Women’s Takeover Day at Forest of Dean Cycle Centre

Forestry England has teamed up with Whyte Bikes to host the first FOD Women’s Takeover Day, a full-day event dedicated to celebrating women who love life on the trails. 

Taking place on Saturday, 21 June at the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, the event aims to create a welcoming, supportive, and empowering atmosphere for riders of all skill levels.

Designed to break down barriers and build a strong, inclusive community, the FOD Women’s Takeover Day offers a unique opportunity for women to build confidence on the trails, learn new skills, and connect with like-minded riders. The day is packed with a range of activities for all abilities.

Highlights of the programme include:

• Social rides: Led by experienced riders on the forest’s famous trails, with separate groups for families, beginners and advanced riders.
• Discounted coaching: Sessions designed to help you master techniques and improve confidence.
• Half price uplifts: To get you to the top of the hill quickly, to session trails over again.
• Demo bikes: An opportunity to test the latest models from Whyte Bikes in a real-world trail environment.
• Women’s dig: Join the Dean Trail Volunteers to learn trail-building skills in a supportive social space.
• Timed runs: Get some racing experience just for fun, challenge yourself or race against your friends.

Alongside this event, Forestry England is working with the University of Bristol on their Fostering Inclusive Action Sports (FIAS) project, designed to tackle gender inequality in mountain biking to help foster a more inclusive future for mountain biking culture.

Our goal with the FOD Women’s Takeover Day is to create a space where women feel seen, supported, and stoked to embrace cycling. Whether you’re a complete beginner just starting out, or an experienced rider looking to connect with a like-minded community, this day is for you. It’s about sharing a passion for the outdoors and building a network of confident female riders here in the beautiful Forest of Dean – Dan Weston, Recreation Manager for Forestry England at the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre

Most of the day is either free to attend or heavily discounted. Forestry England believes the trails should be for everyone — all ages, all abilities, all bodies, all backgrounds. 

Visit the website for full event details and programme.