Harrogate's cycling club shows why it is one of the UK's biggest with launch of new event

Taking place on Bank Holiday Sunday, Harrogate Wheel Easy is launching a new series of ‘Wheel Easy Intro’ rides aimed at adult cyclists who are considering joining but unsure if they can manage the club’s short rides of around 20-25 miles.

The club, which argues cycling is one of the best and most enjoyable ways of keeping fit, as well as being the most environmentally-friendly form of transport, says the launch ride will be 12 to 20 miles taken at a very gentle pace.

More than 100 years ago Harrogate was the founding town for e Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC), now called Cycling UK.

The inaugural Intro Ride will be on Sunday, May 26, starting at 9.30am in the car park by the Squash Club at the Yorkshire Showground.

The route will take participants along the traffic free Nidderdale Greenway, a former, mostly flat, railway line from Bilton to Ripley.

There will be a coffee stop in Ripley, with a possible extension to Hampsthwaite.

Regular and electric bicycles are both welcome but all bikes must be in good condition.

The event will have a maximum of eight riders, so booking in advance is advised.

Harrogate Wheel Easy has been email and website-driven from the start and, as a result, has brought in a relatively young membership.

For more information, email [email protected] or go online: https://www.cyclinguk.org/local-groups/wheel-easy