A CAMPAIGN to get women on wheels has been hailed a runaway success.

Women embraced their pedal power as part of a month-long Transport for Greater Manchester initiative named Women on Wheels, which aimed to reduce the gap between the number of men and women who cycle.

Two wheels are a more popular mode of transport with males, with statistics showing men who take the bike to work outnumber women by four to one.

Among those who took part in the scheme was the Burnden Belles cycling group at an event at Leverhulme Park.

Other events included taster sessions at the Manchester Velodrome suffragette rides in Edwardian costume and maintenance training courses.

Keen cyclist Ann Butler, who helped organise the Burnden Belles event, which also included a maintenance class, bike check and skills session, said: "The day was a huge success. We were inundated with ladies wanting to attend, some even buying their first bike, or replacing their old one, especially for the event.

“One lady had a mechanical fault with her bike while riding home and was able to fix it herself with what she had learnt.”

Helen Ramsden, TfGM’s head of active travel and travel choices, said: “We had a brilliant response to the Women on Wheels celebration, with hundreds of people signing-up to more than 60 events.

“Thank you to all the local cycling groups which helped us to organise the events and everyone who got involved.”

She added: “Cycling is a brilliant way to get fit and have fun and we hope Women on Wheels has inspired women and girls to get out on their bikes more often.”

Although the Women on Wheels campaign has now finished, everyone can still benefit from free bike maintenance and one-to-one and group training courses provided by TfGM at locations across Greater Manchester.

Go to www.tfgm.com/cycling for more information.