The Old Girl’s Back: Velo Retro Returns With Hill-Climbing Shoes On for Next Weekend’s Friendly Festival
After nearly a year of rest since returning from Eroica last summer, the “Old Girl” is finally out of the shed and getting ready to roll again—this time for the beloved Velo Retro Festival, a weekend celebration of vintage bikes, classic kit, and old-school cycling camaraderie.
With her polished frame, original downtube shifters, and unmistakable pre-indexed charm, the Old Girl—a lovingly maintained steel-framed road bike—has officially laced up her hill-climbing shoes for what promises to be another glorious ride through the hills and heritage lanes of the Lake District.
A Ride Steeped in Nostalgia
Velo Retro is known across the UK as “the friendly festival,” drawing hundreds of passionate vintage bike lovers each year for a weekend of cycling, storytelling, and style. Riders come dressed in period-correct wool jerseys, leather shoes, and goggles, and the bikes must be pre-1987—with no modern tech allowed. For many, the Old Girl included, this is the highlight of the cycling year.
“We haven’t touched her since Eroica last year,” said long-time rider and retro cycling enthusiast Tom Reynolds. “But when Velo Retro comes knocking, you know it’s time to air the tyres, oil the chain, and clip in with your quill pedals. It’s like a reunion—bike, rider, and the road.”
Hill Climbing in Classic Style
Next weekend’s edition promises the same charm and challenge that’s made Velo Retro a fixture on the cycling calendar. Among the most eagerly anticipated features: the hill climb event. It’s part race, part spectacle, where riders puff their way up steep ascents on steel bikes with gearing ratios that would terrify modern cyclists.
“The hill climb separates the pretenders from the purists,” laughed Reynolds. “You’re doing 15%, maybe more, with nothing but willpower and calf muscle—no compact cranksets to save you. But that’s the beauty of it.”
The Old Girl has been fitted with her “hill shoes”—a trusted pair of old Campagnolo cranks paired with a modest 42-tooth front chainring and a wide-range Regina freewheel on the back. “It’s not easy, but that’s the point,” he added. “We do it because it reminds us how far we’ve come—and how fun it is to go back.”
More Than Just a Ride
But Velo Retro is more than just bikes and climbs. The weekend includes retro film screenings, food trucks with locally sourced fare, vintage stalls, music, and lots of friendly banter. For those who’ve dusted off their old frames and shoes, it’s a reminder that cycling isn’t just about watts and carbon—it’s about heritage, simplicity, and shared passion.
Organisers expect hundreds to turn out, many returning year after year for the same reason: community.
“It’s not just a ride,” said one volunteer. “It’s a celebration of what made us fall in love with cycling in the first place.”
As the countdown to the festival begins, the Old Girl is ready. Pumped tyres, polished rims, and her classic Brooks saddle perfectly broken in—she’s waited a year for this. And now, with her hill-climbing shoes on and the open road ahead, she’ll once again show that vintage never goes out of style.
