Cycling Festival Returns to Downtown Roswell

The city of Roswell will continue its reputation as a bicycle friendly municipality when the 13th annual Roswell Cycling Festival returns on Sunday, April 27.

The festival will provide residents with a full day of cycling-related events, activities, food, refreshments and shopping in downtown Roswell. The event will also feature the Mayor's Ride, Kids Bicycle Safety Rodeo and the Historic Roswell Criterium. 

The Festival features the Roswell Mayor’s Ride, Kids Bicycle Safety Rodeo, and the Historic Roswell Criterium.

The Mayor's Ride, which is free, will start at 8 a.m. at the Roswell Area Park. Open to all ages and abilities, the recreational ride is on a flat six-mile course and participants will be escorted by the Roswell Police Department.

It will also offers 20-, 40-, and 62-mile options. Residents can register for the ride online, and all those registered will be given a VIP post-ride lunch with Mayor Jere Wood on the turn-5 corner of the Roswell Criterium on Canton Street.

Other events at the festival include: 

• Kids’ Zone from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Canton and Webb Streets will provide fun-filled entertainment for families with bounce houses, face painters, and more.
• Bicycle Expo Area and New Belgium Beer Garden will be set up between Woodstock Street and Thompson Place. Roswell Bicycles will showcase the newest bicycles and accessories and raffle off several state-of-the-art bikes.
• Kids' Bicycle Safety Rodeo is an organized "class" where children learn about cycling safety and bicycle-handling skills. The rodeo is free and open to all children age 6 to 12. Registration begins at 2 p.m. at the Roswell United Methodist Church parking lot on the corner of Mimosa Blvd. and Magnolia St. All participants must provide their own bicycle and helmet. All bicycles will be inspected and "tuned-up" by the mechanics of Roswell Bicycles, and all helmets will be checked. The rodeo runs from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. After the "class" portion, the children have an obstacle course to navigate in order to "graduate" from the class and be eligible to race in the Kids' Races.
• The Kids’ Races, which run from 5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m., allow children ages of 6 to 12 out onto the race course to experience the same thrills that the pro riders experience. Depending on the age group, the race is a straight-line route beginning at Norcross Street heading north on Canton Street to the finish line or a complete lap around the same course used by the pros. Children must participate in the Kid's Bicycle Safety Rodeo in order to race the Kids Races. The Bicycle/Tricycle Parade for all family members will follow the Kids’ Races. 
• The Historic Roswell Criterium provides spectators with the opportunity to view elite and national-level athletes and amateur cyclists racing in a format that is often called the "most spectator-friendly" form of bicycle races. A criterium is a multi-lap race of 25 to 60 miles held on a closed course generally a mile or less in length. High speeds and challenging turns provide thrills for spectators and cyclists alike. Races take place from 10 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., with the Women’s Pro Race beginning at 4 p.m. and the Men’s Pro Race starting at 6 p.m. This year’s Historic Roswell Criterium is part of the USA CRITS Speed Week—seven races in seven southeastern cities offering the biggest prize purse in American Criterium racing of $125,000.

For more information about the festival, visit www.roswellcyclingfestival.com.