THE growing cycling craze has produced a new Inverclyde ladies group called Belles on Bikes.

Organiser Shona Morris says they have been established for a few months and are slowly building momentum.

She explained: “We set the group up to encourage more women to get out on their bikes.

“Our rides are not competitive, but rather social events with lots of chatting and stops for a cake and a cuppa. We are also a totally voluntary group.

“We had our first meeting in March in a cafe in Gourock, where 17 women came along to show interest and to hear about our group.

“From there we approached the Belles on Bikes brand to see if we could become one of their groups and, sure enough, they were happy to have us on board.

“There are Belles on Bikes groups in Inverness, Aberdeen, Moray, Glasgow and Stirling to name a few.

“We’ve managed roughly one cycle every week since then, and in some cases there have been two.” Shona said people being unsure of the roadworthiness and general safety of their bike is a big barrier to them getting back in the saddle.

She said: “Phillips Cycles will be providing some evening maintenance sessions to the belles. These will cover things like how to repair a puncture, replace an inner tube and adjust brakes.

“Having this knowledge will hopefully give a lot of women the confidence to go on bike rides, knowing they are equipped with the knowledge to get home safely should they incur a maintenance issue.

“Opportunities are becoming more and more available for the group, and we have lots of exciting ideas to follow through in the coming months.

“We have set up a programme which will have something for everyone.” Shona added: “Longer challenging rides will support the Belles who wish to get fitter or who are training for Pedal For Scotland on 6 September, which is Scotland’s biggest bike event involving cycling 47 miles from Glasgow to Edinburgh.

“We recently joined the Glasgow Belles who cycled from Pollok Park to Greenock, where we joined them and carried on down the back roads to Largs and across to Cumbrae.

“We look forward to linking up with other Belles on Bikes groups for rides, and will be looking to integrate some experiences and visits to local attractions.

“The rides have been a huge success, and the ladies who come along are extremely enthusiastic and encouraging. A few Belles have even bought brand new bikes as a result!” More information is available at www.facebook.com/bellesonbikesinverclyde, www.bikeeventscotland.com or you can email inverclydebellesonbikes@outlook.com