THERE were road bikes, mountain bikes, stunt bikes and even hand bikes at the County Ground when Swindon’s first CycleFest was staged on Sunday.

The free event at the athletics track, which attracted nearly 800 people, featured bikes rides for all ages, maintenance tutorials, security marking and a chance for children to try a cyclo-cross course.

One of the organisers, Janice Mitchell, from Mitchell’s Cycles said: “It was a really good day. We had people doing food, we had lost of local clubs coming and doing things. There were a couple of display areas as well.”

A big attractions was stunt rider Grant Fielder with a spectacular high flying routine that saw him soaring through the air, managing to land wheels first at the last second.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever organised anything as big,” Janice told the Advertiser, but she feedback had been good and organisers were heartened to see people turning out to support the volunteers who had staged events and displays at the event.

“Everybody said it was really good," she said.

"We had lots of help from people and it has been a real community thing. There were just so many people that helped us to put it on.”

The idea came about at a meeting of Swindon Bicycle Users Group and was run with the support of groups including Swindon Borough Council, Swindon Cycles and British Cycling.

“It was amazing,” fellow organiser Becky Cox said: “It was quite a last minute thing. We only talked about doing it in March and it just came about because of working together as a team.

“We had so many volunteers – local clubs and individuals. It was exactly what we wanted,” she said.

“We wanted it to be a festival for everyone to show cycling isn’t just for middle-aged men in Lycra.”

A series of rides were staged, from a 60-miler led by Swindon’s largest women’s cycling club, Dame Cycles, to a family friendly four-mile ride on traffic free paths and quiet roads.

Other cyclists tackled a 35-mile round trip to Malmesbury organised by Swindon Wheelers, or a 21-mile loop out to Swindon and Cricklade Railway and back.

Swindon Wheelers also organised a bike jumble to raise money for the Great Western Hospital’s Brighter Futures Appeal.