08/02/2012
Basic bike maintenance course
26/02/2012
Free use of Sports Village cycle track
04/03/2012
Women on wheels social ride
21/03/2012
Basic bike maintenance course
24/03/2012
Learn to lead a social ride
August women on wheels ride
Emma Bullard updates us on August's women on wheels ride....
Thanks to a piece in the Shrewsbury Chronicle we had our biggest group yet this month, with lots of new riders. Some have lived in Shrewsbury all their lives; and others have just moved to the town. One woman had just moved here and hadn't seen the Weir at Castlefields until we cycled past it. We also get people who already do a fair bit of cycling but enjoy riding with a group. There might be an opportunity here for a separate group of confident cyclists - anyone feel like organising one?
We started with replacing an inner tube; this is our sixth ride so it's been pretty good that this was the first time we've needed to make repairs. Lots of people want to learn more about looking after their bikes, and how to feel confident cycling in traffic, so have asked for some training.
We stopped at the sports village for coffee - again many people hadn't been there, and didn't know about the cycle track, so we encouraged them to spread the word about the free family cycling sessions on the last Sunday of every month.
Two people turned back from here - not because they didn't enjoy themselves, but they ran out of time. The good thing about a stop at the sports village is it gives people a chance to see if the pace suits them (if they haven't cycled for a while) , if their bike needs attention (eg tyres pumping up) and so on. It's also easy for people to find their way back if they don't want to do the whole ride.
From there we followed Route 81 to Upton Magna, stopped for lunch at Home Farm where a friendly pea-hen came to have a look at us, cycled through Attingham Park and over the old bridge in Atcham, then down to Cross Houses (admiring Cronkhill House on the way) and back via Berrington and Weeping Cross.
See you all next month!
Next month's ride takes place on Sunday 5 September. We're also hoping to have an extra ride combining catching the train to Wellington with a cycle ride back to Shrewsbury. Watch this space for details coming soon.
Search this site
What's on
Comments (add your comment)
Ride from Wellington
Women on wheels
I blame my husband Andy. I was so full of enthusiasm on my return (thanks Emma for pumping up my tyres and adjusting my seat) that he decided to buy himself a bike from Shrewsbury Cycles (highly recommended-very helpful). Since March we have cycled together most weekends and have explored many of the routes on the Cycle Shrewsbury website and made some up of our own. My friend Steph got her bike out of the shed and has accompanied us on some of our trips. For her 50th birthday we bought her a ‘birthday bike service’ from Shrewsbury Cycles.
Finally I have to mention that I signed up for the cycle to work month in July. There is a good stretch of cycle path from Belle Vue to the Severn Hospice where I work. It’s now August and I’m still cycling to work and enjoying unwinding after my shifts. Definitely worth getting up a few minutes earlier!
Many thanks for getting us both on our bikes