On this episode of the Bike Life podcast, Tahverlee interviews Allison and Justin, founders of the Clonakilty Bike Festival in southern Ireland. Allison and Justin’s passion for biking was invigorated when they were in their late 20’s and several of their friends shared with them their love for biking and about a bike festival they had been hosting in their own town. Immediately, Justin and Allison were drawn into the cycling community and they set up a festival in their hometown of Clonakilty which is celebrating its 9th festival this year. The festival is a very grassroots endeavor with very little formal marketing and overhead, but the comradery and support they receive every year confirms that they are doing it the right way. Allison and Justin have also set up a community bike workshop which is open year-round and they are constantly petitioning with their local governing bodies to make their town a bike town with the infrastructure needed to make the roads safe for everyone.

Allison and Jason also shared several heart-warming stories about their experiences with the Warm Showers Foundation. With over 100,000 users on the site, many of which reside in Europe, this is a great resource for long-distance bikers to find a welcoming place to stay along their route and get to meet some great people along the way. This is a tight-knit community of people who love biking and want to practice reciprocal hospitality, of which Allison and Justin are an active part.

Connect with the Clonakilty Bike Festival:

http://clonakiltybicyclefestival.org/

https://www.facebook.com/clonbikefest/

Connect with us:

Bike Flights: https://www.bikeflights.com/

Warm Showers Foundation: https://www.warmshowers.org/