Manchester's month of women's cycling events starts today

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

There’s a list of upcoming events on the TfGM website and further details on the Women on Wheels Facebook page.

There will be more than 60 events taking place across the region. These include a special celebration of women’s cycling at the National Cycling Centre on Saturday March 11. Running from 11am to 3pm, it will include led rides, cycle maintenance demos, track taster sessions and cycling-specific yoga.

Last year’s Women on Wheels month saw hundreds of people take part in over 50 events, which included a suffragette ride in Edwardian costume.

Ann Butler, who helped organise one event for women’s cycling group Burnden Belles, said: “The day was a huge success. We were inundated with ladies wanting to attend, some even buying their first bike, or replacing their old one, especially for the event.

“One lady had a mechanical fault with her bike whilst riding home and was able to fix it herself with what she'd learnt.”

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.”