Everyone with a bike has a favourite ride – tell us yours and you could win a great prize plus some modest fame. We’ve had feedback that the comp is complicated to enter, but it isn’t!! – see page 2 of the entry form [pdf] or [doc]. We only need a brief description of the route, not every turning. And two or three sentences (or up to 300 words) of why it’s a favourite. We’ve not yet had many entries, so you’ve a good chance of a great prize, or at least a runner-up map!
It may be a leisurely laze, an educational exploration, a convenient commute, or we wonder what … but it’s a ride that’s special to you. And it must be local – i.e. in Edinburgh and/or the Lothians.
Send us details* and feel free to include a photo, drawing, etc if relevant.
*Please carefully read our instruction/rules sheet, downloadable below.
As with all our recent competitions, entries will appear on our website (anonymous except for prizewinners) and hopefully will inspire more cycling!
Prizes include the great selection below. The top winner gets to choose their prize from the list, second chooses second, and so on.
- ScotRail: Return 1st ticket for 2 between any 2 Scottish stns
- Edin Bike Coop: £50 voucher
- Camera Obscura & World of Illusions: Family day ticket [2 prizes]
- Kalpna Indian Veg restaurant: Lunch for 2
- Bike Trax: £25 voucher
- Filmhouse: Tickets for 2
- Sustrans: Selection of Sustrans Scotland maps
- Peter’s Yard: Jan Hedh Artisan bread book [2 prizes]
- Reiss Hairsalon: Hair cut and finish
Even if you don’t win a prize… everyone else submitting a good entry will get to choose a free Spokes map [up to the 15 next best entries]
The competition closes on Sunday 6 September. Each person is allowed 2 entries.
In judging the competition what we want to know most of all is why this ride is so special to you. Descriptions which might entice other people to cycle, or to cycle more often, or which give some other useful message, will be especially welcome. The route should be fairly easy to describe, without too many intricate instructions, frequent turnings, etc.
For detailed rules, prizes and other information download the rules/instruction sheet – here in pdf or Open Office [.odt] or Word 97 [.doc] formats. The sheet includes an entry form.
Spokes may use some or all entries on our website, in our Bulletin, or in other ways – by entering the competition you agree to this. In particular, we may produce a booklet of prizewinning favourite rides – like our 2005 booklet when we ran the same competition.
Very important: please do read the rules on the above entry form before entering. For example, your ride must be in Edinburgh and/or the Lothians, and should take no more than 3 hours [though it can be much less]. It can use rail (or tram!) part way, but not car.
Judging will be by Spokes Resources Group, assisted by an outside expert.
For further fun and inspiration have a look at our competitions page which has the results of previous competitions, such as cycling jokes, cycling recipes, and how I’d spend £1m to get more people on bikes. Results of the 2015 competition will also appear on that page once the results are announced in September.