Bikes out the shed and into the Scottish sunshine!

Bike Club Scotland’s Belles on Bikes project got hundreds of young people on bikes at the weekend, in the glorious sunshine at Leith Festival Gala Day in Edinburgh.

The timber skills trails were a huge success with children and parents; children tackled the course on scoots, balance bikes and a range of borrowed cycles whilst parents chatted with CTC staff and volunteers. Our mechanics, Katy and Abbi, were busy all day adjusting bikes, fixing minor ailments and showing other women how to keep their bikes on the road.

The Belles on Bikes project has been running for 18 months in Edinburgh and Glasgow, supporting women to get cycling. Over 150 women have been engaged with the project, participating in and leading rides in their community, learning bike mechanic basics and having alot of fun together!

The Belles on Bikes project was funded by Cycling Scotland. CTC hopes to secure further funding to develop the project, attracting more women interested in cycling to run female led groups to support more women to cycle more often for leisure, travel and sport.   

Bike Club Scotland is a partnership programme, run by CTC and Youth Scotland. Since 2010 it has supported over 80 groups to set up sustainable cycling activities with young people, reaching over 6000 young people from ‘non cycling backgrounds’. The initial phase of the project was funded by the ASDA Foundation through its Pedal Power fund. Since 2011 Bike Club Scotland has attracted funding from the Robertson Trust, Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation, Cycling Scotland and Fife Council.

If you’d like more information about Belles on Bikes please contact Suzanne Forup, Cycling Development Officer on 07963704287 or email [email protected]

Belles on Bikes Glasgow: www.meetup.com/Belles-on-Bikes-Glasgow