Ladies saddle up for great day out
cycling in a supportive, inclusive and friendly environment.
The cyclists followed the carefullyplanned route on quiet roads and paths, passing Plane Castle and eventually reaching Stirling for a wellearned lunch break at the Peak.
The route then took the women over the River Forth and past the Alloa Tower to Clackmannan.
Following that was a highlight of the day – fantastic views on the road back down to the firth with the riders in high spirits.
The ride ended with a celebration at the Great Lawn in the Helix Park, with each woman presented with a special medal made from recycled bicycle parts and materials.
One of the participants, Carolynn Key from Tillicoultry, said: “What a well organised ride, with lots of friendly people. I can’t wait for more Big Rides.
“It was my first ever group ride and I’d never ridden that distance before.
“It was a great atmosphere, everyone was really supportive and friendly.
“The volunteers and mechanical support were excellent and the scenery was fabulous – I’ve lived in the area all my life but I had no idea how extensive the cycling routes are.
“It was good to meet like-minded people and I’m already planning a ride with some of the people I met.”
Julie Rand, Women’s Festival of Cycling Coordinator at Cycling UK added: “It’s great to see so many women celebrating the Women’s Festival of Cycling and ultimately enjoying riding their bikes together.
“There are ten Belles on Bikes groups around Scotland, so we would encourage women of all abilities and ages to give cycling a try in an inclusive and friendly environment.”
Julie Cunningham, one of the organisers from Belles on Bikes Falkirk said: “I was worried the event would be a wash out, but instead it was a sell out.
“We had such high demand that we had to approach other volunteer ride leaders so we could increase the numbers.
“I’m so thankful to all the other volunteers who helped run this event and all the organisations who supported it.”