Photos and videos: cyclists pack town centre in West Sussex as huge annual bike ride gets underway

Participants in The Greater Haywards Heath Bike Ride 2025 set off at 9am after the ribbon was cut by several special guests.

The chosen local charities benefiting from this year’s event were Time4Children and KSS, the local Air Ambulance charity.

There were several routes to choose from for all different skill levels with E-Bikes and Strava enthusiasts being welcome as well.

Ruby Hunt, Sussex community fundraiser for KSS, said: “We’re incredibly happy to have been chosen and wanted to be here today to support the event and to be able to talk to the public and raise awareness about what we do in the community.”

Claire Booth, home assessment visitor from Time4Children, said: “We were due to be the chosen charity in Covid but that bike ride got cancelled.”

Lisa Westbury, manager at Time4Children added: “It’s an amazing event. Everyone that’s sponsored it has worked really hard to put this together.”

The bike ride was attended by British Triathlon Champion Issy Hayes, who rode the red route with her mum. Issy is still a full-time student at Loughborough University but her next ambition is to be selected for the LA Olympics in 2028.

Issy said: “I think the bike ride is great. When I was younger there weren’t too many events like this. And, for me as a professional athlete, it gets very boring training on your own, so to have an opportunity like this to be able to ride with a group of people creates a community. And I think it encourages more people to get out on a bike and enjoy the weather.”

Issy said she got into cycling during the Covid pandemic, adding: “I think being outside just boosts my mood massively, especially in the summer when it’s sunny and it’s warm.”

Mid Sussex MP Alison Bennett said: “There’s lots of volunteers that have all come together to make it happen.”

She said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for people to come together, get out in the countryside and enjoy the very best of Mid Sussex.”

East Grinstead and Uckfield MP Mims Davies said: “It’s lovely to be back. It wouldn’t be Haywards Heath without this bike ride.”

She said: “It’s great to have something in our area because quite often we have to travel to big events in bigger towns and other areas of Sussex. It’s great to have people travelling to Mid Sussex to support The Broadway.”

Thakeham managing director Richard Murphy said: “At Thakeham we talk a lot about community creation.”

He said: “We do a lot with communities and around the communities where we develop, where we build. I’ll be taking part in the ride today with members of the technical department from Thakeham.”

West Sussex County Councillor Sujan Wickremaratchi (Haywards Heath) said: “I first came across the bike ride in 2015 when I was Haywards Heath mayor and I always thought it was a fantastic community event where people can get together and it’s good for Haywards Heath and the surrounding areas.”

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “I try to support this as often as I can.”

She said: “I tend to see in society the trickier sides of life in policing and what is lovely about this is actually to come to an event where people are celebrating – young and old. I’ve seen children coming up the high street with their bicycles decorated and ribbons flying and I’ve seen older people as well.”

Haywards Heath mayor Stephanie Inglesfield said: “I think it’s going to be a wonderful day, the weather is with us. It’s the perfect weather whether you are on a bike or not and it’s beautifully organised.”

The day also featured live entertainment in The Broadway with Sussex bands and singers, courtesy of Pippa Randall, JamJoe, Rok Skool and Mike Oliver.

Sponsors this year include: Thakeham, Sweep Tech, The Orchards, Mike Oliver Associates, Mansell McTaggart and Amphibian Scaffolding. Organisers have also thanked Steve Trice and Haywards Heath Town Council Team, as well as the Rotary Club.

Organiser Ruth de Mierre said: “I hope all our riders had as much fun as we did but none of this would have happened without the hard work, commitment and friendship of Steve Trice and his HHTC Team, Rotary, our amazing sponsors and the myriad of marshals and volunteers who give up so much of their time See you all next year!”