THE “electric bike capital of Britain” is gearing up for its latest celebration of all things cycle related after Tour De Presteigne organisers announced this year’s dates.

Pete Mustill claimed a combination of the rally itself and the local landscape had “undoubtedly” made Presteigne the nation’s flagship centre for electrically enhanced bicycles.

“One rare sunny day last month I went up to the library on a Saturday morning and found five electric bikes already parked around the crossroads in the High Street,” he said.

“I then began mentally adding up all the people who had electric bikes in and around Presteigne, and stopped when I got to thirty.”

Of course local interest is also largely down to Pete, who runs the town’s electric bike shop OnBike and as such has created a rare, hybrid-style electric cycle called the White Bike, which is also due to be launched at the 2011 event.

Now visitors are preparing to gather for the sixth annual rally on May 7 and 8, when the usual circular guided ride, fancy dress tour and orienteering competition will take place with commentary from radio broadcaster and writer Ian Marchant.

For those less familiar, this year also promises a first-time visit from hydrogen fuel cell car designers River Simple, of Ludlow, and a vintage exhibition from the National Cycle Museum.

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