ByCycle organises and leads a series of gentle paced cycle rides, about 10 mph, mainly in Perthshire throughout the year. As far as possible they follow quiet scenic roads, cycle paths and, occasionally, tracks. All are welcome to join these FREE rides and no-one gets dropped off. All that we ask is that you have a reasonably maintained bike and that, after you have enjoyed one or two rides, you join ByCycle. (DETAILS HERE)
The Rides Group have taken over the planning and coordination of all ByCycle’s rides. Its members include Ian Fraser and Margaret Scott.
They will put together a provisional schedule of Third Sunday Rides, each of which meets at 10 am for a 10:15 am start. Please note this schedule may be subject to change during the year so, if you wish to join a particular ride, you should always check in advance with SPOND for the latest information. To join SPOND, please contact Ian Fraser.
The Rides Group is happy to receive offers to lead Third Sunday and Wednesday evening rides and suggestions for alternative routes particularly ones starting from Perth. If you would like to get involved or have any suggestions as to how we can make our rides more attractive please email Katharine or Richie. The current Wednesday Evening Ride Schedule can be found here.
For the benefit of Perthshire residents and visitors we have catalogued many of our favourite and popular rides in our Atlas of Rides.
Wednesday Evening Rides 2025
Our Wednesay Evening rides draft schedule is below. Please check back here or on SPOND for the latest updates.
| Date | Leader | Start point | Route | Link |
| 07-May | Shelagh Fulton | Scone Park and Ride | Starting at Scone Park and Ride then heading over the Destiny Bridge. This will be a circular ride ending with drinks at Brown & Black or The Scone Arms. | Destiny bridge circular |
| 14-May | Katharine Melville | Loch of Lowes Car Park | Starting at Loch of the Lowes Car Park heading to Butterstone and returning. There is a considerable amount of off road and more suitable to gravel or hybrid bikes. | Loch of Lowes Circular |
| 21-May | Barbara Smith | Victory Park Bridge of Earn | Circular route around Rhynd Suitable for road bikes | Rhynd Circular |
| 28-May | Margaret Scott | Red House Hotel Car Park | Led by Margaret Scott. Starting at The Red House Hotel Car Park, Coupar Angus. Circular route to Saucher and Strelitz, Burrelton and back to Coupar Angus. | Burrleton and Saucher |
| 04-Jun | Gordon McFarlane | Loch Leven Campus | Kinross area TBC | |
| 11-Jun | Kirsty Ellis | Pitcairn Green village Hall | Pitcairn Green->Methven->Gloagburn | |
| 18-Jun | Gerry Burke | Stanley TBC | Stanley loop | |
| 25-Jun | Richie Neill | Red House Hotel Car Park | Belmont loop | |
| 02-Jul | Katharine Melville | North Car Park Dunkeld | Dunkeld to Ballinluig return on other side of A9. Some paths but OK for road bikes | Ballinluig circular |
| 09-Jul | Gina O’Neill | Starbucks Blairgowrie | Clunie->Lethendy-> Bendochy. | Loch Clunie Loop |
| 16-Jul | Margaret Scott | Errol Church Car Park | Errol->Grange->Glendoick->Errol | |
| 23-Jul | Shelagh Fulton | Scone Park and Ride | Offroad | Scone Circular |
| 30-Jul | ||||
| 06-Aug | Gerry | Dunkeld | Hermitage offroad | |
| 13-Aug | ||||
| 20-Aug |
Schedule of Third Sunday Rides for 2024
The schedule for our 2025 Third Sunday rides will appear here as soon as available or you can check on SPOND for the latest news.
'She Pedals Scotland' - A Message from Melanie Toner
I’m reaching out to share details of She Pedals Scotland, an exciting new project we’re proud to support as part of our ongoing commitment to increasing the participation of women and girls in cycling.
The initiative, led by two of our fantastic volunteers, Diane and Lorna, aims to get as many women and girls as possible out riding their bikes across Scotland on 14th June 2025. Whether it’s 1 mile or 100 miles, on any type of bike and in any form of cycling, every woman and girl is invited to take part.
Participants can register here to let us know their plans for the day and, afterwards, to share how it went. You can also follow She Pedals Scotland on Facebook and Instagram, where we’ll be posting updates, inspiration, and opportunities to get involved.
We’d really appreciate your support in spreading the word, whether that’s through your organisation’s social media and communication channels, or by letting us know about any rides, events, or activities taking place on 14th June that we can promote as opportunities for women and girls to go cycling on the day. Please feel free to share this email with anyone in your organisation who may be interested.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the project further, I’d be happy to arrange a call.
Thanks so much for your support.
Best wishes,
Mel
Melanie Toner
Women and Girls Development Manager
m: 07538 083 999 | e: melanie.toner@scottishcycling.org.uk
Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome | Emirates Arena | 1000 London Road | Glasgow | G40 3HG
A Concrete Telephone Box???
A recent ByCycle Wednesday ride stopped at the hamlet of Rhynd to view a very unusual building – a concrete ‘K3’ Telephone Kiosk, one of only four surviving (two of them in museums and one in London Zoo).
The typical old red telephone box we all know is called the ‘K6’ design. However, before the GPO made that its standard it experimented with other designs, all by Giles Gilbert Scott, architect of Battersea Power Station and Liverpool’s great Anglican Cathedral. His first design, the ‘K2’ was similar to the K6 design we know, being in cast iron and painted red, but was larger, enormously heavy and expensive. A number survive in London. The GPO then asked for a cheaper design made from concrete – the K3 – and, remarkably, one has survived at Rhynd, in its original location and original cream and red colours. It is now listed ‘Category A’ – of national importance. However, the K3’s cheap concrete was prone to damage and staining, so eventually the K6 was adopted – smaller than the K2 but reverting to cast iron and all-over red.
