History

The Yorkshire Lass Cycling Club was formed by Kate Horsfall and her friend Judith Worrall, who had both already been active members of local cycle clubs. They wanted to form a club that had all the elements of what they would like to see in a cycling club. This was sparked after Horsfall fell off her bike during a ride with her old club, while she was getting used to riding clipless pedals. A man who had joined the ride laughed at her when she hit the deck, and this left her annoyed at his reaction, particularly as she had been putting in a lot of work to help encourage women to ride with the club.

Horsfall and Worrall put an advert on social media, inviting local women to join them for a ride one Sunday morning in March 2015. They feared hardly anyone would turn up, but to their surprise 30 women turned out, and membership grew from there.

The club received help from Tony Booth, the manager of All Terrain Cycles, and the shop paid the registration fee needed to register Yorkshire Lass Cycling Club with British Cycling.

The club’s aim was to encourage women of all ages and abilities into cycling, particularly those who would otherwise have not joined a mixed club. Their jersey is now a well-known sight in the region.

Last year Yorkshire Lass Cycling Club organised their first event, an all-women sportive held in the North York Moors. At this year’s event 600 women signed up, and £20,000 was raised for charity.