A FESTIVAL which celebrates cycling in Oxford is to become an annual event.

The first Cycle Oxford Festival was held earlier this month in an attempt to get more people on their bikes.

Organisers were so pleased with its success they have decided to make it a fixture on the calendar.

Festival events included a bike polo tournament, a workshop where would-be bicycle polo players could “pimp” their mallets, and a contest to find the fastest person to change an inner tube.

A moving bicycle bell orchestra saw 60 people in Radcliffe Square, Queens Lane and Market Street take part in an enthusiastic performance of a musical piece.

Organiser Dan Harris said: “It was absolutely incredible, we had such a good weekend.

“There’s always an element of the unknown but it just exceeded all of our expectations.”

For the past few years, Oxford Cycle Workshop, the driving force behind the festival, has been organising bicycle treasure hunts, known as alleycat rides, in the city.

Mr Harris estimated up to 250 people were involved in Oxford Cycle Festival.

He said: “The bike orchestra was incredible, it was really exciting just to see new people coming out to join us.

“We have never had that sort of success in bringing out families, so it was really exciting.”

The Dance Attack Alleycat, which took place towards the end of the festival, attracted 80 people who were asked to perform different dance moves at each stage of a treasure hunt.

The weekend finished with a post festival party at the Jericho Tavern in Walton Street.

Mr Harris said: “Next year we will definitely be doing the same cycle festival weekend in the second weekend of May, but there are also other things we hope to have got from the festival.

He added: “The bike bell orchestra we are going to carry on through the year, and we will try to meet up once a month and really see what we can do.”