The Cyclonats Festival of Cycling
The Glow Ride, Cyclonats 2025. Photo by John Griffins
Cyclonats had very humble beginnings and has very grand ambitions. The idea for a festival of cycling began when Nigel McRae had an inspiration and invited a few dedicated cyclists to brainstormed the idea at Smith’s Alternative in 2024. These cyclists had a vision of a weekend festival that would spread all over Canberra in March every year, celebrating every kind of rider from toddlers on trikes to elite athletes on the fastest machines.
Cyclonats intends to collaborate with every kind of cycling group to promote events right across Canberra. Then riders can come together for a celebration and a grand Cycling City Cruise down Northbourne Avenue. A public celebration of the joys of cycling will raise public awareness and help Pedal Power advocate for safe and accessible cycling. Eventually, Canberra can become the cycling capital of Australia.
The 2025 festival was low-key with only a few event but those event were appreciated by happy participants. Every year the festival should grow until it becomes a major event in Canberra’s calendar. If you’re in a cycling group, you can help by inviting the organisers to use Cyclonats to promote their activities: https:/cyclonats.au/contact. Pedal Power is already listed as a key organisation. Pedal Power is organising the City Cruise, and the Spangled Drongos have agreed to provide free entertainment.
Please sign up now for the Cycling City Cruise https://events.humanitix.com/cycling-city-cruise-2026. More events will be listed over the next few months, so bookmark the Cyclonats events page https://cyclonats.au/events.
