A NEW cycling club for women has been launched in York.

York Bike Belles was created as a fun, social environment to encourage more women to cycle, and was developed as a partnership between Sustrans and i-Travel York.

The group launched with a ride around Rowntree Park on Saturday, and talks from a personal trainer and, and engagement with the public to raise awareness of the organisation.

Research in the city has shown that only one in four cyclists is a woman and 75 per cent of women never cycle at all, despite York being ranked the third best cycling city by the Department for Transport in April last year.

Kersten England, City of York Council chief executive, said: “With Stage 2 of the 2014 Le Grand Départ rolling out from York on July 6 there has never been a better time to start cycling in and around York.”

See York Bike Belles on Facebook or on twitter @yorkbikebelles