Women’s Festival of Cycling to take place throughout July

To mark International Women’s Day today, Cycling UK is launching its Women’s Festival of Cycling.

The festival, which is set to take place in July, will be a celebration of female-friendly leisure cycling, both on and off-road. In the UK, more men cycle than women and Cycling UK would like to address this gender imbalance, as in Holland, more women cycle than men.

Cycling UK’s Women’s Festival of Cycling aims to inspire more women to ride bikes for their mental and physical wellbeing, as well as for fresh air, friendship and fun.

The series of rides will take place across the UK, with many of Cycling UK’s 200-plus groups and 800-plus affiliated cycling clubs putting on female-specific rides.

Cycling UK will be supporting this programme of rides by providing insurance and a range of resources such as special features, articles, marketing materials, event registration, competitions, promotions and more.

Women’s Festival of Cycling coordinator Julie Rand said: “We want to encourage women of all ages and abilities to cycle; we believe the Women’s Festival of Cycling is a chance to bring together some of the most inspirational groups and individuals across the UK to reach out to the growing number of women who enjoy cycling or want to start.

“It’s fantastic that more women are joining Cycling UK every year, and it is our aspiration to have an equal gender split.”

As part of the build-up to the festival, Cycling UK will be profiling female riders and supporters of cycling – both within and outside the charity ­– who inspire others to take up the activity. You can nominate someone for the 100 Women in Cycling list here.