A CYCLING club in Thornbury are celebrating their first anniversary next month.

The Thornbury Cycling Club will mark the occasion with a cycle around Thornbury on Saturday, February 25, to help promote their club and sign up more members.

It is one of a number of their rides that have been designed to get more people pedalling together in the area.

The group also organised a family ride during last year’s Thornbury Carnival, and more recently a Christmas fun ride.

At their Christmas ride members were spotted dressed up as snowmen, Christmas trees and cycling santas, complete with Christmas lights and music.

The club was formed last year by keen cyclist Pete Jackson. He said: “What pleases me most is the friendly nature of the club. Everyone joins in with social events, and the most experienced riders take the time to help those who are just starting out, or looking to improve their riding ability.”

They now have 60 paid members, and 180 followers on their Facebook page. They mostly take part for social or health reasons, with some members participating in long distance cycling events, including the Great Weston Ride and Velothon Wales.

Official club rides are held every week for all levels, with routes being risk assessed by experienced cyclists. Their courses often incorporate a coffee stop so members can chat, and despite wintery weather conditions their average weekend rides have had around 20 members joining in.

Member Liz Morrell said: “When I joined last year I was terrified at the idea of joining a club because I just thought everyone would be mega serious. The beauty of the club is that's not how it is at all.

“There are some hugely talented riders but they work really hard to encourage others to learn the sport. The fact that the club is so welcoming and all-embracing at whatever level, and cycling so addictive, means that we not only learn to ride better but it's also a great way to make new friends in the area too."

To find out about becoming a member visit the club’s official events page @thornburycyclingclub on Facebook, or contact Pete at thornburycyclinguk@gmail.com.