GYBR

14/06/2025

On the day that would have been the 42nd GYBR, I bring you a bit of GYBR history. Going right back to the original Tockwith to Scarborough ride, the picture shows the ride badges we used to give out (before the days of fancy Lycra shirts). Anybody out there still got their set? After several years of having the finish in Scarborough, we moved to Filey in 1990.

07/03/2025

Notice to all GYBR Supporters and Entrants.

During the period 2020 - 2022 quite a few people signed up for entries to the GYBR when we had hoped to relaunch the ride. These entries were handled for me by our friends at Heart Research UK. We now need to clear this outstanding sum of money from their books.

Anyone who has entered through Heart Research has 2 options. You can either donate the fee paid to our GYBR charities (listed below) or you can have a refund. Obviously we would hope that you could donate the fee but the refund option is there.

So, what do you need to do.

If you wish to have a refund, please contact [email protected] with your details before the end of March.

If you are happy to donate the entry fee you do not need to do anything. We will take that as your wish to donate.

Any monies left with us at the end of June will automatically be donated to our charities and the entry list/book will be closed.

Funds will be split between Heart Research UK, Hollybank Trust, PhysCap, Jennyruth Workshops, Ryedale MENCAP and Wetherby Lions.

I would like to thank you all for your support since 1984. The GYBR has been a wonderful event to support charities, to promote cycling and friendship and to have "A Grand Day Out In Yorkshire". I'm very proud of everything that we have achieved.

Please circulate this message to anyone you know who may have logged an entry.

Regards

John Taylorson MBE for the GYBR

27/06/2023

Update on Great Yorkshire Bike Ride from John Taylorson, Event Organiser.

Following our recent post we were incredibly touched by all the wonderful comments from riders and supporters. Thank you.

And, we have more news. I have been approached by an organisation who are keen to get the GYBR back on the road in 2024.

So, watch this space for further updates.

17/06/2023

From John Taylorson, Event Organiser, Great Yorkshire Bike Ride.

Today, if we had not had to pause after 2019, would have been the 40th GYBR. I so wish we could have got there.

Even so, we ran for 36 years and raised just short of £3m for our recipient charities. I am very proud of what we have achieved and I send out to my sincere and heartfelt thanks to all the riders, charities and individuals who have supported us for so many years and put in so much work and hours to get "the show on the road".

So today seems an appropriate day for me to announce that the GYBR under my stewardship has come to an end. Without a headline cash sponsor there is no chance to continue an event of this size. Sadly I must call time.

If there is any individual, company or charity out there who feel that they could consider taking the event on please contact me. I have in storage all the signage, banners and service gear which I will have to move before the year end. I would obviously assist in any way I could.

Once again, many thanks to you all for all your help, fundraising and creating the atmosphere that made the GYBR the great event it has always been. The memories will go on.

John Taylorson MBE - 17th June 2023.

20/02/2023

It is once again with great regret that I have to announce that there will be no Great Yorkshire Bike Ride in 2023.

Whilst we are very appreciative of the support we receive from many great companies and individuals; without a major cash sponsor to fund the infrastructure of the ride, it is not viable with unknown entry levels. We continue to look for a suitable partner, but so far nothing has transpired.

Another knock-out blow for 2023 is the closure from April to October of the privately owned Aldwark Toll Bridge. The detours required to get around this crucial river crossing are long and less than ideal for our event.

Heart Research UK will be in touch with anyone who has entered in 2020/1/2 with options. We hope that you would look kindly on donating the fees to our charities.

Apologies once again. I sincerely hope that we can put something in place for the future of this great event. John Taylorson. Event Organiser.

18/06/2022

This would have been GYBR day today. 2019 seems a long time ago. Hopefully we will be back in 2023. JT

Lunch is served with many riders already on the second leg. Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable ride.

31/03/2022

Update on GYBR 2022. Recently we floated the idea of running a DIY event this year which has had a fairly negative response so we have decided to shelve any ideas of running an event of any kind in 2022.

We are now going to concentrate on getting the new website up and running and a new entry and payment system online for you to use and start taking entries for a return of the GYBR proper in 2023 which should be on the 17th of June 2023.

Please bear in mind that this event costs a great deal of money to stage and our ability to deliver the event for you in 2023 will rely on us getting enough entries in to fund it. The Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire did a lot for cycling in Yorkshire but didn't do a lot for the GYBR. All of a sudden everyone wanted to do a pretend race and the appeal of a fun day out and fundraising for charity suddenly didn't seem to be so appealing. I'm hoping we can reverse that trend for 2023 and get this great event back on the road.

I've missed it - I hope you have too.

Further updates soon. All current entries for 2020/21/22 will be carried over to the 2023 entry list.

Many thanks. John T

19/02/2022

GYBR 2022 Update
Hi everyone. I know a lot of people are now asking us what we are going to do for 2022. A decision has now been made. We are going to offer riders a self-supporting ride along the route for this year and hopefully come back with a "full fat" proper GYBR in 2023. We hope to have a new website and everything in place by the end of March.

So basically this year we will supply (for a nominal fee) all the documentation you will need to cycle the route with info on how you can fund-raise for our cash-strapped charities.

Public confidence to pre-book events is still well down on pre-Covid levels and we cannot get enough entries this year to run the ride as normal. The GYBR costs over £30,000 to stage every year plus an army of charity volunteers to make it all happen. We have been hit very hard by the loss of the Farnell sponsorship , which was a huge blow, and the knock on effects of the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire which made everyone want to go out and do pretend races instead of our old-world fun day out and raising money for our fantastic charities. Consequently, our entry numbers and charity receipts both took a dive, which was a huge blow to all connected with the GYBR. And then came Covid!

This event has been both a great fundraiser, a great day out with great people in fantastic countryside, and I have been very proud to have run it for you for all these year and I am immensely proud of all the money you have all raised for charity - just short of £3m since 1984

Hopefully we can come back with a "proper" event in 2023 and that the offer this year will allow informal groups and individuals to keep the GYBR in the public eye while we regroup for 2023.

Many thanks to you all for your continued interest and support and many thanks to all our charity partners and sponsor companies who have backed us for many years. John Taylorson 19/2/22

21/01/2021

It is with great regret that we are cancelling The Great Yorkshire Bike Ride 2021. The speed of the vaccine roll out, the age range of our volunteers, and the problems of dealing with pinch points like the start, lunch stop and return transport will be unmanageable. Plus we do not know if mass participation events will be allowed by June.

Heart Research will be in touch with options for existing entrants.

Hopefully we will be back for GYBR 2022 which would be on June the 18th. We look forward to seeing you then. Regards John T GYBR.