We recently celebrated Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week, with information, interviews and online events provided across the week. This led to some of our community getting in touch, to let us know about initiatives and projects working to grow the number of women and girls in cycling.
David Johnstone let us know about newly introduced women’s sessions from the Scottish Bike Trial Club near Strathaven in South Lanarkshire. Having the exclusive use of the club facilities these sessions take place in a private setting where participants can build confidence and core bike handling skills. David reports this helps the riders feel able to move out of their comfort zones and stretch their skills:
“It has been great to see demand grow, and the hope is we can collaborate with other clubs to offer this to as wide an audience as possible.”
Participants emphasise the benefit of attending women-only sessions:
"I especially like that the sessions are for females only as I would be unlikely to try trials if the sessions were mixed."
David points out that these sessions are in addition to existing work with the Clydesdale Colts, the children’s club of the Royal Albert Cycling Club, which has seen an increasing number of girls attend the weekly sessions.
David highlights a lack of participation in bike trials from girls in Scotland and the rest of the UK, pointing to the UCI World Championships coming to Scotland in 2023 when we will have the opportunity to see the best riders competing in this event. He states:
“Hopefully this will inspire more girls to give it a go. Who knows, maybe one of these young girls will be competing at a World Champs at some point in the future.”
The UCI highlights the benefits of gaining experience and skills in bike trials for other cycling disciplines and states that “… the sport is practiced around the world by children as young as 5 years old through to adults over 40 years of age.”
David would like more girls competing at a club level and to see at least one girl join British Cycling’s team for the UCI World Youth Games.
“The lack of any female representation on Team GB means we cannot compete in the Nations Event on the opening evening. Scottish Bike Trial would be seriously chuffed if that challenge was resolved by one of our riders taking up the mantle....”
Whatever the future for the girls and women having a go at bike trials, we are sure they’re all having an amazing time.
David let us know that the club also run monthly sessions for any children interested in giving the sport of bike trials a go and would be delighted to hear from any women wanting more info about the ‘Ladies Only’ sessions.
For more information about getting involved please see
https://www.scottishbiketrial.co.uk/getting-started or email david@scottishbiketrial.co.uk
Do you want to let the Scottish Cycling community know about the great work you are doing to support women/girls cycling? Please email melanie.toner@scottishcycling.org.uk with information and photographs about your project and/or club.
