Welsh Cycling are celebrating two years of Breeze Bike Rides in Wales with the launch of a new women’s cycling hub at Fourteen Locks Canal Centre, Newport on Sunday 27 November.
Welsh Cycling have worked closely with Mary Trenfield, Breeze Co-ordinator South East Wales, Sally Hall, Leisure Lakes Bike Shop and Christine Birch and Alex Leadley from Fourteen Locks Café to form a partnership to support and promote cycling for women in South East Wales.
The women’s cycling hub will offer regular bike rides for women through Breeze. They will be led by trained Breeze Champions offering a fun and safe environment for women to cycle. There will also be women-only cycle maintenance workshops at Leisure Lakes Bikes in Newport, women-only coaching sessions commencing in Spring 2017, and a warm welcome at Fourteen Locks Café for female cyclists.
Emma White, Women and Girls Officer for Welsh Cycling said: “Following on from the huge success of our women-friendly cycling hub, at Coed-y-Brenin in Gwynedd, we are very excited to launch our first women’s cycling hub in South Wales. The launch is part of our 2nd Anniversary of Breeze in Wales celebrations, and we hope it will be just as successful in inspiring more women to cycle.”
Mary has led 110 rides for women since becoming a Breeze Champion in 2014, “I was reintroduced to a bicycle about six years ago. On my first bike ride I had to get off and push down the not very steep hill near my house!
I became a Breeze Champion so that I could play a part in introducing women like me into the joy and freedom of getting out on a bike.” read more about Mary.
Christine Birch and Alex Leadley, managers of Fourteen Locks Café said: “We are really pleased that Welsh Cycling have chosen us as their Breeze women friendly cycling hub for Newport. We look forward to welcoming the ladies that currently ride with Breeze to our cafe and we hope to work with Welsh Cycling to encourage more ladies to jump on the saddle.”
Since the launch of Breeze in October 2014, Welsh Cycling has seen more women participate in cycling than ever before. There are 100 active Breeze Champions in Wales, with 594 Breeze bike rides across Wales in the last year. Female membership has risen to over 1,000 British Cycling members in Wales, representing 17.5% of the membership.
To find your local Breeze Bike Ride, visit breezebikerides.com and to find out more about the Fourteen Locks Women’s Cycling Hub click here.
