The last two years has seen a growth in the number of women taking part in all types of cycling and at North Argyll Cycle Club we have been celebrating a record number of women members. The number has doubled since 2015 and the committee has gone from being all male in 2018 to having five women members for 2021 including a Women’s Officer to help promote cycling to women and engage them in club activities.

There are also some rising women stars in the club including Shona Maclachlan who in 2020 was recruited to join the Glasgow-based Cycling Club Torvello and is hot on the feels of Catriona MacGilvray who in 2019 smashed the Scottish National Women’s 100 Mile Time Trial record adding to her list of championship wins.

After a tricky 2020 the club is ready and organised for 2021 with a regular no-drop social Tuesday evening ride. A no drop ride is where the whole group stops and waits at regular intervals so no one gets left behind. It is great for confidence building as well as the social aspect helping you make friends to arrange other rides with too. Charlotte found the social rides were ‘a great way to meet fellow cyclists and gave an incentive to get out on the bike’. The Tuesday rides combine road riding with different options including the Sustrans Cycle Pathway, Loch Creran Loop and Glen Sallach hill climb. The Loch Creran route is perfect for all abilities, being relatively flat, using the Sustrans cycle path up to the loch itself before a quiet road lapping round it. For more challenging riding you can add on the Glen Sallach hill climb and sometimes if there is sufficient demand a faster road group sets out for a longer ride too. So there is something for everyone and if you are new to road riding or nervous of traffic, come along as you won’t be the only one!

Regular off-road mountain bike weekend events are being planned for the winter months as well as a weekly mountain bike night ride leaving Benderloch with a loop over Ben Lora. The key to enjoying winter night riding is to make sure you have warm kit (especially gloves) and super bright front lights which make some amazing difference to how you can feel riding in the dark.

In the summer months the club organises time trials and APRs (Australian Pursuit Rides) which are faster paced and against the clock. ‘If you are keen to improve your speed then time trials are a great start as you are only chasing your own best time. The first one I went to I was super nervous about but once you are riding the great thing is you forget about being anxious and just enjoy the cycling’, said Moira who is recommending it as a good next step once you have given road riding a try.

The club is very aware of some of the barriers that prevent women and girls from taking up cycling, and we work to tailor our events much more with these barriers in mind – finding ways to help people overcome them and make our club a welcoming one for all.