Colourful Bike Trail and competition for Tour of Britain in Wrexham City Centre
Visitors to Wrexham may have spotted a series of colourful bikes dotted around the City Centre over recent weeks.
Aside from being a central part of Wrexham’s Wales in Bloom entry, the bikes have stayed in situ throughout the summer and now form part of a new trail celebrating the start and finish of Stage 2 of this year’s Tour of Britain Cycle race here in the City Centre.
To supplement the colourful bike trail, a new map has been produced to support a competition over the next fortnight. Visitors are encouraged to find any of the 12 brand new bikes – each located outside / within a local hospitality business and then snap a selfie with one of them before emailing your pictures into [email protected] before 12.00pm on 31st August, along with a contact phone number.
One lucky winner will be picked at random at midday on Friday 1st September to visit the corporate hospitality tent at the finish line on Monday 4th September and to meet the winning cyclist! Children are welcome to enter and will be permitted to bring one parent / carer if they are successful on the day.
Lead Member for the Economy at Wrexham County Borough Council, Cllr Nigel Williams said, “As well as being thrilled to welcome back the Tour of Britain series to Wrexham this September, we’re really thankful to these dozen hospitality businesses who have each decorated a bike and supporting the race via this competition and trail. The existing bikes that were installed for our Wales in Bloom entry will also remain in situ both before and after the race and add to the spectacle that Wrexham City Centre will become for visitors and television viewers on 4th September!”
Maps are available to download by saving the map below – or printed copies can be picked up from the Wrexham Visitor Information Centre on Chester Street and any of the other participating businesses listed below from 24th August.
The bikes were a mix of/came from various sources: Open Spaces Team, Local business and organisations, The Venture, Some bikes donated by FCC on the industrial estate, Some bikes donated after they were featured in the Pedal Power Parade organised by Groundwork Wrexham
Some Businesses/organisations involved in the trail/map trail
1. Croeshowell restaurant, Llay
2. Coleg Cambria, Chester St
3. The Ramada Plaza Hotel
4. To^st Café & Deli, Charles St
5. The Fat Boar, Yorke St
6. Lot 11 Café, Hill St
7. The Carniboar, High St
8. The Maesgwyn Hall, Mold Rd
9. The Holt Lodge Hotel
10. The Lemon Tree Hotel
11. Waterworld Leisure Centre
Key event information:
- The start and finish line will both be located on Chester Street
- Cyclists are expected to leave at 11:45am via Powell Road roundabout and onto Chester Road
- Cyclists are expected to return at approx. 2:30pm via Tuttle Street, Yorke Street and onto Chester Street
- The staged area will be on the Library car park
- The Tour Village and additional activities/stalls will be on Llwyn Isaf
- Crowd barriers will be placed along either side of the road from the Powell Road roundabout down to Tuttle Street.
On-street parking and deliveries will not be permitted along the last 8km of the route between the hours of 10am-3pm (Chester Street restrictions detailed below). Any vehicle left unattended may be removed from site and taken to a secure compound, where a fee will need to be paid for its release.
Llwyn Isaf will be hosting a tour village on the day that will include the Official Tour of Britain stands, Local stallholders, Inflatable play equipment plus Cycling activities and obstacle courses
Stage Map
Or zoomable:
Sunday 3rd September
There will be no on-street parking permitted on Chester Street from 6pm on Sunday 3 September. Chester Street will re-open after the race on Monday 4 September.
6am onwards – Event set-up on Chester Street
A full road closure will be in place from the Powell Road roundabout to Holt Street junction (Wingetts). Pedestrian access will be maintained.
Vehicle access will be permitted up Chester Street pedestrianised area (until 1pm) – however vehicles will only be permitted to turn right onto Holt Street.
Car Parks
There will be no access to the following car parks via Chester Street
Waterworld (Freedom Leisure)
Library
Guildhall (Members)
Wellbeing Hub
Memorial Hall
The Wellbeing hub staff car park can be accessed via Holt Street (managed by Traffic Management) There will be no entry/exit between 1:30pm and 4:00pm when the cyclists are expected to return.
Part of the Waterworld long stay car park will be used for blue badge holders, accessed via Holt Street (managed by Traffic Management)
St Giles car park will be closed from 1pm and will re-open when Tuttle Street re-opens
Alternative car parking arrangements are being explored, however active travel and public transport into the city centre are being encouraged.
1pm – approx. 6pm
The road closure on Chester street will be extended down to Tuttle Street. Strictly no vehicle access during this time.
Cyclists are expected to arrive at approx. 2:30pm. When the race has finished, event take down will begin. Roads will be re-opened once safe to do so.
Cllr Nigel Williams, Lead Member for Economy and Regeneration, said, “With such a huge event being held in Wrexham it will inevitably cause some inconvenience to road users.
“We will endeavour to ensure that this disruption is kept to a minimum and that the city centre set to benefits from the influx of visitors expected from all over the region.”
For more information check out the Tour of Britain website here.
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