The Tour de Presteigne
Mangar International, designer and manufacturer of bath lifts and rehabilitation equipment, has long been committed to sustainable issues, so it is delighted to play joint host to Presteigne's annual event for electric bikes and alternative transport.
2009 was the fourth year of the Tour de Presteigne and Green Wheels show and each year its International reputation grows so that it is now seen as THE most important date in the Electric Bike calendar with 3,000 visitors. The event began life in 2006 as an offshoot of the Presteigne Eco fair but then branched off on its own and has been located on the Presteigne Industrial Estate for the last 3 years thanks to the generosity of Mangar International and D&S Bamford.
The open grass spaces on the estate are an ideal space to put up Marquees to show bikes and the tarmac roads on the estate are the perfect traffic free spot to try the bikes out. This year all the most important manufacturers were present showing bikes from eZee, Powabyke, Wisper, Kalkhoff, E-motion, Urban Mover, Giant, PowerSmart, Airnimal, Nano, Heinzmann and lots more. There was also a good selection of electric cars and scooters on show and it is a mark of how important this small Mid-Border show has become that they were chosen, alongside the Geneva Motor Show, as a venue for people to come and see the fabulous Morgan LIFE Car.
However the show does not just consist of displays of machines there is plenty to do including a hill climb, a ride round the countryside and the exciting finale on Sunday when there is a parade around the closed streets of Presteigne. This year saw the introduction of a number of new events including, on Saturday at midnight, a ghost ride with storytelling by local author Ian Marchant under a full moon on top of Stonewall Hill.
Quite how this tiny Border town became such a leading player in the search for alternative low carbon solutions to the planets transport problems is a bit of a mystery, even to the events founder Pete Mustill, but The Tour de Presteigne is certainly the place to be if you have any interest at all in alternative transport. If you want to know more visit www.tourdepresteigne.co.uk