British Cycling initiative aims to get women into riding

The ride goes from Croydon Sports Arena to Ladywell. Photo: Alexander Baxevanis

The ride goes from Croydon Sports Arena to Ladywell. Photo: Alexander Baxevanis

British Cycling is offering free, guided bike rides this summer for women in the Croydon and Lewisham areas in an attempt to encourage more women to get into cycling.

The bike rides are being organised by Breeze, a program run by British Cycling, which specialises in cycling for women. The project is part of an initiative to encourage more women into the sport, using a mixture of skills, experience and enthusiasm.

The ride, which is approximately 10 miles, is suitable for all experience levels and begins at Croydon Sports Arena heading north to Ladywell.

On their website, British Cycling state their “ambition to get one million more women on bikes by 2020” citing a “50 year history of female under-representation in the sport.”

Breeze’s route follows mainly quiet and scenic roads at a slow relaxing pace. The ride takes about 90 minutes and finishes at a café so riders may refresh and socialise.

The rides are organised and guided by volunteer Breeze Champions such as Deb Garbutt, who is featured on the website as saying: “I’m a mum and a Grandma, it’s great to be able to nip to the shops on your bike… but much more fun to get out with other like-minded women”.

The Croydon to Ladywell bike ride takes place every Wednesday at 10am.

To sign up for a free bike ride visit: http://www.goskyride.com/Breeze

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