Gather: A Cycling Festival With A Difference

The only pressure found on site would be linked to tyres.

We set about organising our human sized ‘gathering’ (ticket sales are limited to 100), a place where like minded people can hang out together in a non-competitive environment, eating and drinking locally sourced produce, with a programme of activities that allows them to do as much or as little as they please. We wanted everyone who made it to Gather to feel at home.

We also thought it would be a super cool place for riders to recharge after they had ridden a competitive event or somewhere to press pause for a few days for those in transit to a race. It would be a place for new riders to pick up tricks and tips from those more experienced. It would be a level playing field.

Aside from great cycling, the event has now evolved to include trail running and hiking. We have also designed Gather as a ‘leave no trace’ event. Our workshops, campfire chats and film screenings are designed to highlight the key environmental messages facing the adventure community with valuable input from carefully chosen partners and friends of the event. It is our intention to bring meaningful conversation to the table and share actionable information in an effort to make things better than when we started.

‘Arriving at Zero Neuf during the middle of the night, I quietly pitched my tent and went to sleep – waking in the morning to people doing yoga in the garden and the smell of breakfast being prepared. 

‘It was a super peaceful start to my first day that got even better when I met Dom and Julie from Mason Cycles who kindly offered to help build up my bike. I hadn’t been looking forward to doing this myself in front of all these super-experienced bike people, but the reality was that everyone was so friendly and supportive.

‘The way the festival is laid out means it’s really easy to get talking to people – everyone has that shared interest in bikes and the outdoors. It’s the sort of event you could roll up on your own and not have to worry about fitting in and making new friends. Which is exactly what I did. 

‘With displays of all the various ride options on site, it’s easy to check the distance and elevation profile before you head out, but there are no expectations placed on you. If you want to camp out at the festival, do your own rides before returning at the end of each day to just chill, then that’s absolutely fine. Whatever works for you. 

‘If I’m being absolutely honest, looking back I do remember wondering whether the festival would attract a load of posers only interested in getting that shot for Instagram. But it turned out to be totally the opposite with everyone being so nice and kind. To date, I’ve met up with seven people that I first got to know at Gather which I think is pretty impressive considering you’re only there for four days. Maybe it’s because it attracts the sort of people that I want to spend time with? 

‘One memory in particular has stayed with me – the last evening when we went swimming in the river. We’d all been out riding during the day and it was the most beautiful evening with moonlight shining down. Clear skies, nice and warm, very carefree and fun. And that, for me, is what Gather is all about. A long weekend of adventure that builds this real sense of community.’

‘On the last day there was an alley-cat style ride which proved to be enormous fun. We rode in a group until a nail in one of my team-mate’s tyres brought us to a sudden halt. Finding we couldn’t fix the flat, we dismantled the bike down to the frame and wheels and rode back to the farmhouse carrying the separate parts, our stranded friend hitching a ride on a rack. 

‘My style of travelling is pretty basic – mostly camping and supermarket shopping. So when I first heard about Gather, I made the assumption that it would look and feel like any other outdoor festival. But the farm environment is so beautiful and the food was truly amazing. When your usual bike dinner is a can of tuna with some pasta, a proper home cooked meal with all your new friends is a real treat. 

‘Gather is a place to relax and meet like-minded people. A place to enjoy nature and the outdoors but with enough creature comforts to make your stay a pleasant experience. There’s a well-organised and varied programme of activities but with no obligation for you to participate if you’d rather relax by the river or swim in the pool. And what I took away with me was the simple pleasure of sharing a few peaceful days in the south of France with good people.’