The popular family-friendly cycle takeover of York returns this weekend.
But it will be the last Sky Ride York ever, as Sky’s partnership with British Cycling is coming to an end. The two of them have teamed up with City of York Council to host several rides in the past – last year’s Sky Ride attracted 8,500 riders.
Whether something similar will return under a new sponsor remains to be seen.
The free Sky Ride event sees roads closed to traffic to create a car-free circuit around the city centre.
Team GB track cyclists fresh from their success at the Rio Olympic Games will also be taking part. Medal winners Joanna Rowsell Shand, Katie Archibald and Phillip Hindes will be joined by Tre Whyte, Shanaze Reade and Kyle Evans.
And the event is again being run in tandem (d’you see what we did there?) with the York Festival of Cycling at Rowntree Park on Sunday.
So saddle up for all the details of Sky Ride’s final lap of York…
The route
The 4.3 mile route takes you round lots of York’s best bits. You can join at any point on the one-way circuit.
Officially it starts at Clifford’s Tower. From there cyclists head up Castlegate and Coppergate before joining Pavement.
Riders will then turn left onto Colliergate before turning right onto St Andrewgate.
They will then head onto Aldwark, Goodramgate and Deansgate, past York Minster.
Cyclists then head onto Duncombe Place before passing over Lendal Bridge onto Leeman Road.
Next riders turn right past Memorial Gardens and along Wellington Row, Skeldergate and Terry Avenue where they will follow the Ouse until Rowntree Park, where the Festival of Cycling is taking place.
Next it’s along Butcher Terrace, a left turn onto Bishopthorpe Road and left again on the cycle path to bring them back down to the river and over Millennium Bridge.
They will then follow the riverside cycle path back to Clifford’s Tower.
Road closures and bus diversions
The Sky Ride York route will be closed to all traffic from 10.30am until about 5pm, or as soon as possible after the event has finished.
Diversions will be in place but drivers are advised to plan their journeys and allow more time for travelling around the city.
This will require a lot of bus diversions too of course. See below for the map of temporary bus stops, and download details of all the bus diversions (PDF) here.
All council car parks except the one at Rowntree Park will be open during the event. However Castle car park will have fewer spaces to make way for one of the Sky Ride ‘activation zones’.