stops, organisers said: "At just over halfway we are the guests of Llanrhidian Primary School. We will be providing water and snacks and the school will have fired up the BBQ for you to have a midmorning bacon or vegan sausage roll. All profits are used by the school. Please support as generously as you can. They are only able to take cash.
"We will have bananas and flapjacks available plus plenty of opportunity to take on board plenty of water. We strongly recommend you avoid alcohol throughout the ride. There are additional water stops at Pennard Parish Hall (passed twice) and at Port Eynon (close to the Captain's Table Cafe."
Parking
The designated car park for the Swansea Gower Sportive is The Recreation Ground, Oystermouth Road, Swansea, SA2 0AU. Organisers said: "Car parking is usually free though the City and County of Swansea have reserved the right to charge. Alternatively, there is street parking available in the Brynmill area. The closest city centre car park is Paxton Street, which is free on a Sunday. Other surrounding car parks are not free and are pay and display. This includes the car park at The Secret Beach Bar & Kitchen."
The same car parks are available for participants of Gower Bike Ride.
Timings for the day
Registration for the Swansea Gower Sportive event opens at 7.30am, with the event starting at 8am. The Gower Bike Ride will begin an hour later, at 9am.
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