On Your Bike!
Join a women’s cycling club
Thanks to the success of Team GB cyclists in recent Olympics and high-profile enthusiasts such as Laura and Jason Kenny, Sir Chris Hoy and Dame Sarah Storey, cycling is on the rise in the UK.
Millions of cyclists all over Britain are opting for pedal power to go places, get fit, burn calories – and have fun!
“Cycling’s a very sociable activity,” says Joy Lummis of HSBC Breeze, which was set up by British Cycling to encourage more women to cycle. “As you ride along chatting to your cycling buddy, before you know it, you’ve done five miles!
“The health and fitness benefits are fantastic,” adds Joy, who, as a Breeze Champion, leads weekly bike rides to help women get into the cycling habit. “I started cycling to keep my weight down when I gave up smoking, which has definitely worked.
“Cycling also makes you feel good. If I’ve had a rubbish day at work or things are not going to plan, I can clear my mind by jumping on my bike.”
Despite all the benefits, recent research by the British Heart Foundation found that one in ten women in the UK reckons it’s so long since they were last on a bike, they’ve forgotten how to do it!
However the same research found that 1 in 3 women would love to get back into cycling – so let’s go!
“Some people can hop on a bike after years of not riding and feel totally comfortable and confident. Others find it takes longer to get used to being back in the saddle,” stresses cyclist Katie AartseTuyn of walking and cycling charity Sustrans.
Before going on your first bike ride, Katie advises practising away from other vehicles. “The National Cycle Network provides thousands of traffic-free routes,” she says. “When you feel ready to cycle on the road, find a route you’re comfortable with and remember you can get off your bike and walk up hills or, if there’s a section where you don’t feel confident, you can push your bike on the pavement.
“Don’t attempt too much, too soon. Try a few shorter routes at a leisurely pace close to home and go from there.”
There are also several cycle training schemes, including Bikeability ( WWW. BIKEABILITY.ORG.UK), best known for teaching school children but also providing individual cycle training for adults.
“Cycle training will help make your journeys safe and enjoyable, and teach you many key skills such as good road positioning, signalling and visibility,” says Katie.
“It’s also one of the best ways to boost your confidence on two wheels.” WWW.BREEZEBIKERIDES.COM WWW.SUSTRANS.ORG.UK
Cycling with friends turns a keep-fit activity into a social event!
“Ladies Leisurely is about company and cake,” laughs Rhona Guild, who set up the Ladies Leisurely Facebook group two years ago with her cycling companion, Kirsty Cameron. “We currently have 238 members, with ladies of all ages and on all sorts of bikes coming along to our regular bike rides. Mountain bikes, racers, road bikes, hybrid bikes – we’ve even had a tandem!
“We provide information about our rides, and keep in contact with all the members through Facebook. We go on bike rides of various lengths throughout the year and we promise not to leave anyone behind – and to always include a cake stop!”
British Cycling’s Breeze has a network of more than 2,000 female volunteers, or Breeze Champions, who organise hundreds of women-only, free bike rides across the UK every week.
“When planning a Breeze ride, my friend Margaret and I find a good café and plan our ride around that,” says Joy Lummis, who has been a Breeze Champion for six years. “We then post the ride up on WWW.BREEZEBIKERIDES.COM so if a woman is looking for a bike ride, she only has to go onto the website and submit her postcode to obtain an online list of all the bike rides in her area. “Anyone can come along to a Breeze bike ride, regardless of cycling skills, fitness or experience. There’s something for everyone and all the rides advertised on the Breeze website have information about the distance to be cycled, whether it’s flat or hilly, and if it’s suitable for novice cyclists.
“Breeze aims to help women feel confident about going on a bike ride and is a good way to get into cycling, as the route has been chosen and risk-assessed. You just need to sign up on the website and turn up with your bike.
“When someone joins us for the first time, they’re usually a little bit nervous because they expect everyone else to be faster and have better cycling gear. However, when they go on the ride and everyone starts to chat and laugh, they soon realise it’s all about having fun.”