By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on April 21, 2018
ALBANY’S renowned Vancouver Street Festival is getting a shake-up ahead of its planned May 12 schedule.
The famous Tweed Ride, a feature of the arts and heritage event, will invite retro cyclists to ride into town at their own pace and in their own time, rather than sticking to a specific route.
Cyclists will, however, have a window of time from 11am until noon to get their photo taken at the festival ahead of the competition judging.
In previous years, bicycles such as penny farthings have made an appearance.
WA Historical Cycling Club member Murray Gomm said there will be four categories riders can battle it out for.
“There will be most magnificent bike, most fetching lady, most dapper chap and most magnificent hair,” he said.
Mr Gomm said another new element to the street festival will be the way the retro transportation devices will be displayed.
“The penny farthings and historic bicycles will be ridden up and down Vancouver Street during the festival, which I think will be a bit of an attraction,” he said.
“There’s going to be an original penny farthing, a rare penny farthing tricycle and 20th century vintage bicycles.
“It’ll be a pretty rare opportunity to see these really ancient machines all together.”
Vancouver Arts Centre, the organising body of the event, confirmed other new features to the festival will include a Noongar choir and a focus on tree heritage.
