A Tayside architect has been named as one of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling for her inspirational efforts to encourage others into the saddle.
Alice Turpie has joined Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey, triple Olympic medallist Victoria Pendleton and TV presenter Angellica Bell on a list created to mark the Women’s Festival of Cycling which has seen events staged across the UK throughout July.
Only 1,000,000 women – just 3% of the population – cycle regularly, with many more men making bike journeys.
Keen biker Alice, an architect at Nicoll Russell Studios in Broughty Ferry, started an initiative to help improve the practice’s carbon footprint through encouraging active travel.
She has cycled, on and off, since her childhood but enjoys the commute to her workplace and in 2016, added cycling to an office log to create some healthy competition in the office.
She said: “Our strategy is reaching staff families as well.
“There are examples of a schoolchild cycling in with her mother and leaving her bike stored safely here, near the school, and often other family members join in the mountain bike training.”
She added of her own Ferry commute with colleagues pedalling in to work from the likes of Carnoustie: “That bit of very fresh air blasting up the River Tay is always welcome.
“It seems that the cycling is good for mental wellbeing as well as physical health.
“I love cycling for the fresh air, the views, the sense of freedom, its ease of jumping on and off, its zero environmental impact, and for the fun.
“From my experience the trick to actually getting out the door and avoiding the lazy car option is to have everything ready to hand, making cycling the easiest and quickest option.
“And – a cycle commuters handy hint – the architect’s uniform of black jeans is pretty good for hiding chain oil.”
A recent poll carried out on behalf of Cycling UK that found more than a third of of women said they would be inspired to cycle more with the encouragement of friends and family and the charity challenged every female cyclist in the UK to enlist at least one more woman to start cycling through July.
Congratulating Alice, Helen Cook, Cycling UK head of engagement said: “It’s an incredible achievement and testimony to the tireless work she’s done to raise the profile of women’s cycling.
“Every woman on our list is an incredible ambassador for women’s cycling, but sadly women remain underrepresented when it comes to everyday cycling.”
