Women urged to channel their pedal power

Women on Wheels suffragette ride

Women across Greater Manchester are being encouraged to get on their bikes this spring with series of female-friendly cycling events across the region.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched Women on Wheels 2017 (WoW), a month-long celebration of cycling designed to narrow the gap between the numbers of men and women who cycle.

There will be more than 60 events taking place across the region throughout March with a special celebration of women’s cycling on Saturday 11 March at the HSBC UK National Cycling Centre.

The event, which will run from 11am to 3pm, will feature a number of fun and family-friendly events and activities, such as led rides, cycle maintenance demos, track taster sessions and even cycling-specific yoga.

Last year’s Women on Wheels month saw hundreds of people taking part in over 50 events, including a suffragette ride in Edwardian costume, cycling coffee mornings and maintenance training courses.

TfGM’s Head of Logistics, Environment and Active Travel, Helen Smith, said: “Cycling is a brilliant way to get fit and have fun and this year’s Women on Wheels event is a great opportunity for women and girls of all ability levels to get involved.

“Female cycling is on the up but, although more women are cycling, around 75 per cent of UK cyclists are male so we want to do everything we can to encourage as many women as possible to cycle more or saddle up for the first time and get out on their bikes.

“Last year we had a brilliant response and some of the events were so popular that they were booked out almost immediately.”