Katharine reports on our October Third Sunday Ride
The ride was billed to be a repeat of last year’s popular route from Dunkeld to Strathardle via Pitlochry, Kirkmichael and Blairgowrie. The idea was to ride in reverse, via Pitlochry, although this would entail a steep climb up to Strathardle.
However, in view of the fact that the route is longer than our normal, and later in the year, leader Robert Gunn proposed that we change the route to a circular ride to Blair Atholl. Twelve riders set out from Dunkeld, after a couple of call-offs because of mechanical failure. When we reached the decision point at the road leading to Edradour, the group split exactly in two, with a leader for each.
The group heading for Blair Atholl made an early cafe stop at Escape Route in Pitlochry. There were loops to Blair Atholl via the footbridge at Loch Faskally and Faskally Woods. Then the route crossed the River Garry at Killicrankie and followed the west bank of the river all the way to the footbridge at Blair Atholl. Another stop for soup at the Watermill, then a buzz home via NCN7 and 77, the only other blip being the need to scramble over a landslip north of Dunkeld House hotel.
The group who chose the original Strathardle route found the initial climb quite tough, but enjoyed Strathardle, taking an alternative loop through Kindrogan Woods. There was a blip at Kirkmichael Cafe. It seems the shop shuts at 2:30, but the cafe closes at 1:30 and the assistant refused to serve even teas and coffees. The group buzzed to Blairgowrie for a welcome break at Starbucks. Perhaps we should not make a habit of splitting the group like this, but in the event it
worked out well and both groups enjoyed their day out.
Report from Katharine Melville
Gordon leads ride around Loch Leven
The Strathmore Open Studios Long Weekend
Third Sunday Ride in Kinross-shire
On ByCycle Third Sunday ride (Sunday 21st May) Gordon MacFarlane led seven other ByCycle members around a very interesting route exploring parts of Kinross-shire. Starting and ending at Loch Leven Community Centre the ride was mainly on undulating but not steep roads that took us through attractive farmlands and woodlands with sheep and deer farms. Gordon highlighted various castles and other points of interest including where villages had been moved and roads changed and we visited the spectacular gorge at Rumbling Bridge. Our lunch stop was at the Powmill Milk bar which offered a large selection of hot meals. As the weather unexpectedly deteriorated during the ride (note the low temperature of 8 degrees) with drizzle in the afternoon we curtailed our ride and did not go around Loch Leven which we shall look forward to at a later date.
Key statistics were:
Distance 30.54 miles
Average speed 9.3 mph
Total Ascent 430m
Temperature High 11.2 degrees, Low:8.0
See the ROUTE HERE
Wednesday Summer Rides
Each Wednesday evening through the summer months (in 2022, 25th May until 17th August) ByCycle leads short rides within Perthshire. These easy rides usually last for an hour and a half and cover 10/15 miles, many finishing with a relaxing drink at a local hostelry. They often use cycle paths and off-road tracks to complete a circular route. Climbing is low to moderate. All are welcome to come; just turn up at your chosen venue with an appropriate bike in reasonable condition. Don’t forget to bring a spare inner tube in case of a puncture.
Our schedule of rides in 2022 can be seen HERE.
Third Sunday Rides
Third Sunday Rides are mainly between 35-45 miles taken at a gentle 10 miles per hour with a bar or cafe lunch. They usually start from Bell’s Sports Centre on Perth’s North Inch at 10 am and finish there about 4 pm. The routes are advertised by email to ByCycle members usually on the Wednesday before the ride. To be included on this email list please join ByCycle or contact Mike Simm (Vice chair) on mikesimm259@gmail.com. All are welcome to join us on these rides but we would ask that you join ByCycle after you have enjoyed one or two rides.
Special Ride
Each August our third Sunday ride is a very special one. We usually hire coaches and a furniture van to transport riders and their bike to a venue that we cannot reach on our normal circular rides. Riders then make their way back to Perth on a recommended route. Dropoff venues that have been used in the past include St Andrews, Callander, Kenmore, Kinloch Rannoch and Dalwhinnie. At the end of ride there is a celebration at Bell’s Sports Centre with tea and cakes and presentation of certificates.
Or why not give yourself a treat and relive Colin Boag’s YOUTUBE account of our third ride from Kenmore in 2015.
How to Draw ByCycle Routes
ByCycle uses free MAPOMETER software to draw and share ride routes.
- Use Mapometer to draw your route. It is reasonably straightforward but if you need any help contact bycycleperth@gmail.com
Top Tip: If you make a mistake either ‘Undo’ ; else, if you have already ‘Saved’ it, go to the View’ screen click on ‘Actions’ then ‘Edit’ then ‘Edit Route’. The route will turn black and two blue paddles will appear. Drag one paddle to the start of the section to edit and the other to the end. The section you are editing should now show in black. Click the black route and a draggable box will appear. Move this to your new route. If you are happy, click ‘Commit’ then make any other changes in the same way before ‘Save’
- Save and name your route using clear geographical description e.g. Dunkeld circular via Ballinluig and Dalguise’ Add a description that will help viewers such as ‘suitable for electric bikes only’ or describe the start point in detail, give it a label, i.e. ByCycle, and allow others to see it.
- Save it then copy the URL by opening it again. This URL can be attached to emails, included in documents directly or as a link. If the route is so unique that you want to include it in our ATLAS of RIDES‘ then email the URL to bycycleperth@gmail.com
Have fun reading and riding!
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