Leisure

Beginner friendly ‘Pedal for Scotland’ event coming to Ayr in September

13 August 2021    

The beginner-friendly cycling event will be held on 12 September and will showcase the best local cycling routes in Ayshire.

Visit www.pedal.scot for registration details.

Cycling Scotland is pleased to announce Pedal Ayr will take place on 12 September 2021.

Pedal for Scotland events are free to enter, inclusive and non-competitive cycling events held on beginner-friendly cycling routes. Pedal Ayr is among the first Pedal for Scotland events to be held since 2019, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and will be held subject to local public health guidance and protocols at the time.   

Pedal Ayr will cover a 7.2-mile route, starting and finishing at the Low Green, Ayr which sits next to the NCN7 (National Cycle Network Route 7). Subject to local public health guidance at the time, it is hoped that riders will cross the finish line into a “Bike Festival” where a range of activities and information about cycling opportunities in South Ayrshire will be promoted. 

The event will provide a welcoming, safe and fun environment for people new to cycling and families with younger children. People without access to a bike will be able to borrow one.

Pedal Ayr is one of four events being held in 2021. Pedal Lerwick (29 August), Pedal Highland Perthshire (2 October) and Pedal Falkirk (3 October) will mark a welcome return for the initiative that has seen thousands of people participate since 1999.

In addition to the Pedal for Scotland events, Cycling Scotland has helped fund nine new cycling events across Scotland including the Clyde United Cycle in North Lanarkshire and the Celebration of Cycling in Dumfries and Galloway. 

In 2020, Cycling Scotland evolved Pedal for Scotland from the annual 45-mile fundraising event between Glasgow and Edinburgh into a series of beginner-friendly events across Scotland.

More information about the 2021 Pedal for Scotland events, including registration details for Pedal Ayr can be found at www.pedal.scot.

Fiona Reid, Active School co-ordinator for South Ayrshire Council commented: "We are so excited to announce Pedal Ayr and look forward to welcoming people new to cycling and families to Ayr.”

Christopher Johnson, Head of Education and Training for Cycling Scotland commented: “It’s great to see these new local Pedal events happening this year. We’ve seen a big rise in people cycling in Scotland in the year since lockdown first began, including many people who have either learned to cycle or re-discovered it. Taking part in a Pedal event on safe and accessible cycling routes can help build confidence and skills for you and/or your children. And if you already cycle regularly, you can recommend an event to friends and family and help them get all the physical and mental health benefits of cycling.”