The Fancy Women Bike Ride is an annual women-only cycling event held on World Car Free Day in more than 150 cities around the world.
Women all over the world hold events when women get to cycle just to show that everyone can ride a bike – even if you are wearing something just a bit fancy.
And here in Edinburgh women put on their fancy clothes and had a cycle around The Meadows.
But there was a purpose to it all:
Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Alison Johnstone Lothian MSP, Suzanne Forup and Sally Hinchcilffe organisers of the Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Stella Thomson leading the Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Liz at Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Trish Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Alison Johnstone Lothian MSP at the Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Ewen Maclean of Blackford Safe Routes with his children Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Sarah at Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Helen at Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Melody and Rosa with Anna Robertson Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Bikes for Refugees were represented by Marjan Van de Weg at the Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Edinburgh Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Dr Caroline Brown at the Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Dr Caroline Brown at the Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Vicky who travelled from Dumfries for the Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Stella Thomason organiser of the Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com Sally Hinchcliffe organiser of the Fancy Women Bike Ride. Photo: © 2021, Martin P. McAdam www.martinmcadam.com
The organisers say this is a moving event not a standing event, but equally it is not a race, so everyone should cycle slowly. And the final piece of advice is that participants should wave their hands and smile to passers by.
It is an event for women to remember the liberating joy of cycling and to inspire other women to use their bicycles in the city which began in 2013 in Turkey.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.