A local cycle campaign have been amazed at the success of their informal group rides and are now hoping that people will continue pedalling right through the winter. The group are building on record turnouts for a series of Sunday afternoon rides aimed at families and beginners with five longer rides exploring the countryside beyond Dumfries, on the last Sunday of each month.
Cycling Dumfries are launching the first of their free winter rides this Sunday the 25th October with an easy paced ride out to Ae Forest and back. Starting at 11am from Dock Park these rides are longer, at about 20-25 miles but always on quiet roads and ‘at the speed of chat’ so that they will be suitable even to new cyclists who don’t feel up to a conventional group ride. In order to comply with Scottish Government and Scottish Cycling restrictions, the rides will be divided into groups of up to nine, with no café stops, but they will still be sociable occasions and a chance to discover some of the quiet byways and stunning scenery around the region.
Cycling Dumfries Convenor Sally Hinchcliffe said, “We have been blown away by the response to our Discovery Rides and had to turn people away from some of the more popular ones. We’ve really enjoyed running them – we’ve had a mix of new people and old friends and all the rides have been great social occasions as well as a chance to get out in to the fresh air and get some exercise. We worked really hard to set up procedures that would be safe and still allow us to ride in a group and the result has succeeded beyond our dreams. We now hope that people who’ve been bitten by the cycling bug in recent months will join us for these longer rides and discover new routes and places to explore by bike.”
Anyone interested in joining the rides is urged to book in advance via the group’s website or Facebook page, in order to comply with government guidelines.
Booking links and details can be found on the Cycling Dumfries website
Contact details: Sally Hinchcliffe – [email protected] / 07982 041278
The rides will be held on:
Sunday 25th October – Ae Forest
Sunday 29th October – Beeswing
Friday 1st January – New Year’s Resolution loop of Glenkiln and Speddoch
Sun 31st January – route to be announced
Sun 28th February – route to be announced.
The first ride starts at Dock Park at 11am. The rides are suitable for cyclists of any age who can manage 20-25 miles, or 2-3 hours cycling, with rest breaks. Older children are welcome but must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
