Evans Cycles have announced that 10 events in its popular Ride It series are to be cancelled for 2020.

The axed sportives include long-running events like Ride It Brighton and Ride It Cotswolds, with organisers attributing the move to rising costs and falling rider numbers.

Evans Cycles are trimming their programme of RIDE IT sportives for 2020.
Evans Cycles are trimming their programme of RIDE IT sportives for 2020.

The 10 sportives that will no longer take place are:

  • RIDE IT Medway Road Sportive (20th June)
  • RIDE IT Cotswolds Sportive (28th June)
  • RIDE IT Peak District Sportive (2nd August)
  • RIDE IT Brighton Sportive (23rd August)
  • RIDE IT Cannock Sportive (13th September)
  • RIDE IT North Wales Sportive (20th September)
  • RIDE IT Newbury Gravel Sportive (27th September)
  • RIDE IT Newbury Sportive (27th September)
  • RIDE IT Leicester Sportive (18th October)
  • RIDE IT Rochdale Sportive (25th October)

The cancelled rides represent a quarter of the Ride It programme, and Evans say the decision to cancel the events was not taken lightly.

Event Manager Mark Gregory said: "Recently we've been experiencing a drop in rider participation on previous years as well as an increase in operating costs reflecting some of the changes in the wider cycling industry. This isn't unique to Ride It and lots of other cycle event organisers are also struggling with the same challenges.

"We still firmly believe that Ride It has a role in offering our customers new riding experiences and helping them enjoy the ride, but we've had to make some tough decisions to put Ride It in a stronger position and to ensure its future.

"We will still keep a nationwide coverage of event locations with over 30 rides remaining in the schedule for 2020, and over the coming months will be announcing a new series of events based from Evans Cycles stores to complement the wider Ride It calendar."

Despite the stripped back calendar, Evans Cycles remains one of the biggest sportive organisers in the UK. We've ridden numerous Ride It sportives over the years, and the level of organisation is all you'd hope for with friendly service, well-stocked feed stations, event timing and excellent mechanical support.

Check out the full programme of road, gravel and MTB sportives at www.evanscycles.com.

The RIDE IT series includes road MTB and gravel sportives across England and Scotland.
The RIDE IT series includes road MTB and gravel sportives across England and Scotland.

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