Sunny Cycles Women’s Wheels project
Sunny Cycles aim is to make cycling accessible to everyone regardless of age, ability or background, creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where participants can enjoy the benefits of cycling.
A variety of programmes are on offer including adaptive bike sessions, social rides and lessons for all ages and abilities. The activities run from Glasgow Green, Victoria Park and Maryhill and have no cost attached although participants are encouraged to donate what they can afford.
In April 2025 Sunny Cycles received a grant of £5,000 from the Volant Charitable Trust small grants programme to continue its Women’s Wheels project, established in 2024. The project provides free, beginner, and intermediate level rides for adult women who have not been on a bike for some time. It particularly targets groups of women who are vulnerable, socially isolated and lacking in confidence.
During the school holidays, the project opens to participants children with family rides. The rides were well attended and took place regularly all year round. In times of really bad weather, a coffee social meet up was offered instead which was also very popular. Cycling has helped many of the attendees to become regular cyclists, with many purchasing their own bikes to join other Sunny Cycles rides, and to join rides and activities with other organisations. The funding paid for the ride leader for the project, who was able to offer support and encouragement, and share their extensive knowledge of the different cycle paths in and around Glasgow, and the different cycling organisations to visit.
Some of the participants were able to suggest locations, and they also joined up with ride groups from other organisations for visits too.
They joined up with Mount Vernon Community Hall for a visit to the Scottish Pantry Network where riders got a tour of the building, to hear about the services they provide and to see the meal boxes they create. Some were going to recommend it to family and friends, and they saw how easy it was to get to there by bike. For International Women’s Day they visited the Glasgow Women's Library, which many of the women had not visited before and many went on to join as a member of the library. They were given a tour of the library and introduced to the many books about cycling. They visited other projects and places of interest, often those the women hadn't been to before, and didn't realise were so close, and accessible by bike.
Even when the good old Scottish bad weather prevented the cycling from happening, they were able to meet up for a social activity. This was valuable and provided an opportunity for the women to really talk and get to know one another. The women have now got into the habit of being out on a Friday, so it kept the continuity going. All the women reported noticing a positive impact on their wellbeing from attending the rides. Having access to bikes, a supportive leader, and support from others in the group has helped their development and learning of not only the cycling infrastructure in Glasgow, but the history of Glasgow as well, and of the different projects available that offer other support too.
One of the women has a job that is very people orientated and helping those in difficult situations which can be stressful. She came along to the rides initially to meet the leader, and to get information so she could pass information onto her clients. At the meeting, the leader asked if she wanted to join the ride, so she could really tell people what it was like. She joined the shorter ride that day and has been attending every week since.
She started taking the morning off work and went in later. Then when she had some leave days to use up, she used the days the rides were on. She has been to many new places she didn't know existed. But she has also shared some of her knowledge and suggested locations and projects to visit. She borrows a bike every week as this is easier for going to work afterwards, but she got her own bike out of the shed, and joined a mass women's bike ride in November, Ride Bright. She loved it! She hadn't been cycling at night before. She is always supportive when new people join and has now enquired about ride leader training so that she can help out. She attends other rides on a Saturday and has encouraged her partner to come along too. She has participated in non-cycling activities with Sunny Cycles and other cycling groups - social quiz night, AGM, get togethers, lunches and fundraising events. She has really embraced cycling, and she is very aware of the positive impact it has on her. She said "It just helps me clear my head of everything else, all the stress at work. I switch my work phone off and I'm cycling". She also was not aware of a lot of the cycling infrastructure in the city such as the bike traffic lights and the different storage facilities.
Other participants have come along as they are not working and are isolated. They have found that they are able to practice their English, and have grown their confidence and knowledge of Glasgow, sometimes being shown murals or projects within the ward they live in.
| “The funding from Foundation Scotland has enabled women's bike rides to take place, an activity that has had a huge positive impact on the participants. Having a regular activity where the ladies felt supported and we were able to support them to grow their confidence and give them an opportunity to take some time out for themselves has greatly improved their wellbeing.” |